 Chapter 1. The Isles of Beauty Beyond the Seas. The 12th of October 1492 ranks very high among the important dates in the history of the world. For on that day men from Europe, then the center of civilization, first gazed on a rich new land beyond the seas, a great virgin continent destined to become the seat of flourishing civilizations and to play a leading part in the later history of the world. Little did Columbus and his companions, when they saw before them on that famous morning a beautiful island rising like a pearl of promise from the sparkling tropical sea, dream of what time held in store for that newfound land, foreordained to become the new world of the nations, the hope of the oppressed, and the pioneer dwelling-pace of liberty and equality. But we are here concerned with only what they saw, and this was a green and populous island so covered with fresh verdure that it seemed to their eyes like a continual orchard. And orchard it was, for many of the trees were laden with new and strange fruits of rare color and attractive form. Never had they breathed air more pure and fresh, and never had they beheld seas of such crystal clearness or verdure of more emerald hue. And it is not surprising that their eyes sparkled with joy and their souls were filled with wonder and delight as they gazed on this entrancing scene after their long and dreaded voyage over a vast and unknown ocean. Not less strange to the newcomers were the people who flocked in numbers from the woods and ran to the shore, where they stood gazing in simple wonder on the ships, winged marvels which had never met their eyes before. No clothing hid their dusky copper-colored skins of a hue unknown to their visitors, and they looked like the unclad tenants of some new paradise. Their astonishment turned into fright when they saw boats leave these strange monsters of the deep. In them men clad in shining steel or raiment of varied color. Their white faces, their curling beards, their splendid clothing as it appeared to these simple denizens of the forest, and especially the air of dignity of their leader with his ample cloak of scarlet, added to their amazement, and they viewed the strangers as divine visitors come to them from the skies. Not less was their surprise when they saw the wonderful strangers kneel and kiss the soil, and then uplift a great and gleaming banner of rich colors and designs that seemed magical to their untaught eyes. And deep was their delight when these strange beings distributed among them wonderful gifts, glass beads, hawks, bells, and other trifles which seemed precious gems to their untutored souls. They had nothing to offer in return except tame parrots, of which they had many, and balls of cotton yarn. But the eyes of the Spaniards sparkled with hope when they saw small ornaments of gold which some of them wore. Happy had it been for all the natives of the New World if this yellow metal had not existed among them, for it was to bring them untold suffering and despair. Such was the island of San Salvador, as Columbus named this first seen land. But leaving it, let us go with him in his voyage through that island-sprinkled sea and use his eyes in taking in the marvels with which it was sown. Familiar as these islands have become to many of us, to him they were all new, beautiful, and strange. A string of tropic pearls or rare emeralds spread out along those shining waters of the south. On leaving San Salvador, the Spaniards, their hearts elate with joy and pride in their discovery, hardly knew wither to go. They seemed drawn to the right and the left alike. They found themselves in an archipelago of beautiful islands, green and level, rising on all sides and seemingly numberless. To us, they are the great green cluster of the Bahamas. To Columbus, who fancied that he had reached the shores of Asia. They were that wonderful archipelago spoken of by Marco Polo, in which were 7,458 islands abounding with spices and rich in odoriferous trees and shrubs. On went the Spanish caravals, sailing over bright and placid waters, scarce ruffled by the gentle breeze, and touching at aisle after aisle, each of which seemed to the voyagers more beautiful than the last. Resting under the shade of warm and verdant groves, while his men sought to fill their water casks from the purest and coolest springs, the admiral found the scene around him entrancing to his vision. The country as fresh and green as the month of May in Andalusia. The trees, the fruits, the herbs, the flowers, the very stones for the most part, as different from those of Spain as night from day. One aisle, which he honored with the name of Isabella, after his patron, the Spanish queen, surpassed in charm all he had yet seen. Like them all it was covered with rich vegetation, its climate delightful, its air soft and balmy, its scenery so lovely that it seemed to him as if one would never desire to depart. I know not where first to go, nor are my eyes ever weary of gazing on the beautiful verdure. Fresh water was abundant, and he ordered all the casks of the ships to be filled. He could not say enough in praise of what he saw. Here are large lakes and the groves about them are marvelous, and in all the island everything is green and the herbage as in April in Andalusia. The singing of the birds is such that it seems as if one would never wish to leave this land. There are flocks of parrots which hide the sun and other birds large and small of so many kinds and so different from ours that it is wonderful. And besides, there are trees of a thousand species, each having its particular fruit and all of marvelous flavor, so that I am in the greatest trouble in the world for I am very certain that they are each of great value. As he approached this island, he fancied that the winds bore to his senses the spicy odors said to be wafted from the islands of the East Indian seas. As I arrived at this cape, he said, there came off a fragrance so good and soft of the flowers or trees of the land that it was the sweetest thing in the world. Not only were the islands the homes of birds of brilliant plumage and flowers of gorgeous hue, but the very seas seemed to their new visitors like tropical gardens, for the fish with which they abounded rivaled the birds and flowers in brilliancy of color. The scales of some of them glittered like precious stones and the gleams of gold and silver seemed to come from them as they swam around the ships, while the dolphins taken from the water changed color like the chameleon. The natives who had been taken on board the ships made signs which seemed to indicate that more wonderful islands were yet to be seen with cities and kings and queens and abundance of golden gems. Or at least the Spaniards understood this from their signs as they pointed to the south when gold was shown them and they were asked where it could be found. Far to the south was a great island which they named Cuba and another which they called Bohio. Cuba, as their signs appeared to show, was a vast extent and abounded with gold, pearls and spices and Columbus determined to sail for it, hoping there to find the wealth which he and his companions so ardently craved. It cannot be said that the natives wished to deceive them but no doubt they willingly agreed to all they were asked with the innocent desire of pleasing their wonderful new friends. Columbus, full of the idea that he was near the shores of India, hoped to reach the city of Quincy which Marco Polo had said was one of the most magnificent in the world and there deliver the letter of his sovereigns to the grand Khan of the Indies and bring back his reply to Spain. Inspired by this enticing hope he left the Bahamas and turned the prowess of his small fleet toward the Isle of Cuba. It was on the morning of October 28th that the shores of this noble island first met the eyes of the eager mariners. As the small fleet swept along its coast the admiral was struck with its size and grandeur. It's high and airy mountains like those of Sicily. It's long and sweeping plains and the fertile valleys of its broad rivers. It's far reaching forests and many green headlands which led them on and on into the remote distance. They anchored at length in a beautiful river whose waters were transparent and deeply shaded with overhanging trees. Here Columbus had himself rode up the stream which seemed to grow more enchanting with every mile. Forests of lofty and spreading trees crowding down to its banks. Some in fruit, some in flower. Some bearing fruits and flowers at once. These woods swarmed with birds of brilliant plumage. The rich hued parrots and woodpeckers. The tiny and sparkling hummingbirds which flitted on rainbow wings from flower to flower and which no European had ever seen before. Even the insects were beautiful in their shining coats of mail. Though most of the birds were silent the charms of song were not wanting and the excited fancy of Columbus detected among them notes like those of the nightingale. Ever open to the charms of nature Cuba seemed to him an Elysium beautiful island that eyes ever beheld. He was sure there must hear be minds of gold, groves of spices, rivers and seas that bore pearls. The houses, though simple in structure, were well built and clean, roofed with pond leaves and shaded by spreading trees. Led on still by his excited fancy he hoped soon to find great cities and rich settlements but none such greeted his gaze. Assured that the capital of the Grand Con could not be far away the facetors with presents to the interior in a direction pointed out by the people. But after going many miles they found only a village of fifty houses like those seen on the coast. There was no gold or silver, no spices, none of the things they so ardently sought. The only thing new to their eyes was a fashion seen among the people who rolled up certain dried and aromatic leaves and lighting one end put the other in their mouths and exhaled the smoke. This was the first ever seen by white men of that remarkable American plant called by the natives by a name like tobacco which has since grown to be a favorite throughout the world in palace and hovel alike. Sailing onward along the Cuban coast the imagination of Columbus was continually aroused by the magnificence, freshness and verdant charm of the scenery which he could not praise too highly. A warm love of nature is frequently displayed in the description of the country which he wrote out for Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Of one place named by him Puerto Santo he said The amenity of this river and the clearness of the water through which the sand at the bottom may be seen the multitude of palm trees of various forms the highest and most beautiful that I have met with and in an infinity of other great and green trees the birds in rich plumage and the verger of the fields render this country most serene princess of such marvelous beauty that it surpasses all others in graces and charm as the day of the night in Lustre. For which reason I often say to my people that much as I endeavour to give a complete account of it to your majesties my tongue cannot express the whole truth or my tongue describe it and I have been so overwhelmed at the sight of so much beauty that I have not known how to relate it. One more island he was yet to see in this marvelous series of discoveries the one called by the natives Bojillo or Barbeque now known as Haiti beautiful islands in the world in the splendour of its tropical vegetation Columbus and his men could describe it only by comparison with the most beautiful provinces of the country from which they came and in consequence he named the island Hispaniola or Little Spain Here he found the people as innocent and simple in their habits as those of San Salvador living in huts built of the palm branches wearing no clothing for the air was always warm and balmy and passing life in a holiday was an enjoyment to the Spaniards their life seemed like a pleasant dream their country a veritable lotus land where it was always afternoon they had no wants nor cares and spent life in easy islandness and innocent sports they had their fields but the food plants grew bountifully with little labour the rivers and sea yielded abundance of fish and luscious tropical fruits grew profusely in their forests thus favoured by nature they spent much of the day in repose in the evenings they danced gaily in their fragrant groves with songs or the rude music of their drums after the coming of the Spaniards the clear tinkle of the hawksbells as they danced gave them the deepest delight and for those musical toys they were ready to barter everything they possessed in Hispaniola gold seemed more plentiful than the Spaniards had yet seen but they were still lured on to distant places with the elusive hope that this precious metal might there be found in quantities to cease for a time the quest of the precious metal and sail for home with the story of the new world he had found one of his vessels had deserted him another had been wrecked if he should lose the third he would be left without means of return and his great discovery might remain unknown moved by his this fear on the 4th of January 1493 he spread the sails of the one caravelle left to him and turned its prow towards syrup to carry thither the news of the greatest maritime discovery ever known thus ended in success and triumph the first voyage of Columbus to the new world end of chapter 1 chapter 2 of historical tales