The Mexica Embassy and the Smallpox in Michoacán

Pues vinieron los que habian inviado á Méjico, y fueron delante el cazonci y mostráronle otro presente que le inviaba Montezuma de mantas ricas y mástiles y espejos, y saludáronle, y dijoles: “seáis bien venidos; ya os he tornado á ver; mucho tiempo ha que los viejos nuestros antepasados fueron otra vez á Méjico; pues decí como os ha ido.” Respondieron los mensajeros: “señor, llegamos á Méjico y entramos de noche, y lleváronnos en una canoa, y estábamos ya desatinados, que no sabíamos por donde íbamos, y salió nos á rescebir Montezuma, y mostrámosle el presente que le inviabas.”

Then came those whom they had sent to Mexico, and they went before the cazonci and showed him another present that Montezuma sent him, of rich mantles and loincloths and mirrors, and they greeted him, and he said to them: “Be welcome; now I have seen you again; it is a long time since the old men our ancestors went another time to Mexico; well, tell how it has gone for you.” The messengers answered: “Lord, we arrived at Mexico and entered by night, and they took us in a canoe, and we were already bewildered, for we did not know where we were going, and Montezuma came out to receive us, and we showed him the present that you sent him.”

Then the men who had been sent to Mexico came back. They went before the cazonci1 and showed him another present that Montezuma had sent him: rich mantles, loincloths,2 and mirrors. They greeted him, and he said to them, “Welcome. I see you again. It has been a long time since our ancestors, the old men, last went to Mexico. Now tell me how it went for you.” The messengers answered, “Lord, we reached Mexico and entered by night. They took us in a canoe, and we were already lost; we did not know where we were going. Montezuma came out to receive us, and we showed him the present you sent him.”

1. Cazonci, the title the Spaniards used for the Purépecha king.
2. Loincloths. The Spanish mástiles renders the Nahuatl maxtlatl, the cloth worn by men in central Mexico.

Díjoles el cazonci: “pues qué os dijo á la despedida?” Dijeron ellos, “señor, después que le dijimos lo que nos mandaste que fuésemos con sus mensajeros, y que habias enviado tu gente á cuatro partes, que veníamos nosotros delante mientras venia la gente de la guerra, dijimos que veníamos á ver qué gente es esta que es venida por certificarse mejor: díjonos, seáis bien venidos, descansad, mirad aquella sierra, detrás della están estas gentes que han venido en Taxcala: y lleváronnos en unas canoas, y tomamos puerto en Tezcuco, y sobimos encima un monte, y desde allí nos mostraron un campo largo y llano donde estaban,

The cazonci said to them: “Well, what did he say to you at the leave-taking?” They said, “Lord, after we told him what you ordered us, that we should go with his messengers, and that you had sent your people to four parts, that we were coming ahead while the people of war were coming, we said that we came to see what people this is that has come, to make more sure: he said to us, be welcome, rest, look at that mountain range, behind it are these people who have come into Taxcala; and they took us in some canoes, and we came to port at Tezcuco, and we went up on top of a hill, and from there they showed us a long and level plain where they were,

The cazonci said to them, “And what did he say to you when you left?” They said, “Lord, we told him what you had ordered us: that we should go with his messengers, and that you had sent your people out in four directions. We said we had come ahead while the warriors were on their way, to see for ourselves what kind of people these newcomers were. He said to us, ‘Welcome. Rest. Look at that range of mountains. Behind it are these people who have come into Taxcala.’3 Then they took us in canoes, and we landed at Tezcuco.4 We climbed to the top of a hill, and from there they showed us a long, level plain where the strangers were.

3. Tlaxcala, a city-state east of the Mexica, long their enemy. Its people allied with the Spaniards.
4. Texcoco, a city on the eastern shore of the lake around Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

y dijéronnos, “vosotros los de Mechuacan por allí vendréis, y nosotros iremos por otra parte: y ansí los mataremos á todos, porque no los mataremos porque oimos de vosotros los de Mechuacan que sois grandes flecheros, tenemos confianza en vuestros arcos y flechas: mira que ya los habéis visto: llevad estas nuevas á vuestro señor, y decidle que le rogamos mucho que no quiebre nuestras palabras, que crea esto que le decimos que tenemos de nuestros dioses, que nos han dicho que nunca se ha de destruir Méjico, ni nos han de quemar las casas; dos reinos son nombrados, Méjico y Mechuacan: mira que hay mucho trabajo.

and they said to us, “You of Mechuacan will come by there, and we will go by another part, and so we will kill them all, because [why?] will we not kill them, because we hear of you of Mechuacan that you are great archers; we have confidence in your bows and arrows: see that you have already seen them: take this news to your lord, and tell him that we beg him much that he not break our words, that he believe this that we tell him, which we have from our gods, who have told us that Mexico is never to be destroyed, nor are they to burn our houses; two kingdoms are named, Mexico and Mechuacan: see that there is much trouble.”

