The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-12

Pedro ag Pereaps TOO across .,os tne sneaLs Of
bridge having been thrown 934 spans in length.
Native writer's speak Of some OF these bridges
being long ,knoWn as Las Puentes de Cortos,
thouPh they neglect TO specify their exact sites.
OF the engineering skill, no less than the CHI
yalfeus spirit patient courage and powers of
command exhibited by COrtes, through all the
perils and hardships of this march, we can
hardly form too high an estimate. OF his own
prowess. he seems indeed all hut unconscious
throughout. 1t is the hand of Providence
that .eXtJScates shimt from the most desperate
straits. 'Ft was after having previously
commended our souls to God" that 1--WE threw"
he writes, "a bridge over a morass three hun
dred PAGES in breadth" Over these terrible
morasses, from the depths of which nothing
could be seen but the patch of sky over their
heads, his slender party constructed within the
space of about twenty leagues no fower than
fifty bridges for the passage of men and horses.
Hisentire force mt starting consisted of ninety
three horse, besides cross-bowmen and argue
busters and thirty and odd foot, making in all
total Of 230 men," From Bernal Diaz we learn
that COItes' little force-which he raises to $50
fighting men, including Guacacuacan and
Mexican sCttlers-Was supplemented by
butler and steward, several MUSICIANS, dancers,
jugglers, and buffoons, besides the leaders per-
sonal rCtinue Of several pages, young men of
family, amongst whom was MOntCiO, the future
COnquerOT of YuCatau COrtcs also enjoyed the
society and aid of his famous mistress and inter-
prefer Marina, concerning whom his own narrt-
tive keeps silence. \ map furnished 10 him by
the people of Talasco and Xiculango enabled
Linn to rosecute his route through the province
OF CupilcO to another called CagOatan, where
the provisions came 10 hand which he had, with
much fOrethought, arranged to meet him. They
had been forwarded in a great caraval to the
mouth of the TabascO river and sent up the
stream in native canoes The natives, rs a rule,
fed at the approach of Europeans, burning
their dwellings, and what the Cortes terms their
mosques even getting drowned as they
crowded to cross the river, till Teassured, in
part, by his friendly overtures. ylle seems to
have shown tolerance with much earnest zeal,
in pointing out to the Indians the errors of their
idolatry and the truth of the Catholic faith, but
against canRibalism lie would observe no
quarter
at happened however. that a Spaniard saw one OF
the Indians who had come with me from TenuXttan
eating piece OF flesh taken from the body OF another
Indian. whom he had killed on entering Iztapan.
When the case was reported to me, had the Indian
arrested, and there in the presence OF the Chief had
him burnt alive for having slain and afterwards eaten
Majesty, and myself in your royal name, have re-
peatedly deprecated, ordering the people OF those
parts to abstain from it. therefore made the lord
understand that II punished that man with death it
was because, in disObedcnce to yOurAlajestyS COM
mands, he had slain and afterwards eaten Of the flesh
OF ms ttHoW-crSaturG IhaJ my WlsD was that no
body should be hurt having been sent to those parts
merely for the purpose Of protecting them and taking
care OF Their property as wei as showing them the
way OF wOrShlppmg one only God, who is in heaven,
Creator and Maker Of all things, by whose will all
living creatures are governed. In order TO do this,
they to relinqush all their idols and their abO
minabe riles, because they were nothing more than
lies and deceptiOnS Of the devil who. being the sworn
enemy of mankind had devised those and other
similar arts to ensure their perpetual damnatiOn in
the midst of horrible and everlasting tortures That
the devil thus trying to lead them away from the
knowledge of one only ana true God shutting them
from the path Of salvation, and preventing, by all
means in his power that they should partake of that
glory and blessed happiness awaiting those VINO he
eve in Cod in an abode Of everlasting bliss, which
the devil himself had lost owing to his disohedience,
At one point, where all progress was barred
by wide and deep lagoon which it would have
taken twenty days to round, the idea of Il retreat
gained so much ground among his SpaniardS
that they almost dared" COrtes writes, ITO
whisper it in my presence The herOs resource
here lay in the Indian chiefs whom he 50 in
spired with his energy. combined with promises
of reward. that they agreed to work rItJuS et
posse at a bridge, over which in less than four
days the whole of the men and horses passed.
So soldly built was it, the writer boasts thaS he
had no doubt 1T would stand upwards of ten
years without breaking, unless it was
burned down. 1t was formed of up
wards of one thousand beams, the smallest of
which was as thick round as a mans body, and
measured nine or ten fathoms in length. The
construction was mainly due to the skill Of the
native engineers 81 can assure your Majesty
Cores confesses that | do not believe there is
man in existence capable Of explaining in
satisfactory manner the deXterity which these
lords of TenuXtitlan and the Indians under them
displayed in constructing the said bridge. | can
only say that it is the most wonderful thing that
ever was seem Cortes' despatch displays
throughout his enlightened sense of the capacity,
the bravery, and the loyalty of the native races,
and his belief that by mild and Just treatment
they might be firmly attached to the Spanish
rule. 1t is with regret that we find him on his
return, while still in the monastery where he
stayed six days, 'until he had confessed all his
sins superseded by virtue of the royal mandate
in charge of Ponce de Leon. Here the narrative
ends with a manly assertion of the writer's 10y
atty and fidelity, well as an indignant denial
of the charges of rapacity and malversation
brought against him by his enemies. In char
acteristc passage not without a tinge of
irony, from fear that His Majesty might
imagine that he asked too much in order that
his proposition might be rejected he under
takes-''thOugh the sum was hardly sufficient
for his decent maintenance at COurt'-to be
contented with ten millions of reals of yearly
revenue surrendering to the Emperor every
thing he possessed in the New World. We
know too well what treatment awaited the man
who had enriched the Spanish monarchy with
the farest of its colonial possessions. 1t is a
sign of the logged resolution of COrtes that we
find him closing his letter, dated at TenuXtitlan
September 3, 1926, with the announcement of
his having just started another expedition to
the country he had already so laboriousy tra-
verscd, in the full assurance of having shortly to
apprse his Majesty of the triumphant discovery
of the all-impOrtant strait. AS record of
human prOwcss and daring, no less than a con-
tributon to our knowledge of geography this
curious letter deserves to be read with close at
tentiou.