The herald., 1895-05-26
CHRONICLES
OF THE
CONQUEST OF MEXICO
Being the Diary Of
BERNAL DIAZ DEL CASTILLO
Translated Literally by
JOHN T. 0AFFEY
Copyright. All Rights Reserved
CHAPTER LXVI
The Capture Of Guafemoc and the End Of thu
Siege of Hexico

COrtes now placed GOnZal0 de SandOval
in command of all the brigantines. and
seeing that Guatemoc% had no intention
to surrender, he ordered him to enter the
quarter where he was, but not to injure
any one that he could possibly avoid, and
that If he attacked he should simply de-
fend himself, and to content himself
with destroying all the houses. He
then, with Pedro de Alvarado and Cap
tain Luis Marin and Francisco de Lugo,
mounted the great Gu OF Hultzlipotzli to
watch the operations of Sandoval. When
Guatemoc saw the fleet of Sandoval enter
ing that quarter of the lake, fearing that
he and his family would be captured or
killed and having abandoned all hope OF
longer defending his city, he placed his
family and the flower of his nobility and
Captains in fifty piraguas which he had
already prepared. and struck out into the
lake, hoping to escape to the main land.
where he intended to seek refuge in some
OF the provinces that were still friendly
to him, and he carried with him also his
treasure. When the canoes put forth as
| have said. Sandoval was instantly in
formed of it. and he Immediately ordered
all the brigantines to 90 in pursuit and
capture Guatemoc at all hazards, but to
do him no injury and to treat him honor
ably when captured. 1t happened that
one Garcia Holguin, a friend OF Sandoval.
was in command of the swiftest of the
brigantines, and it pleased God that he
soon overhauled the piragua in which
was Guatemoc and his family, and he or
dered them to lay to, and they refusing,
he ordered his men to point their argue
buses and crossbows at the occupants OF
the piragua: Guatemoc then stood up and
called out, "Do not shoot l am Guate-
moe. L only beg OF you not to touch any
of the women whom have here with me,
but to take me where Malinche is"
Holguin then took Guatemoc on board
the brigantlne and treated him with great
honor and respect and placed him sitting
on the poor Oh pile of mats. and pre-
sented him with food. and towing his pr-
aqua. without touching anything, COM
menced to pull toward Tlatelolco. At
this moment Sandoval arrived and
he ordered Holguin to turn. the
prisoners over to him. and Holguln re-
fused, saying that they were his. as he
had captured them. Sandoval replied
that it was true he had captured them.
but that he was General of the fleet and
that as such the prisoners belonged to
him; and while they were discussing this
point another brigantine posted of to
tell Cortes of the capture. and when he
learned how things stood he sent Francisco
de Lugo and Captain Luis Marin to
order Sandoval and Holguin to come be-
tore him with the prisoners. and that he
would settle the difficulty. In the mean
time he ordered seat prepared for Guat-
emoc, and when he was brought before
him he embraced him and his Captains,
and Guatemoc standing before him said {:
"Senor Malinche. l have done all it was
my duty to do in defense of my vassals
and my country, l am now your prisoner
by force and the fortunes OF war; take
then your dagger and slay me-" While
he was speaking all Of his Captains sobbed
aloud, and bitter tears fell from their eyes.
Cortes replied that he respected him the
more for the gallant defense he had made,
and that he had done nothing wrong, but
rather what was deserving of honor. but
that he wished when defense was no longer
practicable he had made peace and saved
the destruction of this city and the
deaths of so many of his people, but that
what was done could not be undone. and
to be cnnsoled, and that he thereafter
woulu rule as he had done before. He
then asked for the wife of Guatemoc. and
tue wives and daughters of the Captains
who were with him. and Guate-
moe replied that he had begged OF
Con zalo de Sandoval and Garcia Holguin
to leave them in the piraguas until the
command of Cortes should be learned. He
medately sent for them and gave them
food, and it being already late and co IT,
mencing to rain, he ordered Sandoval to
take Guatemoc and other prisoners and
their favorites with him to Cuyoacan. lie
then ordered each division to return to
camp and Sandoval returned to his camp
in ,Tepeaquilla after placing the prison.
ers in the quarters OF Cortes in Cuyoa-
can. Guatemoc was captured on the 18th
day of August at the hour OF vespers on
the day of San Hippoiito IN the year
1921. glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ
and our lady the virgin. Holy Mary, His
blessed mother. amen.
That night terrible thunder storm
took place, such as never before had been
known, and now that it was all over we
felt like men who, standing in q belfry
are deafened by the bells SO that when
they cease ringing they cannot hear for
some time, for during the whole ninety
days of the siege both by day and night
ment ceased. The Mexican squadrons
yelling as they attacked us, blowing their
horns and beating their drums, and the
cries of those on the lake attacking the
brigantines from their canoes and the
sfricks and cries OF their women as they
brought stones for the sings of the war
r,ors or carried off the wounded and the
Internal sound of the great drum on the
cu of Huitzlipotzli, and our own war
cries and the clash of our weapons and
the noise of our firearms all together pro-
duced worse clamor than is said to have
taken place at the siege OF Albracca by
Agrican. the King of China. and so |
say that we we're like men who had been
confined in q belfry while great bells
were being rung.
Guatemoc was man of gcnteel ap-
pearance, both in face and figure; his
face was rather full and OF a pleasant ex-
pression. though somewhat grave; his
glance was piercing. but kindly: his skin
was rather whiter than the majority OF
Indians, and he was about "a or % years
OF age. His wife. niece of the great
Montczuma. was very pretty.
Before we 60 any further we will dis
pose OF the dispute between Sandoval
and Garcia Holguin. When Cortes heard
the story he said to them he could only
recollect one similar case in military an
mails, and that was the dispute which
arose among the Romans, between Ma
rius and Lucio Cornelia Scilla when the
latter captured Jugurtha, King of Nu.
midia. who was with his father-in-l law.
King Boccos of Bythnia. And it seems
that when Scilla was entering Rome in
triumph that he caused Jugurtha to be
led in the procession and chain around,
his neck. and theIeupon Marius declared
that Scilla-had no right to do SO without
his permission. as he had taken Jugur.
tina prisoner in mis- name, because at the
time of his capture Scilla was fighting
under his banner. And this disput,
finally led to the civil W; between Marius
and Scilla. and the point of issue was
never settled. and that in the present
case be would state the facts to his Ma
jesty. SO that he might give the event for
orn,nrial hoartncS tn WhntnsOQvor h.