Discussions Near Tobasco: March 15-16, 1519

For Bernal Díaz, beginning his chapter xxxvi,

 "The next morning, the fifteenth of March, 1519, many caciques and chieftains from that town of Tobasco and other towns came, showing all of us much respect, and they brought a present of gold, including four diadems, several small lizards, something like two small dogs, ear pieces, five ducks, two images of Indian faces, two golden soles like the ones on their own sandals, and other things of little value, whose worth I no longer remember. They also brought cloaks of the kind they make, very coarse... of very little value..... compared with the twenty women, and ... a particularly excellent woman ... called doña Marína after becoming Christian. Cortés received that gift with pleasure. and he withdrew to talk with all the caciques and Aguilar the interpreter." [ p.48]

Cortés told them they should gather all the men and women, children all around to come to this spot and settle. To throw out their idols.and quit their sacrifices and erect a new structure. And the locals did and settled the new spot in two days. And through the interpreter Aguilar, Cortés explained how the Christian God was the one true God, and showed them an image of Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms and explained that his company worshiped that image because she was in heaven and is the Mother of God. 

"The caciques said that the great tecleciguata, which is what they call the great woman in those lands, seemed very good and that they would like to have her in their town. Cortés said that yes, he would give it to them, and he ordered them to make a proper altar, well constructed, which they immediately did." [p.48]

Already it was the next day, so supposedly the sixteenth of March, and Cortés ordered the construction of a great cross which task he gave to the finishing carpenters. Cortés continued to talk to the caciques there assembled asking why the locals attacked 'three times' when all wanted peace.

"They answered that they had already asked and received pardon for it. The cacique said that his brother, the cacique of Champoton, had advised it so that he would not be regarded as cowardly. He had already been reproached and dishonored because he did not attack us when the other captain came with four ships, and it seems he meant Juan de Grijalva. Further, he said that the Indian we brought as an interpreter and who had fled one night advised him to attack us day and night." [p 49]

Cortés asked them where the gold and jewels came from and the caciques replied Culua or Mexico, 'where the sun set'. But Díaz, knowingly, in hindsight explains that they did not then know what Mexico was so they ignored it. Another interpreter, this time one captured during the Grijalva expedition was brought forward, a Francisco who did know Mexica language but not that of the Tobasco locals. He tried to explain to Cortés about Mexico but was not understood. Here, discussions stopped til next day when religious activities commenced even more earnestly.

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All quotes, text and pagination refers to The Conquest of New Spain translated with an introduction and notes by Janet Burke and Ted Humphrey, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Co, Inc. 2012