These tributes consisted of ten loads, each as much as a man could carry, of fine cotton stuff, mantles of exquisite feather-work, and a woven basket full of gold ornaments.  Cortes expressed his admiration and appreciation of the gifts, and sent for those he had brought for Moteczuma.  They consisted of an arm-chair, richly carved and painted, a crimson cloth cap with a gold medal bearing the device of San Jorge and the dragon, and some collars, bracelets and other ornaments of cut glass.  To the Aztec, who had never seen glass, these appeared wonderful.  He ventured the remark that a gilt helmet worn by one of the Spanish soldiers was like the casque of their god Quetzalcoatl, and he wished that Moteczuma could see it.  Cortes immediately sent for the helmet and handed it to the chief, with the suggestion that he should like to have it returned full of the gold of the country in order to compare it with the gold of Spain.  Spaniards, he said, were subject to a complaint affecting the heart, for which gold was a remedy.  This was not entirely an invention of the commander’s fertile brain.  Many physicians of those days did regard gold as a valuable drug; but only Cortes ever thought of making use of the theory to get the gold.

During this polite and interesting conversation Cortes observed certain attendants busily making sketches of all that they saw, and on inquiry was told that this “picture-writing” would give the Emperor a far better idea of the appearance of the strangers than words alone.  Upon this the Spanish general ordered out the cavalry and artillery and put them through their evolutions on the beach.  The cannon, whose balls splintered great trees, and the horsemen, whose movements the Aztecs followed with even more terror than those of the gunners, made a tremendous impression.  The artists, though scared, stuck to their duty, and the strange and terrible beasts, and the thunder-birds whose mouths breathed destruction, were drawn for the Emperor to see.  After this the governor, assuring Cortes that he should have whatever he needed in the way of provisions until further orders were received from the Emperor, made his adieux and went home.

Then began a diplomatic game between Cortes and the Emperor and the various chiefs of the country.  The couriers of the imperial government, who traveled in relays, could take a message to the capital and return in seven or eight days.  In due time two ambassadors arrived from Moteczuma, with gifts evidently meant to impress the strangers with his wealth and power.  The embassy was accompanied by the governor of the province and about a hundred slaves.  Some of these attendants carried burning censers from which arose clouds of incense; others unrolled upon the ground fine mats on which to place the presents.