CORTE:3, HERNAN, was born In 1485 at Medellin, a village of Ilstreinadura, in Spain. Ile was sent to atody law at Salamanca ; but being of a turbulent and dissipated dlepositiou, his father wished hint to go to hal, as a military adventurer trader the Great Captain (Gonzalo). Not erneceedieg in this, he In 1502 obtained permission to follow hie kinsman Ovando, who was appointed governor of II lepa °Iola ; bet an accident which befell him in waling a lady's window prevented Lie joining Oeando till 1504. In 1511 he distinguished himself under N'elisequam In the conquest of Cobs, and iu 1518 was selected by this governor to nadertake the conquest of Mexico, then jest discovered ty Grijalts. Accordingly, Corte. set sail from St. Jago de Cuba the 18th of November 151e, with ten same's, ten pie:rani cannon, eighteen horsemen, 000 infantry, thirteen only of whom were musketeers, and the rest ermebowman. Ile touched of various places, and among them at Ilatanaah In search of more adventurers ; and setting out again February 1016, 1511e, bent hi. course to Cozumel, lift that island on the 4th of March, and proceeded up the river Orijslra or Tabasco. Velma:ets soon alter he had despatched his lieutenant with the brilliant prospect. of compost, revoked his commission, and attempted to get him brought back under arrest; but the vigilance of Cortes frustrated all the schemes of the governor.
Having taken the town of Talmage°, with much slaughter, he received from Its cacique gold and provisions, and twenty feensle 'Inv. s. Oee of these, who makes a great figure in the history of the conquest, under the name of Dohs Marina, being a native of Mexico, became hi;hly useful as interpreter, In conjunction with Jerome do .Aguilar, who had been eight years prisoner in the island of Cozumel Advancing into the interior, Cortes met at San Juan de Ulloa some Mexican chiefs, who were anxious to know his intentions. Cortes lead great strobe upon the importanoe of his mission from the great monarch of the east, and the necessity of his waiting upon their king.
Native painters in the tueautime were delineating on cotton cloth the ships, horses, artillery, &c., of the ominous visitors, in order to acquaint their sovereign with the wonders which words could not describe. To awe them still more, Cortes displayed the evolutions of his men and horses, and the havoc made on trees by the terrific thunder and discharge of cannon-bells. Several of tho terrified Indians fell to the ground, and so many ran away, that it was difficult to subdue their alarm and regain their conftdenoe.
During tho negociations for his progress to the capital, Cortes founded the colony of Villa Rica do Vera Cruz, and defeated the faction of the partizans of Velasquez, who, iu the midst of the expe dition, were in full, readiness to revolt. Not satisfied with this, to
prevent all farther hesitation and division among his followers, by leaving them no other chance of safety than in union and the conquest of a hostile country in which be shut them up with himself, ho deliberately broke his ships to pieces. Cortes moreover gained over the caciques who were impatient of the Mexican yoke. The cacique of Zempoalla implored his assistance, and furnished him with pro visions and 200 Indians to carry burdens, an invaluable service in a country where beasts of burden were uuknown. On arriving at the confines of the Tlascalans, Cortes was attacked by them, under Sus picion of his seeking the friendship of the Mexicans, their implacable enemies; but after an incredible daughter, 6000 of them joined the conquerors. With this reinforcement Cortes reached the territory of the Cholulans, who, being the ancient enemies of his new auxiliaries, refused to admit them into their holy city of Cholula. However in obedience to Menteznma's injunction, they received the Spaniards, but at the some time, according to the Spaniards, formed a plot against them. Cortes, anticipating their treachery, destroyed 6000 of them without the loss of a single soldier. The perplexity of the Mexican councils increased with the boldness of the invaders, who were now regarded as those descendants of the sun, destined by prophetic tradition to come from the east, and subvert the Aztec empire. Accordingly, on the 8th of November 1519, they were received at Tenochtitlan, the Mexican capital, as Teulee, or divinities. Soon after however an attack was made by the natives, acting under secret orders, upon Vera Cruz, and the head of a prisoner was carried in triumph through the country up to the oeurt, to disprove the immortality of the Spaniards. Cortes, on this, carried off the emperor hinteezuma, or Montezuma, to his quarters, although he asserted his innocence, and offered to deliver up the chief aggressor. But Cortes demanding also the sou of this officer and five officers more, had them all burnt alive in frout of the imperial palace, on a pile made of the weapons which were kept in store for the defence of the state. During the execution, the emperor was loaded with irona. Subsequently he acknowledged Charles V. as his lord, but ho constantly refused to embrace Christianity; and when Cortes led hie soldiers to stop the human ascrifices and throw down the idols In the grand temple, both priests and people rose in arms and forced him to desist. After this provocation, the Maximus became resolved to expel the Spaniards, and Montezuma, though a prisoner, assumed the tone of a sovereign, and ordered Cortes to depart.