_How a certain Christobal de Tapia arrived in Vera Cruz, with the
appointment of governor of New Spain._
After Cortes had despatched these several detachments to bring the
provinces into complete subjection, and leave settlements in them, a
certain Christobal de Tapia, who had been veedor at St. Domingo, arrived
at Vera Cruz, with the appointment of governor of New Spain, which had
been procured him by Fonseca, bishop of Burgos. He likewise brought with
him several letters from the bishop for Cortes, and many others of the
conquistadores, as also for the officers of Narvaez's corps, by which
they were desired to support Tapia in the government. Besides this
appointment, which was drawn up in due form by the bishop, Tapia had
several other blank papers with him, which were merely signed, so that
he was at liberty to fill them up as he might think proper, by which
means he would obtain unlimited power in New Spain. He was ordered to
make us vast promises if we assisted him in his government, but to
threaten us with severe punishment if we refused to obey him.
As soon as Tapia arrived at Vera Cruz, he showed his appointment to
Gonzalo de Alvarado, who was then commandant of that place, as Rodrigo
Rangel, who had previously filled that office, had recently been
deprived of it by Cortes, but for what reason I cannot say.
Alvarado perused these papers with the most respectful veneration, as
containing the commands of his emperor and master; but as to acting up
to their contents, he told Tapia he must previously consult with the
alcaldes and regidors of the town, to take the matter into mature
consideration, and investigate as to how he had obtained the
appointment, as he (Tapia) could not expect that they should exactly
place implicit belief in what he said, and they should also like to
convince themselves whether his imperial majesty was really cognizant of
the drawing up of this appointment.
As Tapia was by no means satisfied with this answer, they advised him to
repair to Mexico, where he would find Cortes, with all his officers and
troops, who would, no doubt, on perusing his papers, pay him the respect
which was due to his appointment.
Upon this Tapia wrote to Cortes, and acquainted him in what capacity he
had come to New Spain. Now as Cortes was remarkable for his great tact,
he answered this man in much more courteous terms than the former had
used in his letter to him, saying the most obliging and pleasant things;
at the same time he despatched several of our principal officers to
visit Tapia at Vera Cruz. These were Alvarado, Sandoval, Diego de Soto,
Andreas de Tapia, and a certain Valdenebro, to all of whom Cortes sent
couriers with orders for their immediate return from the provinces, and
to repair to Vera Cruz. He likewise requested father Melgarejo to hasten
thither, in order to be present at the meeting; but Tapia had already
started for Mexico, to wait upon Cortes himself, and was met on his road
by our officers, who paid him the greatest respect, and proposed that he
should turn off with them to Sempoalla. When arrived there they
requested him to produce his papers, that they might convince themselves
whether or not he was really sent by his imperial majesty, and whether
his appointment bore the royal signature. If he could convince them of
this, continued our officers, they would immediately promise obedience
to him, in the name of Cortes and the whole of New Spain.
Tapia then produced his papers, and all the officers acknowledged, with
respectful veneration, that, to all appearances, his appointment came
direct from his majesty; but that it was impossible the emperor could be
cognizant of all the particulars, nor of how matters stood in general,
and they were determined to petition his majesty against his
appointment. They assured him he was not fit for the important office of
governor of New Spain; that the bishop of Burgos, the avowed enemy of
the Conquistadores, the faithful servants of his majesty, had procured
this appointment without first acquainting his majesty with the real
state of affairs, merely to favour the governor of Cuba, and him
(Tapia), to whom he had promised one of his own nieces in marriage, a
certain Dona Fonseca.
