posted along the road, and the intelligence was conveyed by a very
curious contrivance called picture writing, persons being employed to
represent, in a series of pictures, everything that passed, which was
the Mexican mode of writing: Teutile and Pilpatoe were employed to
deliver the answer of their master, but as they knew how repugnant it
was to the wishes and schemes of the Spanish commander, they would not
make it known till they had first endeavoured to soothe and pacify him.
For this purpose they introduced a train of a hundred Indians loaded
with presents sent to him by Montezuma.

The magnificence of these far exceeded any idea which the Spaniards had
formed of his wealth.

They were placed on mats spread on the ground, in such order as showed
them to the greatest advantage. Cortez and his officers viewed with
admiration the various manufactures of the country. Cotton stuffs so
fine as to resemble silk. Pictures of animals, trees, and other natural
objects, formed with feathers of different colours, disposed with such
skill and elegance, as to resemble, in truth and beauty of imitation,
the finest paintings. But what chiefly attracted their eyes were two
large plates of circular form; one of massive gold, representing the
sun, the other of silver, an emblem of the moon. These were accompanied
with bracelets, collars, rings, and other trinkets of gold, and with
several boxes filled with pearls, precious stones, and grains of gold
unwrought, as they had been found in the mines or rivers.

Cortez received all these with an appearance of profound respect for the
monarch by whom they were bestowed; but when the Mexican informed him
that their master would not give his consent that foreign troops should
approach nearer to his capital, or even allow them to continue longer in