volume 3 spanish-american this LibriVox recording is in the public domain historical tales volume 3 spanish-american by Charles Morris chapter 2 Alonso de Ojeda of the three ships with which Columbus made his first voyage the pinta deserted the others and went off on a voyage of discovery of its own and the Santa Maria the flagship of the admiral ran ashore on the coast of Hispaniola and proved a hopeless wreck only the Nina the girl as this word means in English was left to carry the discoverer home the Santa Maria was carefully taken to pieces and from her timbers was constructed a small but strong fort with a deep vault beneath and a ditch surrounding friendly Indians aided in this and not a shred of the stranded vessel was left to the waves as the Nina was too small to carry all his crew back to Spain Columbus decided to leave a garrison to hold this fort and search for gold until he should return that the island held plenty of gold he felt sure so Captain Arduo was left with a garrison of forty men and the Nina spread her sails to the winds the wonderful news of the great discovery the Navidad or the nativity he named the fort in remembrance of the day of the wreck and when he came back in fourteen ninety three he hopefully expected to find its garrison awaiting him with a rich treasure in the precious yellow metal he reached the spot to find the fort a ruin and the garrison a remembrance only they had been attacked by the Indians and massacred during the absence of the admiral in fact the mild, gentle and friendly Indians whom Columbus had met with on his first voyage were not the only people of the islands there were on some of the West Indies a warlike race called Caribs, cannibals the Spaniards said they were who gave the invaders no small trouble before they were overcome it was a band of these fierce Caribs that had attacked la Navidad and destroyed the fort and its garrison impelled to this likely enough by some of the ruthless acts the Spaniards were much too ready to commit the leader of these warriors was a bold cacique named Kaonabo, chief of a warlike mountain tribe it is with this chieftain that we are at present concerned as he was the hero or victim rather of the first romantic story known to us in Indian life in addition to the forts built by the Spaniards on the coast of Hispaniola there was one built far in the interior called Fort Santo Tomas this stood in the mountainous region of Sibao the reputed land of gold of the island its site lay within the territory of Kaonabo, who ruled over a great district, his capital town or village being on the southern slope of the Sibao mountains the first conflict between the Spaniards and the natives after the massacre of the garrison of la Navidad was in the district of the Vega where a fierce fight took place in the spring of 1495 a severe defeat the next was at Fort Santo Tomas which was commanded by Alonso de Ojeda a young man who had come out with Columbus in his second voyage he was a man of great courage and unusual daring one of the chief among those dauntless spirits who had to do with the conquest of the new world a man of his spirit was needed to command this isolated fort in the mountains for the casique Kaonabo was not pleased with this invasion of his territory and soon marched upon the fort with a strong force of his warlike race Santo Tomas was closely invested and fiercely attacked Ojeda being reduced to such an extremity that he owed his escape only to a rescuing force sent by Columbus from Fort Isabella on the coast driven off by the superior arms of his foes Kaonabo withdrew Selenly to his stronghold in the mountains but he was quickly back again with a larger force than before he had never met his equal among the Indians but the fire-spouting tubes of the Spaniards proved too much even for his courage and he was a second time forced to withdraw it was evident however that Ojeda was perilously situated surrounded as he was by warlike enemies led by so bold and persistent a chief in the face of this peril he adopted an inexpedient as daring as any of those shown by Cortes, Pizarro or any other of the Spanish Caballeros at that age of conquest and one whose ingenuity equaled at staring it is this striking adventure which it is our purpose to describe choosing from his men a few of the bravest and most trusty Ojeda set out on horseback over the mountains following paths never before traversed by the Spaniards until they came to the Karib town of Maguana where he found Kaonabo surrounded by a throng of armed warriors the Spaniards had bearded the lion in his den or in a position of extreme peril should the Kaseek prove hostile but Ojeda was a past master in craftiness and by professions of friendship and other arts of duplicity he persuaded the chief to accompany him alone into the edge of the forest he now took from his pocket a pair of handcuffs bright and shining manacles of which the untutored Indian had no conception of the youth but whose brightness attracted him Ojeda told him they were bracelets and had graciously sent him as a present in recognition of his fame as a warrior of skill and courage the poor Indian probably understood all this very imperfectly but he was easily brought to view the manacles as Ture or a gift from heaven and willingly held out his wrists that his guests might adorn them with those strange and splendid bracelets in a moment his hands were secured and before he could recover from his surprise Ojeda whose small frame concealed much strength from his saddle seized the astonished chief and by a great exertion of muscular force lifted him from the ground and swung him up on the horse the warriors who beheld this act with sudden suspicion had no time to use their weapons before the Spaniards had put spur to their horses and dashed off into the forest two of them rode on each side of Ojeda to prevent the captors throwing himself in from the horse threatened by their swords and with his hands clasped in those fatal bracelets Kaunaba was forced to submit and was carried by his captors for many miles to the heart of his own country to Fort Isabella, a stronghold which Columbus had built at a site on the sea coast fronting a bay in which all his vessels could ride in safety here the bold Ojeda as the culmination of his daring enterprise delivered his captors to Columbus and he was locked up in a secure cell as the story goes the brave Kasik had a greater admiration for courage than anything else in the world and instead of hating Ojeda for the crafty way in which he had been captured he seemed to hold him in high esteem as the bravest of the Spaniards whenever Ojeda appeared in his cell he would rise and courteously salute him while he treated the visits of Columbus with hotty disregard so far as the captive Kasik could make himself understood the high rank of Columbus was not to him he had no proof that he was a man of courage while the manner in which Ojeda had captured him showed him to be a brave man to the bold Karib courage was the fit of virtues and the only one worthy of respect the poor Indians suffered the fate of most of his countrymen who had to do with the Spanish invaders put on board ship and sent as a prize of valor to Spain the unfortunate chief died on the voyage perhaps from a broken heart or as a result of the change from his free forest life to the narrow confines of a 15th century ship the life of Ojeda after that date was one full of adventure in which he distinguished himself as much by rashness as by valor in 1499 he was put in command of an exploring expedition and sent out from Spain one of his companions being Amerigofe Spucci he, whose first name gained the immemorial honor of being given to the great western continent in this voyage Ojeda discovered part of the continent of South America which he called Venezuela or Little Venice an Indian village built on piles in the water 8 years later Ojeda sought to plant a colony in New Andalusia but the natives there proved too bold and hostile for him and he failed to subject them to his authority many were his adventures all of them characterized by a rash daring like that he had shown in the capture of Conabo when at length he died he was buried in response to his own request in the doorway of the Franciscan monastery in the city of Santo Domingo so that all who entered that place of worship should walk over his grave End of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American this LibriVox recording is in the public domain Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American by Charles Morris Chapter 3 the early days of a famous cavalier the island Elysium which Columbus had discovered in the most glowing terms seemed like a fairy land of promise to the people of Spain and hundreds of adventurers soon crossed the seas hopeful of winning gold and ready for deeds of peril and daring in that wonderful unknown land some of them were men of wealth who were eager to add to their riches but the most of them had little beyond their love of adventure and their thirst for gold to carry them across the seas needy but bold soldiers and cavaliers who were ready for any enterprise however perilous that might promise them reward the stories of many of these men are full of romantic interest and this is especially the case with one of them the renowned Hernando Cortez we propose here to deal with the interesting early history of this most famous of the New World conquerors the son of a Spanish captain of good family his buoyant spirit and frolicsome humor led him into many wild escapades while still a boy the mystery and romance of the strange land beyond the sea and the chance to win gold and glory which it offered were fascinating to a spirit like his and he was prevented from taking part in an expedition when but seventeen years of age only by an unlucky accident as he was scaling a wall one night in an adventure like that of Romeo and Juliet the stones gave way and he was thrown violently to the ground and buried under the ruins before he got out of bed from his hurts the fleet had sailed two years longer the ambitious boy remained at home engaged perhaps in similar pranks but at length another chance offered and in fifteen oh four he set sail for the land of promise still a youth of only nineteen years of age he did not get across the sea without adventure Quintero the captain of his ship bound for his banyola and a market stole away from the rest of the squadron to the port and sell his cargo before the others arrived but fierce gales came to punish him for many days the vessel was tossed about the sailors not knowing where they were and furious at the treachery of their captain at length one morning hope returned to them in the form of a white dove that lighted on the four mast top when the bird had rested it took to flight again and by following its course the weary mariners finally came to the port they sought but the captain was paid for his treachery finding that the other vessels had arrived before him and sold their cargos the young adventurer was full of ambitious hope when the governor's secretary told him that no doubt he would be given a good estate to settle on he replied, but I came to get gold not to till the soil like a peasant as no gold offered however he was glad enough to accept the land but his fondness for active deeds clung to him and he took part in the military expedition sent out to fight with the rebel natives he had his quarrels too and his duels about the love of fair ladies and received wounds whose scars he carried to the grave a noble opening for his valour came in 1511 when an expedition set out for the conquest of Cuba Cortez enlisted under the leader Diego Velazquez whose favour he won by his courage and activity his cordial and lively disposition and the good humour and ready wit which made him a favourite with all he met after the island had been conquered Velazquez was made its governor Cortez still being his close friend but for some reason this friendship did not last and when it length the party of discontented men formed a plan to complain of the acts of the governor to the highest authorities in Hispaniola Cortez took part in the conspiracy and was chosen from his fearless spirit to act as their envoy it being necessary to perform the perilous exploit of crossing an arm of the sea over 50 miles wide in an open boat in some way the plot got wind and before he could leave the island Cortez was arrested by order of the governor and thrown into prison his limbs being loaded with fetters Velazquez even intended to hang him as we are told but was persuaded by his friends not to go so far these Spanish governors had the power to do almost anything they pleased their distance from home enabling them to act the despot at will and their influence at court saving them from evil consequences Cortez did not stay long in his prison cell in some way he managed to open one of the bolts of his fetters and soon had his limbs free then turning his irons into tools he used them to force open the window of his cell as he was on the second floor of the building it was easy for one so ageless he to reach the ground without injury and he made his way to a church nearby where he claimed the right of sanctuary when Velazquez heard of the escape of his prisoner he was furious he did not dare attempt to take him from the church by force since the sacred walls protected all who sought their asylum but a guard was stationed close by with orders to