The Mastering of Mexico/Chapter 18
CHAPTER XVIII
How Cortes used the ships, and ordered Martin Lopez to model thirteen sloops for the lake of Mexico; what happened as our army marched to Texcoco and Sandoval went to fetch timber of the sloops; of the great thirst we endured, our march about the lake, and the plot to stab Cortes.
When the officers of Narvaez saw that the towns of the province of Tepeaca were at peace, they begged Cortes to do as he had promised and give them leave to go back to the island of Cuba. Their request Cortes was not slow in granting, and he even sent them off supplied with such food as we at that time had, maize, salted dog's flesh and a few fowls, and promised that, although many of them went away rich, if he wholly conquered New Spain, he would give them more gold. We who remained behind asked Cortes why he gave them leave to go, for we were so few. He answered that he wanted to be done with their importunities and complaints; it was better to be alone than in bad company, and we could see for ourselves that many of them were not fit for service. Alvarado had orders to see them to port and aboard one of the best ships, and then to return to headquarters. In another ship Cortes despatched Alonzo de Mendoza and Diego de Ordas to Spain for some purpose he did not tell, and afterwards we only heard that when the bishop of Burgos told Ordas to his face that we were a parcel of villains and traitors, Ordas stood up stoutly for us. In a third ship Cortes sent Alonzo de Avila to Santo Domingo to give to the governors of the islands account of what we had done—Cortes choosing Avila to get him out of the way, for he spoke his mind very freely and sided with us soldiers in every difficulty, as I have already told on page 235, if he thought us unjustly dealt with.
Here the reader may ask how without money could Cortes send Ordas to Spain, for in Spain, as elsewhere, money is a necessity. And how could he send still another ship to buy horses in Jamaica? I can only say that when we were fleeing from Mexico on the night of our great sorrow, much gold, as I have told, was left in a heap, and many of the soldiers, especially the horsemen and followers of Narvaez, stowed away treasures from the heap. Then, besides, many of the eighty Tlaxcalans who were laden with gold were in the vanguard and got safely over the bridges. It is clear that not all the gold was lost on the causeway, but many loads saved. We poor soldiers who had no command, but only lived to obey, and on that night were trying to save our lives, cared little whether we had gold or not, and were happy to get off with any degree of safety and cure our wounds. Of the gold that was saved Cortes and some of the officers got as much as they could lay their hands on.
In the peace now prevailing Cortes moved the main part of the troops to Tlaxcala, leaving behind at Tepeaca an officer with twenty soldiers ill or wounded. At this time also our captain ordered that enough timber should be cut to build thirteen sloops by which we might again reach Mexico, for it was certain we could not carry on war or enter by the causeways, and we could never master the waters surrounding the town without sloops. Martin Lopez, of whom I have already told as a good soldier in our fight with Narvaez, and an expert in modeling and in cutting the wood of boats—this Martin Lopez now set to work with his unfailing and clever craftsmanship. He made such speed in cutting the wood—Indians whom the caciques of Tlaxcala sent to us aiding in felling and preparing—that he soon had the whole of it cut, and each beam marked for its place in its sloop after the way master carpenters marked pieces in their building. Another good soldier, Andrez Nunez, and a skilful old carpenter, Ramirez, lame of a wound, helped. Cortes also sent Santa Cruz, a worthy soldier, to Vera Cruz for the iron work and sails and cables of the ships we destroyed; and with orders that all the blacksmiths should come to Tlaxcala to do the forging. With the help of more than a thousand Indian porters to carry the loads, Santa Cruz brought everything over the mountains, even cauldrons for boiling the pitch with which to caulk the sloops. Our Indians did not know how to extract tar, and here we were at a loss till Cortes picked four sailors who understood the work and sent them off to some pine woods to make it.
