WHILE thus employed at the capital, Cortes was suddenly called off by a
revolt in the province of Panuco. The natives of that region had risen
in arms, and massacred many of the Spaniards who had gone there to make
settlements. Cortes instantly, upon hearing this, marched out against
them, routed them in two battles, forced them to submit to his
authority, and then returned to Mexico to continue his labors.
As past experience had taught him to dread the influence of his enemies
in Spain, he determined to send messengers once more to that kingdom, to
watch his interests and represent his conduct. Accordingly, two of his
particular friends, Alonzo Davila and Quiñones, were despatched there,
bearing a rich present of gold and jewels to the King, together with a
request from their countrymen that the chief command of New Spain might
be given to their leader. At the same time, Cortes sent letters, to
advance his own interests and those of his faithful officers. These
messengers were very unfortunate on their voyage. Quiñones was killed in
a duel at Terceira, and Davila was made a prisoner by a French privateer
and carried to France. From this point, however, he was enabled to send
his letters to Don Martin, the father of Hernan Cortes. The
apprehensions of Cortes were well founded. A furious contest was now
going on in Spain about him. All manner of charges were brought against
him by the Bishop of Burgos, backed by Narvaez and Tapia, who had now
returned to Spain; while his cause was strongly supported by his father
Don Martin, and his officers Francisco de Montejo and Diego de Ordaz.
Fortunately, these last succeeded in gaining the friendship of the Duke
of Bejar and other powerful grandees; and now the claims of the
conqueror were so ably sustained before the King, that justice forced
him to yield. Cortes had conquered the new kingdom; Cortes could rule
it; and to him, therefore, was now sent out a commission as
“Captain-General and Governor of New Spain.” At the same time, a number
of men were despatched by the King to collect and manage the royal
revenues.
Upon receiving this commission, Cortes continued to carry out his plans
most vigorously. The city of Mexico was hourly rising from its ruins,
while his officers, despatched in every direction, were wandering
through the distant provinces, searching for mines, or making
settlements. So devoted were his followers now, that it is said he
might, without an effort, have become an absolute monarch over the new
region he had conquered. But his heart was true to his king; he desired
no such honor. It was enough for him to have added so vast an empire to
the land of his birth, and now to rule over it under the authority of
another.
About this time, Garay, the Governor of Jamaica, set sail, with a large
body of followers, for the reduction of Panuco. At Cuba he heard of the
great exploits of Cortes, and that this province was subdued by him.
Having, however, his commission from the Bishop of Burgos, he hoped to
negotiate with Cortes, and assume the command: and therefore continued
his voyage. The weather driving him into the river Palmas, he landed his
men, and determined to march into Panuco. Upon reaching that place, he
found that the soldiers of Cortes had possession; his own soldiers began
to join them, and he saw that his adventure was an idle one. Vallejo,
who commanded the settlement of San Estevan, had sent notice of his
arrival to Cortes; and Alvarado, Sandoval, and Father Olmedo, were sent
to Panuco, with commands for Garay to leave the country. But Garay’s
position was hardly that of an opponent; a large number of his men had
deserted him, and he was forced to request Cortes to aid him in making
them return to their duty. They were soon on terms of peace; and, at the
suggestion of Father Olmedo, the Governor’s son was married to Doña
Catalina, the daughter of Cortes.
The expedition of Garay, however, gave trouble in another way. His
soldiers went to wandering through the country, insulting and robbing
the natives, until at last they became exasperated and determined upon
revenge. So completely did they carry out their design, that in a little
time it is said they killed, sacrificed, and devoured five hundred of
the soldiers of Garay. Not satisfied with this, they went so far as to
destroy every Spaniard whom they could find straggling, and at length
took up arms for the destruction of the colony of San Estevan. Vallejo
and many of his companions were killed in defending themselves, and
forty Spaniards belonging to that settlement were seized and burnt in
one night. Cortes immediately despatched Sandoval, with a strong force,
against the Panuchese. That officer soon subdued them, making the
Caciques and most of the guilty men his prisoners. Upon sending to
Cortes to know what should be done with them, a message was returned
that Diego de Ocampo, the magistrate, should look into the matter, and
punish the guilty, while at the same time he should use all proper
means to conciliate the natives. Many of the Caciques confessed their
guilt, while others were proved to be guilty; and these were all either
burnt or hanged. A number received a free pardon; and, that no such
difficulty might occur again, the soldiers of Garay were collected and
sent back to Cuba.
