was claimed by
Cortez. The remaining portion was so greatly absorbed to defray the
innumerable expenses of the expedition, that only about one hundred
crowns fell to the lot of each soldier. This excited discontent so
deep and loud that Cortez was compelled to attempt to pacify his men
by a public address.

"He called us together," says Diaz, "and in a long set speech, gave us
a great many honeyed words, which he had an extraordinary facility of
doing, wondering how we could be so solicitous about a little paltry
gold when the whole country would soon be ours, with all its rich
mines, wherewith there was enough to make us great lords and princes,
and I know not what."

Cortez was cautious as well as bold. To prepare for a retreat in case
of necessity, should the Mexicans seize their arms and break down
their bridges, he wished, without exciting the suspicions of the
natives, to build some vessels which would command the lake. He
accomplished this with his usual address. In conversation with
Montezuma, he gave the monarch such glowing accounts of floating
palaces, which would glide rapidly over the water without oars, as to
excite the intense curiosity of his captive. Montezuma expressed a
strong desire to see these wonderful fabrics. Cortez, under the
pretext of gratifying this desire, very obligingly consented to build
two brigantines. The resources of the empire were immediately placed
at the disposal of Cortez. A multitude of men were sent to the forest
to cut down ship-timber and draw it to the lake. Several hundred _men
of burden_ were dispatched to Vera Cruz to transport naval stores from
that place to Mexico. Aided by so many strong arms, the Spanish
carpenters soon succeeded in constructing two vessels, which amused
the monarch and his people, and which afforded the Spaniards an
invaluable resource in the hour of danger.

But the insolent bearing of the Spaniards had now become to many quite
unendurable. Cacamatzin, the chief of the powerful city of Tezcuco,
at the farther extremity of the lake, was a nephew of Montezuma. He
was a bold man, and his indignation, in view of the pusillanimity of
his uncle, at last overleaped his prudence. He began to assemble an
army to make war upon the Spaniards. The Mexicans began to rally
around their new leader. The indications were alarming to Cortez, and
even Montezuma became apprehensive that he might lose his crown, for
it was reported that Cacamatzin, regarding his u