This chapter The Aztecs-
One thing I was slowly running out of, from the supplies I had brought from my future was Hot Chocolate. Then I remembered the Aztecs had discovered Chocolate.
I sent out an expedition with trade goods the Aztecs were likely in short supply of. So 30 years before Cortez sails to Mexico, I have a trade route shipping goods the Aztecs want in exchange for the chocolate I want.
The trade routes run thru northwestern Mexico into Arizona, Nevada and California. We had a village in Guadalajara on the coast. It was a great fishing village. The route continued northward to The area between the Salton Sea and the Sea of Cortez was opened up to each other.
The waters opened up an area over a hundred miles long and a 1/2 mile wide. The Colorado river changed its course and flowed into the new larger Salton Sea. It now covered what would have been Indio.
The route crosses the Colorado river and a series of bridge are made to cross the Salton bay which is 1/2 mile wide. The route goes up the west side of the Salton sea, into the inland areas which has acres of orange tress growing wildly.
Lots of crops and animals to harvest. The route proceeded westward another 100 miles. Some dry desert areas had lots of olive trees and grapes growing. Our route followed the inland valleys instead of the sea. We had a few seal harvesting sites ongoing, but not many.
By the time Cortez gets there, as he sails toward the land he finds a large port of sailing ships and a harbor entrance surrounded by several breakwaters.
The ships he sees are longer and taller than his sailing boats. His are boats in comparison to theirs. A large boat comes out towards him. While he can see no cannon ports, he does see several large stone tossing weapons rigged with slings.
One such sling, slings a stone several feet in diameter in front of the bow of his ship: that is a signal he does recognize so he brings his ship to a stop by unfurling their sails to take them down.
A Catamaran, a boat with two hulls, exits the rear of the larger boat ( large as a barge ) and sails towards them, drops their sails and drifts up to them.
The man to step aboard their ship looks European, perhaps English, French or even Spanish.
He asks in a Spanish variation to meet their Captain Cortez. The crew can make bout what he is saying and are wondering how the man knew who their Captain was.
When he, JP as he calls himself is introduced to each other JP tells Cortez that he was expected a few days previously, but he must have been delayed by a storm.
Cortez wants to know who this man is. He tells him my ancestors are English, Irish, French, German, Norweign and Spanish. My ancestry has been tracked back to 1089 when my French ancestors came over from Normandy with William the Orange and fought by his side for him to become the new King of England.
And some off my ancestors came over here 600 years ago from Norway, Norsemen and they settled about 1,000 miles north of here.
( the Norse also retreated back across the seas but Cortez did not need to know that)
So now CORTEZ thinks there is a continent filled with Norse, French and English.
The man steps off Cortezes ship and tells him he may dock at dock #99. His man,a pilot will can direct him how to enter the harbor where they resupply their ships. He tells Cortez he and his crew will stay on board their ships until there Doctors can determine if the are healthy enough to come ashore.
He tells him,"Everyman on your ship and the other ships will be examined to see if you are healthy enough to come ashore. If your men are not healthy enough then we have a hospital at the Docks we can put him in until he becomes healthy enough, usually no more than 10 days."
JP really meant if any of your men have small pox, cholera or typhoid fever or even something else we will cure you so your crew does not kill off our population which has no immunity to those diseases other than those vaccinated.
The amount of gold Cortez was given was not fully documented however it is estimated that the Spanish had amassed some eight thousand pounds of gold and silver, not to mention plenty of feathers, cotton, jewels and more. Cortes ordered the king's fifth and his own fifth loaded onto horses. The treasure was taken away back to his ships. A canal was carved thru the southern part of Mexico with locks to raise and lower the boats thru the canals that crossed Mexico from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans.
It was felt it would make boat crossings easier than going all the around the tip of South America. Large ports were constructed at both ends of the canal.
Cortez later took Sr. Junipero Sierra around Mexico, then the discovered San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, San Pedro, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and San Jose and San Francisco. The east part of the bay had fishing villages all along it.
Cortez got his fame and fortune as did Fr Junipero Sierra get his fame. One thing had been changed though,''The City of The Angels'', was now called Disney-World.
Cortez sailed home very wealthy.
Another Spanish fleet sailed from Panama with 28 treasure ships. Rather them sail past out territory of Florida and St Augustine, our patrol fleet using a telegraph device sent us messages and we sacked 26 of the ships in the fleet, with all their lives lost. They should have been willing to pay the 15% tariff to protect them in our coastal waters.
Next up, the mayflower.