eriod immediately following the conquest of
Mexico. It will be remembered that after the news of the fall of that
large city had spread through the provinces, ambassadors arrived from
all parts to congratulate Cortes on this great victory over the Mexican
power, and the different tribes declared themselves vassals of our
emperor. Among the more powerful tribes which submitted on this occasion
was that of the Tecuantepec--Tzapotecs, whose ambassadors brought with
them a present in gold, stating at the same time that they were at war
with their neighbours, the Tutepecs, who had commenced hostilities with
them, because they had submitted to the Spanish crown. This tribe
inhabited the coast on the South Sea, they added,--and possessed great
quantities of gold, both in the raw material and in ornaments; they
themselves now came to request Cortes to assist them against their
enemies with some of his cavalry, musketeers, and crossbow-men.

Cortes assured them, in a very affectionate manner, that he would send
Tonatio (as they called Alvarado) with them. He accordingly despatched
Alvarado thither with a considerable detachment, consisting of one
hundred and eighty men, among whom there were thirty-five horse; and a
further reinforcement of twenty men, most of whom were crossbow-men,
would join him in the province of Guaxaca, where the captain Francisco
de Orozco commanded in chief.

Alvarado left Mexico in the year 1522, and first of all marched to a
mountainous district, where it was said disturbances had recently broken
out; but he found all in profound peace here, and the inhabitants well
disposed towards the Spaniards; nevertheless, he appears to have been
very tardy in his movements, for he did not reach Tutepec until forty
days after. The inhabitants, who had received intelligence of his
approach, came out to meet him with every show of magnificence, and
conducted him to the most populous of all their townships, where stood
the temples and their largest buildings. The houses were very crowded,
and made of straw, for in this excessively hot climate the dwellings
have no upper stories, and are not built of stone. Father Olmedo here
observed to Alvarado, that it would not be advisable to quarter the
troops in the houses, for if the inhabitants were to take it into their
heads to set fire to the town there would be no possibility of escape.
Alvarado considered his apprehensions well founded, and encamped with
his men at the