demanded by our authority, that the instructions from Velasquez should be produced, that we might be enabled to lay a detailed account of the whole proceedings before the king for our justification.  The tenor of these was, “To return as soon as we had procured all the gold which could be had.”  This appeared afterwards to have been a very necessary precaution, from the steps which were taken against us by Don Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca, bishop of Burgos and archbishop of Rossano.

[1] Clavigero denominates this part of the Mexican empire by the
    incommunicable name of Chalchiuhcuecan.—­E.

[2] In the work of Bernal Diaz, the names of these two Mexican chiefs are
    Tendile and Pitaipitoque.  We have here adopted the orthography of
    Clavigero in preference, because he appears to have perfectly
    understood the Mexican language; and shall continue to do so in the
    sequel without farther notice, as often as his work enables us to do
    it with certainty—­E.

[3] Perhaps mock-pearls, or the word may possibly be the same with what we
    term marcasites.—­E.

[4] Clavigero calls this a gilt mask or vizor.—­E.

[5] According to Clavigero, there was an ancient tradition current among
    the Mexicans, that Quetzalcoatl, their god of the air, had
    disappeared long ago, promising to return after a certain period, and
    to govern them in peace and happiness; and on the first appearance of
    the Spaniards on their coast, observing certain marks of resemblance
    between them and their mythological notions of this god, they believed
    their god of the air had returned, and was about to resume the
    government.—­E.

[6] Clavigero alleges that this name neither is nor can be Mexican, but
    does not correct the orthography.—­E.

[7] According to Clavigero, this plate was thirty palms of Toledo in
    circumference and was worth 10,000 sequins, representing what he calls
    the Mexican centary, or rather cycle of fifty-two years, and
    having the sun in the centre.—­E.

[8] By Clavigero this expression is made Teuctin, which he says
    signifies lords or gentlemen as applied to all the Spaniards; and that
    this word having some resemblance to Teteo, the Mexican term for gods,
    made them believe that they were considered as gods by the
    Mexicans.—­E.

[9] Chiahuitztla, near which Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, the first Spanish
    settlement in Mexico was built; but which was afterwards removed to
    the dry sands at St Juan de Ulua, where Vera Cruz, the port of Mexico,
    now stands.—­E.

SECTION V.

The Spanish Army advances into the Country, and an account of their Proceedings before commencing the March to Mexico.