seize the fugitive if he should leave the sanctuary with one so careless as Cortez this was sure to be done a few days later as he stood heedlessly sunning himself outside the walls of the building one of the guards rushed on him from behind seized his arms and held him until his comrades came to his aid this man was one of those who afterwards took part in the conquest of Mexico during which he was hung for some offence by Cortez who perhaps took this opportunity for revenge once more the reckless young adventurer found himself a fettered captive this time being put on board a vessel that was to sail the next morning for his Spaniola where Velazquez designed he should be tried for his offence but he proved a very hard prisoner to hold his life with much pain and difficulty he managed to pull his feet out of the irons that held them and then stole cautiously to the deck where he found a boat floating by the vessel's side slipping down into this under cover of the darkness he cut loose and paddled silently away when near the shore he met with a rapid current and rough waters to which he was afraid to trust the boat being an expert swimmer he thought it safest to breast the water himself and boldly plunged overboard he found his task a hard almost a fatal one the current threatened to sweep him away but after a long struggle with the waves he succeeded in reaching the shore in a state of almost complete exhaustion he now sought the church again no doubt resolving this time to keep safely within its sacred shelter the story goes on to state that the governor, worked upon by friends of the culprit offered him forgiveness which the incensed young cavalier was too proud to accept followed as amusing Velazquez was at a distance from the capital on a military excursion when one evening he was startled in his tent by the appearance of his enemy completely armed and threatening an aspect in dismay the governor asked him what he wanted Cortez replied angrily that he was tired of being treated like a felon and that he must have an explanation or he would know the reason why Velazquez answered as angrily at a hot altercation followed but at length their talk became more friendly and in the end their old amicable relations were resumed and they embraced like a pair of lovers the amusing part of the story is this when a messenger arrived to tell the governor that Cortez had left the sanctuary and disappeared he found the governor and the culprit both fast asleep in the same bed this story seems doubtful but at any rate they became friends again and Cortez was given a large estate in Cuba which he stocked with cattle and on which he found gold mines which were worked by Indian labour he married a beautiful Spanish girl and fast growing rich spent several years in happy content this with some would have been the end of a career it was only the beginning of that of Cortez before whom still lay a wonderful history and a record of undying fame all we can tell here is how this came about it began in expeditions of discovery Cordova a Cuban settler seeking Indians for slaves in the Bahamas was blown far westward by a storm and reached an unknown shore where the natives lived in stone buildings cultivated the soil and wore delicate cotton garments and ornaments of gold in other ways they showed evidence of civilization the land thus reached is that now known as Yucatan the Lasquez on seeing the gold which Cordova brought back sent out a small fleet under his nephew Juan de Grialva to visit and explore this new land Grialva found evidence that a great civilized nation dwelt inland rich in gold and far superior in civilization to any Indians whom the Spaniards had yet met he named the country New Spain and sailed back to Cuba with an account of his important discoveries the news filled Velazquez with hope and joy here seemed to be the land of gold which the Spaniards had so long sought here he might win vast wealth and the glory of adding a new and splendid province to Spain he had once began to fit out a much larger expedition and looked around for a man fit to command it several of the Hidalgos or gentlemen of Cuba offered themselves but none pleased the governor and at length he settled upon Cortez as the best man for his purpose by chance rather than by intention he had made a splendid choice Cortez was the one man in the new world and perhaps the one man at that time in all Spain fitted by nature for the difficult task which lay before him wild and frivolous as he had shown himself in youth all he needed was a great occasion to prove himself a great man he was to develop into one of the ablest military leaders in all history a man who on a small scale was to display a genius and achieve a success worthy of Caesar or Alexander or any of the famous soldiers of the world but from another point of view Velazquez had made a bad choice Cortez had disdained his fetters and his prisons and would soon disdain his control his hope to win gain and glory by the aid of this young adventurer was likely to prove a mere will of the wisp the very appointment seemed to change the whole character of the new admiral he became a different man his high spirits now changed to a tireless energy he spent his money freely waiting out the fleet and even mortgaged his estate to raise more and borrowed all he could he worked incessantly and inspired his companions and followers to active and enthusiastic toil he was so popular in the island that several hundred recruits soon flocked to his banner and six ships, some of them of large size were rapidly got ready and stocked with provisions and military stores yet at the last minute it seemed as if all the labor and cost of Cortez would go for naught Velazquez grew suspicious of him and decided to rob him of his command and trust the fleet to save our hands but he was not dealing with a man who could be played with in this fast and loose fashion the secret was whispered to Cortez and he decided to sail at once though he was still short of men of vessels and of supplies that night he took on board all the meat in town weighed anchor and got ready to set sail at day dawn the news came to Velazquez that the fleet was about to depart in a panic he sprang from his bed threw on his clothes, mounted his horse and rode in all haste to the beach Cortez entered a boat and rode near enough to the shore to speak with him and is this the way you leave me? cried the angry governor a courteous leave taking truly pardon me said Cortez time presses and there are some things that should be done before they are even thought of has your Excellency any commands? his Excellency commanded him to come on shore if it had been of any use as it was he had little to say and with a polite wave of the hand Cortez returned to his ships soon only their vanishing hulls were to be seen the fleet stopped for supplies at Makaka and at Trinidad at the last place many men and several cavaliers who were to prove his ableist officers joined him while there letters came from Velazquez to the governor of Trinidad Cortez and hold the fleet for a new admiral who was to command it the governor looked at Cortez and his men and concluded that he had better let them alone they were too strong for him to deal with so once more the bold adventurers escaped from Velazquez and his schemes and sailed in triumph away this time for Havana here also the governor of the place had received orders to arrest Cortez and here also he did not dare attempt it Velazquez also wrote to Cortez asking him to wait till he could see him Hernando Cortez was hardly the fool to pay any heed to such a letter as that the lion was hardly likely to trust himself to the fox he sent him a very polite and mild answer saying that he would not lose sight of the interests of his excellency and that he and the fleet, God willing would set sail the next morning finally on the 18th of February 1519 the fleet lost sight of Cuba at Cape San Antonio on the western end of the island it consisted in all of eleven vessels most of them small and had on board 663 soldiers and sailors a few of these were armed with crossbows and only thirteen with muskets while the horses numbered only sixteen in addition there were ten heavy guns and four lighter ones with a good supply of ammunition such was the fleet and such the force Hernando Cortez set sail to conquer a powerful and war-like nation fortunately the expedition had one of the world's great commanders at its head or the enterprise would have ended in failure instead of leading as it did to a wonderful success End of Chapter 3 Chapter 4 of Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American by Charles Morris Chapter 4 Balboa and the Discovery of the Pacific It was a splendid road to fortune which Columbus opened to the adventurers of Spain and hundreds of them soon took that promising path Among these was one Vasco Núñez de Balboa a man poor in gold or land but rich in courage and ambition and weary enough of trying to live at home like a gentleman with the means of a peasant In the year 1501 he crossed the seas to Hispaniola where, like Cortez he took up land and began to till the soil for a living but he had not the skill or good luck of Cortez and after years of labor he found himself poorer than when he had commenced He began to see that nature had not meant him for a farmer and that if he wanted a fortune he must seek it in other fields Balboa was not alone in this there were others with better filled pockets than he who were ripe for adventure and eager for gold A famous one of these was Alonso de Ojeda one of the companions of Columbus and the hero of the adventure with the carib chief already described who in 1509 sailed for South America and founded a settlement named by him San Sebastian He left orders within Ciso a lawyer of the town of San Domingo to fit out two more vessels and follow him with provisions for his new settlement and Ciso sailed in 1510 his vessels well laden with casks of bread and other foodstuffs there was more in them indeed than in Ciso dreamed of, for when far from land they're crept out of one of these casks a haggard, wobegon, half starved stowaway who looked as if he had not many ounces of life left in him It was Vasco Nunez de Balboa who had taken this way to join the expedition and escape from his creditors since they would not have permitted him to go openly The cask in which he snugly lay had been carried from his farm to the ship among others containing provisions and Ciso was furious when he saw this unwelcome addition to his crew he threatened to throw him overboard and on second thought vowed to leave him to starve on a desert island the poor fellow fell on his knees and tearfully begged for mercy others joined him in entreaties and Encino at length softened and spared him his life he was to pay bitterly for his kindness before many days The expedition had its adventures on the seas ending in a wreck and when San Sebastian was reached Ojeda was not to be found and the settlement was a ruin and Ciso was in a quandary what to do but Balboa had been on that coast before on his first voyage out from Spain and knew of an Indian village on the Darian river where they might find food and shelter He advised and Ciso to go thither and a journey was made over land among hostile Indians and with little food The adventurers were half starved when at length they reached their goal Here they found a new settlement named Santa Maria No doubt first disposing of the Indians in the usual Spanish fashion killing some and making slaves of others but it was not long before there were bitter quarrels among themselves and Ciso had forbidden them to have any private trade for gold with the natives a case which they strongly resented The result was that a party rose against him with Balboa at its head and Ciso was deprived of his authority but when they tried to elect another in his place it did not prove easy Diego Dona Cuisab who had made a settlement near there was sent for by some of the settlers but when he came Balboa's party would not receive him and he with 17 companions was placed in a crazy old bark and left to find their way back to Hispaniola as best they could Balboa had by this time shown himself the ablest and boldest man in Darian and his influence and power grew steadily until the settlers voted him their governor and Ciso was seized and imprisoned and finally was sent to Spain with him went one of Balboa's chief supporters in order to gain for him from the king the royal right to his new office Balboa lost no time in showing that he was worthy of the dignity given him he made many incursions into the surrounding country and succeeded in collecting much gold the yellow metal being more plentiful there than in the West India Islands In those expeditions he showed a wise spirit of conciliation and won the friendship of several of the Indian chiefs in one of their excursions a quarrel arose among the Spaniards about the division of the gold they had obtained they were almost at swords point when a young Indian chief surprised to find them so hot about what seemed to him a useless substance upset the gold out of the balance and turned to Balboa saying why do you quarrel about such stuff as this if you value it so highly I could take you to a country where it is so common that it is used for the meanest utensils these significant words filled the Spaniards with hope and desire and they eagerly asked where that rich land lay and how it might be