Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-08-01


keeping watch over my sleep and warding
tho gnats from me with lcafy branch.
His kindness seemed toshow that was
| in no danger Of i'll treatment, and my fears
on that point being set at rest began to
wonder as to what strange land had come
| ind who it's people might be. Soon, how.
ever, gave over having nothing to build
on, and observed the scenery instead. Now
we were padding up smaller river than
tho one on the banks of which had been
| cast away and were no longer in the midst
| of marshes.
On either side of US was open land, OF
rather land that would have been open
had 1t not been for the great trees, larger
than the largest oak, which grew upon 1t,
some of them of surprising beauty. Up
these trees climbed creepers that hung like
ropes even from the topmost boughs, and
among them were many strange and gor.
geous Towering plants that seemed to cling
| to the bark as moss clings to wall. In
their branches also sat harsh voiced birds
of brilliant colors and apes that barked
and chartered at us as we went.
Just as the sun set over all this strange
new scene the canoes came to q Landing
place built Of timber. and we disembark-
ed. Now 1t grew dark suddenly, and all
| I could discover was that was being led
along good road. Presently we reached
gate, which, from the barking of dogs
and the numbers Of people who thronged
about 1t, T judged to be the entrance to q
town, and passing 1t we advanced down
long street with houses on either side.
At the doorway of tho last house my com
panion halted, and taking me by tho hand
led me into long, low room lit with lamps
of eartheIware Hero some women came
forward and kissed him, while others,
whom I took to be servants, saluted him
by touching the floor with ono hand. Soon,
however all eyes were turned on me, and
many eager questions were asked OF the
chief, Of which I could only guess the pur-
port.
When all had gazed their flll, supper was
served, rich meal of many strange meats,
and of this was invited to partake, which
did, seated on q mat and eating OF the
dishes that were placed upon the ground
by the women. Among these noticed
one girl who far surpassed all the others
in grace, though mono were unpleasing to
the eye Sho was dark indeed, but her
features were regular and her eyes fine.
Her figure was tall and straight, and the
sweetness of her face added to the charm
of her beauty I mention this girl here for
two reasons-frst, because she saved me
once from sacrifice and once from torture,
and, secondly, because she was none other
than that woman who afterward became
known as Marina, the mistress of Cortes,
without whose aid he had never conquer
ed Mexico. But Mt this time she did not
guess that it was her destiny to bring her
country of Anahuac beneath the cruel yoke
Of the Spaniard.
From the moment Of my entry 1 saw
that Marina, Us will call her, for her In
dian name is too long to he written, took
pity on my forlorn state and did what lay
in her power to protect me from vulgar
curiosity and to minister to my wants. 1t
was she who brought mo water to wash In,
and clean robe Of linen to replace my
foul and tattercd garments. and CLOAK
fashioned of bright feathers for my shoul-
ders.
When supper was done, n mat was given
me to sleep on in little room apart, and
here lay down, thinking that, though l
might be lost forever to my own world, ut
least I had fallen among n people who
were gentle and kindly, and, moreover, as
saw from many tokens, no savagcs Ono
thing, however, disturbed mc-1 discoy-
cred that, though was well treated, also
was q prisoner, for man armed with q
copper spear slept across the doorway OF
my little room. Before I lay down looked
through the wooden bars which served as
a protection to the window place and saw
that the house stood upon the border Of
large open space, in the midst of which
great pyramid lowered hundred feet or
moro into the air. On the top of this
pyramid was building of stone which I
took to be O temple, and rightly, in front
Of which fire burned Marvcling what
the purpose of this great work might be-,
and in honor of what faith 1t was erected,
went to sleep.
On the morrow was to learn.
Here it may be convenient for me to
state, what did not discover till after
ward, that I was in the city Of Tabasco,
the capital of one of the southern prov
inces Of Anahuac, which is situated at q
distance of some hundreds of miles from
the central city of Tenoctitlan, or Mexico.
The river where had been cast away was
the Rio de Tabasco, where Cortes landed
in the following year, and my host, or
rather my captor, was the caziquc, or chief,
of Tabasco, the same man who subsequent
ly presented Marina to Cortes.
Thus it came about that, with the ex-
ception Of o certain Aguilar, who, with
coast Of Yucatan six years before, was
the first white man who ever dwelt among
the Indians. This Aguilar was rescued
by Cortes, though his companions were
oil sacrificed to Huitzel, the horrible war
god Of the country. But the name Of the
Spaniards was already known to tho In
dams, who looked on them with supersti-
tious fear, for in the year previous to my
being cast away the hidalgo Hernandez
dc Cordovs had visited the coast Of Yucca
tan and fought several battles with the na-
tiyes, and earlier In the same year Of my
arrival Juan de Grigalva had come to this
very river of Tabasco. Thus it came about
that I was set down as one Of this strange
new nation of Teules, as the Indians named
the Spaniards, and therefore as IN enemy
for whose blood the gods were thtrsting.
awoke at dawn, much refreshed with
sleep, and having washed and clothed my
self in the Linen robes that were provided
for me I came into the large room, where
food was given me- Scarcely had I finish
ed my meal when my captor, the cazique,
entered accompanied by two men whose
appearance struck terror to my heart. In
countenanoe they were fierce and horrible
They wore black robes embroidered with
mystic characters In red, and their long
and tangled hair was matted together with
some strange substance. These men, whom
all present, including the chief, or cazique,
seemed to look on with the utmost rever-
ence, glared at me with fierce glee that
mode my blood run cold. One of them in
deed tore open my white robe and placed
his filthy hand upon my heart, which beat
quickly enough, counting It's throbs aloud
while tho other nodded at his words. Aft
erward I learned that he was saying that
I was very strong.
CHANGING round to find the interpreta-
IL II 1t Do 80