As soon as Cortes saw that the croakers with their infection of others with cowardice were off for Cuba, and that the timber was preparing for the sloops, he determined to march with all our soldiers to Texcoco, after Mexico one of the largest cities of New Spain. Whether Texcoco was the best place for putting together and launching the sloops we discussed at great length, for some of the soldiers claimed that Ayotzingo, near Chalco, had better canals, while others maintained that Texcoco was better, standing as it did near many other towns, and that when we once got it in our power we should be better able to plan our operations against Mexico.
We had scarcely settled on the town I have said when some soldier brought news from Vera Cruz that a large ship had run in from Spain and the Canaries, laden not only with crossbows and crossbow-cords, muskets, powder and other arms, but also with three horses and thirteen soldiers. Great was our delight! Cortes sent at once to bargain for all the arms and powder, in fact, for the whole cargo of the ship. If before this we were in good spirits for our start for Texcoco, now we felt the more elation on having this timely succor. All the passengers on board, and even the sailing master, came to our camp, where we gave them warmest welcome.
When our captain found himself so rich in muskets, powder, crossbows and horses, and saw how impatient we all were, officers and soldiers alike, again to attack the great city of Mexico, he asked the caciques of Tlaxcala to send ten thousand warriors to join us in our campaign. He was making them a speech about the matter when an elder cacique assured him that not only ten thousand warriors, but many more were at his service. We began our march a day or two after Christmas of the year 1520.
Our enemies, the Mexicans, had barricaded the mountain passes between Tlaxcala and Texcoco with felled trees and otherwise, but our Indian friends cleared away the trees and filled up holes so that our horsemen could pass, and when on the second day we descended from the heights and saw before us the lake of Mexico and its great cities standing in the midst of waters, we thanked God for allowing us to look upon the scene again, and vowed we would act more prudently in this campaign.
The people of Texcoco were not now on the best of terms with the Mexicans, and, moreover, smallpox was raging throughout the whole district, and in these reasons, perhaps, lay the fact that on the following day, as we neared Texcoco our scouts brought the glad tidings that ten unarmed Indians were approaching, bearing a golden banner. Upon coming to us they lowered the banner in token of peace, and when they neared Cortes, who had our two interpreters. Donna Marina and Aguilar, standing by him, they said, "Malinche, our master, the cacique of Texcoco sends us to beg you to take him into your friendship. He awaits you in the city, and as signal of peace sends you this banner, and asks you to order your brothers and the Tlaxcalans not to harm his land and in his city to be his guests."
Cortes was overjoyed at the message, and embraced the ambassadors warmly. Nevertheless, in counselling with his officers, who also were of his opinion, he could not but suspect the Indians were playing some trick—for if the Texcocans had been honestly inclined they would have not acted in so great a hurry, and would have brought food. However, he accepted the golden banner with thanks, and assured the bearers that he was not in the habit of ill-treating any vassal of our king, and if they kept the peace which they now sought, he would protect them from the Mexicans and order the Tlaxcalans to do them no injury.
Early next morning we entered Texcoco itself, and at once it struck us as singular that we saw neither women nor children, only men seemingly avoiding us, as if at war with us. After we had got to our quarters in some great halls, and Cortes had summoned the officers and most of us, he ordered Alvarado. Olid, some other soldiers and me to ascend the great temple and look over the town and lake. We had no sooner got to the top than we saw the people of towns round about moving away their belongings, some taking to the hills and others hiding in the reed-thickets of the water. All the lake was alive with canoes.
When we reported these facts Cortes determined to seize the sender of the golden banner, the cacique of Texcoco, and he despatched papas to summon their ruler. They returned, reporting that he had fled with many chieftains to Mexico. In secret understanding with the cacique of Mexico, chieftains told us next day, this runaway cacique had murdered his elder brother to raise himself to power. The rightful heir, whom the Texcocans named, Cortes, with all solemnity and without delay, installed as cacique. Greatly esteemed and beloved by his subjects, he became a convert to Christianity and rendered us a considerable service, for Cortes required of him a large force to broaden and deepen the canals through which we were to draw our sloops to the lake. Every day from seven to eight thousand of this cacique's Indians were busy at the main canal—for Cortes' purpose was to enclose Mexico on all sides—and they deepened and broadened it so that it could have floated ships of large size.
