toms, provided they sent him a yearly tribute of the best produce of their country. Therefore Zemaco and Metata, considering that they had a just claim to the protection of the Emperor, determined to go to Mexico and seek it. So, after taking a long and affectionate farewell look at the spot where they had passed their lives, they set forth on their toilsome journey, through tangled forests, and over high mountains; the father and mother taking turns to carry the youngest child, a little girl only three years old, or leading by the hand a fine boy, four or five years older, whose little tawny legs were sadly weary, and much torn by the underwood. Thus they travelled on, eating wild fruits, and sleeping under the shelter of trees. After wandering many days, they came to the lake of Tescuco, on which Mexico was built: entering a wood on the border of the lake, they found the bay I have already described. The soft sand in the cave seemed to invite them to repose: so they rested there that night, proposing to continue their journey the next morn ing but when daylight came, they found that there was no other way of getting out of the bay, than by returning through the wood, or climbing up the cliff, unless they had possessed a boat. Zemaco swam out some distance to look if there was any fisherman in his canoe, who would come to their assistance. He saw many at a distance, whom he hailed, but they did not hear him; so he swam back again, and told his wife to stay with the children, and rest; adding, that he would scramble up the rock, and go to Mexico alone. war When he arrived in the city, he found that Montezuma was engaged in a with his fierce and determined foes, the Tlascalans, and that he had no no time to waste in redressing the wrongs of an insignificant and distant tribe. Some of the people to whom he told his sad history, compassionated him, and gave him food, which he carried to his famishing family in the cave. Day after day he went to Mexico, hoping to be able to throw himself at the Emperor's feet, but without success. He then wisely began to think it would be much better to do something to support his family than to spend his time in seeking redress for past injuries. When he left the boat, on the day that the village near Painalla was destroyed, he had a fish-spear in his hand. He brought it with him to the cave, where it had lain neglected. But now that his mind was no longer occupied by the hope of aid from Montezuma, he turned to it, as to an old friend. Taking up his position on the extreme edge of the lower portion of the large, solitary rock, he looked down into the deep, clear water for fish. As soon as he saw one within reach, he threw his spear, to which a rope was attached, with the precision and dexterity an Indian alone possesses, and rarely failed to transfix his prize, which he then drew to shore on the spear. Metata broiled some over a wood fire for their dinner, selecting the finest and best to sell. But as fish were very abundant in Mexico, they were considered of little value, and Metata did not get much for them. And sometimes this resource failed, for the lake was often too rough for many days together for Zemaco to catch any fish, and then they were obliged to eat little loaves made of a sort of mud found in some parts of the Tescucan lake, and sold in the market very cheap to poor people who could not afford better food. And it would have caused a blush to mantle in the cheek of many an English child, who pouts because her nice wheaten bread, and sweet milk, is not made exactly to her taste, could she have seen the cheerful expression of honest contentment which beamed in the countenances of these dark-skinned Indians, as they ate this unpalatable food. CHAPTER II. "In this the right of Providence is laid; BEFORE proceeding any further with my story, I must tell you a little about the city near which these poor people had taken refuge. It was situated in a valley sixty miles long, surrounded by a chain of mountains. In this beautiful valley were five lakes on the largest stood the city of Mexico. It was surrounded by water, except in those parts where it was connected with the mainland by long banks, called causeways; in the middle of which were draw-bridges, which the people raised when they wanted |