First News Of the Coming of the Spaniards

According to the testimony of Alvarado Tezozómoc in his Mexican Chronicle, Moctezuma, upset by the several omens that have been described in previous texts, called his wise men and wizards to interrogate them. He wanted to find out if there were signals of upcoming wars, unexpected disasters, or any other form of misfortune.
The wizards could not give him an answer. However, at the time appeared a poor macehual (man of the town), come from the coasts of the Gulf with the first news of the arrival of "towers or small hills that came floating over the sea". In them strange people came "of very white flesh, more than ours, most have long beards and the hair long to the ears. "
Such news provoked anguish in Moctezuma and, as we'll see in the next chapter, fearful he sent messengers and gifts to those whom he thought to be possibly Quetzalcóatl and other Gods that returned, according the prophecies in his codex and traditions.

And Moctezuma commanded Petlacalcatl, to call all the mayors of all the towns. He told them to go to the towns that they were entrusted with, and to look for wizards in the towns, and if they found them, to send them to him. And some mayors brought some, which come to Moctezuma, entered and kneeled on the ground, they payed great reverence to him and he told them:
"Have you seen some things in the skies, or the Earth, in the caves, deep water lakes, water springs or bridges, some voices, as of a woman in pain, or men; visions, ghosts or other things like these?

Since they had not seen anything of which Moctezuma wished, nor they answered his questions, he said to Petlacalcatl:
"Take these sly ones, and lock them in the jail of Cuauhcalco, and they will talk, even if they do not want to."

Another day he called Petlacalcatl, and told him:
"Tell those charmers, who clarify something, if water disease, pestilence, hunger, locust, earthquakes or draught will come. If it will rain or not, to say it. Or if there will be war, or if sudden death comes, or deaths for animals, not to hide it. Or if they have heard Cihuacoatl, so famed in the world, crying; that when there is something about to happen, she interprets it first, long before it happens.

The wizards responded:
"What we can say? That it is decided in heaven what will be, because his name in the sky has been named, and that for Moctezuma, in front of him and about him, has to happen and come to pass a very great mystery. And if this is what our king Moctezuma wants to know, we know so little, but soon it will be understood, because that whom was sent for will quickly come, and this is what we say, so that he is satisfied. And because it has to be thus, await it.

Then Petlacálcatl went and plainly told this to Moctezuma, how quickly it would come what there was to come. Moctezuma was amazed to see that this conformed to what was told to him by Nezahualpilli king of Tetzcoco, son of Nezahualcóyotl. Moctezuma said to the butler:
"Ask them, that this that is to come or to happen, from where is it to come, of the sky or the Earth; from which part, from what place and when will it be."

Returned Petlacalcatl to ratify the question to the charmers, and opening the doors and entering, he found no one, which frightened him very much. Petlacalcatl went to tell this to Moctezuma, prostrated before him he said:
"My Lord, have me sliced, or whatever else pleases you. Know, Sir, that when I arrived and I opened the doors, all was deserted, that no one appeared. I have special accounts, because I know from old some of the guards, and they did not see them leave. And I believe that they flew away, as these wizards are invisible and they become invisible at night, and go away to a point beyond the world, this must have they done.

Moctezuma Said:
"Let the sly ones go; you call the principals Cuauhnochtli and Tlacochcalcatl and the others, have them go to their towns, and kill their women and children, no one must remain, and demolish their houses. "
He had many young men to go with them to sack the houses of the women of the wizards. And they went to their houses, and killed their women, choking them with ropes, and the children they threw against the walls, and then they destroyed the houses and rooted out their foundations.

Moctezuma said to Petlacalcatl,
"Take this one and put him in the jail of the plank, and look after him."
He called a teuctlamacazqui (priest) and told him:
"You go to Cuetlaxtlan, and tell ther town keeper, that if it is true that something walks on great sea, I don't know what, nor what is that they are going to see. And that what is it that the sea of the sky keeps, and to see this with all brevity and quickness, and take Cuitlalpitoc with you."