About this time several townships sent to ask forgiveness and sue for peace, if we identified them with murder of our countrymen in late wars. But others published their hostility towards us by raiding towns which wanted to be friends with us. The Tlaxcalans who were with us were anxious to gain honors in fighting the Mexicans and their allies and to avenge the death of kindred who had been sacrificed. Our own soldiers were idling at Texcoco. In consideration of these facts Cortes determined on several expeditions to neighboring towns, to punish our enemies, defend our friends and always seek still other allies. One expedition he commanded in person; another Sandoval led.
But our carpenters in Tlaxcala had now so far prepared the timber for our sloops that all was ready and waiting. Days passed. Expeditions went out and came back. Yet no sloop timber reached Texcoco. Many of our soldiers felt very anxious about the state of affairs. It was therefore after much impatience and ardent longing to begin our siege of the great city that Cortes ordered Sandoval to take two hundred soldiers, twenty musketeers and crossbowmen, fifteen horsemen, a strong body of Tlaxcalans, and to these to add twenty chieftains of Texcoco, and to fetch the woodwork. He was also to convey elders and children of Chalco to places of greater safety.
Moreover, he was to go to a town close by the road leading to Tlaxcala and punish the people for attacking a company of Spaniards who were passing through a narrow road in the mountains where they could march only one by one. Some of the Spaniards they killed in the pass; the blood of others they took prisoners still stained the idols and walls of the temple where the Indians had sprinkled it. Skins off the faces of two, tanned like skin for gloves, and the beards still on them, lay as an offering on an altar. The skins of four horses, also tanned with the hair on, hung before the main altar, alongside the horse shoes, as token of victory. Articles of Spanish dress were suspended as offerings before idols, while a pillar of one of the houses told us in letters written in charcoal, "Here the unfortunate Juan Yuste and others of his company were imprisoned." This Juan Yuste was a gentleman who had served under Narvaez.
These evidences of our brothers' suffering and cutting off of life greatly grieved Sandoval and his men. Yet what better could they do than show mercy in return? Fear had fallen upon the people and they had fled to the mountains. A few chiefs and women whom Sandoval took wept for the expected fate of all. But Sandoval sent these few to bring back the people, and upon their return they begged forgiveness of the past and declared themselves faithful vassals of our king for the future.
Sandoval and his men now went on the way to Tlaxcala, and when he neared the capital, where the cacique lived, he found eight thousand Tlaxcalans carrying on their shoulders all the wood and other building material for the sloops, and as many more warriors with arms and plumes acting guard, besides two thousand porters bringing food. Caciques commanded these forces, but Martin Lopez, our great master carpenter, was in charge of the transport. When Sandoval saw the whole matter of transportation working out so efficiently he was delighted, for he had expected the work of getting the timber started would detain him days in Tlaxcala.
In the same order in which the transporting party was moving when we met them, we marched towards Texcoco. After we entered Mexican territory, that is, after two days, the enemy showed their derision by whistling and yelling hideously at us from farms and ravines and other places beyond reach of our horsemen and musketeers. Martin Lopez, who had charge, as I said, advised that we now change the order of our march, for the Tlaxcalans had told him that the Mexicans might attack and defeat those heavily laden with materials and food supplies. Therefore Sandoval divided the horsemen and crossbowmen so that some should always be in advance, and others on the flanks, and others form the rear guard with Sandoval himself. Another two days' march brought the transport in front of Texcoco, which town the Tlaxcalans entered, clad in their finest mantles and head-feathers, in military order, drums and trumpets playing, and themselves shouting, "Long live the king! Spain forever! Tlaxcala forever! "
The porters laid the woodwork and other material for the sloops near the canals, where the boats were to be put together, and the builder-In-chief, Martin Lopez, aided by Andrez Nunez, and the elder Ramirez, and a sawyer, and certain Indian carpenters, and two blacksmiths with their forges, and Hernando de Aguilar, who helped with the hammer—all together worked with such will that they put together the sloops in a very short time, and then they had merely to caulk them and set masts and rigging.