When Tapia found that all his eloquence, papers, letters, promises, and
threats availed him nothing, he fell ill from downright vexation. Our
officers then wrote Cortes word of everything that had transpired, and
advised him to forward a few bars of gold, with some jewels, to sooth
Tapia in his excessive disappointment; all of which our general sent
without delay, and our officers purchased some negroes and three horses
from Tapia, who then returned to St. Domingo. Neither did he meet with
the best of receptions there, as the royal court of audience and the
Hieronymite brotherhood had been exceedingly vexed with him for having
persisted in going to New Spain, though they had so strongly advised him
not to do so, as the time was badly chosen, and his arrival there would
create disputes, and only tend to interrupt the progress of the conquest
of New Spain. But Tapia had placed all his reliance on the protection of
the bishop of Burgos, wherefore they had not dared to detain him by
force in St. Domingo, particularly as his appointment had been made out
by the president of the council of the Indies, and as the emperor
himself still continued in Flanders.
I will now return to Cortes' plan of forming settlements. Alvarado, as I
have mentioned above, was sent for this purpose to a province abounding
in gold, called Tuztepec, which must not be confounded with Tutepec,
whither Sandoval was despatched for the same end. Sandoval was also to
make a settlement on the river Panuco, as Cortes had received
intelligence that a certain Francisco de Garay had fitted out an
extensive armament for the same object, in which Cortes wished to
anticipate him.
About this time our general again sent Rodrigo Rangel to Vera Cruz as
commandant of that place, and ordered Gonzalo de Alvarado to conduct
Narvaez to Cojohuacan, where Cortes still occupied the same palace,
until the one should be finished which was building for him in Mexico.
Cortes' motive for ordering Narvaez to be brought to Mexico was,
because he had been informed that, in a conversation he had had with
Christobal de Tapia, he thus addressed him: "Senor, you are come here
with the same lawful authority as I came before you, but it will avail
you no more than it did me, who arrived, moreover, in this country with
so large a body of troops. I advise you to be upon your guard, lest they
put you to death. You have no time to lose; for the wheel of fortune
still turns in favour of Cortes and his men. Strive to get as much gold
out of them as you can, and with that journey to his majesty in Spain,
and relate to him how matters stand here; and if you can rely upon the
bishop Fonseca's protection, so much the better for your cause. This is
the best advice I can give you."
Narvaez, on his journey to Mexico, was greatly surprised at the large
towns he passed through; but when he came to Tezcuco, then to
Cojohuacan, and saw the lake, with the numerous other large towns, and
Mexico itself, he was perfectly astonished.
Cortes had given orders that he should be treated with the utmost
respect, and, immediately on his arrival, was to be brought into his
presence. Narvaez, on coming up to our general, fell down on one knee to
kiss his hand. Cortes, however, would not consent to this, but, raising
him up, embraced him affectionately, and desired him to take a seat next
to his person; when Narvaez thus addressed him: "General! I am now
convinced, from what I have seen of this vast country and its numerous
towns, that of all the deeds of arms which you have accomplished in New
Spain with your troops, the least victory has been that which you gained
over me and my troops; and had these even been much more numerous I am
sure we should have been defeated. You cannot be too highly honoured and
rewarded for having subjected so vast a territory, with so many large
cities, to the sceptre of our emperor. I am convinced that the most
famous generals of our time will agree with me, that what you have
accomplished surpasses everything that the greatest and most renowned
captains have ever done before you, in the same degree as the city of
Mexico surpasses every other town of the world in strength of position.
Indeed, you and your brave soldiers have merited the greatest rewards
from his majesty."
To these and other flattering speeches, Cortes answered, "What we have
done was certainly not of ourselves alone, but through the great mercy
of the Almighty, who protected us, and the good fortune which always
attends the troops of our great emperor."
Cortes now also began to make the necessary regulations for the
rebuilding of the great and celebrated city of Mexico; he marked out
the ground for the churches, monasteries, private dwellings, public
squares, and assigned a particular quarter of the town for the Mexican
population. This city was rebuilt with so much splendour, that, in the
opinion of those who have travelled through the greater part of
Christendom, Mexico, after its restoration, was a larger and a more
populous city than any they had seen, and the architectural style of the
houses more magnificent.
