Re: FIRST MESTIZO.

["Steve G. Apodaca" <sgapodaca@...>]

I believe it took place in 1519, when Cortes first set foot on what 
is now Mexico. At that time there were only rumors about the big city 
of Tenochtitlan. I think Cortes was the third expedition to Mexico, 
because the first two had failed with many casualties. The author of 
the book, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, was actually part of those three 
expeditions, including the battles against the aztecs and the 
conquest of Tenochtitlan.

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Alberto Duarte <albertodua@y...> 
wrote:
> What year did this take place?
> 
> Alberto.
> --- "Steve G. Apodaca" <sgapodaca@y...> 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.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
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