reached at the distance of six suns six days journey from here said the kaseek lies another ocean as great as the one before you near its shores is the kingdom I spoke of but it is very powerful and if you wish to attack it you will need far more men than you have here this was the first the Spaniards had heard of the great southern ocean or of the rich land of Peru this must be the ocean thought Balboa which Columbus sought for without success the waters which bordered the east Indies and the great and rich nation on its shores must be one of the famous countries of Asia at once the desire arose in his mind to gaze on that unknown sea Balboa felt it necessary to do something striking and do it quickly he had received letters from Zemudio the agent he had sent to Spain which were very discouraging and Ciso had complained to King Ferdinand of the way in which he had been treated and the king had not only refused to support Balboa with a royal warrant for his actions but had condemned his course and ordered him to return to Spain his hopes of fortune and greatness were at an end unless he could win the favour of the king by some great enterprise he would not be afraid of that great ocean and this he determined to attempt the Isthmus of Darien which he would have to cross is not over sixty miles wide but many of these are miles of mountain on which grow forests so dense as to be almost impassable there too where it rains for more than half the year the valleys are converted into marshes and are so often overflowed that in many places the natives have to dwell in the trees in the swollen rivers fierce and threatening to march across an unknown and perilous country like this led by treacherous Indian guides was a bold and desperate enterprise surpassing any which the Spaniards had yet attempted but Balboa was one of the most daring and intrepid of them all and to win the favour of his sovereign there was no danger he was not ready to face for the perilous expedition he could muster only one hundred and ninety men but these were veterans hardened to the climate of the Isthmus and ready to follow him whatever the peril they had good reason to trust his courage and readiness in emergencies for they had found him always brave and alert a thousand Indians were taken with them to carry their provisions and they added to their force a number of the fierce bloodhounds which were dreaded by the natives as much as the firearms of the Spaniards thus equipped the expedition set out on the first of September fifteen thirteen sailing along the coast to Koiba where dwelt a friendly chief here half the men were left to guard their vessels and canoes with the remainder the terrible journey across the rock-ribbed and forest-covered Isthmus was begun no sooner had the Spaniards left the coast than troubles and perils thickened around them the country was difficult to traverse the people were bold and hostile with their poisoned arrows they proved no feeble antagonists as the adventurers left the plain and toiled up the mountains a warlike casique with a large body of followers met them in a narrow pass and boldly disputed the way a fierce battle ensued ending in favour of the Spaniards who cut their way through the savages leaving hundreds of them dead on the ground thus fighting nature and fighting men they toiled onward and upward until the six days fixed for their journey but now hope burned fresh in their hearts for their guides assured them that from the top of the next mountain they could see the ocean they so ardently sought up the steep pass they toiled until near the lofty summit when Balboa bade them halt and went on alone that he might be the first to gaze on the wonderful spectacle soon he stood on the mountaintop and there, to his infinite delight sparkled and spread before his eyes the mightiest ocean of the earth stretching away to the north, south and west as far as human eye could see overwhelmed by the stupendous vision he fell prostrate on the ground like a worshipper before the object of his adoration then, rising to his knees he thanked God for the great boon vouchsafe to him his men, gazing eagerly upward saw him rise and beckon them while with his other hand he pointed wildly westward with springing steps they rushed to his side and joined in his delight and his thanks to God as the marvelous spectacle met their eyes heaps of stone were piled up to show that they had taken possession of this spot for his sovereign and as they went down, the farther slope they carved on many trees the name of King Ferdinand of Castile as the lord of this new land let us repeat here the closing line of Keats famous sonnet to Homer in which a great poet has admirably depicted the scene though by a strange error giving the credit to Cortez instead of Balboa then felt I like some watcher of the skies when a new planet swims into his ken or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes he stared at the Pacific and all his men looked at each other with a wild surmise silent upon a peak in Darien twelve men were sent on in advance to seek the easiest and shortest path to the sea one of them, a man destined to become still more famous than Balboa Francisco Pazzaro, the future conqueror of Peru reaching the shore they found on it two stranded canoes into which stepped two of the men, Blase de Atencia and Alusa Martina calling on their comrades to witness that they were the first to embark on that sea for three days the remaining men awaited advices from their pioneers and then followed the guides sent them to the shore Balboa armed with his sword and buckler rushing into the water to his middle and claiming possession of that vast sea and all its shores in the name of his king for whom he pledged himself to defend it against all comers such was the discovery of the great South Sea as Balboa named it the Pacific Ocean as Magellan soon after called it the people of the coast told the Spaniards of a rich and mighty kingdom that lay to the south and whose people had tame animals to carry their burdens the form of these they drew on the sand and along next convincing Balboa that they were camels and that the land indicated must be Asia they really represented the llama of Peru an animal resembling the camel in form after remaining for some time on the coast gathering all the information he could obtain Balboa led his travel-worn men back to Darien resolved to return with a stronger force next year and seek that distant land of gold but this exploit was left for Pazzaro of the ablest and bravest of the men who took part in this pioneering expedition it was the 18th of January 1514 when the adventurers reached their starting point at Santa Maria when the people heard of his discovery with the utmost joy messengers were at once sent to Spain with an account of the remarkable exploit which was received with an enthusiasm little less than had been the news of the discovery of the new world if Columbus had discovered a new land Balboa had matched it with the discovery of a new ocean added to which was the story of a land of gold for whose conquest Balboa asked for a reinforcement of a thousand men unfortunate as Columbus had been the new discovery was destined to still greater ill fortune as we shall soon see before his messengers reached Spain a new governor, Pedraria Steavila had been appointed and had set sail with 15 vessels and 1500 men Balboa had nearly 500 men under his command but he had once submitted to the decision of his king and accepted Pedraria as his superior the 1500 new men landed in that pestilential climate in the unhealthy season paid bitterly for their imprudence a violent disease attacked them scarcity of provisions made it worse and within a month more than 600 of them had died while others hastened away from that noxious spot at length news came that the king fully appreciated the splendid discovery of Balboa letters of high praise were received and he was appointed Adelantalo or admiral of the South Sea Pedraria being ordered to support him in all his operations the rivals now became reconciled their union being made firmer by Pedraria giving his daughter in marriage to Balboa the adventurer now began active preparations for an exploration of the South Sea materials for shipbuilding being conveyed with the greatest labor across the Isthmus and two brigantines constructed there was no lack of volunteers for the expedition and the vessels were launched and sailed to the Pearl Islands the inclement weather alone preventing them from going on to the coast of Peru thus there seemed a great career opening before Balboa at the very moment when adverse fate was gathering darkly around him Pedraria had grown jealous of his daring exploits and the fame that seemed his coming mead and cherishing treacherous designs by a crafty message induced him to return to Akla his new capital on arriving there Balboa was at once seized by order of the governor thrown into prison and put on trial on a charge of disloyalty to the king and an intention to revolt against his superior the judge was forced to condemn him to death and the fatal sentence was at once carried into effect the great discoverer being beheaded on the public square of Akla thus in blood and treachery ended the career of one of the ablest of the bold adventurers of Spain End of Chapter 4 Chapter 5 of Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Historical Tales Volume 3 A Spanish American by Charles Morris Chapter 5 The Romantic Story of the Prince of Tuscucco About a hundred years before the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs that arraigned over the kingdom of Tuscucco in the valley of Mexico a monarch whose history is as interesting and romantic as any that can be found in the annals of Europe His story was preserved by his descendants and its principal events are as follows The city of Tuscucco, the capital of the Acolhones stood on the eastern borders of the lake on whose opposite side was Mexico, the Aztec capital About the year 1418 the Acolhones were attacked by a kindred race, the Tepanex who, after a desperate struggle, captured their city killed their monarch and subjugated their kingdom The heir to the crown, the young prince Nezahual Coyotl concealed himself in the foliage of a tree when the triumphant broke into the palace and from his hiding place saw his father killed before his eyes This was the opening event in a history as full of deeds of daring and perilous escapes as that of the young Chevalier of English history The young prince did not long remain at liberty Soon after his flight from the city he fell into the hands of his foes and was brought back and thrown into a dungeon This led to the first romantic incident in his career The governor of the fortress prison was an old servant of the royal family of Tuscucco and aided the little captive to escape in disguise taking his place in the dungeon He paid for his loyalty with his life but he willingly gave it in exchange for the liberty of the heir to the throne The royal boy had friends in the Mexican capital He was, in fact, closely related to the Aztec monarch and through his good offices he was at length permitted to reside in that city Afterwards he was allowed to return to Tuscucco where for eight years he dwelt in privacy studying under the teachers of his early youth and unheeded by the party in power Thus the boy grew to manhood cherishing in his soul ardent hopes of regaining the throne of his ancestors A change came when the tepannic conqueror died and his son Máxtla succeeded to the throne The now king was of a suspicious disposition and when Nezahualcoyotl sought his capital to render him homage on a succession Máxtla treated with disdain the little gift of flowers which the young prince laid at his feet and turned his back on him in the presence of his chieftains Evidently the palace was no place of safety for the Tezcuccan prince and warned by a friend among the courtiers he hastened to withdraw from the court and seek a refuge in his native city of Tezcucco Here the tyrant dared not proceed openly against him his popular manners had won him many friends and the ancient subjects of his family looked upon him as a coming leader who might win back for them their lost liberty The prince had given evidence of the possession of talent and energy Máxtla, fearing of his growing popularity resolved to make away with him by stratagem He accordingly invited him to an evening's entertainment where he had assassins ready to murder him Fortunately the tutor of the prince suspected the plot and contrived to replace the youth by a person who strongly resembled him and who became the victim of the fate intended for him Máxtla baffled in his murderous stratagem now resolved to kill him openly and sent a party of soldiers to the city who were instructed to enter the palace seize the prince and slay him on the spot Again the watchfulness of his old teacher saved him warned of his danger and advised to flee the prince refused to do so but boldly awaited the assassins When they reached the palace in which he resided they found him playing at ball in the courtyard He received them courteously showing no suspicion of their errand and invited them in to take some refreshment after their journey In the cage he strolled carelessly into an adjoining saloon but the doors being open and the soldiers able to see through both apartments his movements gave them no concern It was the custom however when anyone entered the