The natives had watched
the "water-houses," as they called them, sailing over the serene blue
waters, and this tribe, being peaceable folk, sent a pirogue over to the
island with gifts. There were not only fruits and flowers, but little
golden ornaments, and the Spanish commander sent some trinkets in
return. In endeavoring to talk with them Cortes became aware of an
unusual piece of luck. Aguilar did not understand the language of these
folk. But at Tabasco, where Cortes had had a fight with the native army,
some slaves had been presented to him as a peace-offering. Among them
was a beautiful young girl, daughter of a Mexican chief, who after her
father's death had been sold as a slave by her own mother, who wished to
get her inheritance. During her captivity she had learned the dialect
Aguilar spoke, and the two interpreters between them succeeded in
translating Cortes's Castilian into the Aztec of Mexico from the first.
The young girl was later baptized Marina. There being no "r" in the
Aztec language the people called her Malintzin or Malinche,--Lady
Marina, the ending "tzin" being a title of respect. She learned
Castilian with wonderful quickness, and was of great service not only to
Cortes but to her own people, since she could explain whatever he did
not understand.
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