686 / 1070
Roya./ ·Commentaries.
BooK.IÚ.
mand , T·hac
[o
foo-; ·as the Courts were fetled and eíl:abli/hed in che
Cicy
of
Los Reyes,
where his Majeíl:y comrnanded chey ihould be held; the feveral Laws
memioned 'in the fequel of tbe Commiffions, fhould be obferved and mainrained
withom-any violation.
.
.
Thus much is reported by
Diego Fernande;:,'in
the fecond Chapter of his Book
and che like alfo is mentioned by
Augufline Carate,
almoíl: in the fame termes
~
and .chat thefe La\\'S were iífued out and dated in the month of
April,
1
s-4
3 .
~
And now, in che firíl: place, we will briefly relate the happy fucceís of thefe
macters in
Me:r:ico,
from whence we will proceed
to
Peru
1
and there declare che
fad Jnd dolefull effeéts thereof, which happened in chat Kingdom as well to
Spaniards
as
Indians.
In
che month of
November,
1
54 3.
che Vice-king , cogecher with his Judges,
Miniíl:ers, and Chief Super-Intendent,
Don Francifco Te/lo de Sandoval,
embarked 'at
~an·J,,ffcª""
upon a'noble Fleer, confül:ing of abouc
p.
Sail of good and tJII Ships;
ahd loofing from chence with a profperous gale ·arrived in
12
days at the Hlands
of the
Canaries
;
from whence having taken fome refrefhments, they purfued cheir
-,.¡dyage; and·chen divided their Fleet, thofe for New
Spain
íl:eering their courfe
ro the 1ight-hand, and thofe for
Peri!
unto che left ; where we will leave our Vice–
king in profecurion of his voyage, ro relate the fucceís of che Vifüor or Super–
Xntendenc in che Kingdom of
Mexico.
And pafftng by the many parciculars of
his voyage, which are mentíoned by
Diego Fernande;:, Paletino;
we fhall fay, in
fhort, that in che month of
Fcbr.
1544.
he fafely arrived in che Porc
ofSt.¡ohn
de Viva
,
and frorn chence proceecled
to
Veracru:{,;
and in a (horc time afterwards
carne
to
Mexico;
being received in his way chicher by ali People wich chac re–
fpeér, ducy and joy, as was due ro his Qualicy and Cornmiffton.
Bue che People of
Mexico,
being informed of che Rules and Iníl:ruétions he
broughc wich him, refolved ro goe forth and rneec him ac forne tl1ort diíl:ance
from che City ; not wich Mufick or Merriment , bue as
Diego Fernande-G
reporcs,
clothed in Mourning, and wich fuch fadneís and forrow in their countenances, as
might ceíl:ifie cheir rerentments, fears and apprehenfions, they conceived at his en–
trance into che Governmenr.
Which Incenci@n being made known to che Vice-king
Don Antonio de Mendo fa,
he prefencly endea,,oured
to
prevent' the fame, and
to
puc che People inro a better
hnmour, comlnanding chem to receive him wich Joy and Mirrh; and according–
ly che Vice-king and Council,
v.
ich che Officers oí State, the Mayor and Alder–
men oí che City, as alfo che Clergy, \\'ith above
600
Genclemen ali richly ador–
ned and well-:irmed, went forth to receive him at balf a League diíl:ance from
che City. The Vice-king and che Super-Intendenc mer, and encercained each o–
cher wich much complemenc and ceremonie , and che like paífed wich all ochers:
Jod then he proceeded
to
che Monaíl:ery of
St. Domingo,
at bis enrrance inco "' hich
he was received by Fatber
roh;1 Ci1marragc,
of che Order of
St. Francú,
Arch-bi/hop
of
Mexico,
and was conduéred thither by che Vice-king, who having feen him
chere in his Lodging, he left him, and committed him to his repofe. All which
being chus far relared by
Diego Fernande:{,,
he proceeds
to
give us a defcription of
che Cicy of
Mexico
in chere words.
" lf
it rnay be lawfull for me, who aman
Indian,
and for thac reafonmay feem
" p:ircial co rny own Countrey : I !hould g\adly repeac che words which he ufes
in honour of chac greac Cicy, which rnay be compared co che ancient greatneís of _
Rome
in its glory: His words are cbefe. " This great Cicy of
Mexico
is fimared
" iu a plain, and founded amidíl:
1
che Waters like
Venice;
and cherefore for che
'' betcer communicacion of che Inhabitancs , it is furnifhed wich a great number
" of Bridges. The Lake in which this City is built, chough it feems to be of
" one fingle Water ; yet in reality it confül:s of two, which are of differenc na--
"
tu
res , che one is of a bicceri01 and brackifh forc of Wacers .-
and che otber of
" a fweet taíle and wholefome for che body: che Salt-wacer ebbs and flows; bue
'' che Sweec-wacer doch noc fo , but being of a higher ficuacion falls into rhe
" Sale-water ,·and che Sale-water on the concrary doch noc arife
fo
high
<\S
ro da-
" mage che other.
" The Sale-water Lake is about five Leagues broad, and eighc Leagues in
" lengch; and che Sweec-water is much
o[
che like dimenfion;.,upon thefe Lakes
'' abouc
2 00
choufand ftnall Boats are ernploied, which che Nativ~s call
·Acates,
" and che
Spaniards, Canoes;
they are all made of one piece of Timber, and are
~~
bigger