Conquest of Mexico
A large wheel of silver weighing forty marks, and several smaller ones of the same metal.
A box of feather-work embroidered on leather, with a large plate of gold, weighing seventy ounces, in the midst.
Two pieces of cloth woven with feathers; another with variegated colours; and another worked with black and white figures.
A large wheel of gold, with figures of strange animals on it, and worked with tufts of leaves; Weighing three thousand eight hundred ounces.
A fan of variegated feather-work, with thirty-seven rods plated with gold.
Five fans of variegated feathers,—four of which have ten, and the other thirteen rods, embossed with gold.
Sixteen shields of precious stones, with feathers of various colours hanging from their rims.
Two pieces of cotton very richly wrought with black and white embroidery.
Six shields, each covered with a plate of gold, with something resembling a golden mitre in the centre.
Page 215 (2).—"Una muy larga Carta," says Gomara, in his loose analysis of it.—Crónica, -cap. 40.
Page 215 (3).—Dr. Robertson states that the Imperial Library at Vienna was examined for this document, at his instance, but without success. (History of America, vol. ii. note 70.) I have not been more fortunate in the researches made for me in the British Museum, the Royal Library of Paris, and that of the Academy of History at Madrid. The last is a great depository for the colonial historical documents; but a very thorough inspection of its papers makes it certain that this is wanting to the collection. As the emperor received it on the eve of his embarkation for Germany, and the Letter of Vera Cruz, forwarded at the same time, is in the library of Vienna, this would seem, after all, to be the most probable place of its retreat.
Page 215 (4).—"In a ship," says Cortés, in the very first sentence of his Second Letter to the emperor, "which I despatched from this, your Majesty's New Spain, on the 16th July of the year 1519, I sent to your Highness a very long and detailed account up to date of the events which had occurred from the time that I first landed." (Rel. Seg. de Cortés, ap. Lorenzana, p. 38.) "Cortés wrote," says Bernal Diaz, "an exact account, so he told us, but we never saw the letter." (Hist. de la Conquista, cap. 53.) (Also Oviedo, Hist. de las Ind., MS., lib. 33, cap. 1, and Gomara, et supra.) Were it not for these positive testimonies, one might suppose that the Carta de Vera Cruz had suggested an imaginary letter of Cortés. Indeed, the copy of the former document, belonging to the Spanish Academy of History—and perhaps the original at Vienna—bears the erroneous title of Primera Relacion de Cortés.
Page 215 (5).—This is the imputation of Bernal Diaz, reported on hearsay, as he admits he never saw the letter himself.—Ibid., cap. 54.
Page 215 (6).—This document is of the greatest value and interest, coming as it does from the best instructed persons in the camp. It presents an elaborate record of all then known of the countries they had visited, and of the principal movements of the army, to the time of the foundation of the Villa Rica. The writers conciliate our confidence by the circumspect tone of their narration. "Querer dar," they say, "a Vuestra Magestad todas las particularidades de esta tierra y gente de ella, podria ser que en algo se errase la relacion, porque muchas de ellas no se han visto mas de por informaciones de los naturales de ella, y por esto no nos entremétemos á dar mas de aquello que por muy cierto y verdadero Vras. Reales Altezas podran mandar tener." The account given of Velasquez, however, must be considered as an ex parte testimony, and, as such, admitted with great reserve. It was essential to their own vindication, to vindicate Cortés. The letter has never been printed. The original exists, as above stated, in the Imperial Library at Vienna. The copy in my possession, covering more than sixty pages folio, is taken from that of the Academy of History at Madrid.
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