gold. For the rest, they reported that their monarch, Montezuma, had accepted and was pleased with our present, but as to a personal interview between him and Cortes, no more was to be said about it.
Although it was a disappointment to Cortes that his visit should be refused so dryly, still he thanked the messengers, and turning to some of us who were standing near said, "This Montezuma must be a great and rich prince, and some day, God willing, we shall visit him in his palace." "We only wish," the hungry soldiers answered, "that we were living with him now."
All this happened at the hour of Ave Maria, and at the sound of the bell we gathered before a cross set on a sand hill and said our prayers. While we were kneeling Teuhtlilli asked why we so humbled ouselves before that piece of wood. At once Cortes turned to Padre de Olmedo, who was there. "This is a good opportunity, sir," he said, "to tell of our holy religion through our interpreters "; and he proceeded to speak in a manner that would have done credit to a good theologian. First he explained that we were Christians. Then explaining the substance of our belief, he told them that their gods were not good but evil spirits which fled from the presence of the cross. He said much else that was edifying, which the Indians understood and answered that they would relate them to their monarch, Montezuma.