presence of a great lord for the servants to throw aromatics into a burning censor This the prince's attendants did and such clouds of incense arose as to hide him from the unsuspecting soldiers Thus obscured he entered a secret passage which led to a large earthen pipe thoroughly employed to bring water to the palace In this he concealed himself until nightfall and then made his way into the suburbs where he found shelter in the house of one of his father's former vassals Maxedla, enraged to find that his proposed victim had twice escaped him, grew more determined on his death and ordered immediate and thorough pursuit promising to reward whomever should take him dead or alive with the hand of a noble lady and an ample domain Troops of armed men scoured the country in every direction searching all suspected places and some of them entered the cottage in which he had taken refuge Here there was a heap of the maghwe fibers used in the manufacture of cloth and hid beneath this the fugitive escaped captured But the chase soon grew so hot that he left this place for the wooded hill country between his state and the neighbouring one of Clascala hoping to find safety in its thickets and caverns The royal fugitive now led a wretched life place to place exposed to all the inclementies of the weather remaining concealed by day and stealing out at night in search of food His pursuer is eager to win the enticing reward kept up an active search more than once coming dangerously near to his retreat Very interesting stories are told of his adventures in this period of peril The high rewards offered did not suffice to wean from him the attachment of the people and more than once he owed his safety to their loyalty Some of them submitted to torture and even to loss of life rather than betray his place of retreat to his enemies Even many of the soldiers were his friends and once when hotly pursued he took refuge among a small party of these who were dancing around a large drum To conceal him from his enemies they placed him in the drum and continued their dance around it At another time the pursuers were so close to him that he had just succeeded in turning the crest of a hill when they began to climb it on the other side Here he fortunately found a girl who was reaping chia a plant whose seeds were used in making palatable drinks Telling her who he was and of his great danger he got her to cover him up with a heap of the plants she had cut and when the pursuers came up and asked if she had seen him the faithful girl coolly replied that she had and pointed out a path which she said he had taken None of the natives showed any inclination to betray him despite the richness of the promised rewards Would you not deliver up the prince if he came your way he asked of a peasant who did not recognize him Not I was the reply What? Not for a fair lady's hand and a rich domain as dowry? The peasant shook his head decisively and laughed in disdain But in spite of the loyalty of the people the prince was in constant danger and his situation in the roughed fastnesses of the hills and forests became very distressing Leave me he said to the faithful few who kept with him in his wanderings and shared his sufferings Leave me to my fate Why would you throw away your lives for one whom fortune steadily persecutes But they clung to his fortune still despite their danger and the fact that most of the great nobles of the land had sought safety and reward by an adhesion to the usurper Meanwhile, events were working in favour of the fugitive Muxlah had shown himself an oppressor and his ambition and military successes had caused much alarm in the surrounding states where his tyranny was contrasted with the mild rule of the former monarchs of Tuscucco The friends of the young prince took advantage of this feeling and succeeded in forming a coalition against his enemy A day was fixed for a general rising and on the date appointed Nezahual Coyotl found himself at the head of an army strong enough to face that of Muxlah and the Tepinix The two armies soon met and victory rested on the banner of the young prince the forces of Muxlah being badly beaten No longer a hunted fugitive but at the head of a victorious army he marched in triumph to the capital which he had left with a price on his head his joyful subjects crowding to the root of March to render homage to their rightful sovereign The Mexicans who were angry at the tyrannic conduct of Muxlah readily allied themselves with the young victor and a series of bloody battles followed the usurper being at length defeated under the walls of his own capital He was dragged from the baths to which he had fled for concealment and sacrificed to the cruel gods of the Aztecs His royal city was razed to the ground and its site was reserved as the great slave market of the surrounding nations Thus it was that Nezahual Coyotl came to the throne of his ancestors where he was to prove himself the greatest monarch of whom we have any record in the American annals The story of his reign is far too full of detail for the space we can give it but is of such interest that we may venture on a concise account of it as an example of the career of the most illustrious of the ancient American sovereigns The first thing the new monarch did was to proclaim a general amnesty He not only pardoned the rebel nobles but raised some of them to posts of honor and confidence This was not only politic but just since their offenses were mainly due to fear of the usurper Under the circumstances he could safely treat them with magnanimity He next remodeled the government of the kingdom and framed a code of laws which seemed so wise that it was adopted by his allies the Aztecs and the Tlacopans Councils of war, of finance and of justice were established and also a council of state whose members acted as the immediate advisors of the king and aided him in the dispatch of business But the most remarkable of these new departments was the Council of Music which was devoted to the encouragement of science and art and served as a general board of education for the country Historical compositions and poems were recited before it and altogether it indicated a degree of civilization which we would scarcely look for in any part of ancient America Its historians, orators and poets became celebrated throughout the country The allied monarchs presided over its deliberations and among its chief bards was the king himself who entered into impartial competition with his subjects for the prizes given for the best poems Many of his odes were long preserved and may perhaps still rest in the dusty archives of Mexico or Spain The far-seeing monarch did not content himself with writing poetry or encouraging historians who wrote subject to the penalty that anyone who willfully lied should be punished with death but he sought to develop all the arts Agriculture was greatly encouraged The population rapidly increased New towns and cities sprang up and the borders of the nation were extended by successful wars He made his capital the most stately city of the land Special edifices were built for his nobles whom he wished to reside at the court There were more than 400 of these palatial mansions But far exceeding them in magnificence was the grand palace he built for himself This covered a space of 3,700 feet in length and nearly 3,000 feet in width A wall surrounded it and closing an outer court which formed the great marketplace of the city and an inner one surrounded by the council chambers and halls of justice There were apartments for ambassadors from other states and a spacious saloon in which the poets and men of science met to study and converse Here also were kept the public archives The royal apartments joined this inner court and rivaled in beauty those of Oriental lands Alabaster or stucco of rich tints covered some of the walls while others were hung with tapestries of the gorgeous Indian featherwork Long arcades and winding pathways bordered with verdure led to gardens where were baths and sparkling fountains shadowed by lofty trees Fish of various kinds stalked the basins and in rich aviaries were birds of glowing tropical plumage Many birds and animals were reproduced in gold and silver with wonderful fidelity to nature In the inner apartments dwelt the wives and children of the monarch who were as numerous as those of an eastern sultan Such was the famous palace in which were three hundred apartments some of them fifty yards square It is said that two hundred thousand workmen were employed in building it In this splendid residence dwelt a monarch who in his youthful days had been glad to share with wild animals a shelter in the thickets and caverns of the mountains Nezahua Coyotl did not confine his love for magnificence to this palatial residence Beautiful villas were built in various picturesque localities and adorned with all the requisites of pleasure and comfort His favorite retreat from the cares of office was built on a rounded hill about six miles from the city Here were terraced gardens reached by a stairway of five hundred and twenty steps many of them hewn in the native rock In the summit garden was a reservoir kept filled with water by an aqueduct carried on masonry buttresses for several miles over hill and valley In its center was a large rock on which were carved in hieroglyphics the principal events of each year of the king's reign Lower down were other reservoirs adorned with statuary and yielding water to channels that ran through the gardens or to cascades that tumbled riotously over the rocks Here were marble porticoes and pavilions and baths cut in the solid rock which the natives still show to visitors under the title of the Baths of Montezuma Near the base of the hill amid lofty groves of cedar rose the royal villa with its light arcades and airy halls affording a delightful relief to the monarch from the duties of the court Relics of this villa and garden still remain to attest their former beauty and indicate that this Indian king lived in a magnificence resembling that of the far famed court of the Caliph Haroun al-Rashid He was like the celebrated Caliph of the Arabian Nights in another way for it was his custom to wander about the streets traversing with the humblest of his people and learning their condition and needs from their own words Many anecdotes are told of this kind in which it was his delight to reward merit and relieve distress Some of these may be read with interest On one occasion he met a boy who was gathering sticks in a field for fuel and asked him why he did not go into the neighbouring forest where he would find plenty of them I dare not do that said the boy it's the king's wood and he would punish me with death if I took sticks from there what kind of a man is your king? He is a very hard man, answered the boy for he takes from his people what God has given them The boy was right the forest laws in Tescucco were as severe as those of Norman England The king advised the boy not to heed such cruel laws but to help himself in the forest for there was no one who would betray him but the lad sturdily refused and told his tempter that he was a traitor who wished to bring him into trouble The next day the boy and his parents were sent for to come to the palace They obeyed with wonder and dread and the boy was filled with terror on seeing the king and recognizing him as the man with whom he had talked so freely But the good-natured monarch bad him not to fear and thanked him for the lesson he had given his king praising his respect for the laws and commending his parents for bringing up their son so wisely He dismissed them with liberal presence and afterwards gave orders that anyone might gather fallen wood in the forest if they did not interfere with the standing timber Another adventure was with a poor woodman and his wife The man, as he stood in the marketplace with his little store complained bitterly of his lot as compared with that of those who lived idly amid luxuries in the palace The wife bad him be careful as he might be overheard in his complaints The king, looking down on the market from a lattice window and amusing himself for the chatter of the market people heard the words of the couple and ordered them to be brought into his presence He asked the frightened pair what they had said and was pleased to find that they answered him truly Then he bad them reflect that if he had great wealth he had great demands upon it that he who had a nation to govern could not lead an idle life and told them to be more cautious in future as walls have ears He then dismissed them after giving them a quantity of cloth and a good supply of cocoa, the coin of the country Go, he said, with the little you now have you will be rich while with all my riches I shall still be poor Of all the stories told of this famous monarch there is only one not to his credit and of this we may speak in passing as it bears a remarkable resemblance to that told in the Bible of David and Uriah He fell in love with a beautiful maiden who was betrothed to an old lord of his kingdom and to obtain her hand he bade the old man to command of a war-like expedition against the Skolans Two chiefs were bidden to keep near him and bring him into the thick of the fight that he might lose his life which the king said he had forfeited by a great crime The old man suspected what was meant and said so in a farewell entertainment to his friends He was correct in his prophecy like Uriah he soon