Terná esta ciudad de Iztapalapa doce ó quince mil vecinos; la cual está en la costa de una laguna salada grande, la mitad dentro en el agua y la otra mitad en la tierra firme. Tiene el señor della unas casas nuevas que aun no están acabadas, que son tan buenas como las mejores de España, digo de grandes y bien labradas, así de obra de cantería como de carpintería y suelos, y complimientos para todo género de servicio de casa, excepto mazonerías y otras cosas ricas que en España usan en las casas, y acá no las tienen. Tiene en muchos cuartos altos y bajos jardines muy frescos, de muchos arboles y flores olorosas; asimismo albercas de agua dulce muy bien labradas, con sus escaleras hasta lo fondo. Tiene una muy grande huerta junto la casa, y sobre ella un mirador de muy hermosos corredores y salas, y dentro de la huerta una muy grande alberca de agua dulce, muy cuadrada, y las paredes della de gentil cantería, é al rededor della un anden de muy buen suelo ladrillado, tan ancho, que pueden ir por él cuatro paseándose, y tiene de cuadra cuatrocientos pasos, que son en torno mil y seiscientos. De la otra parted el anden, hácia la pared de la huerta, va todo labrado de cañas con unas vergas, y detrás dellas todo género de arboledas y yerbas olorosas, y dentro del alberca hay mucho pescado y muchas aves, asi como lavancos y cercetas y otros géneros de aves de agua; y tantas, que muchas veces casi cubren el agua. Otro dia después que á esta ciudad llegué me partí, y á media legua andada entré por una calzada que va por medio desta dicha laguna dos leguas, fasta llegar á la gran ciudad de Tenuxtitan, que está fundada en medio de la dicha laguna; la cual calzada es tan ancha como dos lanzas, y muy bien obrada, que pueden ir por toda ella ocho de caballo á la par, y en estas dos leguas de la una parte y de la otra de la dicha calzada están tres ciudades, y la una dellas, que se dice Mesicalsingo, está fundada la mayor parte della dentro de la dicha laguna, y las otras dos, que se llaman la una Niciaca y la otra Huchilohuchico, están en la costa della, y muchas casas dellas dentro en el agua. E así seguí la dicha calzada, y á media legua antes de llegar al cuerpo de la ciudad de Tenuxtitan, á la entrada de otra calzada que viene á dar de la Tierra-Firme á esta otra, está un muy fuerte baluarte con dos torres, cercado de muro de dos estados, con su pretil almenado por toda la cerca que toma con ambas calzadas, y no tiene mas de dos puertas, una por do entran y otra por do salen. Aquí me salieron á ver y á hablar fasta mil hombres principales, ciudadanos de la dicha ciudad, todos vestidos de una manera y hábito, y sugun su costumbre bien rico; y llegados á me fablar, cada uno por sí facia, en llegando á mí, una ceremonia que entre ellos se usa mucho, que ponia cada uno la mano en la tierra y la pesaba; y así estuve esperando cási una hora fasta que cada uno ficiese su ceremonia. E ya junto á la ciudad está una puente de madera de diez pasos de anchura, y por allí está abierta la calzada, porque tenga lugar el agua de entrar y salir, porque crece y mengua, y tambien por fortaleza de la ciudad, porque quitan y ponen unas vigas muy luengas y anchas, de que la dicha puente está hecha, todas las veces que quieren, y destas hay muchas por toda la ciudad, como adelante, en la relacion que de las cosas della faré, V. A. verá. Pasada esta puente, nos salió á recebir aquel señor Muteczuma con fasta docientos señores, todos descalzos y vestidos de otra librea ó manera de ropa, asimismo bien rica á su uso, y mas que la de los otros; y venian en dos procesiones, muy arrimados á las paredes de la calle, que es muy ancha y muy hermosa y derecha, que de un cabo se parece el otro, y tiene dos tercios de legua, y de la una parte y de la otra muy buenas y grandes casas, así de