They said to us, ‘You of Mechuacan will come from that side, and we will come from the other, and so we will kill them all. Why should we not kill them?5 We hear that you of Mechuacan are great archers, and we trust in your bows and arrows. Now you have seen the strangers. Take this news to your lord. Tell him we beg him not to break faith with us. Let him believe what we tell him, for we have it from our gods. They have told us that Mexico will never be destroyed and our houses will never be burned. Two kingdoms are named, Mexico and Mechuacan. Look how much trouble there is.’

5. The sentence is unclear in the Spanish. It may mean that the Mexica would let the strangers, not the Purépecha, decide how many to kill.

Dijímosles pues tornemos á Méjico, y tornamos, y saliéronnos á rescibir los señores, y despidímonos de Montezuma, y díjonos: “Tornaos á Mechuacan, que ya venistes, ó habéis visto la tierra, no nos volvamos atrás de la guerra que les queremos dar; haga esto que le rogamos; vuestro señor que ha de decir de nosotros si no venís? Habemos por ventura de ser esclavos? cómo han de llegar allá á Mechuacan? Aquí muramos todos, primero nosotros y vosotros, y no vayan á vuestra tierra; esto es lo que le diréis á vuestro señor; vengan que aquí hay mucha comida para que tenga fuerza la gente para la guerra: no tengas lástima de la gente; muramos presto y tengamos nuestro estrado de la gente que morirá si no saliéremos con la nuestra, si los cobardes y para poco de nuestros dioses no nos favorescieren, que mucho tiempo ha que le habian dicho á nuestro dios que ninguno le destruiría su reino, y no habemos oido mas reinos deste y Mechuacan; pues tornaos;” y ansí nos partimos y salieron con nosotros á despedirnos. Estas son las nuevas que tenemos.”

We said to them, well, let us return to Mexico, and we returned, and the lords came out to receive us, and we took leave of Montezuma, and he said to us: “Return to Mechuacan, for you have come now, and have seen the land; let us not turn back from the war that we want to give them; let him do this that we beg him; your lord, what will he say of us if you do not come? Are we perhaps to be slaves? How are they to reach there to Mechuacan? Here let us all die, first we and you, and let them not go to your land; this is what you will tell your lord; let them come, for here there is much food so that the people may have strength for the war: do not have pity on the people; let us die soon and have our dais [bed?] of the people who will die, if we do not get our way, if the cowardly and worthless [ones?] of our gods do not favor us [?], for a long time ago they had told our god that no one would destroy his kingdom, and we have not heard of more kingdoms than this and Mechuacan; so return.” And so we departed, and they came out with us to see us off. This is the news we have.”

We said to them, ‘Let us go back to Mexico,’ and we went back. The lords came out to receive us, and we took our leave of Montezuma. He said to us, ‘Go back to Mechuacan. You have come and you have seen the land. Let us not turn back from the war we mean to make on them. Let your lord do what we ask of him. What will he say of us if you do not come? Are we to become slaves? How could the strangers ever reach Mechuacan? Let us all die here, first ourselves and then you, so that they never reach your land. Tell your lord this. Let your people come, for there is plenty of food here to keep the warriors strong. Do not spare the people. Let us die soon, and make our bed among those who will die, if we do not win, if the cowards and weaklings among our gods do not favor us.6 Long ago they told our god that no one would destroy his kingdom, and we have heard of no kingdoms but this one and Mechuacan. Now go back.’ And so we left, and they came out with us to see us off. That is the news we bring.”

6. The Spanish is unclear. It may call some of the Mexica gods cowardly and weak, or it may mean cowards among the Mexica themselves. We follow the words as printed.

Díjole el cazonci Zangua, “bien seáis venidos, ya yo os he tornado á ver; mucho ha que fueron otra vez los viejos nuestros antepasados á Méjico, no sé porque fueron, mas agora gran cosa es por la que fuistes y lo que vinieron á decir los mejicanos. Cosa trabajosa es, seáis bien venidos, ¿á qué habemos de ir á Méjico? muera cada uno de nosotros por su parte, no sabemos lo que dirán después de nosotros, y quizá nos venderán á esas gentes que vienen y nos harán matar; haya aquí otra conquista, por si vengan todos á nosotros con sus capitanías, mátenlos á los mejicanos, que muchos dias ha que viven mal, y no traen leña para los ques, mas oimos que con solos los cantares honran á sus dioses.

The cazonci Zangua said to him [them], “Be very welcome, now I have seen you again; it is a long time since the old men our ancestors went another time to Mexico, I do not know why they went, but now it is a great thing for which you went, and what the Mexicans came to say. It is a troublesome thing; be welcome; for what are we to go to Mexico? Let each of us die on his own side; we do not know what they will say afterward of us, and perhaps they will sell us to those people who are coming and will have us killed; let there be another conquest here, in case they all come to us with their companies; let them kill the Mexicans, for many days now they live badly, and do not bring wood for the temples, but we hear that with songs alone they honor their gods.