While Cortes was busily engaged with these matters, he received
intelligence that the province of Panuco had revolted, and the whole of
its numerous and warlike population had risen up in arms. Many of the
Spanish settlers had been murdered by the inhabitants, and the few who
had escaped begged for immediate assistance.
As soon as our general heard this bad news, he determined to march
thither in person, as all our chief officers were absent, with their
respective detachments, in the provinces. He therefore collected all the
cavalry, crossbow-men, musketeers, and other troops he could; and it
fortunately happened that considerable recruits arrived in Mexico about
this time from those who came in the suite of Tapia, and of the troops
of Vazquez de Aillon, whose expedition to Florida terminated so
miserably; besides that, numbers had arrived from the Caribbee and other
islands.
Cortes left a strong garrison in Mexico, under the command of Diego
Soto, and set out on his march with no more than 250 Spanish troops,
including the musketeers, crossbow-men, and 130 horse; but to this small
body he added 10,000 Mexican auxiliaries.
Before Cortes left, Christobal de Oli returned from the province of
Mechoacan, which he had completely subdued, and was accompanied by many
caziques, as also by the son of Consi, the great cazique of the
province. He likewise brought with him a large quantity of gold, but of
very inferior quality, being considerably mixed with copper and silver.
This expedition to the province of Panuco cost our general a large sum
of money, which he subsequently requested the emperor to reimburse him;
but the board of finance refused this, and told him he ought to bear all
the expenses himself, as he had subdued that province to suit his own
private views, and to anticipate Garay, who was fitting out an extensive
armament in Jamaica for the same purpose.
Cortes found the whole province of Panuco in a terrible state of
rebellion. He several times offered the inhabitants peace, but to no
purpose, and the consequence was a series of battles, of which ten were
very severe, three Spaniards and four horses being killed, besides one
hundred of the Mexican auxiliaries. In these battles the enemy had
brought 60,000 men into the field; yet Cortes defeated them with
considerable loss, and they never after felt any inclination to fight
against him.
Cortes, finding that the district he was in contained abundance of
provisions, staid eight days in a township near the field of battle,
and, ardently desirous of restoring peace to the country, he sent father
Olmedo and ten distinguished caziques he had taken prisoners in the last
battles, with Dona Marina and Aguilar, to the enemy. Father Olmedo then
addressed the several chiefs in a suitable speech, and asked them, among
other things, how they could have entertained a hope of maintaining
their independence, as they well knew that the city of Mexico, which had
been defended by so many brave warriors, was obliged to surrender to our
emperor. They ought, therefore, to sue for peace, and he promised them
that Cortes would pardon their past behaviour. By these and other
representations which the excellent father made to them, mixed up with a
few threats, they were brought to their senses, and began to reflect on
the large body of men they had lost, and the number of towns which had
been sacked and burnt to the ground; so that, at length, they agreed to
send a message of peace to Cortes, with a few ornaments of gold. Our
general received the ambassadors very kindly, and assured them of his
future friendship.
From this place Cortes marched, with half of his troops, to the river
Chila, which lay at about twenty miles from the sea shore, and requested
the tribes inhabiting the country on the opposite side to send him
messengers of peace. But as their bellies were still full of the flesh
of the many Spaniards they had killed belonging to the several
expeditions which had been sent thither during the two last years by
Garay, to form settlements, they imagined they would be able to
overthrow Cortes with the same ease. They likewise placed great
dependence in the inaccessibility of the places they inhabited, which
lay between large lakes, rivers, and morasses; they therefore not only
refused to return an answer, but murdered the ambassadors whom Cortes
had sent to them. He, however, still remained quiet for a few days, to
see whether they would not alter their minds; but, finding they
persisted in their hostile feeling towards him, he ordered all the
canoes which lay in the river to be seized; and with these, and some
boats he ordered to be constructed from the wrecks of the old vessels
belonging to Garay's expedition, he crossed the river with one hundred
and fifty men, among which there were fifty horse, the rest being, for
the greater part, crossbow-men and musketeers. The enemy, who had posted
strong detachments at different points along the banks of the river,
allowed our troops to cross unmolested, but were ready to receive them
on the opposite side.
