Azteca As Is. 24-27
Book III - Veracruz to Totonac Plot Thickens
All warfare is based on deception - Sun Tzu
INTRODUCTION
In search of Mexican gold, the Conquistadors make land at Veracruz and begin their march inland.
The modern adaptations of Conquistador life as recorded by Bernal Diaz and Pedro de Cieza fall on https://crackpot.substack.com/t/incadinca
1 Off board at Veracruz
In the year 1519, we arrived with all the fleet at the Port of San Juan de Ulua. The flagship hoisted her royal standards and pennants. After anchoring, two canoes came out to us full of Aztec Indians. They asked for the tatuan - chief. Dona Marina pointed out Cortes to the warriors.
AZTEC: Lord Montezuma sent us to meet you. Why are you here? What do you want? If you need anything for your ships, we will supply it.
HERNANDO CORTES: Thank you. Give them food and wine. Fetch them blue beads at once. We came to trade.
The messengers went away. We disembarked the horses and guns the next day. There were sand dunes. Our artilleryman Mesa positioned the guns. We set up an altar. Said mass. We made huts and shelters, gathered wood. A day passed before when a governor chief under Montezuma named Pitalpitoque visited us. Pitalpitoque brought axes and woods to strengthen our huts. They brought fowl, plums, maize cake, gold jewels - all given to Cortes. They soon left when another chief named Tendile arrived. Cortes had a dinner party for them all. Fray Bartolome de Olmeda, a fine singer, sang mass. Then Cortes and the captains dined with the two Aztec officers. Over dinner Cortes explained his wishes to trade, to be friends, to meet with their prince Montezuma and tell him their Lord’s mission. Tendile brought some skilled painters, and while Cortes spoke they copied the likeness of Cortes and all his captains. - Diaz. pg. 121
Tendile was Montezuma’s right-hand man and attended his most critical tasks. Cortes gave Tendile a conquistador helmet to return with for Montezuma to see. Tendile bade Cortes farewell and returned to Mexico City and Montezuma. The helmet Cortes gave Tendile confirmed Montezuma’s worst suspicions, that we belonged to a race his ancestors prophesized would return to rule this place. Montezuma’s god, Huichilobos, concurred.
The next week passed in idleness and brisk trade. The people from around came and went, trading with us. Then one morning Tendile arrived with 100 peons to serve us, accompanied by an Aztec Cacique named Quintalbor that looked just like Captain Cortes. These people with their braziers of burning coal fumigated us with incense upon greeting us. Tendile welcomed us with honeyed words.
Tendile’s retainers brought out mats and cotton cloths spread over them. They presented a wheel like a sun, big as a cartwheel, made of fine gold. Then another, bigger wheel made of silver in imitation of the moon with figures on it was shown. The chief brought back the conquistador Captain Cortes had given him filled with gold nuggets. Then they brought 20 golden ducks, beautifully worked gold sculpture ornaments like dogs, jaguars and monkeys, collars and necklaces. Twelve arrows and a bow. Two rods of justice, five palms long, all hollow work of fine gold. They presented crests of gold and plumes of turquoise feathers, others of silver and fans. Loads of cotton cloth.
TENDILE: Montezuma sends his gifts and a message. Stay or go. Keep to your ships. Don’t enter Mexico.
CAPTAIN HERNAN CORTES: With due respect, tell Prince Montezuma that we have come from our Lord to give him his message. We have come over an ocean and many lands. If Montezuma sent you forth to deliver a message to a recipient and you turned back before it was done, would he respect you much longer? What will become of us.
Tendile heard Cortes and agreed to take this message to Montezuma. Cortes gave conquistador gifts for Tendile to take back for Montezuma; a class cup of Florentine ware, engraved with trees and hunting scenes and gilt, three holland shirts.
Cortes dispatched two ships to explore the coast for safe harbor. Meanwhile trade at our settlement diminished. Our novelty wore off. Soon Montezuma’s man Tendile returned from Mexico City accompanied by many men, having spoken to Montezuma and given our message. They greeted Cortes with incense in the usual manner. Then they presented loads of rich green feather cloth, and gold articles.
TENDILE: Montezuma sends his thanks for the vessel and shirts. But asks no more be said about an interview.
CAPTAIN HERNAN CORTES: Thanks for the gifts, but this refusal is a disappointment.
TENDILE: Fare well.
CAPTAIN HERNAN CORTES: Montezuma is rich. We must pay a visit to him of course.
CONQUISTADORS: We wish that we were already living with him!
So with official business conducted, we sailors and soldiers bartered with the Aztecs for articles of gold. When friends of Diego Velasquez saw this, they protested that Governor Velasquez did not send the expedition for the soldiers to plunder. They asked that all the gold be given to one person to entrust until the royal fifth could be deducted and an account made of the expedition. Cortes agreed and asked who they wanted to hold the gold. They chose Gonzalo Mejia. Of course, in the next breath Cortes asked that we still be allowed to trade for small bits of gold - so that we had money to eat.
One morning we awoke to find all the Aztecs visitors to our camp gone. Montezuma sent word to stop talking to us. Montezuma’s gods were Huichilobos, the god of war, and Tezcatepuca, the God of hell. Montezuma and his priests channeled these Gods and conversed with them for divine guidance.
One day we met five men coming along the beach. They were friendly and we beckoned them forth. They had large holes in their lower lips with stone disks spotted with blue, others with leves of gold. They had pierced ears and large hols with disks of stone and gold. Their dress and speech differed from the Aztec. Our deeds at Tabasco and Champoton were known, as were our parleys with the Aztec Culua representatives of Montezuma. They told us Montezuma had many enemies. Montezuma’s enemies heard of us. Cortes embraced the men and sent them off as friends with gifts and Cortes’ word that he would support their effort to throw off the Montezuma’s yoke.
At this time strains of mutiny struck Captain Cortes, threatening to end our expedition. Diego Velasquez’s friends wanted to return to Cuba with Montezuma’s presents in hand. Cortes scolded them that there was no reason to return and they should give thanks to God for favoring them in their mission. This put them off, but cliques formed in camp that favored return.