Cortes now turned again to the work of improvement and discovery. News
having reached him that in the districts of Higueras and Honduras there
were extensive and valuable mines: in fact, that gold was so plenty
there, that the weights on the fishermen’s nets were made of it--and,
moreover, that a passage might there be discovered into the Pacific
ocean--he determined to send an expedition into that region.
Accordingly, he fitted out six ships, and gathering three hundred and
seventy soldiers, gave the command to Christoval de Olid, with orders to
proceed to Cuba, procure all necessary supplies, and thence to pursue
his voyage to Higueras and make a settlement.
Troubles were still gathering for Cortes in Spain. His enemies were
still active against him; the tax-gatherers who had been sent out by the
King envied him his palace and his authority over the new kingdom.
Private hatred, too, was in the hearts of some. One of his men (Rodrigo
de Albornoz) had ambitiously desired to marry the daughter of the Prince
of Tezcuco, and Cortes had opposed it. The man remembered this with a
bitter feeling. Heavy accusations against Cortes had been sent to Spain.
He was charged with laying heavy taxes upon the people, fortifying
castles for his own use, and in every way preparing to make himself a
king. The Bishop of Burgos and Narvaez urged these accusations warmly
before the King, while, as formerly, the Duke of Bejar used his
influence against them; the King was wavering and undecided. At length,
in an effort to please both parties, he determined that the conduct of
Cortes should be investigated. Ponce de Leon was therefore despatched to
Mexico, with powers to seize the Governor if he should think it
necessary, and send him under a strong guard to Spain.
Difficulties at home, too, again annoyed him. Olid, upon his arrival at
Cuba, tempted by Velasquez, had proved a traitor to his general.
Proceeding to Higueras, he had planted the colony of the _Triumph of the
Cross_, and declared himself independent of Cortes. The Spanish leader
was greatly grieved over this treason. Olid had shared with him his
trials and his triumphs; and yet it was necessary to punish him, as an
example to the rest of his countrymen. An expedition, under the command
of Francisco Las Casas, was immediately sent against him. The vessel was
unfortunately driven ashore by a storm; some of the men perished, others
were made prisoners by Olid--among the rest, Las Casas. Upon being set
free, however, he persuaded the soldiers of Olid to return to their
duty, and seize their traitorous leader. Olid was arrested, shortly
afterward sentenced to die, and beheaded.
Anxious to stop this treason, and not hearing promptly from Las Casas,
Cortes had gathered his forces for a start. With a large body of
Spaniards, and three thousand Mexicans, headed by their chiefs, all
under the command of himself and Sandoval, he set out by land for that
region. After passing Coatzacuales,[20] where he was received with
fire-works and every demonstration of joy, his march was perhaps as
perilous and trying as any adventure of his life. It lay through a wild
and uninhabited country, intersected by rivers, and covered with tangled
forests, which completely shut out the light of day. They were forced to
construct bridges for passing the streams, and to cut their way through
the thick woods that surrounded them. Starvation and disease followed in
their track; they ate such roots and berries as they could find:
multitudes perished. At one time Cortes was compelled to punish his
soldiers for seizing and devouring some of the natives. With an undying
perseverance he pushed his way on, and at length reached the region for
which he had started, only to find that all was in submission. Las Casas
had faithfully carried out his orders.
In the mean time, Ponce de Leon had arrived in the country, but died
before he was able to execute the King’s commands. The enemies of
Cortes, however, were still alive and active; every agent sent out by
the King acted as a spy upon the leader; every vessel that sailed from
the New World carried home false accusations against him. The Bishop of
Burgos still plead with the King. At last his suspicions were aroused;
he became jealous of the growing fame and power of Cortes, and issued a
commission to “investigate his conduct, and subject him to all the
rigors of justice.”
Mortified at the triumph of his enemies, the spirit of Cortes was still
unbroken. His old veterans now rallied around him, and proposed that he
should declare himself independent of the King, swearing that they would
maintain his cause at all hazards. This he was unwilling to do; yet his
proud spirit revolted at the thought of being subjected to a trial in
that country which he had conquered and ruled. He determined to present
himself boldly before the King, and explain his whole conduct. Attended
by his brave officers and the principal chiefs of the Mexicans, and
carrying a large part of his riches to give splendor to his appearance,
Cortes repaired to Spain. He had scarcely reached that country, when he
met with a heavy sorrow. The gallant Sandoval, one of his attendants,
died in Andalusia, on his way to the Spanish capital, and Cortes mourned
for him as his noblest soldier and most devoted friend. At this moment,
when friends were needed, his sorrow was felt most keenly. Arrived at
the Spanish court, the King received him with every mark of friendship.
