he should have whatever he needed in the
way of provisions until further orders were received from the Emperor,
made his adieux and went home.

Then began a diplomatic game between Cortes and the Emperor and the
various chiefs of the country. The couriers of the imperial government,
who traveled in relays, could take a message to the capital and return
in seven or eight days. In due time two ambassadors arrived from
Moteczuma, with gifts evidently meant to impress the strangers with his
wealth and power. The embassy was accompanied by the governor of the
province and about a hundred slaves. Some of these attendants carried
burning censers from which arose clouds of incense; others unrolled upon
the ground fine mats on which to place the presents.

Nothing like this had ever been offered to a Spanish conqueror, even by
Moors, to say nothing of Indians. There were two collars of gold set
with precious stones; a hundred ounces of gold ore just as it came from
the mines; a large alligator's-head of gold; six shields covered with
gold; helmets and necklaces of gold. There were birds made of green
feathers, the feet, beaks and eyes of gold; a box of feather-work upon
leather, set with a gold plate weighing seventy ounces; pieces of cloth
curiously woven with feathers, and others woven in various designs. Most
gorgeous of all were two great plates as big as carriage wheels, one of
gold and one of silver, wrought with various devices of plants and
animals rather like the figures of the zodiac. The wildest tales of the
most imaginative adventurer never pictured such magnificence. If
Moteczuma's plan had been to induce the strangers to respect his wishes
and go home without visiting his capital, it was a complete failure.
After this proof of the wealth and splendor of the country Cortes had no
more idea of leaving it than a hound has of abandoning a fresh trail.
When the envoys gave him Moteczuma's message of regret that it would not
be possible for them to meet, Cortes replied that he could not think of
going back to Spain now. The road to the capital might be perilous, but
what was that to him? Would they not take to the Emperor these slight
additional tokens of the regard and respect of the Spanish ruler, and
explain to him how impossible it would be for Cortes to face his own
sovereign, with the great object of his voyage unfulfilled? There was
nothing for the embassy to do but to take the message.

While waiting for result