aposentamientos como de mezquitas; y el dicho Muteczuma venia por medio de la calle con dos señores, el uno á la mano derecha y el otro á la izquierda; de los cuales el uno era aquel señor grande que dije que me habia salido á fablar en las andas, y el otro era su hermano del dicho Muteczuma, señor de aquella ciudad de Iztapalapa, de donde yo aquel dia habia partido; todos tres vestidos de una manera, excepto el Muteczuma, que iba calzado, y los otros dos señores descalzos: cada uno le llevaba de su brazo; y como nos juntamos, yo me apeé, y le fuí á abrazar solo: é aquellos dos señores que con él iban me detuvieron con las manos para que no le tocase; y ellos y él ficieron asimismo ceremonia de besar la tierra; y hecha, mandó á aquel su hermano que venia con él que se quedase conmigo y me llevase por el brazo, y él con el otro se iba adelante de mi poquito trecho; y después de me haber él fablado, vinieron asimismo á me fablar todos los otros señores que iban en las dos procesiones, en órden uno en pos de otro, é luego se tornaban á su procesion. E al tiempo que yo llegué á hablar al dicho Muteczuma, quitéme un collar que llevaba de margaritas y diamantes de vidrio, y se lo eché al cuello; é después de haber andado la calle adelante, vino un servidor suyo con dos collares de camarones, envueltos en un paño, que eran hechos de huesos de caracoles colorados, que ellos tienen en mucho; y de cada collar colgaban ocho camarones de oro, de mucha perfeccion, tan largos casi como un geme; é como se los trujeron, se volvió á mi y me los echó al cuello, y tornó á seguir por la calle en la forma ya dicha, fasta llegar á una muy grande y hermosa casa, que él tenia para nos aposentar, bien aderezada. E alli me tomó por la mano y me llevó à una gran sala, que estaba frontero de un patio por do entramos. E allí me fizo sentar en un estrado muy rico, que para él lo tenia mandado hacer, y me dijo que le esperase allí, y él se fué, y dende á poco rato, ya que toda la gente de mi compañía estaba aposentada, volvió con muchas y diversas joyas de oro y plata, y plumajes, y con fasta cinco ó seis mil piezas de ropa de algodon, muy ricas y de diversas maneras tejidas y labradas. E después de me las haber dado, se sentó en otro estrado, que luego le ficieron allí junto con el otro donde yo estaba; y sentado, propuso en esta manera: Las casas ya las veis que son de piedra y cal y tierra. » Y entonces alzó las vestiduras y me mostró el cuerpo, diciendo á mi: « Veisme aquí que so de carne y hueso como vos y como cada uno, y que soy mortal y palpable. » Asiéndose él con sus manos de los brazos y del cuerpo, « Ved cómo os han mentido; verdad es que yo tengo algunas cosas de oro que me han quedado de mis abuelos: todo lo que yo tuviere teneis cada vez que vos lo quisiéredes. Yo me voy á otras casas, donde vivo; aquí seréis proveido de todas las cosas necesarias para vos y vuestra gente, é no recibais pena alguna, pues estáis en vuestra casa y naturaleza. » Esta gran ciudad de Tenuxtitan está fundada en esta laguna salada, y desde la tierra firme hasta el cuerpo de la dicha ciudad, por cualquiera parte que quisieren entrar á ella, hay dos leguas. Tiene cuatro entradas, todas de calzada hecha á mano, tan ancha como dos lanzas jinetas. Es tan grande la ciudad como Sevilla y Córdoba. Son las calles della, digo las principales, muy anchas y muy derechas, y algunas destas y todas las demás son la mitad de tierra, y por la otra mitad es agua, por la cual andan en sus canoas, y todas las calles de trecho á trecho están abiertas pordo atraviesa el agua de las unas á las otras, é en todas estas aberturas, que algunas son muy anchas, hay sus puentes de muy anchas y muy grandes vigas juntas y recias y bien labradas; y tales, que por muchas dellas pueden pasar diez de caballo juntos á la par.

