was ill and no other could come. When our captain heard this, he ordered us to bring to him, with every respect to their person, two papas from a large temple near our quarters. To each papa he gave a chalchihuite, a stone, I have said, held by them as valuable as emeralds are by us, and he asked in most kindly way why they no longer came to see us, though we invited them. One of these priests had a superior rank, like that of a bishop, for he had charge or command of all the temples in the city and the people held him in great veneration, and he in answer stated that the papas had no fear of us, and if the caciques would not come he would go himself and call them, adding that if he spoke to them, he believed they would come at once.
Cortes accordingly desired him to go and the other papa would await his return. It was not long before the papa reappeared, bringing with him the chief cacique and other men. Why, Cortes proceeded to ask, did they no longer send us anything to eat? If our stay in their town had proved burdensome, we would leave the very next morning for Mexico—they had merely to provide us porters for our baggage and tepusques (cannon), and send us food. The cacique was now so embarrassed that he scarcely could speak, but at length he found voice to say they would send the provisions we wanted, although their lord, Montezuma, had commanded them to with-
