The Aztec Encounter: “This Was Quetzalcoatl
Who Had Come to Land”
BERNARDINO DE SAHAGÚN
When the first Spanish ships were seen in this land, Montezuma’s stewards and captains who lived along the coast of Veracruz immediately assembled and took counsel among themselves, deciding whether they should give this news to their lord Montezuma, who was in the city of Mexico. The chief among them said, “In order for us to take an accurate report of this matter, it seems to me proper that we should see with our own eyes what this is; this we can do if we go to them on the pretext of selling them some things that they have need of.” This seemed like a good idea to the others, and at once they took articles of food and clothing, and loaded into canoes what they were going to sell them and went to them by water. When they arrived at the flagship (to which they directed their canoes because of the banner they saw on it), immediately upon arriving they paid homage and gave signs that they came in peace to sell them food and clothing. [It was thought that this was Quetzalcoatl who had come to land.] The Spaniards asked them where they were from and what they came for. They said, “We are Mexicans.” The Spaniards said, “If you are Mexicans, tell us who the lord of Mexico is.”
The Indians said, “Gentlemen, the lord of Mexico is called Montezuma.” Then the Spaniards answered, “Well, come and sell us some things that we need; climb up here and we shall look at them. Have no fear that we shall do you harm.”… Then [the Indians] climbed into the ship and took with them certain bundles of rich [capes] that they had brought.
They spread them out in front of the Spaniards, who liked them and agreed to buy them, for which they gave the Indians strings of fake precious stones, some red, others green, some blue, others yellow. As they seemed to the Indians to be precious stones, they accepted them, and gave them the capes… Finally the Spaniards said to them, “God go with you and take those stones to your master and tell him that we are unable to see him now…; we will come again and go to see him in Mexico.”
With this they departed in their canoes, and upon reaching land they got ready and departed for Mexico to give the news to Montezuma…
“The Aztec Encounter” is from Bernardino de Sahagún, The Conquest of New Spain, trans. Howard F. Cline (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1989), pp. 34-35. Copyright ©1989 University of Utah Press. Reprinted by permission. Editor’s Note: the spelling of Montezuma has been standardized throughout this section.