We had now to keep a sharp outlook for Mexican spies, lest they should destroy the boats as they lay on the staples near the lake; indeed, three several times they did attempt to fire them. But the Mexicans were now engaged in despatching messengers to every town subject to the great city, and commanding the people to make vigorous preparations for war. Day and night they were also busy in deepening and widening the canals beneath the bridges, and strengthening their fortifications, making long lances to throw against our horses, and getting in order darts and dart-throwers and swords and round stones.
After several expeditions to towns within a few miles of Texcoco, Cortes determined on his march against hostile cities and villages about the lake. To accomplish this, we set out in the morning of the 5th of April, 152I, the first night casting our camp at Tlamanalco, where the people received us kindly. When, next day, we reached Chalco, Cortes sent for all the caciques of the province and made them a speech, through Donna Marina and Aguilar, telling how we wanted them to assemble all their warriors the following day and go with us, for we were now going to try to induce the towns near the lake to keep peace and also to see the country before, aided by our sloops, we blockaded Mexico. Agreeing to what we asked with one voice, more than twenty thousand Indians joined us—a larger force than had up to that time ever acted with us. Hope of booty doubtless led many to join us, but the expectation of meals of human flesh, always plentiful after a battle, was no doubt an inducement. When armies march in Italy vultures, crows and other birds of prey follow to feed of the dead of the battlefield; so, for the same reason, I believe these many Indians followed us.
We now had news that large bodies of Mexicans and their allies lay ready to attack us on a plain near by. Our march was up over some steep rocks between two hills, on the tops of which hills Indians had built fortifications. From this shelter they and their wives now yelled and hooted at us. We marched quietly on our way, however, and came to a plain in which there were springs. On one side rose a high, rocky hill, and as we approached it warriors crowded its top and jeered at us and showered us with arrows and darts and stones. "It appears," said Cortes, halting before the hill, "that these Mexicans seize strongholds and mock at us because they think we can not attack them"; and he sent horsemen to find a favorable point for an onset. They came back with word that the hill rose perpendicularly and the best approach was where we then were. Our captain ordered us to ascend. As we started to climb it was terrible to see the Indians toppling over huge boulders—which came bounding and thundering down the hill's rugged sides. One soldier fell dead at my feet, without a word or groan. Still we kept on. Rolling and tearing boulders soon killed two more. Then in a few moments another brave soldier fell, crushed to death. Most of us were wounded by pieces split off the rocks by the tumbling masses. Only a miracle saved all of us from death.
I was an active young fellow in those days, and I kept on following the standard bearer, Corral, and after we got under some projecting rocks we clambered from hollow to hollow. Finally sheltering himself behind a bunch of thorn trees, his face covered with blood, his banner torn to rags, Corral called out, "Oh, Bernal Diaz, it is impossible to go further. There is place for neither hand nor foot. Keep in the shelter of the rock, and watch that none of these boulders hit you." He then shouted to the soldiers that they should pass on the word to Cortes. Even on the level, where our captain stood, the hurtling rocks had killed two or three soldiers. But from the winding of the hill Cortes had not seen that nearly all of us who started to climb were wounded or dead. He now signed by shouts and musket shots that we should retreat, and, each of us striving to help his neighbor, we finally got to the plain, our heads covered with wounds and blood, our banners rent and eight men slain.
Large bodies of Mexicans lay in wait for us further on, stationed there in case the troops on the high hill should need their assistance. Retreating before us, they took up a strong position on another rock. We now suffered terribly from lack of water. Not a single drop passed our parched lips the whole day, and our horses suffered equally. The few springs we came upon our Indian allies crowded into and turned into pools of mud. Half dead with thirst, we encamped for the night under some mulberry trees—where the enemy greeted us with a shower of arrows, lances and rocks.
