make suggestions to him now, he could excuse himself by answering that he was not free, and thus evade them. He often asked permission to go and enjoy himself, and pass the time in certain pleasure houses, both out of the city and in it, and I never denied him this. He often would, with five or six Spaniards go to enjoy himself one or two leagues out of the city, returning very gladly to the quarters where I kept him; and, whenever he went out, he would present many valuables, and clothing, as well to the Spaniards who went with him, as to the natives, who always accompanied him to at least the number of three thousand men, most of them nobles and persons of distinction; and, as he always gave them m.any banquets and feasts, they who went with him were always contented.
When I afterwards understood perfectly, that he was wholly devoted to the service of Your Royal Highness, I praved him, so that I might give
Cortes
Investigates
the Gold
Mines of
Mexico
a better account to Your Majesty of this country, to show me the mines from which he obtained gold, and he answered with perfect good will that he would gladly do so. He immediately sent certain of his servants, distributing them two by two over four provinces, from which he said he got the gold; and he asked me to send Spaniards with them, to see how it was taken out. So, for each of his own people, I sent two Spaniards, and some went to a province, called Cuzula, eighty leagues from the great city of Temixtitan, the natives of which are his vassals, and there they were shown three rivers, from each of which they brought me specimens of gold of very good quality, although it was taken out with mean tools, as they had only those with which the Indians extract it. On the road, they passed through three provinces, according to what the Spaniards said, of fine land, and many hamlets and cities, and towns, very populous, and con-