If these Guastecs had come with great numbers into the field on previous
occasions, they came this time with more, and fell upon our men like so
many furious lions. In this encounter they killed two soldiers and
wounded above thirty others; three horses were likewise killed and
fifteen wounded. Our Mexican auxiliaries also suffered a considerable
loss; but Cortes gave the enemy so rough a reception that they soon took
to flight, leaving behind them great numbers of killed and wounded.
Cortes quartered his troops for the night in a township which was quite
deserted by its inhabitants, but where he found abundance of provisions.
The following morning, as his men were looking about the place, they
came to a temple, inside of which they found suspended various articles
of Spanish dress, the scalps and the tanned skins of the faces of
several Spaniards, with the beards attached to them. These were the
remains of the soldiers of Garay's expedition to the river Panuco. In
many of these skins our men recognized former acquaintances, and some
even their intimate friends. It was indeed a melancholy sight to them,
and they took down those miserable remains to give them Christian
burial.
From this place Cortes marched to another township, and observed every
military precaution, the men being each moment prepared for an attack,
as he well knew that the tribes of this province were very warlike. His
spies soon came in with the intelligence that large bodies of the enemy
lay in ambush to fall suddenly on our men while they should be dispersed
among the houses.
Our troops being thus apprized of the enemy's intentions, the latter
were unable to do them much injury; yet they bravely attacked our
troops, and fought with great intrepidity for about half an hour, when
our cavalry and musketeers succeeded in putting them to flight. In this
engagement Cortes had two horses killed, besides seven others wounded,
and fifteen of the men so severely that three died shortly after. These
Indians have the peculiar custom, when they are compelled to retreat, to
face about three several times to renew the attack, a mode of warfare
which has seldom been found among these tribes. After this battle, the
enemy retreated to a river which was of considerable depth, and very
rapid. Our cavalry and light-armed foot pursued them most vigorously,
and wounded great numbers.
The day following, Cortes marched further up the country, and passed
through several townships, but every one was deserted by its
inhabitants. In these towns they found, in subterranean vaults, a great
number of large earthen jars filled with the wine of the country.[31]
Our general, after marching in this way for another five days, and
nowhere meeting with any of the inhabitants, returned to the river
Chila.
Cortes now again invited the inhabitants on the opposite side of the
river to send ambassadors to conclude peace with him, and this time he
was more successful; for, as they had lost a great number of men, and
feared another incursion into their country, they sent word that they
would despatch messengers of peace to us after the lapse of four days,
which time they required to collect some gold for a present. Cortes
therefore patiently awaited the time specified; but, as no one came, he
then determined to attack a large township which lay on the banks of a
lake, surrounded by rivers and morasses. This place he was resolved to
attack from the lake side, to do which he had to cross the latter; and
this he accomplished by means of canoes fastened two and two together.
On these a part of our troops, with a great number of Mexicans, embarked
in a dark rainy night, passed unobserved across the lake, and fell into
the town before the inhabitants were in the least aware of it. The town
was completely destroyed, and most of the inhabitants killed, our
Mexican auxiliaries carrying off a rich booty.
As soon as the inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhood received
information of this, they no longer hesitated as to what they should do;
and, in the space of five days, messengers of peace came pouring in from
all sides; the most distant mountain tribes, whose territory our troops
had not yet visited, alone refusing to send any ambassadors.
Cortes then laid the foundation of a town, about four miles from the
river Chila, and left there one hundred and fifty Spaniards, among whom
were twenty-seven horse, thirty-six musketeers and crossbow-men. The
whole of the townships which had sued for peace he divided among these
troops as commendaries. Of this town, which received the name of
Santisteban del Puerto, he appointed Pedro Vallejo commandant.
