Читать книгу The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne - López de Gómara Francisco - Страница 12

Nevves of bearded men

Now Cortez seeing these Indians quiet and wel pleased, and also very seruiceable, he did determyne to take away theyr Idols, and to giue them a remembraunce of Iesu Christ borne of the Virgin Mary, by one Melchior a fisher man and very rustical, who had bin ther before with Francisco Hernandez de Cordoua, who declared vnto them, that Cortez his Lord and captaine would enforme them of a better god, and better lawes, than those which they maintained. The Indians answered, that they were contented therewith, and went with them vnto their temples, and there brake downe their Idols, and celebrated diuine seruice, teaching them to adore and worshippe Christ crucifyed, so that they were verye attentiue to the doctrine, and ceased sacrifise of men which they were wōt to vse. These Indians did wonder much at the shippes and horses, yea and marueyled as muche at our colour and beardes, so that many times they would come and féele them, and signifyed vnto them by signes and tokens towardes Yucatan, that there were fiue or sixe bearded men. Then Cortez considering how profitable it wold be to haue an interpreter to vnderstand and to be vnderstood, he besought Calachuni that he would appoint a messenger to carrye a letter to the bearded men, who were in the power of a great Lord and Tyrant, and Calachuni found none that durst take that iourney in hand, fearing that they should be slaine and eaten. Cortez seing this, entreated with faire words, thrée of the Indians that serued him to accept the iourney, and gaue thē rewards for theyr labour: yet the Indians excused them, saying that they should be slayne, notwithstanding with faire promises and rewardes, they accepted the voyage, so that Cortez wrote with them this letter following.

Worshipful sirs, I departed from Cuba with eleuen saile in my fléete, furnished with fiue hundred and fiftie Spaniardes, and I arriued here at Acusamil from whence I write you this letter. The people of this Ilād haue certifyed me, that there is in that countrey fiue or sixe bearded men, and in al pointes like vnto vs: they can not here enforme me of anye other signes or tokens, but hereby I do coniecture, and certainely beleue that ye be Spaniards. Both I and these gentlemen of my company do come to discouer and inhabit this land, we hartily pray you y^t within sixe days after the receite hereof, ye come vnto vs, w^tout any excuse or delay, and if ye so doe, al we of this nauie wil gratifye your gentlenesse & good seruice y^t ye shal do vnto vs. I do send you a Vergantyn wherin you may come, & two shippes for your safeconduct.

Hernando Cortez.

This letter being written, there was found an inconuenience, which was, they knew not how to carrye the letter so secretly y^t it might not be séene, & they taken for espies, wherof the saide Indians stoode in great feare. Thē Cortez bethought him, y^t the letter wold passe wrapped in y^e haire of the head of one of thē, for ordinarily the Indians wear lōg heare, & on their solemn feasts & in wars they vse their haire platted & boūd about their forheads. And he appointed captaine of the Vergantine wherin y^e messēgers wēt, Iohn de Escalante, & Iames de Ordas for captaine of the other two ships, with fiftie men if any nede should happen. So shortly after the ships arriued at the place appointed, Escalante set a land his messengers, and abode there eight days they returne, although he promised thē to abide there but sixe dayes. And thē séeing that they came not, he surmysed y^t they were either slaine or taken captiues: & so returned backe againe to Acusamill without his messēgers, wherof al the army were sorowful, & chiefly Cortez, thinking that the Indians had wrōg enformed him. Nowe in this meane season they trymmed their shippes of the hurte receiued by the late tempest, & at the returne of the two ships and Vergantyne, they hoysed vp sailes and departed.