What year did this take place? Alberto. --- "Steve G. Apodaca" <sgapodaca@...> wrote: > > I just wanted to write something that I found out > recently while > reading Historia de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana, > by Bernal Diaz > del Castillo. Perhaps many of you know about this > story, but anyways, > it is about the first mexican mestizo. It was not, > like I used to > believe, from the union of Cortes and la Malinche, > but rather of > another espanol way before that. > > The story says that when Cortes first landed on the > Yucatan peninsula, > he heard the news from the indian translators that > two espaniards were > slaves in that area. He sent for his rescue, and > paid a ransom to > their masters for their freedom. One of them was a > priest called > Jeronimo de Aguilar. As soon as he was freed, he > went to look for the > other espanol. This is what the book says: > > "When he had read the letter and received the > ransom, he carreid the > beads delightedly to his master the Cacique an > begged leave to depart. > The Cacique gave him permission to go wherever he > wished, and Aguilar > set out for the place some fifteen miels aways where > his comrade, > Gonzalo Guerrero, was living. But on hearing the > contents of the > letter Gonzalo answered: 'Brother Aguilar, I am > married and have three > children, and they look on me as a Cacique here, and > a captain in time > of war. Go, and God's blessing be with you. But my > face is tattooed > and my ears are pierced. What would the Spaniards > say if they saw me > like this? And look how handsome these children of > mine are! Please > give me some of those beads you have brought, and I > will tell them > that my brothers have sent them from my own > country.' And Gonzalo's > Indian wife spoke to Aguilar very angrily in her own > language: 'Why > has this slave come here to call my husband away? Go > off with you, and > let us have no more of your talk.' Then Aguilar > spoke to Gonzalo > again, reminding him that he was a Christian and > should not destroy > his soul for the sake of an Indian woman. Besides, > if he did not wish > to desert his wife and children, he could take them > with him. But > neither words nor warnings could persuade Gonzalo to > come. I believe > he was a sailor and hailed from Palos." > > I know, this story is not from our target area. I > just wanted to let > know those who did not know how the mestizaje in > Mexico started. > > P.s. Read this book. You'll love it, but be warned > that there will be > some words and phrases you will have trouble to > understand. Have > patience, it is worth it. > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
