Messengers of Moctezuma Meet Cortés, April 21, 1519

There is a story in the Florentine Codex telling the occasion when the messengers of Moctezuma brought gifts to the Spaniards. These were the ones made at the command of Moctezuma to 'welcome them home to Mexico'. In the version of Bernal Díaz, this encounter seems most likely to have occurred on Holy Thursday, 1519, as the fleet of Cortés arrived at San Juan de Ulúa. But he doesn't mention the gifts offered. Cortés also mentions the arrival but not the encounter.
So it seems very worthwhile to quote the episode at length from each of the records, but especially the Nahua story as that is the most extensive.
The messengers were very intent in their actions understanding how important this encounter should be.

"They placed the baskets in the same canoes in which they rode, in order to keep them under their personal vigilance. From Xicalanco they followed the coast until they sighted the ships of the strangers.

When they came up to the ships, the strangers asked them: "Who are you? Where are you from?" 

"We have come from the City of Mexico."

The strangers said: "You may have come from there, or you may not have. Perhaps you are only inventing it. Perhaps you are mocking us." But their hearts were convinced; they were satisfied in their hearts. They lowered a hook from the bow of the ship, and then a ladder, and the messengers came aboard.

One by one they did reverence to Cortes by touching the ground before him with their lips. They said to him: "If the God will deign to hear us, your deputy Motecuhzoma has sent us to render you homage. He has the City of Mexico in his care. He says: 'The god is weary.'"

Then they arrayed the Captain in the finery they had brought him as presents. With great care they fastened the turquoise mask in place, the mask of the god with its crossband of quetzal feathers. A golden earring hung down on either side of this mask. They dressed him in the decorated vest and the collar woven in the petatillo style -- the collar of chalchihuites, with a gold of disk in the center.

Next they fastened the mirror to his hips, dressed him in the cloak known as "the ringing bell" and adorned his feet with the greaves used by the Huastecas, which were set with chalchihuites and hung with little gold bells. In his hand they placed the shield with its fringe and pendant of quetzal feathers, its ornaments of gold and mother-of-pearl. Finally, they set before him the pair of black sandals. As for the other objects of divine finery, they only laid them out for him to see.

The Captain asked them: "And is this all? Is this your gift of welcome? Is this how you greet people?"

They replied: "This is all, our lord. This is what we have brought you."

Then the Captain gave orders, and the messengers were chained by the feet and by the neck. When this had been done, the great cannon was fired off. The messengers lost their senses and fainted away. They fell down side by side and lay where they had fallen. But the Spaniards quickly revived them: they lifted them up, gave them wine to drink and then offered them food. 

 The Captain said to them: "I have heard that the Mexicans are very great warriors, very brave and terrible. If a Mexican is fighting alone, he knows how to retreat, turn back, rush forward and conquer, even if his opponents are ten or even twenty. But my heart is not convinced. I want to see it for myself. I want to find if you are truly that strong and brave."

 Then he gave them swords, spears and leather shields. He said: "It will take place very early, at daybreak. We are going to fight each other in pairs, and in this way we will learn the truth. We will see who falls to the ground!"

They said to the Captain: "Our lord, we were not sent here for this by your deputy Motecuhzoma! We have come on an exclusive mission, to offer you rest and repose and to bring you presents. What the lord desires is not within our warrant. If we were to do this, it might anger Motecuhzoma, and he would surely put us to death."

 The Captain replied: "No, it must take place. I want to see for myself, because even in Castile they say you are famous as brave warriors. Therefore, eat an early meal. I will eat too. Good cheer!"

With these words he sent them away from the ship. They were scarcely into their canoes when they began to paddle furiously. Some of them even paddled with their hands, so fierce was the anxiety burning in their souls. They said to each other: "My captains, paddle with all your might! Faster, faster! Nothing must happen to us here! Nothing must happen...!" " [pp twenty-five - twenty-eight].

 And they continued to rush the news back to Moctezuma.

The date for this seems right because it is the one time, as far as I can tell, early on in the dealings with the locals that Diaz mentions them approaching in large canoes with them at anchor and then also, coming aboard ship with Cortes. But Diaz does not mention the presentation of the items of special worth. Neither does Cortes. These stories came in Diaz with the arrival of Tendile on Easter Sunday which would be the 24th of April, that year. Perhaps these initial messengers that came aboard were of a different group without strict instructions and the gifts from the Aztec leader. But to me it very clearly shows, if we can see anything at all, how very different understandings coming into this encounter seemed to blow right past each other in their intentions toward each other, with understandably different take-away's or understandings of what just happened.
The story of Diaz for this arrival and encounter are simple and straightforward. Cheerful, even.

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all quoted from  The Broken Spears: the Aztec account of the conquest of Mexico, translated, edited with an introduction by Miguel León-Portilla, expanded and with a postscript, Boston, Beacon Press, 2006.