This city of Iztapalapa must have twelve or fifteen thousand households. It lies on the shore of a great salt lake, half of it in the water and half on dry land. Its lord has some new houses, not yet finished, that are as good as the best in Spain. I mean that they are large and well built, in their stonework, their carpentry and floors, and their fittings for every kind of household service. They lack only the carved ornament and other rich things that houses in Spain have. In many of the rooms, upstairs and down, there are very cool gardens, with many trees and sweet-smelling flowers. There are also pools of fresh water, very well made, with steps going down to the bottom. Beside the house there is a very large garden, and above it a lookout with very beautiful galleries and halls. Inside the garden is a very large pool of fresh water, perfectly square, with walls of fine stonework. Around it runs a walk paved with good brick, so wide that four people can stroll along it side by side. Each side is four hundred paces long, sixteen hundred all the way around. On the other side of the walk, toward the garden wall, runs a trellis of canes and slats, and behind it every kind of tree and sweet-smelling herb. In the pool there are many fish and many birds, wild ducks, teal, and other water birds, so many that they often almost cover the water. The day after I reached this city I left it. After half a league I entered a causeway. It runs two leagues through the middle of the lake, all the way to the great city of Tenuxtitan, which stands in the middle of the lake. The causeway is two lances wide and very well built; eight horsemen can ride abreast along its whole length. Along these two leagues, on one side of the causeway or the other, stand three cities. One of them, called Mesicalsingo, is built mostly out in the lake. The other two, called Niciaca and Huchilohuchico, stand on its shore, with many of their houses out in the water. So I went on along the causeway. Half a league before the main body of the city of Tenuxtitan, another causeway comes in from the mainland to join this one. At that point there is a very strong fort with two towers. It is enclosed by a wall twice a man's height, with a battlemented parapet all along the wall that takes in both causeways. It has only two gates, one to go in and one to go out. Here as many as a thousand leading men, citizens of the city, came out to see me and speak with me. They were all dressed alike, very richly by their custom. As each one came up to speak to me, he made a ceremony that they use a great deal: he put his hand on the ground and kissed it. So I stood waiting almost an hour, until each of them had made his ceremony. Right by the city, the causeway is cut open and crossed by a wooden bridge ten paces wide. The gap lets the water flow in and out, because it rises and falls. It is also for the city's defense, because they can take away and put back the very long, wide beams the bridge is made of whenever they wish. The city has many bridges like this, as Your Highness will see later, when I give my account of it. When we had crossed this bridge, the lord Muteczuma himself came out to receive us, with some two hundred lords. They were all barefoot and dressed in another livery, or style of clothing, also very rich by their custom, and richer than that of the others. They came in two processions, keeping close to the walls of the street. The street is very wide, beautiful, and straight, so straight that one end can be seen from the other, though it runs for two thirds of a league. On both sides are very good, large houses, both dwellings and temples. Muteczuma came down the middle of the street with two lords, one on his right hand and the other on his left. One was the great lord who, as I said, had come out to speak to me in a litter. The other was Muteczuma's brother, lord of Iztapalapa, the city I had set out from that day. All three were dressed alike, except that Muteczuma wore shoes and the other two lords were barefoot. Each of them held him by an arm. When we met, I got down from my horse and went forward alone to embrace him. But the two lords with him stopped me with their hands, so that I would not touch him. Then they and he also made the ceremony of kissing the earth. When it was done, he told his brother, who was with him, to stay with me and lead me by the arm. He himself went a little way ahead of me with the other lord. When he had finished speaking with me, the other lords of the two processions came up one after another, in order, to speak to me too. Then they went back to their places. When I first came up to Muteczuma to speak with him, I took from my own neck a necklace of pearls and glass diamonds and hung it around his. After we had walked some way along the street, a servant of his came with two shrimp necklaces wrapped in a cloth. They were made of red shells, which they value highly, and from each