place in which to fix the holy cross of our chapel, they observed the appearance of a door in one of the walls of our quarters which had been closed up.  Cortes caused this to be privately opened, and an apartment was found within, in which countless riches were deposited.  The secret soon transpired, and we went all to view the concealed treasury.  I was then a young man, and it seemed to me that all the treasures of the world gathered together could not have reached the amount of what we then saw.  It was thought prudent to close up the door of this place, and to conceal our knowledge of it and its contents to a proper opportunity.

About this time Cortes convened a council of four captains and twelve soldiers, of those in whom he had most confidence, among whom I was, in order to consult upon our present situation and future procedure.  Having duly considered how obviously we had been hitherto guided and preserved by the mercy of GOD, and how the natives, though now kind, might soon change through their native fickleness, and notwithstanding the present hospitality of Montezuma, he might at any time plot our destruction, we unanimously resolved, on the suggestion of Cortes, that the most effectual measure for our security was to make that monarch our prisoner and the guarantee of our safety.  We knew not but we might all be poisoned in our food, and no gift which he could make us, not even all his fathers treasures which we had just discovered, could compensate to us for the continual alarms in which we lived.  Some of the officers present at the council, proposed to induce Montezuma by some plausible pretext to come to our quarters, when we could easily seize him without resistance or danger.  It was observed by some of our soldiers, that we were not now so plentifully supplied with provisions by the royal officers as at our first coming; and that our interpreter, Aguilar, had been secretly informed by two of our Tlascalan allies, that they had noticed several indications of evil intentions towards us among the Mexicans, for the last two days.  After a long consultation, we agreed to adjourn the consideration of the means of executing our resolution till next day; and in the meantime the reverend Father Olmedo was consulted on the subject, and we prayed GOD to guide and direct our proceedings for the best, in our present ticklish and dangerous situation.  Next day, two Tlascalans arrived secretly with letters from Villa Rica, with an account that Escalente and six Spaniards had been slain in a battle with the Mexicans, and that the inhabitants of Chempoalla and the neighbouring mountains, who had submitted to us, had revolted back to the Mexican government, refusing to supply provisions, or to work on the fortifications, insomuch, that the remaining garrison of Villa Rica were in much distress and knew not how to act.  These letters said likewise, that the high opinion which the natives had adopted with respect to the Spaniards was much altered for