As they arrived at Cuetlaxtlan they said the message of Moctezuma, and Cuetlaxtecatl was very attentive, Pinotl was his name. He responded :
"Lord, you rest and I will send practitioners to see and walk the shores of the sea, and will see what it is."
They went to search and they as quickly as possible returned to notify the Calpixque Pinotl, saying how it was all truth, that something like two small towers or hills walked over the sea. The Teucnenenqui said to Pinotl:
"Sir, I want to go in person to see them and how they are, to take my message as an eye witness, and I will be satisfied with this and I will make the story according to what I will see."

And thus he wient with two more, called Cuitlalpitoc and another Cuetlaxtécatl, and as soon as they arrived they saw what roamed by the shore of the sea. Seven or eight of those of the ship had left with a boat and they were fishing with hooks.
The Teucnenenqui and Cuitlalpitoc climbed a tree, one called white tree, very thick, and from there were watching them fish. And having finished fishing, they again came to the 'nao' with their small boat. The Teucnenenqui said:
"Let's go, Cuitlalpitoc."
They climbed down the tree and returned to the town of Cuetlaxtlan, and right away they took leave of the Pinotl. They returned with all possible haste to the great city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, to report what they had seen.

As soon as they arrived at Mexico, they went right to the palace of Moctezuma, to whom with all reverence and humility they spoke. They said: "Our Lord and king, it is true that some unknown people have come, and have arrived at the shores of the great sea, in which they went fishing with canes and others with a net that they cast. Until late they were fishing, and then they took a small canoe and they went to the two very great towers and went inside, and the people were about fifteen people. They had something like coats, some red, others of blue, others of brown and green, and one a grimy color like our ychtilmatle, so ugly. And on their heads they had a red cloth, and they were small caps, others had a big and round thing, and their flesh was very white, more than ours, and most of them have long beards and long hair. Moctezuma was downcast, but he said nothing.

After a long while Moctezuma spoke and said:
"You are mayors of my house and palace; I cannot have more faith nor give more credit to another person than to you, because you speak the truth every day to me. You and the butler go now, and bring me the one that is imprisoned in the jail, the one that came as messenger from the coast. Go get him from the jail where he was locked.
They went, and did not find him where they had put him, and they were admired and frightened. They went to tell Moctezuma, who was more was frightened and admired, and said:
"Well, it is the natural thing, since he is from the coast and almost all are wizards there. Now hear what I command of you with pain: that if anything of which has been said here is known, underneath my throne I will bury you, and your women and children will die, and you will be stripped of all your goods and your houses will be destroyed, down to their foundations, until water comes out of them, and also will all your relatives die. Now secretly bring me two excellent silversmiths and two stonecutters from among the good emerald workers.

When they came back they said:
"Sir, here are the people you commanded us to bring."

Moctezuma Said:
"Have them enter here. "

They entered and he told them:
"Come here, my parents. You must know that I sent for so that you make certain work. And you take care that you do not disclose this no any mother's son, or your houses will be destroyed down to their foundations, you will lose all of your goods and death will come to you your woman, children and relatives, all would have to die.
Each one of you has to make two works, and they are to be made in front of me, secretly in this palace where we are now. You have to make a necklace or chain of gold, four fingers long each link, very thin, and these pieces must have medals and in the middle rich emeralds, and to the sides a sort of earrings, two by two, and then wrist-chains of gold with their gold chain hanging, and make this with all the haste in the world."

To other smiths he ordered to make two big fans of rich feathers, with a half moon of gold in the middle, and on the other side a golden sun, and two golden bracelets with rich feathers. To the gem cutters he ordered to each one, two sets of two bracelets, for wrists and ankles, made of gold with rich emeralds. And he sent Petlacalcatl to bring gold in bars, and lots of emeralds and fine feathers, the best ones from the tlauhquechol and tzinitzcan zacuan birds, and other rich fine gems. He gave all this to the smiths, and in a few days the work was done, so they sent message to Moctezuma in his chambers to come and see.

Once he came, and after paying him great reverence, they told him:
"Our Lord, the whole work is finished, please look at it."

Moctezuma liked it, and he told them that it was all well done and totally to his wishes.
He had Petlacalcatl called and told him:
"To each one of these my grandfathers, give them a load of fine cloaks, rich clothes, handkerchiefs, 'huipiles', nice dresses for my grandmothers, corn, chile, pumpkin seeds, cotton, beans and gold, to all equally. And with these presents the smiths left happily to their homes."

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