Description
Book SynopsisBernal DÃaz del Castillo (1492â1584) was a foot soldier in the army of Mexico's conqueror HernÃn CortÃs, and participated in the campaigns that led to the fall of the Aztec empire in 1521. This 1928 translation of his journals derives from the 1904 edition by the Mexican historian Genaro GarcÃa - the first edition based on the original manuscript. Written as a corrective to accounts that overemphasised CortÃs' exploits, DÃaz's epic includes the experiences of the common soldier: hardship, thirst, long marches and unexpected attacks by rebels. The most complete contemporary chronicle of the Mexican conquest, this important historical document is also a captivating adventure narrative that combines factual accuracy with many dramatic anecdotes. This volume, containing chapters 137â173, describes the fall of Mexico. An appendix prepared by the editor provides a timeline of the 1521 siege based on both DÃaz's and CortÃs' accounts of the event.
Table of ContentsBook X. The Return to the Valley: 137. How we marched with all our army on the way to the city of Texcoco; 138. How we went to Iztapalapa with Cortés; 139. How three pueblo in the neighbourhood of Texcoco sent to ask for peace and pardon; 140. How Gonzalo de Sandoval went to Tlaxcala to fetch the timber for the launches; Book XI. Preliminary Expeditions: 141. How our captain Cortés went on an expedition to the peublo of Saltocan; 142. How Captain Gonzalo de Sandoval went to Chalco and Tlamanalco with the whole of his army; 143. How the slaves were branded in Texcoco; 144. How our Captain Cortés went on an expedition; 145. About the great thirst that we endured on the march; 146. How when we arrived at Texcoco it had been settled among certain of those persons who came with Narvaez to kill Cortés; Book XII. The Siege and Fall of Mexico: 147. How Cortés ordered all the pueblos which were friendly to us in the neighbourhood of Texcoco to make a store of arrows; 148. How a review was held in the city of Texcoco; 149. How Cortés sought the rowers who were needed to row the launches; 150. How Cortés ordered three divisions to go and invest the great city of Mexico; 151. How Cortés ordered the twelve launches to be stationed; 152. About the battles and encounters that we went through; 153. About the way in which we fought, and the many attacks that the Mexicans made on us; 154. How Cortés sent three Mexican chieftains to beg Guatemoc to make peace; 155. How Guatemoc had arranged with the provinces of Matalzingo and Tulapa and Malinalco and other pueblos to come to his assistance; 156. How Gonzalo de Sandoval with twelve launches entered into the part of the city where Guatemoc was and took him provinces; 157. What Cortés ordered to be done; Book XIII. The Settlement: 158. How letters reached Cortés that a certain Cristobál de Tápia had arrived at the Port of Vera Cruz; 159. How Cortés and the King's officers decided to send to His Majesty all the gold that had accrued; 160. How Gonzalo de Sandoval arrived with his army at a pueblo called Tuxtepec; 161. How Pedro de Alvarado went to Tututepec to found a town; 162. How Francisco de Garay came from Jamaica; 163. How the Licentiate Alonzo de Zuazo came in a caravel to New Spain; 164. How Cortés sent Pedro de Alvarado to the province of Guatemala; 165. How Cortés sent a fleet to pacify and conquer the provinces of Higueras and Honduras; 166. How those of us who had settled at Coatzacoalcos were constantly going about pacifying the provinces which revolted against us; 167. How our proctors who were in Spain challenged the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Burgos; 168. How Pánfilo de Narvaez and Cristobál de Tápia and a pilot named Gonzalo de Umbria, and another soldier named Cárdenas appeared before His Majesty; 169. What Cortés was engaged upon after he was invested with the government of New Spain; 170. How Captain Hernando Cortés sent to Castile to His Majesty eighty thousand pesos in gold and silver; 171. How there came to the Port of Vera Cruz twelve Franciscan Friars; 172. How Cortés wrote to His Majesty and sent him thirty thousand pesos de oro; 173. How when Cortés learnt that Cristobál de Olid had rebelled he sent against him a captain named Francisco de Las Casas; Appendix; Index.