necklace hung eight shrimps of gold, finely made, almost a span long. When they were brought to him, he turned to me and put them around my neck. Then he went on along the street in the same order as before. At last we came to a very large and beautiful house, well furnished, which he had ready for our lodging. There he took my hand and brought me into a great hall, facing the courtyard we had come in by. He had me sit on a very rich dais, which he had ordered made for him, and told me to wait for him there, and he went away. A little later, once all my company had been lodged, he came back. He brought many kinds of gold and silver jewelry, and featherwork, and as many as five or six thousand pieces of cotton cloth, very rich, woven and worked in many different ways. After he had given me these things, he sat down on another dais, which they set up for him there beside mine. Seated there, he spoke in this way: “As for my houses, you can see that they are made of stone, lime, and earth.” Then he lifted his clothes and showed me his body, and said to me, “Look at me. I am flesh and bone, like you and like everyone, mortal and solid to the touch.” He took hold of his arms and his body with his hands. “See how they have lied to you. It is true that some gold things have come down to me from my forefathers. Whatever I have is yours whenever you want it. Now I am going back to the other houses where I live. Here you will be given everything you and your people need. Do not be troubled by anything, for this is your own house and your own land.” This great city of Tenuxtitan is built in the salt lake. From the mainland to the main body of the city it is two leagues, by whichever side you enter. It has four entrances, all along causeways built by hand, each as wide as two light-horse lances. The city is the size of Seville and Córdoba. Its streets, I mean the main ones, are very wide and very straight. Some of the main streets, and all the others, are half land and half water, and along the water they go in their canoes. All the streets are cut open at intervals, so that the water crosses from one to another. Every one of these gaps, and some are very wide, has a bridge of very wide, very large beams, joined together, strong, and well finished. Over many of them ten horsemen can ride side by side.

This city of Iztapalapa must have twelve or fifteen thousand households. It lies on the shore of a great salt lake. Half of it is in the water and half on dry land. Its lord has some new houses, not yet finished. They are as good as the best in Spain. They are large and well built, in stone and wood. In many of the rooms, upstairs and down, there are cool gardens, with trees and sweet-smelling flowers. There are also pools of fresh water, with steps going down to the bottom. Beside the house there is a very large garden, with a lookout and beautiful halls above it. In the garden is a great square pool of fresh water. Its walls are of fine stone. A brick path runs around it, wide enough for four people to walk side by side. Each side is four hundred paces long. Behind the path grows every kind of tree and sweet-smelling herb. In the pool there are many fish. There are so many ducks and other water birds that they often almost cover the water. The day after I reached this city, I left it. I soon came to a causeway, a raised road across the water. It runs for about six miles across the lake. At its end is the great city of Tenochtitlan, in the middle of the water. The causeway is very well built. Eight horsemen can ride side by side along it. Along the way stand three towns. One, Mexicaltzingo, is built mostly out in the lake. The other two stand on the shore, with many of their houses out in the water. I went on along the causeway. Near the city, another causeway comes in from the land to join this one. At that point there is a very strong fort with two towers, and a wall twice a man's height. It has only two gates, one to go in and one to go out. Here about a thousand leading men of the city came out to see me and speak with me. They were all dressed alike, very richly in their own way. Each one came up and did something they do very often. He put his hand on the ground and kissed it. I stood waiting almost an hour, until each of them had done it. Right by the city, the causeway is cut open and crossed by a wooden bridge. The gap lets the water flow in and out, because it rises and falls. It also helps defend the city. They can take away the long beams of the bridge whenever they wish, and put them back. The city has many bridges like this. After we crossed this bridge, Moctezuma himself came out to meet us. About two hundred lords came with him. They were all barefoot, and dressed even more richly than the others. They came in two lines, close to the walls of the street. The street is very wide and beautiful. It runs for about two miles, so straight that you can see from one end to the other. On both