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 with his
papas. At length, after a good deal of arguing between the papas and
himself, we were allowed to erect an altar, with the cross and holy
Virgin, on the top of the temple, opposite the cursed idol
Huitzilopochtli. We returned heartfelt thanks to the Almighty, and
father Olmedo, assisted by the priest Juan Diaz, and many of our
soldiers, celebrated high mass.[74]

Cortes appointed an old soldier to keep watch over this altar, and
begged, at the same time, of Motecusuma to order his papas not to
obstruct the man in his duty, which was to keep the place clean, burn
incense before the altar, keep the candles lighted there night and day,
and decorate it from time to time with fresh branches and flowers.

I must, however, break off here, and relate something we little
expected.

[74] For a further account of what happened after the building of this
altar, I must refer the reader to the oft-quoted work of Torquemada
(Monarchia, Ind. iv, 53.) (p. 286.)

CHAPTER CVIII.

 _How the powerful Motecusuma acquaints Cortes that it is requisite
 for his safety to quit Mexico, with the whole of his men, as all the
 caziques and papas were upon the point of rising up in arms to
 destroy us all, in compliance with the advice given them by their
 gods: the steps which Cortes took upon this news._

From the very moment we had erected this altar and cross on the great
temple, and had celebrated high mass there, a storm began to gather over
our heads.

About this time Huitzilopochtli and Tetzcatlipuca are said to have
addressed the papas, and acquainted them they were desirous of leaving
the country, as the teules had treated them with such great contempt,
and that it was impossible for them to dwell in the same spot with that
image and cross. If they were desirous they should remain in Mexico,
they were to kill us all. These were the last words they should utter;
they were to be communicated to Motecusuma and his grandees, and the
papas were at the same time to put them in mind how we had melted all
the gold into bars, with which previously the gods had been honoured;
how we ordered things as if we had been lords of the country, and kept
five powerful princes bound in chains.

All this was faithfully reported to Motecusuma, who then sent word to
Cortes he should like to see him, as he had things of the utmost
importance to disclose to him.

The page Orteguilla, who had been despatched to Cortes for this purpose,
informed the latter that Motecusuma appeared quite changed and
spiritless; that, the day previous, several papas and distinguished
officers had had secret interviews with him, and they uttered words of
which he had not understood one syllable.

Upon this, Cortes, accompanied by Oli, four other officers, and our two
interpreters, immediately called upon the monarch, and, after the usual
courtesies had passed between them, the latter broke out as follows:
"Alas! Malinche and you other officers, how grieved I am at the commands
which our gods have imparted to our papas, myself, and my chief
officers!

"They most earnestly demand of us that we shall commence hostilities
with you, and put you to death, or drive you away from this country by
some other means. My advice is, that you had better leave of your own
accord, than allow hostilities to commence.

"This, Malinche, I could not help disclosing to you, that you might come
to some determination or other. For myself, I have no doubt that all
your lives are at stake here."

The reader may easily imagine that Cortes and his officers did not treat
all this so very lightly, and that they were not a little surprised at
this disclosure. No one could have suspected that affairs would have
taken such a turn; but the monarch had spoken in such a positive tone as
to leave no doubt on our minds that we lived in imminent danger. Cortes,
however, hid his fears from the monarch, and thanked him for his
information, adding, that he was sorry we had no vessels left in which
we could leave the country; and that if we even did leave it, we must
take him, the monarch, along with us, that he might be presented to our
emperor: he therefore begged of him to amuse his priests and officers
until we should have constructed three vessels on the sea-coast. And if
they commenced war with us, they would undoubtedly all be killed. And
that Motecusuma might convince himself that he would fulfil his promise,
he desired he would despatch two of his chief officers with our
carpenters to the coast to cut wood for the building of the vessels.

Motecusuma was now more dispirited than ever when he heard Cortes say
that he himself must accompany us; that he was to issue the necessary
orders to his carpenters, and act and not talk. Our general also desired
him to call the papas and officers to acquaint them that it was
unnecessary to raise the town into open rebellion; they might, for the
present, appease the gods by offerings, but we forbade any sacrifice of
human beings.

After this important disclosure Cortes left the monarch, and we now
lived in constant fear of hostilities breaking out. Cortes, however,
fulfilled his promise, and sent for Martin Lopez and Andreas Nuñez,
described to them the size of the three vessels he wished them to
build, and to march to Vera Cruz with the Mexican carpenters, where all
the necessary materials, consisting in iron, rigging, tar and tow would
be found. These orders were promptly obeyed. The necessary quantity of
wood was cut on the coast of Vera Cruz, and the building of the vessels
was commenced with all assiduity. Whether Cortes gave Lopez any secret
instructions I do not know; but I cannot pass by this circumstance in
silence, as Gomara mentions it likewise in his history, and maintains
that all this building of the vessels was mere artifice to amuse
Motecusuma. May those who know more about this matter publish the truth.
There are certainly numbers of our men alive who would be able to give a
true account of this. All I know is that Lopez told me in confidence,
that the building of the vessels was really commenced, and that the
three vessels were actually lying on the staples.

At present, however, we will leave them quietly there, and acquaint the
reader that we grew much alarmed at our situation in this great city,
and momentarily expected an attack upon our friends of Tlascalla, as
Doña Marina had informed our general to that effect. The page,
Orteguilla, shed tears all day long, and we others narrowly watched the
monarch's person. I must here for the last time acquaint the reader,
that whether night or day, we never took off our gorgets or our armour,
while our arms were never for a moment out of our hands. A bundle of
straw and a mat formed a couch; our horses stood ready saddled, and in
short every soldier was ready for action at a moment's notice.

At night we also took the precaution of posting such numbers of
sentinels, that each of us in turn, had at least one watch every night.
I do not mention this in praise of

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