Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/217

Rh being to attract attention to himself and to his representation, he recognized that the presents were inadequate, and bestirred his ingenuity to discover a means to enhance their value. Finally he hit upon the idea of forming the silver into a cannon of about twenty-three hundred weight, costing nearly thirty thousand pesos de oro. It was engraved with several artistic designs "to be worthy of appearing before so high and excellent a prince."

The chief ligure was a phœnix in relief, with the inscription:

 Sprung from out fire, a peerless thing Type of the services I bring To thee, unrivalled mighty king.

Cortés also sent twenty-five thousand Castellanos in gold, and over fifteen hundred marcos in silver, to his father, with instructions to buy arms, dresses, plants, and other effects for the colony. In charge of the presents was Diego de Soto, accompanied by Diego de Ocampo and Francisco de Montejo, procuradores for Cortés and New Spain.

Orders had been issued from Spain to send only a limited amount of treasure in one vessel, so that the loss might not be great in case of capture; but Cortés