Cortes was just on the point of leaving this new town, and of marching
back to Mexico, when he received certain information that three
townships, which had previously stood at the head of the rebellion in
this province, had again conspired to revolt. The inhabitants of these
three townships had put a great number of Spaniards to death after they
had sued for peace and had declared themselves vassals of our emperor,
and now were using every means to persuade the population of the
surrounding neighbourhood to join them in an attack upon our new
settlement, and kill every Spaniard left behind when Cortes should have
departed with the remaining troops for Mexico. Cortes having convinced
himself of the truth of this report, burnt the three towns to the
ground, but they were subsequently rebuilt by these same tribes.
About this time the following misfortune happened. Cortes, previous to
leaving Mexico, had sent orders to Vera Cruz for a quantity of wine,
preserved fruits, and biscuits, besides a number of horse shoes, all of
which was to be forwarded to the province of Panuco. A vessel without
delay was despatched with these things from Vera Cruz, which arrived
safe off the coast of Panuco, where, unfortunately, it was overtaken by
a terrific storm from the south, and went to the bottom of the sea: only
three of the crew were saved, who clung to some loose pieces of wood and
were driven to a small island about sixteen miles from the mainland,
which was covered in places with white sand.
Every night great numbers of seals came on shore to sleep on the sand,
and these were the means of keeping the three men alive, who killed them
and roasted their flesh at a fire which they kindled after the Indian
manner, by rubbing two pieces of wood vehemently together. By digging a
well towards the middle of the island they procured themselves fresh
water, and at last even found a species of fig, so that they could not
at least die of hunger; and in this way they continued to live for the
space of two months, when they were rescued in the following manner.
Cortes having waited a length of time in vain at Santisteban del Puerto
for this vessel, wrote to his major-domo at Mexico to know the reason
why the things he sent for had not arrived. When his major-domo received
this letter he soon guessed that some accident must have happened to the
vessel, and instantly sent out another in search of her. It pleased God
in his great mercy that the vessel should approach the small island
where the three Spaniards had been cast on shore, who had had the good
sense to keep a large fire burning night and day.
The reader can easily picture to himself the great joy of these men when
this vessel arrived off the island: they immediately embarked in her,
and sailed for Vera Cruz. One of these men, whose name was Celiano,
subsequently lived in Mexico.
Cortes was on his way to Mexico when he received information that
several tribes which inhabited the wildest part of the mountains had
risen up in arms, and were committing every kind of depredation against
those of their neighbours who had entered into an alliance with us. He
therefore determined to put an end to these hostilities before he
returned to the metropolis; but these ferocious tribes being apprized of
his approach, lay wait for him in a dangerous mountain pass, attacked
his baggage, killed many of the Indian porters, and plundered them of
all they carried. Our cavalry, which now came up to the assistance of
those who had charge of the baggage, lost two horses from the rugged
state of the road. These Indians, however, had to pay dearly for all
this when our troops reached their towns, for the Mexican warriors
showed very little mercy, and killed and took numbers of them prisoners.
The cazique and his chief officer were hung, and the baggage of which
they had plundered our troops was retaken.
After the execution of these men, Cortes commanded the Mexicans to stay
hostilities, and he summoned the chiefs and papas of the province to
send him ambassadors, who now arrived without delay, and acknowledged
themselves subjects of our emperor. Cortes then appointed the brother of
him who had been executed, cazique of the place; and, after thus
restoring peace to the province, he continued his march to Mexico.
I must here observe that there is not a more wicked, a more uncivilized,
or a more filthy people in the whole of New Spain than the inhabitants
of the province of Panuco; and in no part were human sacrifices found to
be so frequent or so barbarous. The inhabitants were excessive
drunkards, and guilty of every kind of abomination: however, they met
with due punishment; for, after our troops had visited their country a
few times with fire and sword, they received, in the person of Nuno de
Guzman, who became governor there, a much severer scourge. He sold
almost the whole of them for slaves to the different islands, as we
shall see in the proper place.