Our combat with the foe on the neighboring hill next morning was short. While we were attempting to reach them they suddenly sued for peace. That we who were beneath might understand, the warriors stopped shooting arrows and hurling stones, and the women waved their cloaks and made signs with their hands to indicate that they were willing to make maize cakes for us. The fact was they had not a drop of water among their great number of men, women and children—themselves and their slaves. Upon seeing their signals, Cortes ordered that fighting should cease, and that they should send down five chiefs to conclude peace. The caciques came shortly, and with show of profound respect begged that we would forgive them. Cortes answered that they deserved death, but since they had sued for peace they must go to the other hill and call the chiefs there, who must likewise sue for peace; and if they refused we should surround them till they died of thirst. All finally came, and after they had given many reasons why they should be pardoned, Cortes granted their prayer and declared them vassals of our king.
Water we found very scarce in this whole district. But we marched on to the town of Oaxtepec, and there found a river flowing through a garden—the most splendid garden I have ever seen in its many kinds of fruit trees and roses and sweet-scented herbs, and in its medicinal plants and vegetables good to eat, and in its avenues and pleached alleys, and many houses adorned with pictures. Delighted, the whole of us encamped in this garden for a night, but the next morning we left for Cuernavaca.
Cuernavaca was a natural stronghold by reason of the ravines about it, eight fathoms deep, with small streams at the bottom. It was also heavily garrisoned. Our enemy, entrenched within the ravines, shot many arrows and lances at us, and hurled stones so that they fell without ceasing. A couple of miles further up our horsemen found that they might pass over, and we soldiers saw that we might climb along the branches of some trees that grew on either side of the ravines and met one another, and so we might get within. In making our passage on the branches three soldiers fell into the water below and one broke his leg. As I crept over my head grew quite dizzy. Still I got across, and as soon as twenty or thirty of us had reached the Inner side of the gully, we fell on the rear of the Mexicans. When they saw us and at the same time sighted our oncoming horsemen, they could not believe we had crossed, and in their astonishment, fancying we numbered more than we did, they turned and fled to hollows where we could not follow. Later, when we had quartered ourselves In a comfortable garden, caciques of the town came to us and, paying great respect to Cortes, handed him a present of gold and begged his pardon for meeting us with war, in excuse saying that the great cacique of Mexico had commanded them to attack us; but now they sincerely wished to become friends, for they were sure there was no stronghold we could not take. I still recall a strange remark these caciques made; namely, that our gods had told their gods that they and their towns should be chastized.
Turning towards Xochimllco, a great city about eleven miles from Mexico, we marched In close order through a forest of pine trees without being able to find on the way a single drop of water. The sun was exceedingly hot. When Cortes saw the troop exhausted, and our allies, the Tlaxcalans, losing courage, and even two men dead of thirst, he ordered a halt under the shade of some pines, and sent horsemen ahead to search for villages or wells of water where we might camp for the night. As the horsemen set out I slipped away with my three strong Tlaxcalan servants and followed, and about two miles ahead we came upon farms on the hillsides. To our inexpressible joy we here found wells, and my Tlaxcalans brought from one of the houses a large earthen pitcher of very cold water, with which I and my Tlaxcalans quenched our thirst. Then I had the jug refilled, and because the dwellers of the farms were beginning to hoot and yell at us, I turned back and found Cortes just putting the troops in motion. I told him we had found water, and my Tlaxcalans were bringing him a jug full, but carefully hidden that no one might seize it, for thirst knows no laws. He and other officers about him were glad and drank their fill, and we marched on to the farms. But the houses, or their wells, did not have enough water for all the men, and owing to their hunger and thirst, some of the soldiers tried to moisten their mouths by chewing thistle-like plants, the sharp prickles of which hurt their tongues.