The cazonci Zangua said to them, “Welcome. I see you again. It has been a long time since our ancestors last went to Mexico; I do not know why they went. But now you went on a great matter, and the Mexicans have said a great deal. It is a hard thing. Welcome. Why should we go to Mexico? Let each of us die in his own land. We do not know what they would say about us afterward. Perhaps they would sell us to these people who are coming and have us killed. Let there be a separate conquest here, if the strangers all come against us with their companies. Let them kill the Mexicans. For a long time now the Mexicans have lived badly. They do not bring wood for the temples;78 we hear they honor their gods with songs alone.

7. Temples. The friar uses ques (from the word cu, which Spaniards borrowed in the Caribbean and central Mexico) for the Purépecha temple platforms.
8. Keeping the temple fires burning with wood was a central religious duty among the Purépecha. The ruler and his people saw it as the main service owed to their gods.

Que aprovecha los cantares solos, cómo los dioses los han de favorecer con solos los cantares? Pues aquí trabajemos, mas como no suelen mudar de propósito los dioses? Esforcémonos un poco mas en traer leña para los ques, quizá nos perdonarán como se han ensañado los dioses del cielo. Como habían de venir sin propósito. Algún dios los invió, y por eso vienen. Pues conosca la gente sus pecados, represéntenseles á la memoria, aunque me echen á mí la culpa de los pecados, á mí que soy el rey.

What use are songs alone, how are the gods to favor them with songs alone? So here let us labor; but how do the gods not usually change [their] purpose? Let us strive a little more in bringing wood for the temples; perhaps they will pardon us, since the gods of the sky have become enraged. How should they come without purpose? Some god sent them, and for that they come. So let the people know their sins, let them be brought to their memory, even though they throw on me the blame for the sins, on me who am the king.

What good are songs alone? How will the gods favor them for songs alone? So let us work here. But do the gods not usually keep to their purpose? Let us try a little harder to bring wood for the temples. Perhaps the gods of the sky will pardon us, angry as they are. How could the strangers come without a purpose? Some god sent them, and that is why they come. So let the people recognize their sins and call them to mind, even if they blame the sins on me, on me who am the king.

No quieren rescibir la gente común mis palabras, que les digo que traigan leña para los ques, pierden mis palabras y quiebran la cuenta de la gente de guerra, como no se ha de ensañar nuestro dios Curicaberi y la diosa Xaratanga? Como no tiene hijos Curicaberi? Y Xaratanga no ha parido ninguno teniendo hijos, ¿cómo no se han de quejar á la madre Cueravaperi? Yo amonestaré á la gente que se esfuerce un poco mas, porque no nos perdonará si habemos fallado en algo.” Respondieron los señores: “bien has dicho, señor, esto mismo diremos á la gente lo que tú mandas;”

The common people do not want to receive my words, when I tell them to bring wood for the temples; they lose my words and break the count of the people of war; how is our god Curicaberi not to be enraged, and the goddess Xaratanga? How does Curicaberi not have children? And Xaratanga has borne none, having children; how are they not to complain to the mother Cueravaperi? I will admonish the people to strive a little more, because she [he?] will not pardon us if we have failed in anything.” The lords answered: “You have spoken well, lord; this same thing we will tell the people, what you command.”

The common people will not accept my words when I tell them to bring wood for the temples. They let my words fall and break the count of the warriors. How could our god Curicaberi and the goddess Xaratanga not be angry?9 Has Curicaberi no children? Has Xaratanga borne none? How could they not complain to the mother Cueravaperi? I will warn the people to try a little harder, for we will not be pardoned if we have failed in anything.” The lords answered, “You have spoken well, lord. We will tell the people just what you command.”

9. Curicaueri, the Purépecha god of fire and the sun and the patron of the ruling lineage. Xaratanga was a goddess linked to the moon and to Lake Pátzcuaro; Cuerauaperi was a mother goddess of creation and rain.

y fuéronse á sus casas y no supo mas, y vino luego una pestilencia de viruelas é cámaras de sangre por toda la provincia, y murieron todos los obispos de los ques, y todos los señores, y el cazonci viejo Zuangua murió de las viruelas, y quedaron sus hijos Tangaxoan, por otro nombre Zinzicha que era el mayor, Tirimarasco, Hazinchu, Cuyne.

and they went to their houses and he knew no more, and then came a pestilence of smallpox and fluxes of blood through all the province, and all the bishops of the temples died, and all the lords, and the old cazonci Zuangua died of the smallpox, and there remained his sons Tangaxoan, by another name Zinzicha, who was the eldest, Tirimarasco, Hazinchu [?], Cuyne.

Then they went to their houses, and nothing more came of it. Soon afterward a pestilence of smallpox10 and bloody flux11 swept through the whole province. All the high priests12 of the temples died, and all the lords. The old cazonci Zuangua died of the smallpox. He left his sons: Tangaxoan, also called Zinzicha, who was the eldest; Tirimarasco; Hazinchu; and Cuyne.

10. Viruelas, the Spanish word for smallpox. The chapter title adds sarampión, measles. Neither disease was known in the Americas before Europeans arrived.
11. Bloody flux: dysentery or severe diarrhea with blood.
12. The friar calls the Purépecha high priests bishops, comparing them to the heads of the Christian church.