before the sovereign of his loyalty, and might aid to conciliate a libellous clique. It must be mentioned that Estrada was the least obnoxious of the officials, less false in his friendship than the others, and Zuazo Was a most estimable man, for whom Cortés had great respect and admiration. To promote good feeling, a distribution of natives was made to the officials and other persons. Francisco de Solis was appointed commandant of the arsenal, with control of the fleet and sufficient arms for an emergency, and to Rodrigo de Paz, his own cousin, a rather turbulent fellow, Cortés intrusted the care of his house and property, as mayordomo mayor, with the offices of alguacil mayor and regidor.[1]
For greater security he took with him the three late sovereigns of Mexico, Tlacopan, and Tezcuco, also the actual ruler of Acolhuacan, Ixtlilxochitl, and several of the leading caciques, nearly all destined to succumb to the hardships of the march, or perish by the hand of the executioner, as in the case of Quauhtemotzin and Tetlepanquetzal.[2] The patriotism and influence of the former had ever rendered him an object of suspicion, particularly after his unjust torture, and he must fall a victim to the first adverse circumstance that seemed to threaten the safety of the Spaniards from his side. His seeming strength and his friends caused his fall, for their muttered remonstrances
- ↑ His formal installation as alguacil mayor did not take place till February 17, 1525. Libro de Cabildo, MS.
- ↑ For a detailed account of the charges against them, and their execution, see Hist. Cent. Am., i. 551-6, this series. Among the other hostages, as they may be called, are named Oquitzin, lord of Azcapuzalco; Panitzin, lord of Ecatepec; Andrés, lord of Mexicaltzinco, a brother of the king of Michoacan; the cihuacoatl, or lieutenant of Quauhtemotzin; Tlacatecatl, a brave and spirited chieftain. As lieutenants for the three sovereigns, or nominally so, were appointed Mexicaltecuhtli at Mexico, Cohuatecatl at Tlacopan, and Alonso Itzcuincuani at Tezcuco. None of them members of the royal families, it seems, who were excluded for the very reasons that caused hostages to be taken with the expedition. Ixtlilxochitl, Rel., 435, 446, who gives the above names, rather tardily admits this motive, after offering several unlikely reasons. According to Chimalpain, Hist. Cong., ii. 120, 153, Don Andrés Motelchiuhtzin was elected by the Mexicans as their captain-general in place of the cihuacoatl. See also Herrera, dec. iii. lib. vi. cap. x.; Gomara, Hist. Mex., 246; Cavo, Tres Siglos, i. 31.