Cortes was now in his native land, where his power was limited, and the
jealousy of the monarch was for a little time forgotten. Attentions were
liberally bestowed upon the conqueror. His exploits were loudly talked
of; he was admitted to an intimacy with the King as great as that of the
first grandees of the land, and received from him the Order of Santiago,
and the title of Marquess of the Valle de Oaxaca. Yet for all this he
could not obtain from him his former position as Captain-General of New
Spain. Empty titles he could give him, but this embraced too much power,
and the King held to his determination not to bestow it. For two years
Cortes continued at the court, while the superior merit of the
conqueror, and the strong attachment of his men, only fastened the King
in his first conclusion. In the New World he might have the military
command, with the privilege of making new discoveries and conquests; the
government of that country was given to a board of officers, to be known
as the _Audience of New Spain_.[21] Wearied and disgusted, at length,
in 1530, he left the kingdom and returned to Mexico.
Here, again, he was in the midst of disappointments. The _Audiencia_,
jealous of his power, watched his every movement, while every plan
proposed by him met with their decided opposition. Backed as they were
by the King and his ministers in Spain, it was idle for him to oppose
them. Wearied with the little meanness of these men, his thoughts turned
again to the pursuits of his early life; he determined to embark in new
discoveries and exploits. He had in his mind the thought that a passage
might be found between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (or the North and
South seas, as they were then called) somewhere on the eastern coast of
North America, or through the isthmus of Panama. Accordingly, he fitted
out expeditions to attempt these discoveries, and intrusted the command
to able pilots. They were, of course, unsuccessful in finding what they
searched for. Disappointed in this, he now sent out various armaments
from the western shores of the Mexican empire, to make discoveries in
the South sea. The first, under the command of Mendoza and Mazuela, was
unsuccessful. A second, in charge of Becerra, was fortunate enough to
reach the southern extremity of the rich peninsula of California; but a
mutiny arising among the men, destroyed the hope of further discovery.
With an untiring energy, Cortes now made ready another expedition, and
took the command himself. Storms and hardships beset him in his voyage;
yet, with a desperate resolution, he pressed on, reached the region
discovered by Becerra,[22] and planted the colony of La Santa Cruz. He
now returned to Mexico to procure supplies. Here difficulties again
beset him, and he thought it prudent to send for his followers in the
new colony and bring them home, to save them from starvation. Still
resolute, however, as soon as he was able to do so he sent out another
expedition, under Francisco de Ulloa. This likewise proved unfortunate.
In these unprofitable enterprises it is said he spent no less than three
hundred thousand crowns.
His losses, together with the continued jealousies of the Audiencia, now
prompted him again to return to his native country, in the hope of
finding redress. Accordingly, in 1540, he sailed homeward. Upon his
arrival, he found his reception very different from what it had been
before. He was now known as a disappointed adventurer. Pizarro and
Almagro had been making brilliant discoveries in Peru, and all thoughts
were turned toward them. He was now not so much to be dreaded by the
King. He treated him neither as a friend nor an enemy--worse than
either, with a cold indifference. The ministers carried themselves
toward him with actual scorn. Strange as it may seem, this was the
treatment which the conqueror of Mexico received in his native land!
For seven tedious years did he seek redress at the court of Spain. Day
after day did he entreat for justice at the hands of those who managed
the affairs of America; day after day did he demand of the King that his
services should be remembered. No gratitude for those perilous services,
however, could move that monarch. The man who had given to his country
an empire in the New World was doomed never again to have authority in
it. Nay, the King added insult to injury. It is said that on one
occasion, when Cortes appeared at court, and was pressing through the
crowd to approach the monarch, the King, anxious to wound him by
pretending not to know him, cried out to his attendants, “Who is that
person?” The answer of Cortes was direct. “Tell his Majesty,” cried the
conqueror, “that it is one who has conquered for him more kingdoms than
his ancestors left him provinces!”
His life was well nigh ended. His continued disappointments mortified
him; grief over his broken hopes preyed upon him; domestic affliction
rolled in to fill the cup of his misery, and he sank under the burden.
He died on the second day of December, 1547, in the sixty-second year of
his age. His remains were buried with great ceremony in the chapel of
the Dukes of Medina Sidonia; but, in obedience to a direction in his
will, were afterward taken to the New World, and now rest in that city
which he discovered and conquered, but was not allowed to rule.
THE END.
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] The names of these captains, many of whom were afterwards
distinguished, were as follows: Juan Velasquez de Leon, Pedro de
Alvarado, Hernandez Portocarrero, Francisco de Montejo, Christoval de
Olid, Juan de Escalante, Francisco de Morla, Francisco Salcedo, Juan
Escobar, and Gnies Gnortes. Cortes himself had charge of one of the
companies.
