pearls and precious stones
among which emeralds were conspicuous. Cortes dismounted, greeted the
King, and spoke of his mission to the heathen and of his master, the
mighty ruler of Spain. Everywhere Cortes and his men were received
with friendship and reverence, for was he not the long-lost Child of
the Sun? The Spanish explorer begged Montezuma to give up his idols
and to stop his terrible human sacrifices. The King somewhat naturally
refused. Cortes grew angry. He was also very anxious. He felt the
weakness of his position, the little handful of men in this great
populous city, which he had sworn to win for Spain. The King must go.
"Why do we waste time on this barbarian? Let us seize him and, if he
resists, plunge our swords into his body!" cried the exasperated
commander.

This is no place for the pathetic story of Montezuma's downfall.
Prescott's _Conquest of Mexico_ is within the reach of all. It tells
of the Spanish treachery, of the refusal of the Mexican ruler to accept
the new faith, of his final appeal to his subjects, of chains,
degradation, and death. It tells of the three great heaps of gold,
pearls, and precious stones taken by Cortes, of the final siege and
conquest.

[Illustration: THE BATTLES OF THE SPANIARDS IN MEXICO. From an ancient
Aztec drawing, showing a leader of the Spaniards with his native allies
defeating the Mexicans.]

The news of this immense Mexican Empire, discovered and conquered for
Spain, brought honours from the King, Charles V., to the triumphant
conqueror.

Nor did Cortes stop even after this achievement. As Governor and
Captain-General of Mexico, he sent off ships to explore the
neighbouring coasts. Hearing that Honduras possessed rich mines and
that a strait into the Pacific Ocean might be found, Cortes led an
expedition by land. Arrived at Tabasco, he was provided with an Indian
map of cotton cloth, whereon were painted all the towns, rivers,
mountains, as far as Nicaragua. With this map and the mariner's compass,
he led his army through gloomy woods so thick that no sun ever
penetrated, and after a march of one thousand miles reached the
seacoast of Honduras, took over the country for Spain to be governed
with Mexico by himself.

This enormous tract of country was known to the world as "New Spain."

CHAPTER XXIX

EXPLORERS IN SOUTH AMERICA

The success of Cortes and his brilliant conquest of Mexico gave a new
impulse to discovery in the New World. The spir