Conquest of Mexico
Page 233 (1).—Jalap, Convolvulus jalapa. The x and j are convertible consonants in the Castilian.
Page 233 (2).—The heights of Xalapa are crowned with a convent dedicated to St. Francis, erected in later days by Cortés, showing, in its solidity, like others of the period built under the same auspices, says an agreeable traveller, a military as well as religious design.—Tudor's Travels in North America (London, 1834), vol. ii. p. 186.
Page 234 (1).—Oviedo, Hist. de las Ind., MS., lib. 33, cap. 1.—Rel. Seg. de Cortés, ap. Lorenzana, p. 40.—Gomara, Crónica, cap. 44.—Ixtlilxochitl, Hist. Chich., MS., cap. 83. "Every hundred yards of our route," says the traveller last quoted, speaking of this very region, "was marked by the melancholy erection of a wooden cross, denoting, according to the custom of the country, the commission of some horrible murder on the spot where it was planted."—Travels in North America, vol. ii. p. 188.
Page 234 (2).—El Paso del Obispo. Cortés named it Puerto del Nombre de Dios.—Viaje, ap. Lorenzana, p. 2.
Page 234 (3).—The Aztec name is Nauhcampatepetl, from nauhcampa, "anything square," and tepetl, "a mountain."—Humboldt, who waded through forests and snows to its summit, ascertained its height to be 4089 metres=13,414 feet, above the sea.—See his Vues des Cordillères, p. 234, and Essai Politique, vol. i. p. 266.
Page 235 (1).—The same mentioned in Cortés' letter as the Puerto de la Lena.—Viaje, ap. Lorenzana, p. 3.
Page 235 (2).—Now known by the euphonious Indian name of Tlatlauquitepec. (Viaje, ap. Lorenzana, p. 4.) It is the Cocotlan of Bernal Diaz. (Hist. de la Conquista, cap. 61.) The old conquerors made sorry work with the Aztec names, both of places and persons, for which they must be allowed to have had ample apology.
Page 236 (1).—This marvellous tale is gravely repeated by more than one Spanish writer, in their accounts of the Aztec monarchy, not as the assertion of this chief, but as a veritable piece of statistics. See among others, Herrera, Hist. General, dec. 2, lib. 7, cap. 12.—Soils, Conquista, lib. 3, cap. 16.
Page 236 (2).—Bernal Diaz, Hist. de la Conquista, cap. 61. There is a slight ground-swell of glorification in the captain's narrative, which may provoke a smile,—not a sneer,—for it is mingled with too much real courage, and simplicity of character.
Page 237 (1).—For the preceding pages, besides authorities cited in course, see Peter Martyr, De Orbe Novo, dec. 5, cap. 1.—Ixtlilxochitl, Hist. Chich., MS., cap. 83.—Gomara, Crónica, cap. 44.—Torquemada,. Monarch. Ind., lib. 4, cap. 26.
Page 237 (2).—The general clearly belonged to the church militant mentioned by Butler.
"Such as do build their faith upon
The holy text of pike and gun;
And prove their doctrines orthodox
By apostolic blows and knocks."
Page 238 (1).—"Arbol grande, dicho, ahuehuete." (Viaje, ap. Lorenzana, p. 3.) The cupressus distichia of Linnæus.—See Humboldt, Essai Politique, tom. ii. p. 54, note.
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