[2] Robertson says, the beginning of April--Bernal Diaz says, the 21st.
[3] Clavigero’s Mexico.
[4] This piece was very massive, nor could it be less than ten
thousand sequins in real value.--Clavigero’s Mexico.
[5] The rich town of the True Cross.
[6] Cortes was very particular just at this time in punishing any of
his followers who trespassed upon the rights of the natives. It is
said that he even carried his discipline so far, as to order one of
his men to be hanged for stealing some fowls in a peaceable territory,
and the poor fellow would have lost his life but for the efforts of
Alvarado.
[7] An arrow tipped with red feathers was the sign of war.
[8] Torquemada; Clavigero.
[9] It is idle for Antonio de Solis to attempt to justify the action
of Cortes; it is not to be justified.
[10] This may help to explain the horrid massacre of Cholula.
[11] Bernal Diaz declares that there was no such readiness of
agreement between Cortes and Montezuma. His story is, that when Cortes
consented to leave the city, desiring, as a condition, that the King
should use his influence in inducing his people to lay down their
arms, Montezuma instantly refused--bursting into tears, and uttering
many reproaches against the Spanish commander. Father Olmedo and
Christoval de Olid then tried to persuade the King, but he answered
that his remonstrances would produce no effect upon his people: they
had chosen another King, and would not allow a single Spaniard to
leave the city alive. At length, however, after great difficulty, he
was prevailed on to address the Mexicans.
[12] This spirited attack and defence of the temple was considered
of such high importance among the Indians, that it was perpetuated
by lively representations in the paintings of both Tlascalans and
Mexicans.
Connected with this attack, a beautiful story is told by some
historians of the devoted patriotism of two Mexican youths of noble
rank. Finding Cortes about to gain the tower, they resolved to
sacrifice themselves for the good of their country, by involving in
their own death that of the Spanish leader. With this design, they
advanced to Cortes, and pretended to kneel down, as if demanding
quarter: when suddenly seizing him, they dragged him to the edge of
the upper area, resolved to hurl themselves down, and drag him in
their fall. Cortes, by a desperate effort, broke from their grasp, and
the youths perished in their unsuccessful attempt.
[13] The place where this happened still goes by the name of “_Salto
de Alvarado_,” or Alvarado’s Leap; and this dreadful night is still
spoken of in New Spain as “_Noche triste_,” or the Night of Sorrow.
[14] It is said that in this battle, a woman, called Maria de Estrada,
particularly distinguished herself. With her lance and shield, she was
seen in the midst of the conflict, bearing herself with extraordinary
courage.
[15] The Bishop of Burgos had the principal charge of West India
affairs in Spain. He was a warm friend to the Governor of Cuba, and,
of course, an enemy to Cortes.
[16] The small pox had been introduced into the kingdom by a slave who
came into the country with Narvaez.
[17] It is said that Chichimecatl, the young lord of Tezcuco, and
eight Tlascalans, were all that stood by him.
[18] It is said that Maria Estrada again distinguished herself in this
siege, together with Beatriz Bermudez, and several other women.
[19] There is a story that the lord of Tacuba was put to the torture
with Guatimozin. The mode of torture was, by anointing their feet with
oil, and exposing them to fire. This poor man, it is said, died in the
midst of it, and in his last agony cast an imploring look toward the
King. Guatimozin, observing this look, cried out reproachfully, “Am I
reposing on a bed of roses?”
[20] At this place they met with the brother and mother of Doña
Marina. The mother, knowing her guilt, was almost afraid to meet her
daughter; but Doña Marina treated her very kindly, and interceded in
her behalf with Cortes.
[21] This government was afterward superseded by that of Viceroys.
[22] It is commonly supposed that Cortes was the discoverer of
California, but the author regards Diego de Becerra as the discoverer
of that peninsula.
<tb>
Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:
Receives Dona Marina as a present☞ Receives Doña Marina as a present
{pg 9}
Conspiracy of Villafana☞ Conspiracy of Villafaña {pg 11}
he could deliver it to no person expect the Emperor☞ he could deliver
it to no person expect the Emperor {pg 40}
in token of dependance☞ in token of dependence {pg 106}
the cities of Xaltocan and Tacubs☞ the cities of Xaltocan and Tacuba
{pg 152}
Bernal Diaz (one of the soldiers of Cortes) declares☞ Bernal Diaz (one
of the soldiers of Cortes) declared {pg 169}
have been a captive, had not Quinones☞ have been a captive, had not
Quiñones {pg 162}