fell in battle and the royal lover's path was clear The king now secretly offered his hand and heart to the maiden who was by no means inconsolable for the loss of her old lover and willing to accept To prevent any suspicion of what he had done he had the maiden wrought to his villa to witness some ceremony there Standing on a balcony of the palace the king pretended to be struck with her beauty and asked, who is the lovely young woman yonder in the garden Some of those present soon learned her name and rank which was that of a princess of the royal house of Mexico She was asked to enter the palace and receive the attention due to her station and the king was not long in publicly declaring his love The marriage soon after took place in the presence of his brother monarchs of Mexico and Clacopan and with great pomp and ceremony Such was the one blot in the history of this famous monarch Aside from this act of treachery it is remarkable to find so great and high-minded a monarch in the early annals of the nations of Mexico and one whose history is so full of romantic adventure End of Chapter 5 Chapter 6 of Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Historical Tales Volume 3 Spanish American by Charles Morris Chapter 6 The famous retreat of Cortez and the Spaniards There is no chapter in all history more crowded with interesting and romantic events than the story of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards under Cortez And of all these records of desperate daring and wonderful success the most extraordinary is the tale of the Noche Triste The terrible night retreat of the Spaniards from the Aztec capital No one can read this story and that of the remarkable victory of Otumbo which followed it without feeling that Cortez and his men were warriors worthy of the most war-like age This oft-told story we shall hear again relate In a preceding tale we described how Cortez set out from Cuba on his great expedition with a few hundred soldiers and a small number of cannon, muskets and horses It may briefly be stated here that he sought to conquer a war-like and powerful nation with this insignificant force less than a modern regiment We might relate how he landed in Mexico one with the terror of his horses and guns and the valor of his men Victory in every battle gained allies among the foes of the Aztecs made his way into their capital seized and held prisoner their emperor Montezuma and for a time seemed to be full master of the land We might go on to tell how at length the Mexicans rose in fury attacked the Spaniards with the courage of desperation mortally wounded their own emperor and at length brought the invaders into such terrible straits that they were forced to fight their way out of the city as their last hope of life To understand what followed it must be stated that the city of Mexico lay not in the open country but on an island in the centre of a large lake and that all the roads leading to it passed over narrow causeways of earth across this lake Each of these causeways was broken at intervals by wide ditches with bridges crossing them but the Aztecs had removed these bridges and thus added immensely to the difficulty of the night march which the desperate Spaniards were obliged to make It was at midnight on the first of July 1520 that Cortez and his men threw open the gates of the palace fortress in which they had long defended themselves against the furious assaults of thousands of daring foes The night was dark and cloudy and a drizzling rain was falling not an enemy was to be seen and as they made their way with as little noise as possible along the great street of Placopan all was hushed in silence Hope rose in their hearts The ramp of the horses in the rumble of the gulls and baggage wagons passed unheard and they reached the head of the causeway without waking a sleeping Aztec warrior Here was the first break in the causeway and they had brought with them a bridge to lay across it but here also were some Indian sentinels who fled in haste on seeing them rousing the sleeping city with their cries The priests on the summit of the great temple pyramid were also on the watch and when the shouts of alarm reached their ears from below shells and beat their huge drum which was only heard in times of peril or calamity Instantly the city broke from its slumber and as the leading Spaniards crossed the bridge a distant sound was heard which rapidly approached Soon from every street and lane poured enemies flinging stones and arrows into the crowded ranks of the Spaniards as they came On the lake was heard a splashing sound as of many oars and the war cry of a host of combatants broke on the air A brief interval had suffice to change the silence into a frightful uproar of sound and the restful peace into the fast growing tumult of furious battle The Spaniards pushed steadily along the causeway fighting only to drive back the assailants who landed from their canoes and rushed in fury upon the marching ranks The horsemen spurred over them riding them down The men on foot cut them down with their swords or hurled them backward with the butts of their guns The Indian allies of the Spaniards attacked them fiercely and the roar of war spread far through the gloom of the night Onward marched the Spaniards horse and foot Onward creaked and rumbled the artillery and the wagons and the second canal in the causeway was reached while the rear files were not yet across the first The Spaniards had made a fatal mistake in bringing with them only one bridge When the last of the retreating force was across this a vigorous effort was made to raise it and carry it to the canal in front but in vain The weight of men, horses, and cannon had wedged it so firmly in the earth and stones that it could not be moved Every nerve was strained to lift the heavy mass until many of the workmen being killed and all wounded by the torrent of Aztec missiles they were forced to abandon it When the dread tidings that the bridge could not be raised spread through the crowded host a cry of despair arose that almost drowned the sounds of conflict All means of retreat were cut off Before them lay a deep and yawning ditch Behind them pressed an army of assailants On each side hundreds of canoes dashed on the causeway yielding foes who rushed in fury upon their crowded ranks All hope seemed lost All discipline was at an end Everyone thought only of saving his own life without regard to the weak or wounded The leading files gathered on the brink of the gulf were pressed forward by the rear The horsemen in front dashed into the water and swim across but some of the horses failed to climb the steep and slippery bank and rolled back with their male-clad riders headlong into the lake After them, Pelmel, came the infantry some seeking to swim others forced into the water to sink to a muddy death many of them slain by the arrows and war clubs of the Aztecs others wounded or stunned dragged into the canoes and carried away to be sacrificed to the terrible war god of the pagan foe Along the whole length of the causeway from ditch to ditch the contest raged fearfully The Aztecs satisfied that they had now got their detested foes in their power fought like demons grappling with the Christians and rolling with them down the sloping way together seeking to take their enemies alive that they might be kept for the bloody sacrifice With the horrid shouts of the combatants the cries of vengeance and groans of agony the prayers to the saints and the blessed virgin mingled the screams of women of whom there were several, both Spaniard and Indian, in the Christian ranks One of these, Maria do Estrada fought as valiantly as any of the warriors battling staunchly with broadsword and target in the thickest of the fray and proving herself as valiant a soldier as the best During this terrible contest Cortes was not at rest he was everywhere ordering, fighting, inspiring seeking to restore the lost discipline to his ranks conscious that all was lost unless the fatal ditch could be crossed and feeling that life must be considered before wealth he hurried forward everything heavy guns, ammunition wagons, baggage vans and hurled them into the water along with the spoil of the Spaniards bales of costly goods chests of solid ingots, everything that would serve to fill the fatal gap With these were mingled bodies of men and horses drowned in that deadly ditch the whole, forming a terrible pathway across which the survivors stumbled and clambered until they reached the other side Cortes riding forward found a spot in the ditch that was affordable and here with the water up to his saddle girths he tried to bring order out of the confusion and called his followers to his path to safety but his voice was lost in the turmoil and with a few cavaliers who kept with him he pressed forward to the van, doubly saddened by seeing his favorite page Juan de Salazar, struck down in death by his side Here he found the valiant Gonzalo de Sandoval who, with about twenty other cavaliers, had led the van composed of two hundred Spanish foot soldiers They were halted before the third and final breach in the causeway a ditch as wide and deep as those which had been passed Fortunately it was not so closely beset by the enemy who were still engaged with the center and rear and the gallant cavaliers plunged without hesitation into the water followed by the foot, some swimming, some clinging desperately to the mains and tails of the horses some carried to the bottom by the weight of the fatal gold with which they were heavily laden On leaving the fortress in which they had so long defended themselves much of the gold which they had gathered was necessarily abandoned Cortes told the soldiers to take what they wished of it but warned them not to overload themselves saying he travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest Many of those who failed to regard this wise council paid for their cupidity with their death Those who safely passed this final ditch were at the end of their immediate peril Soon they were off the causeway and on solid ground where the roar of the battle came more faintly to their ears but word came to them that the rearguard was in imminent danger and would be overwhelmed unless relieved It seemed an act of desperation to return but the valiant and warm-hearted cavaliers did not hesitate when this cry for aid was heard Turning their horses they galloped back, pushed through the pass swam the canal again and rode into the thick of the fight on the opposite section of the causeway The night was now passing and the first gray light of day was visible in the east By its dim illumination the frightful combat could be seen in all its horrid intensity Everywhere lay dead bodies of Christian or pagan The dark masses of the warriors could be seen locked in a deadly struggle crowding the blood-stained causeway while the lake far and near was crowded with canoes filled with armed and ardent Aztec warriors yelling their triumphant war cry Cortez and his companions found Alvarado who led the rear unhorsed and wounded yet fighting like a hero His noble steed which had borne him safely through many a hard fight had fallen under him With a handful of followers he was desperately striving to repel the enemy which was pouring on him along the causeway A dozen of the Indians falling for every Spaniard slain The artillery had done good work in the early part of the contest but the fury of the assault had carried the Aztecs up to and over the guns and only a hand-to-hand conflict remained The charge of the returning Cavaliers created a temporary check and a feeble rally was made but the flood of foes soon came on again and drove them resistlessly back Cortez and the Cavaliers with him were forced to plunge once more into the canal not all of them this time escaping Alvarado stood on the brink for a moment uncertain what to do death behind him and deadly peril before He was a man of great strength and agility and despair now gave him courage Setting his long lance firmly on the wreck that strewed the bottom he sprang vigorously forward and cleared the wide gap at a bound a feat that filled all who saw it with amazement the natives exclaiming as they beheld the seemingly impossible leap this is truly the Tonatiu, the child of the sun this name they had given Alvarado from his fair features and flaxen hair how great the leap was no one has told us though the name of Alvarado's leap still clings to the spot thus ended the frightful Noche Triste or doleful night Cortez led the remnant of his men off the causeway a feeble wounded straggling few faltering from weariness and loss of blood fortunately the Aztecs attracted by the rich spoil that strewed the ground did not pursue or it is doubtful if a man of the Spaniards in their worn and wounded state would have survived how many perished in that night of dread no one knows a probable estimate is about five hundred Spaniards and four thousand natives nearly all the rear guard having fallen of forty six horses half had been slain the baggage, the guns, the ammunition, the muskets and nearly all the treasure were gone the only arms left the warriors were their swords and a few damaged crossbows while their mail was broken their garments were tattered their proud crests and banners gone their bright arms soiled and only a miserable and shattered fragment of their proud force was left these dragging themselves along with pain and difficulty day after day passed as