Cortes was baffled in his
attempts to hold a conversation with his visitors by means of the
interpreter, Aguilar, who was ignorant of the language; the Mayan
dialects, with which he was conversant, bearing too little resemblance
to the Aztec. The natives supplied the deficiency, as far as possible,
by the uncommon vivacity and significance of their gestures,- the
hieroglyphics of speech,- but the Spanish commander saw with chagrin
the embarrassments he must encounter in future for want of a more
perfect medium of communication. In this dilemma, he was informed that
one of the female slaves given to him by the Tabascan chiefs was a
native Mexican, and understood the language. Her name- that given to
her by the Spaniards- was Marina; and, as she was to exercise a most
important influence on their fortunes, it is necessary to acquaint the
reader with something of her character and history.
She was born at Painalla, in the province of Coatzacualco, on
the south-eastern borders of the Mexican empire. Her father, a rich
and powerful cacique, died when she was very young. Her mother married
again, and, having a son, she conceived the infamous idea of
securing to this offspring of her second union Marina's rightful
inheritance. She accordingly feigned that the latter was dead, but
secretly delivered her into the hands of some itinerant traders of
Xicallanco. She availed herself, at the same time, of the death of a
child of one of her slaves, to substitute the corpse for that of her
own daughter, and celebrated the obsequies with mock solemnity.
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