sides are large, fine houses and temples. Moctezuma came down the middle of the street with two lords, one on each side. One was a young lord who had met me earlier, carried in a litter. The other was Moctezuma's brother, the lord of Iztapalapa. All three were dressed alike. But Moctezuma wore shoes, and the other two were barefoot. Each of them held him by an arm. When we met, I got down from my horse and went forward alone to embrace him. But the two lords stopped me with their hands, so that I would not touch him. Then they and Moctezuma kissed the earth. After that, he told his brother to stay with me and lead me by the arm. He himself walked a little ahead of me with the other lord. Next, the lords of the two lines came up one by one to speak to me. Then they went back to their places. When I first met Moctezuma, I took off my own necklace of pearls and glass. I hung it around his neck. After we had walked some way along the street, a servant brought him two necklaces wrapped in a cloth. They were made of red shells, which they value highly. From each necklace hung eight shrimps of gold, finely made, about five inches long. He turned to me and put them around my neck. Then we went on along the street until we came to a very large and beautiful house. He had it ready for us to stay in. This great city of Tenochtitlan is built in the salt lake. It has four ways in, all along causeways built by hand. The city is as big as Seville and Córdoba, two great cities in Spain. Its main streets are very wide and very straight. Some of these, and all the smaller streets, are half land and half water. Along the water, people travel in their canoes. All the streets are cut open here and there, so the water can flow from one to another. Every gap has a bridge of big, strong beams. Over many of them, ten horsemen can ride side by side.

The city of Iztapalapa contains twelve or fifteen thousand houses; it is situated on the shore of a large salt lake, one-half of it being built upon the water, and one-half on terra firma. The governor or chief of the city has several new houses, which, although they are not yet finished, are equal to the better class of houses in Spain — being large and well constructed, in the stone work, the carpentry, the floors, and the various appendages necessary to render a house complete, excepting the reliefs and other rich work usual in Spanish houses. There are also many upper and lower rooms — cool gardens, abounding in trees and odoriferous flowers; also pools of fresh water, well constructed, with stairs leading to the bottom. There is also a very extensive kitchen garden attached to the house, and over it a belvidere with beautiful corridors and halls; and within the garden a large square pond of fresh water, having its walls formed of handsome hewn stone; and adjacent to it there is a promenade, consisting of a tiled pavement so broad that four persons can walk on it abreast, and four hundred paces square, or sixteen hundred paces round; enclosed on one side towards the wall of the garden by canes, intermingled with vergas, and on the other side by shrubs and sweet-scented plants. The pond contains a great variety of fish and water-fowl, as wild ducks, teal, and others so numerous that they often cover the surface of the water. The next day after my arrival at this city I departed on my route, and having proceeded half a league, I entered upon a causeway that extends two leagues through the centre of the salt lake, until it reaches the great city of Temixtitan, [Mexico,] which is built in the middle of the lake. This causeway is as broad as two spears' length, and well constructed, so that eight horsemen can ride on it abreast; and within two leagues, on either side of this causeway, there are three cities, one of which, called Mesicalsingo, is built for the most part on the lake, and the two others, called Nyciaca and Huchilohuchico, are situated along its borders, with many houses on the water. I pursued my course over the abovementioned causeway, and having proceeded half a league before arriving at the body of the city of Temixtitan, I found at its intersection with another causeway, which extends from this point to terra firma, a very strong fortress with two towers, surrounded by a double wall, twelve feet in height, with an embattled parapet, which commands the two causeways, and has only two gates, one for entering, and the other for departure. There came to meet me at this place nearly a thousand of the principal inhabitants of the great city, all uniformly dressed according to their custom in very rich costumes; and as soon as they had come within speaking distance, each one, as he approached me, performed a salutation in much use among them, by placing his hand upon the ground and kissing it; and thus I was kept waiting about an hour, until all had performed the ceremony. Connected with the city is a wooden bridge ten paces wide, where the causeway