the Spaniards and their allies the Tliskallans inveterate enemies of the Aztecs slowly moved away from that bloodstained avenue of death now little molested by their foes and gradually recovering from their fatigue on the seventh morning they reached the mountain height which overlooks the plain of Otumba a point less than thirty miles from the capital this plain they were obliged to traverse on their way to Tliskala their chosen place of retreat as they looked down on the broad level below them they saw with shrinking hearts why they had not been as yet molested a mighty host filled the whole valley from side to side their arms and standards glistening in the sun their numbers so great that the stoutest heart among the Spaniards viewed them with dismay and Cortes, daring and hopeful as he was felt that his last hour had now surely come but this stout leader was not the man to give way to despair there was nothing to do but to cut their way through this vast array or perish in the attempt to retreat would have been to invite sure destruction fortunately they had rested for two nights and a day and man and horses had regained much of their old strength without hesitation Cortes prepared for the onset giving his force as broad a front as possible and guarding its flanks with his little body of horse now twenty and all then with a few words of encouragement in which he told them of the victories they had won and with orders to his men to thrust not strike with their swords and to the horsemen on no account to lose their lances and to strike at the faces of the foe he gave the word to advance at first the natives recoiled from the stern and fierce onset rolling back till they left a wide lane for the passage of their foes but they quickly rallied and poured on the little band in their midst until it seemed lost in the overwhelming mass a terrible fray followed the Christian says one writer says standing like an islet against which the breakers, roaring and surging spend their fury in vain the struggle was one of man to man the Toscallans and Spaniards alike fighting with obstinate courage while the little band of horsemen charged deep into the enemy's ranks riding over them and cutting them down with thrust and blow their onset giving fresh spirit to the infantry but that so small a force could cut their way through that enormous multitude of armed and valiant enemies seemed impossible as the minutes lengthened into hours many of the Toscallans and some of the Spaniards were slain and not a man among them had escaped wounds Cortes received a cut on the head and his horse was hurt so badly that he was forced to dismount and exchange it for a strong animal from the baggage train the fight went on thus for several hours the sun growing hotter as it rose in the sky and the Christians weak from their late wounds gradually losing strength and spirit the enemy pressed on in ever fresh numbers forcing the horse back on the foot and throwing the ladder into some disorder with every minute now the conflict grew more hopeless and it seemed as if nothing were left to sell their lives as dearly as possible at this critical juncture a happy chance changed the whole fortune of the day Cortes gazing with eagle eye around the field in search of some vision of hope some promise of safety saw at no great distance in the midst of the throng a splendidly dressed chief who was born in a rich litter and surrounded by a gaily attired body of young warriors a headdress of beautiful plumes set in gold and gems rose above him and over this again was a short staff bearing a golden net the standard of the Aztecs the instant Cortes beheld this person and his emblem his eye lighted with triumph he knew him for the commander of the foe and the golden net as its rallying standard turning to the cavaliers beside him he pointed eagerly to the chief exclaiming there is our mark follow me then shouting his war cry he spurred his steed into the thick of the foe Sandoval, Alvarado and others spurred furiously after him while the enemy fell back before this sudden and fierce assault On swept the cavaliers rending through the solid ranks screwing their path with the dead and dying bearing down all who opposed them a few minutes of this furious onset carried them to the elevated spot on which were the Aztec chief and his bodyguard thrusting and cutting with tiger-like strength and ferocity Cortes rent away through the group of young nobles and struck a furious blow at the Indian commander piercing him with his lance and hurling him to the ground a young cavalier beside him, Juan de Salamanca sprang from his horse and dispatched this fallen chief then he tore away the banner and handed it to Cortes all this was the work almost of a moment its effect was remarkable the guard, overwhelmed by the sudden onset was led in a panic which was quickly communicated to their comrades the tidings spread rapidly the banner of the chief had disappeared he had been slain the blindness of panic suddenly infected the whole host which broke and fled in wild terror and confusion the Spaniards and pluscolons were not slow in taking advantage of this new aspect of affairs forgetting their wounds and fatigue they dashed in revengeful fury on the flying foe butting them down by hundreds as they fled not until they had amply repaid their losses on the bloody causeway did they return to gather up the booty which strewed the field it was great for in accordance with Cortes's instructions they had struck especially at the chiefs and many of these were richly ornamented with gold and jewels thus ended the famous battle of Otumba the most remarkable victory in view of the great disparity of forces ever won in the new world Chance gave the Spaniards victory Chance made useful only by the genius of a great commander the following day the fugitive army reached the soil of Tlaskala and were safe among their friends history has not a more heroic story to tell than that of their escape from the Aztec capital nor a more striking one than that of their subsequent return and conquest End of Chapter 6 Chapter 7 of Historical Tales, Volume 3, Spanish American This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Historical Tales, Volume 3, Spanish American by Charles Morris Chapter 7 Pizarro and the Incas Golden Ransom The great expedition to the land of gold which Vasco Núñez de Belboa had planned to make was left by his death to be carried out by one of his companions in the discovery of the South Sea the renowned Francisco Pizarro it was an expedition full of romantic adventure replete with peril and suffering crowded with bold ventures and daring deeds but we must pass over all the earlier of these and come at once to the climax of the whole striking enterprise the story of the seizure of the Inca of Peru in the midst of his army and the tale of his incredible ransom many and strange were the adventures of Pizarro from the time when with one small vessel and about one hundred desperate followers he sailed from Panama in 1524 and ventured on the great unknown Pacific to the time when in 1531 he sailed again with one hundred and eighty men and about thirty horses and landed on the coast of Peru which he designed to conquer as Cortez had conquered Mexico a faithless and cruel wretch was this Francisco Pizarro but he had the military merits of courage, enterprise, daring and persistency and these qualities carried him through sufferings and difficulties that would have discouraged almost any man and brought him to magical success in the end it was the beacon of gold that lured him on through desperate enterprises and deadly perils and led him to the El Dorado of the Spanish adventurers landing and capturing a point on the coast of Peru he marched with his handful of bold followers his horse and guns eastward into the empire crossed the vast and difficult mountain wall of the Andes close by this city, the Inca, Atahualpa lay encamped with an army for a civil war between him and his brother Huascar had just ended in the defeat and imprisonment of the latter desperate was the situation of the small body of Spanish soldiers when in the late afternoon of the fifteenth of November 1532 they marched into Caxamalca which they found empty of inhabitants about one hundred more men with arms and horses had joined them but in a military sense they were but a handful still and they had every reason to dread the consequences of their rash enterprise all seemed threatening the desertion of the city by its people the presence of the Inca with a powerful army within a league's distance the probable hostility of the Indian emperor all the Spaniards had to rely on were their arm cannon, muskets and swords of steel new and terrible weapons in that land and their war-horses whose evolutions had elsewhere filled the soul of the Indian with dismay yet what were these in the hands of less than three hundred men in the presence of a strong and victorious army filled with anxiety Pizarro had once dispatched a body of horsemen led by his brother Hernando and the famous cavalier Hernando de Soto to visit the Inca in his camp great was the astonishment of the Indian soldiers as this strange cavalcade with clang of arms and blast of trumpets swept by man and horse seeming like single beings to their uncustomed eyes de Soto the best-mounted of them all showed his command of his steed in the Inca's presence by riding furiously over the plain wheeling in graceful curves and displaying all the vigor and beauty of skilled horsemanship finally checking the noble animal in full career when so near the Inca that some of the foam from its lips was thrown on the royal garments yet while many of those near drew back in terror Adahualpa maintained an unflinching dignity and composure hiding every show of dread if any such inspired him to the envoys he said through an interpreter the Spaniards had brought tell your captain that I am keeping a fast which will end tomorrow morning I will then visit him with my chieftains meanwhile let him occupy the public buildings on the square and no other refreshments were now offered the Spaniards but these they declined as they did not wish to dismount yet they did not refuse to quaff the sparkling drink offered them in golden vases of great size brought by beautiful maidens then they rode slowly back despondent at what they had seen the haughty dignity of the Inca and the strength and discipline of his army that night there were gloomy forebodings throughout the camp which were increased as its occupants saw the watchfires of the Peruvian army glittering on the hillsides as one said as thick as the stars in heaven scarcely a man among them except Pizarro retained his courage but he went round among his men bidding them to keep up their spirits and saying that Providence would not desert them if they trusted to their strength and their cause as Christians against pagans they were in heaven's service and God would aid them he then called a council of his officers and unfolded to them a desperate plan he had conceived this was no less than to lay an ambioscade for the Inca and seize him in the face of his army holding him as a hostage for the safety of the Christians nothing less decisive than this would avail them he said it was too late to retreat at the first sign of such a movement the army of the Inca would be upon them and they would all be destroyed either there or in the intricacies of the mountain passes nor could they remain inactive where they were the Inca was crafty and hostile and would soon surround them with a network of peril from which they could not escape to fight him in the open field was hazardous if not hopeless the only thing to do was to take him by surprise on his visit the next day drive back his followers with death and terror seize the monarch and hold him prisoner with the Inca in their hands his followers would not dare attack them and they would be practically masters of the empire no doubt Pizarro in this plan had in mind that which Cortes had pursued in Mexico he would take care that Arejualpa should not be killed by his own people as Montezuma had been and while the monarch remained alive they would have the strongest guarantee of safety the bold plan suited the daring character of Pizarro's officers they agreed with him that in boldness lay their only hope of success or even of life and they left the council with renewed confidence to prepare for their desperate enterprise it was noon the next day before the Inca appeared his litter borne on the shoulders of his chief nobles and surrounded by others so glittering with ornaments that to quote from one of the Spaniards they blazed like the sun a large number of workmen in front swept every particle of rubbish from the road behind and through the fields that lined the road marched a great body of armed men but when within half a mile of the city the procession halted and a messenger was sent to the Spaniards to say that the Inca would encamp there for that night and enter the city the following morning these tidings filled Pizarro with dismay his men had been under arms since daybreak the cavalry mounted and the infantry and artillery men at their posts he feared the effect on their spirits of a long and trying suspense in such a critical situation and sent word back to the Inca begging him to come on as he had everything ready for his entertainment and expected to sup with him that night this message turned the monarch from his purpose and he