Watson's Magazine, Vol. 21: May, 1915 (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from Watson's Magazine, Vol. 21: May, 1915

While Cortez was living in security and luxury, with a harem of Indian women to minister to his lusts, he began to systematize the working for gold, using the docile Indians, who readily obeyed their captive emperor.

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Excerpt from Watson's Magazine, Vol. 21: May, 1915

It was November 8th, 1519. when Cortez entered the City of Mexico. He was received with all the splendor which the simple-minded natives could display; and. according to the narratives of Cortez and his chaplain, the Great King of Persia was never more gorgeously arrayed than was the doomed Montezuma, when he went forth in a litter to royally welcome the marauder, whose victim he was soon to become. While we may not credit the story of the Indian chiefs golden canopy, golden crown, and golden sandals, we readily accept the detail, that Montezuma presented to Cortez a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

In return, the Spaniard placed around the Emperor's neck a string of glass heads.

The Indian "Emperor" led the visitors to one of the large adobe dwellings, whose court-yard afforded ample room for the encampment of the Spanish soldiers.

Cortez wrote home to Spain, that, "within the city his palaces are so wonderful that it is hardly possible to describe their beauty and extent. I can onh say that in Spain there is nothing equal to them. There was one palace somewhat inferior to the rest, attached to which was a beautiful garden, with balconies extending over it, siip ported hy marhle columns, and having a floor formed of jasper, elegantly inlaid. There were apartments in this palace sufficient to lodge two princes of the highest rank, with their retinues. If you wish to believe this, you are free to do so.

While building a little church inside the palace, which Montezuma had placed at the service of Cortez, the workmen discovered a recently walledup doorway, which Cortez ordered them to open. This having been done, the accumulated treasures of Mexiccan monarch were exposed to the hungry gaze of the Spanish adventurers. But, for the time. Cortez restrained his men and left the gold and the jewels untouched.

Probably as a hint that his visitors had worn out their welcome, Montezuma became less profuse in supplying them with luxuries for their tables. Or, it may have been that the influx and continued stay of so many addittional men had really reduced the stock of provisions, for, besides the Spaniards, there were about 500 Indians following Cortez. None of the native Americans had any sjstem of storing up food, and it is highly probable that the simple Aztecs were almost as improvident in that respect, as their Northern brethren are known to i have been.

At all events, the Spaniards complained of the falling otf in the supplies, and of the lessening of the attentions shown them.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.