The Spanish in the Southwest . look over all the valley. Vast forests coveredmuch of it; but there were also the fair orchards andgardens of the peaceful Aztecs. In the midst of thevalley were lakes surrounded by villages and cities. Therewas no need to ask which was Mexico,the city of their desires. It lay on thewaters edge, larger than the rest, andlike a queen it overlooked and ruled itsdependants. Montezuma was waiting for the com-ing of the white men. From the timeof their landing, he had seemed to feelthat they would bring him only trouble,and he had kept himself informed ofevery move wh
The Spanish in the Southwest . look over all the valley. Vast forests coveredmuch of it; but there were also the fair orchards andgardens of the peaceful Aztecs. In the midst of thevalley were lakes surrounded by villages and cities. Therewas no need to ask which was Mexico,the city of their desires. It lay on thewaters edge, larger than the rest, andlike a queen it overlooked and ruled itsdependants. Montezuma was waiting for the com-ing of the white men. From the timeof their landing, he had seemed to feelthat they would bring him only trouble,and he had kept himself informed ofevery move which they had made. Heknew when any town tried to stop them ;when any of his enemies gave themhelp ; and now his faithful scouts hurried to tell him thatthe dreaded strangers were before his own beautiful listened to the stories of the wonderful animals thatseemed a part of the men, obeying them, never seemingto tire, carrying men on their backs as if they were chil-dren. These were the horses of the Spaniards, animals. Montezuma Cortes 49 which the Aztecs had never before seen, and which theyfeared almost as much as they dreaded the men them-selves. Montezuma listened quietly to all that his people had totell him; then he made ready to welcome Cortes. It wasa notable event, this first meeting between a great rulerof the New World and an invincible conqueror from theOld. Borne in his palanquin, attended by his nobles, andfollowed by a great number of his subjects, Montezumawent out on the causeway which connected the city withthe mainland. Cortes had advanced to the very entrance of the city,where he was met by a large number of the nobles ofthe Aztec court, sent by Montezuma to be the first togreet the white leader, and to herald his own they drew near Cortes, they gave him the peculiargreeting of their country for men of rank ; every nobleput one of his hands to the ground, bent over and kissedit. Then all advanced to speak to the leader. Corteshad reached
Size: 1233px × 2026px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidspanishinsou, bookyear1903