resumed his march though the bulk of his army was left behind only a group of unarmed men accompanying him he evidently had no fear or suspicion of the Spaniards little did he know them it was near the hour of sunset when the procession reached the city several thousand Indians marching into the great square borne high above whom was the Inca seated in an open litter on a kind of throne made of massive gold while a collar of emeralds of great size and beauty encircled his neck and his attire was rich and splendid he looked around him with surprise as there was not a Spaniard to be seen and asked in tones of annoyance where are the strangers at this moment Pizarro's chaplain a Dominican friar came forward with Bible and crucifix in hand and began to expound to him the Christian doctrines ending by asking him to acknowledge himself a vassal of the king of Spain the Inca when by aid of the interpreter he had gained a glimpse of the priest's meaning answered him with high indignation and when the friar handed him the Bible as the authority for his words he flung it angrily to the earth exclaiming tell your comrades that they shall give me an account of their doings in my land I will not go from here till they have made me full satisfaction for all the wrongs they have committed picking up the sacred volume the friar hastened to Pizarro told him what had been said and cried out do you not see that while we stand here wasting our breath in talking with this dog full of pride as he is the fields are filling with Indians set on at once I absolve you Pizarro waved a white scarf in the air the signal agreed upon a gun was fired from the fortress then with the Spanish war cry of Santiago and at them Pizarro and his followers sprang out into the square from every avenue of the great building they occupied poured armed men horse and foot and rushed in warlike fury upon the Indians taken utterly by surprise the latter were hurled back in confusion their ranks rent by the balls from cannon and musketry hundreds of them trampled under foot by the fierce charges of the cavalry pierced by lances or cut down by swords they were driven resistlessly back falling in multitudes they wildly sought escape the massacre went on with a special intensity around the Inca his nobles none of them armed struggling with what strength they could in his defense let no one who values his life strike at the Inca shouted Pizarro feeling his valued prize might be slain in the wild tumult fiercer still grew the struggle around him the royal litter swayed back and forth and as some of its bearers were slain it was overturned the monarch being saved from a fall to the ground by Pizarro brothers who caught him in their arms with all haste they bore him into the fortress and put him under close guard with the capture of the Inca all resistance was at an end the unarmed Peruvians fled in terror from the fearful massacre the soldiers in the fields were seized with panic on hearing the fatal news and dispersed in all directions pursued by the Spanish cavalry who cut them down without mercy not till night had fallen did Pizarro's men cease the pursuit and return at the call of the trumpet to the bloody square of Caxa Malca in that frightful massacre not less than 2,000 victims perhaps many more were slain the most of them unarmed and helpless that night Pizarro kept his word that he would sup with Ada Hualpa but it was a supper at which he might well have drunk blood the banquet was served in one of the halls facing the great square then thickly paved with the dead the monarch stunned by the calamity sitting beside his captor at the dread meal let us now go forward to a still more spectacular scene in that strange drama one which proved that the Spaniards had truly at length reached the land of gold the Inca was not long a prisoner before he discovered the besetting passion of the Spaniards their thirst for gold a party was sent to pillage his pleasure-house and brought back a rich booty in gold and silver whose weight and value filled the conquerors with delight thinking that he saw in this a hope of escaping from his captivity the Inca one day said to Pizarro that if he would agree to set him free he would cover the floor of the room in which they stood with gold Pizarro listened with a smile of doubt as he made no answer the Inca said earnestly that he would not merely cover the floor but would fill the room with gold as high as he could reach and he stood on tiptoe as he put his uplifted hand against the wall the extraordinary offer filled Pizarro with intense astonishment that such a thing could be done seemed utterly incredible despite all they had learned of the riches of Peru the avaricious conqueror dazzled by the munificent offer hastened to accept it drawing a red line along the wall at the height the Inca had touched how remarkable the ransom was maybe judged from the fact that the room was about seventeen feet wide and twenty-two feet long and the mark on the wall nine feet high to add to its value the Inca offered to fill in a joining but smaller room twice full with silver and to do all this in the short time of two months it would seem that he would need Aladdin's wonderful lamp to accomplish so vast and surprising a task as soon as the offer was made and accepted the Inca sent messengers to Cusco his capital city and to the other principal places in his kingdom with orders to bring all the gold ornaments and utensils from his palaces and from the temples and other buildings and transport them in all haste to Caxamalca while awaiting the golden spoil the monarch was treated with the fullest respect due to his rank having his own private apartments and the society of his wives while his nobles were permitted to visit him freely the only thing the Spaniards took good care of was that he should be kept under close guard he took one advantage of his measure of liberty his brother and rival Huascar the royal captive might escape and seize the control of the state and he learned that the prisoner had sent a private message to Pizarro offering to pay for his liberty a much larger ransom than that promised by Adahualpa the Inca was crafty and cruel enough to remove this danger from his path if we may accept the evidence of his captors at any rate the royal captive was soon after drowned declaring with his dying breath that his rival would not long survive him but that the white men would avenge his murder Adahualpa told Pizarro with the show of great sorrow and indignation of his brother's death and when the Spaniard threatened to hold him responsible for it the Inca protested that it had been done without his knowledge or consent by Huascar's keepers who feared that their captive might escape however it occurred Pizarro soon afterward learned that the news was true it may be that he was well satisfied with the fact as it removed a leading claimant for the throne from his path meanwhile the ransom began to come in slowly for the distances were great and the treasure had to be transported on foot by carriers most of it consisted of massive pieces of gold and silver plate some of them weighing from fifty to seventy-five pounds the Spaniards beheld with gleaming eyes the shining heaps of treasure brought in on the shoulders of Indian porters and carefully stored away under guard on some days articles to the value of half a million dollars are said to have been brought in yet the vast weight in gold which was thus brought before them did not satisfy the avaricious impatience of the Spaniards they made no allowance for distance and difficulty and began to suspect the Inca of delaying the ransom until he could prepare a rising of his subjects against the strangers when Atahualpa heard of these suspicions he was filled with surprise and indignation not a man of my subjects would dare raise a finger without my orders he said to Pizarro is not my life at your disposal what better security would you have of my good faith he ended by advising him to send some of his own men to Cusco where they could see for themselves how his orders were being obeyed he would give them a safe conduct and they could superintend the work themselves the three envoys sent were carried the whole distance of more than six hundred miles in litters by relays of carriers the route laying along the great military road of Peru and through many populous towns Cusco they found to be a large and splendid city the great temple of the sun was covered with plates of gold which by the Inca's orders were being torn off there were seven hundred of these plates in all and a cornice of pure gold ran around the building but this was so deeply set in the stone that it could not be removed on their return these messengers brought with them two hundred loads of gold besides great quantities of silver gradually the vast ransom offered by the Inca far surpassing any paid by any other captive in the world's history was gathered in the gold received came in at a great variety of shapes being wrought into goblets, ewers, salvers, vases and other form of ornament or use utensils for temple or palace, tiles and plate used to decorate the public edifices and curious imitations of plants and animals the most beautiful and artistic of these was the representation of Indian corn the ear of gold being sheathed in broad leaves of silver while the rich tassels were made up of the same precious metal equally admired was a fountain which sent up a sparkling jet of gold with birds and animals of the same metal playing in the waters at its base some of these objects were so beautifully wrought as to compare favorably with the work of skilled European artists the treasure gathered was measured in the room in its original form this being the compact but even in this loose form the gold amounted to a sum equal in modern money to over fifteen millions of dollars with a large value in silver in addition all this was melted down into ingots and divided among the conquerors with the exception of the royal fifth reserved for the king of Spain the latter included many of the most curious works of art the share of Pizarro probably amounted to not less than a million dollars and even the common soldiers received what was wealth to them the ransom paid what was the benefit to the Inca was he given his liberty in accordance with the compact yes, the liberty which such men as Francisco Pizarro gave to those whom they have injured and have reason to fear the total ransom offered by Adahualpa had not been brought in but the impatient Spaniards had divided the spoil without waiting for the whole and the Inca demanded his freedom De Soto, who was his chief friend among the Spaniards told Pizarro of his demand but could get from him no direct reply his treacherous mind was brooding deeply over some dark project soon rumors became current among the soldiers of a design of revolt entertained by the natives these spread and grew until an immense army was conjured up the Inca was looked upon as the instigator of the supposed rising and was charged with it by Pizarro his denial of it had little effect and the fortress was put in a state of defense while many of the soldiers began to demand the life of the Inca to those demands Pizarro did not turn a deaf ear possibly they arose at his own instigation Hernando Pizarro, who had shown himself a strong friend of the captive, was absent De Soto, another of his friends, was sent at the head of an expedition to Juan Machuco, a town a hundred miles away where it was said the natives were in arms scarcely had he gone when Pizarro, seeming to yield to the demands of the soldiers decided to bring Adahualpa to trial on the charges against him a court was held with Pizarro and his fellow Captain Almagro as the judges an attorney general being appointed for the crown and counsel for the prisoner the crimes charged against the Inca were chiefly of a kind with which the Spaniards had nothing to do among them the assassination of Huascar and the guilt of idolatry these were simply to bolster up the only real charge that of exciting an insurrection against the Spaniards the whole affair was the merest show of a trial and was hurried through without waiting for the return of De Soto who could have given useful evidence about the insurrection the culprit was adjudged guilty and sentenced to be burnt alive that very night in the great square of Caximalca a sentence that might have well been expected as the termination of such a trial by such men Pizarro in fact did not dare to set his captive at liberty if he proposed to remain in the country and the cruel sentence which was common enough at that day was carried out except in one particular as the poor Inca stood bound to the stake with the faggots of his funeral pile heaped around him Valverde the Dominican friar made a last appeal to him to accept the cross and be baptized promising him a less painful death if he would consent the Inca shrinking from the horror of the flames consented and was duly baptized under the name of Juan de Atahualpa he was then put to death in the Spanish manner by the garot or strangulation thus died the Inca of Peru the victim of Pizarro's treachery great was the indignation of De Soto on his return a day or two later from an expedition in which he had found no rebels at what had been done Pizarro tried to exculpate himself and blame others for deceiving him but these told him to his face that he alone was responsible for the deed in all probability they told the truth