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The Spaniards gazed with greedy eyes on the display of riches, now
their own, which far exceeded an hitherto seen in the New World, and
fell nothing short of the El Dorado which their glowing imaginations
had depicted. It may be that they felt somewhat rebuked by the
contrast which their own avarice presented to the princely munificence
of the barbarian chief. At least, they seemed to testify their sense
of his superiority by the respectful homage which they rendered him,
as they poured forth the fulness of their gratitude. They were not
so scrupulous, however, as to manifest any delicacy in appropriating
to themselves the donative, a small part of which was to find its
way into the royal coffers. They clamoured loudly for an immediate
division of the spoil, which the general would have postponed till the
tributes from the remote provinces had been gathered in. The
goldsmiths of Azcapotzalco were sent for to take in pieces the
larger and coarser ornaments, leaving untouched those of more delicate
workmanship. Three days were consumed in this labour, when the heaps
of gold were cast into ingots, and stamped with the royal arms.
Some difficulty occurred in the division of the treasure, from the
want of weights, which, strange as it appears, considering their
advancement in the arts, were, as already observed, unknown to the
Aztecs. The deficiency was soon supplied by the Spaniards, however,
with scales and weights of their own manufacture, probably not the
most exact.
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