Next morning we arrived in front of Xochimilco, built in a fresh water lake. The immense number of warriors standing ready to oppose our entrance I can not estimate. They covered the land. Many of them carried shining swords taken from us and now fastened on the end of their pikes. We met their terrific attack, and alter various ill-successes, drove them out of the open square. There several of our soldiers mounted to the top of the temple and looked over towards the city of Mexico—when they saw more than two thousand canoes, filled with warriors, making towards us as fast as paddles could bring them. The great cacique was likewise sending ten thousand men against us by land.
I should weary the reader by detailing our terrible and obstinate conflicts of the next three days. I am myself tired of writing about our encounters. When Guatemoc sent his warriors by canoe and by land, he commanded that they were not to permit us to leave Xochimilco alive, and it was with the utmost exertion that we were at last able to cut our way through the Mexican hosts to a great plaza a little way from the town where they usually held their markets. Here we halted to arrange our order of march, and here Cortes told us of our perilous fortunes—how the forces of Mexico were lying in wait for us in passes of the road we were about to travel. It would be a good thing, he said, if we were to leave behind as much of our baggage as we could spare, for it would only cumber us when we had to fight. To this we one and all answered that we could not be so cowardly and, please God, we were men enough to defend our baggage, ourselves and him, too.
All along the road to Tacuba warriors never ceased making sudden attacks on us from positions where we could not well get at them; and then they would seek, refuge in neighboring creeks and inlets. After we had rested a couple of hours in Tacuba, our captain with several officers and soldiers, including myself, ascended the great temple from which we had view of the city of Mexico, and of the lake and other cities standing in the water. When the men who had never been there before saw the splendor before them, they could scarcely find words, and when further they gazed more carefully upon the great city, on the multitude of canoes hurrying up and down the lake, some laden with food, others empty, others with fishermen, they marvelled still more and said our coming to New Spain was not by the power of man alone, but by the great mercy of God; and moreover, never, in any writing, had they read of vassals who had done such signal service to their king as we had rendered ours.
While Cortes and all of us stood there gazing on the wonderful city, and pointing out the lofty temple of Huitzilopochtli, the buildings where we were lodged, and the causeways and bridges along which we had retreated, Cortes sighed deeply and with great sadness. One of our number, rousing him from his contemplation, said, "Captain, do not give way to grief. It is ever so in war time." "How often have I not offered peace to that city!" answered Cortes. "But I am not grieving over that hardship only, I am thinking of what we must suffer before, with the aid of God, we master its forces." Breaking up our quarters in Tacuba, we marched on to Atzcapotzalco, which we found deserted, and then through heavy rains on to Guautitlan, and so round the lake to Texcoco; from which not only own people came to meet us, but also those lately from Spain; and, too, peoples of the neighborhood, who brought us food.
While we were away, a friend of the governor of Cuba, one Villafana, conspired with soldiers of the party of Narvaez to murder Cortes when he should return. A ship had just come in from Spain and they planned that while Cortes sat at dinner with his officers and other soldiers, one of the conspirators should hand him a letter, sealed as if it had come from Spain, and should say it was from his father, Martin Cortes; and while Cortes was reading the letter they should poniard him and all present who might resist them. In place of Cortes one of the officers was to be the new captain general, and our property, horses and all, was to be divided anew.
But it pleased the Almighty to prevent this horrible deed. One of the soldiers divulged the whole plot. Cortes, secretly informing trusted officers, visited the quarters of Villafana, and drew from the guilty man's dress a list of all uniting In the treachery. The chief conspirator then made full confession; and regular judges having found him guilty, he was hanged before the place where he had lodged.
Cortes wished to save others dishonored by the affair, but he agreed to have a guard of trustworthy, valiant soldiers for his person night and day. He begged us, in whom he placed confidence, to watch over his safety, and although he never showed any animosity to those who were in the conspiracy, from that time forth he distrusted them.