is open to allow the water free ingress and egress, as it rises and falls; and also for the security of the city, as they can remove the long and wide beams of which the bridge is formed, and replace them whenever they wish; and there are many such bridges in different parts of the city, as your Highness will perceive hereafter from the particular account I shall give of it. When we had passed the bridge, the Señor Muteczuma came out to receive us, attended by about two hundred nobles, all barefooted and dressed in livery, or a peculiar garb of fine cotton, richer than is usually worn; they came in two processions in close proximity to the houses on each side of the street, which is very wide and beautiful, and so straight that you can see from one end of it to the other, although it is two thirds of a league in length, having on both sides large and elegant houses and temples. Muteczuma came through the centre of the street, attended by two lords, one upon his right, and the other upon his left hand, one of whom was the same nobleman who, as I have mentioned, came to meet me in a litter; and the other was the brother of Muteczuma, lord of the city of Iztapalapa, which I had left the same day; all three were dressed in the same manner, except that Muteczuma wore shoes, while the others were without them. He was supported on the arms of both, and as we approached, I alighted and advanced alone to salute him; but the two attendant lords stopped me to prevent my touching him, and they and he both performed the ceremony of kissing the ground; after which he directed his brother who accompanied him to remain with me; the latter accordingly took me by the arm, while Muteczuma, with his other attendant, walked a short distance in front of me, and after he had spoken to me, all the other nobles also came up to address me, and then went away in two processions with great regularity, one after the other, and in this manner returned to the city. At the time I advanced to speak to Muteczuma, I took off from myself a collar of pearls and glass diamonds, and put it around his neck. After having proceeded along the street, one of his servants came bringing two collars formed of shell fish, enclosed in a roll of cloth, which were made from the shells of colored prawns or periwinkles, held by them in high estimation; and from each collar depended eight golden prawns, finished in a very perfect manner, about a foot and a half in length. When these were brought, Muteczuma turned towards me and put them round my neck; he then returned along the street in the order already described, until he reached a very large and splendid palace, in which we were to be quartered, which had been fully prepared for our reception. He there took me by the hand and led me into a spacious saloon, in front of which was a court, through which we entered. Having caused me to sit down on a piece of rich carpeting, which he had ordered to be made for his own use, he told me to wait his return there, and then went away. After a short space of time, when my people were all bestowed in their quarters, he returned with many and various jewels of gold and silver, featherwork, and five or six thousand pieces of cotton cloth, very rich and of varied texture and finish. After having presented these to me, he sat down on another piece of carpet they had placed for him near me, and being seated he discoursed as follows: "The houses you see are of stone and lime and earth." And then he opened his robes and showed his person to me, saying, "You see that I am composed of flesh and bone like yourselves, and that I am mortal, and palpable to the touch," at the same time pinching his arms and body with his hands; "see," he continued, "how they have deceived you. It is true I have some things of gold, which my ancestors have left me; all that I have is at your service whenever you wish it. I am now going to my other houses where I reside; you will be here provided with every thing necessary for yourself and your people, and will suffer no embarrassment, as you are in your own house and country." This great city of Temixtitan [Mexico] is situated in this salt lake, and from the main land to the denser parts of it, by whichever route one chooses to enter, the distance is two leagues. There are four avenues or entrances to the city, all of which are formed by artificial causeways, two spears' length in width. The city is as large as Seville or Cordova; its streets, I speak of the principal ones, are very wide and straight; some of these, and all the inferior ones, are half land and half water, and are navigated by canoes. All the streets at intervals have openings, through which the water flows, crossing from one street to another; and at these openings, some of which are very wide, there are also very wide bridges, composed of large pieces of timber, of great strength and well put together; on many of these bridges ten horses can go abreast.