Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-05
REMARKABLE INDIAN WOMAN.
Career of Donna Marina, Who Rose
From Slave to Adviser and Friend
of Cortes, Reads Like Fiction.

Just over 100 years ago started the
movement that was to make Mexico
an independent state. Inevitably with
the memory of the revolts is linked q
memory of the fearless man who won
Mexico for Spain nearly three centuries
before-Hernando Cortes, who landed
at Tabasco on March %, 1913, and after
three years of unparalleled romance of
war with the Aztecs was proclaimed
Governor. Captain General and Chief
Justice of New Spain by decree of
Charles V. on October Is. 1922.
Among the small band of stubborn
Castillian soldiery who ploddcd up and
down the land of vast plateaus, fight
ing and conqucring and fighting again,
always encompassed by vast hordes of
Indians and daily in danger of annihi-
lation, was one whose name is still
honofed of Spain and whose shade is
still reputed to fit eerly through the
somber cypress groves of the Royal
Hill of Chapultepec. And she WAS a
woman. Her name was Marina Ma
linche, as the Indians called her, Civ
ing her the terminal of respect. Thus
she became Donna Marinna-s slave, in
teprcter, secretary TO Cortes and
mother of his son; councillor to the
Spanish adventures and their savior
more than once The history of her
early years begins in tragedy. The
daughter of the powerful cacique of
Painalla, who died while she was very
young, she was handed to the nomadic
traders of Xicallanco by her own
mother. 1t was the old story of covet-
ed possessions. The mother had mar
rio in, nd daCirp6 Ma X Wp9it n
for her SON So, at night she gave her
first born over to the wandering trad
ers, and the dead child of a slave was
| buried with the solemn rites due to
| the daughter of the dead cacique. The
| traders sold Marina as slave
After the defeat of the Tabasans she,
with other female slaves was present.
ed to Cortes. and it was as an inter-
prefer that Marina first came to ms
| notice. He is about to land on the bar
| rem beach where now is Vera cruz me
natives. mindful of past tradings with
| Griialva, are crowding round the YES
sci in their canoes, bringing offerings
| of fruit and flowers and little orna-
| ments of gold Geronimo de AguilaT is
| acting as interpreter to the little army
having been wrecked some time before
l lie mao leafntu Md an e''''so $3.50 ~Nf
Itiyitv in Yucatan But the Mexican
Indians speak only Aztec. Cortes Is
lin despair in spite of the eloquent ges-
lures of the natives. 1t Is then that
somebody thinks of the girl Save,
Marina-that she speaks Aztec ana
| Mayan, too. She is brought before
lCortes. and thus she becomes interpret
or tn the cououerer, first through Agul-
liar. hut very soon, by her quick study
iof castiIian. direct to Cortes. AT the
thine she was in the first beauty of her
/ voutb with glistening black hair, worn
lloose as WAS the custom, and the eX-
nressive features of her dark face
Hinged with the melancholy of her
Trace. All agree that she was beautiful
l"Hermosa como diosa, says Camargo
lof her, and the blunt old soldier. Ber-
lnaI Diaz, describes her as handsome,
lclever. eager to be useful and looking
1.-The great lady that she was
| on more than one occasion she dom
Iiratcs the scene. At Chohula, the
beautiful Mecca of the AztecS, where
the white god. Quetzaleoatl. paused for
leo years, the humiliation of the Span
,iards was being planned. Outwardls
the Chohulan hospitality is unchanged
but Cortes suspects. Marina has in
gratiated herself with the wife of g
lChohulan Chief, and, on pretense OF
her loathing for the Spaniards and hei
desire to escape, she gets the story OF
the preparations-the barricades. the
covered pits in the streets, the stones
ready on the house tops and the Aztec
army waiting outside. She hears it al
while she puts together a few belong
ings for her make-beiieve escape. thu
woman helping her while she tells,
The effect of explosives dropped from
AN airship is generally greatly exag