_How Cortes disembarks in the harbour of Truxillo, and the
inhabitants rejoice at his arrival._
Cortes had embarked at Puerto de Caballos with a considerable body of
the best troops; and, after a favorable voyage of six days, he arrived
in the harbour of Truxillo. The colonists there were excessively
rejoiced on learning that Cortes himself was among the newly arrived.
The whole of the inhabitants assembled on the beach to receive him and
to pay their homage to him; and as great part of the colony was composed
of those who had been expelled from Panuco, and of those who had taken
an ostensible part in the revolt of Christobal de Oli, their very first
step was to beg forgiveness of Cortes for the past. This he granted them
without any hesitation, discoursed with them in a most friendly manner,
and in their company proceeded direct to church to make his devotions.
The most comfortable mansion was prepared for him, and the chief
inhabitants then detailed every circumstance respecting Francisco de las
Casas' arrival, his capture, with that of Gonsalez de Avila, and the
subsequent beheading of Christobal de Oli; how the two former officers
had then departed for Mexico, but that they themselves had in the
meantime subdued several of the townships of this province.
After our general had been apprized of everything that had taken place,
he expressed his satisfaction, and confirmed the several authorities of
the town in their respective offices, both civil and military, but
appointed his cousin Saavedra captain-general of the whole country,
which met with universal approbation. He then summoned the inhabitants
of the whole surrounding neighbourhood to send him ambassadors, and to
declare themselves vassals of our emperor, which they were not long in
complying with when they understood that Malinche, the conqueror of
Mexico, had arrived in person; and they brought at the same time a
quantity of provisions for him.
As the caziques of the four principal townships happened to stand all
together in the presence of Cortes, he took the opportunity of
addressing them at some length, which was interpreted to them by Dona
Marina. He first spoke to them about our holy religion, and then of our
great emperor Don Carlos of Austria, who had dominion over so many
countries and nations; how his majesty had sent us expressly into these
countries in order to abolish from among them all idolatry, theft, the
sacrificing of human beings, the eating of human flesh, and other
abominations; also to accustom them to live in peace and harmony with
each other. It was therefore their duty, he added, to subject themselves
to a monarch who was so mercifully inclined, and to lend us every
assistance in their power; but, on the other hand, he should be
compelled to punish those severely who in any way broke the peace.
After this, father Juan de las Varillas and the two Franciscan monks
preached an edifying sermon to them, which two Mexicans, who understood
the Spanish language, and other persons, interpreted to the caziques,
who listened with great attention to all that was said, and readily
acknowledged themselves vassals of our emperor, and promised to obey
Malinche in everything. Our general then ordered them to furnish the
colony with provisions, and to send a number of Indians with the
necessary tools to level a rising ground which lay in the town and
obstructed the view of the harbour and of the sea. He also desired them
to repair with their canoes to some townships of the Guanajas islands to
request the inhabitants there to supply him with fish, which they had in
abundance. The inhabitants of these islands readily complied, and
brought a present consisting in fowls and fish, Cortes, in return,
giving them some of the swine he had taken with him on this expedition;
for he had been assured by a Spaniard that these islands were peculiarly
adapted for breeding pigs, provided the animals were allowed to go at
large. This indeed was found to be a fact; for, a couple of years after,
they had so increased that people went thither regularly to hunt them.
But all this is rather foreign to my narrative, and I will rather
acquaint the reader that the caziques sent so large a body of Indians to
level the hill, that, in the space of two days, there was a good
prospect of the sea from the town. They likewise constructed fifteen
houses, of which one for Cortes was of larger dimensions. As there were
still a great number of townships which refused obedience, Cortes
desired the caziques of Papayeca, which, at that time, was a very
extensive township, to enumerate the several tribes which had omitted to
send ambassadors. The whole of them, he was informed, dwelt among the
mountains, and had equipped themselves for war. Our general then
despatched thither Saavedra, with a strong detachment of troops, among
whom were also the eight soldiers of Guacasualco, to compel these
Indians to sue for peace. Most of these townships, on the approach of
our troops, very wisely submitted without offering any resistance; but
there were three which obstinately refused to do so, and, if I am not
mistaken, are called the Acaltecas, against which Saavedra immediately
marched his men. Cortes' name was so feared and respected among all the
inhabitants of this country that even the distant tribes of Olancho,
where subsequently so many lucrative mines were discovered, sent
ambassadors to him to declare themselves vassals of our emperor.
Throughout this country Cortes was known by the name of the captain Hue,
Hue of Marina, which means the old captain who has Marina with him.
During our general's stay in Truxillo, his cousin Avalos, the two
Franciscan monks, the licentiate Pedro Lopez, the officers of his
household, Carranza and Guinea, Juan Tlamena and several of the men he
had brought with him, besides many of the colonists, were all suffering
from bad health. Cortes, therefore, determined to send the whole of
them, as soon as the weather was favorable, either to Cuba or to St.
Domingo. For this purpose he fitted out a vessel and sent on board the
best provisions that were to be had, and likewise took this opportunity
of forwarding despatches to the Hieronymite brotherhood, in which he
gave them a full account of the hazardous expedition to the coast of the
Honduras, and of the arrangements he had made in Mexico for the
government of New Spain, during his absence. He likewise mentioned every
circumstance from the day he had despatched Oli with an armament to the
Honduras, down to the tragical death of the latter; and concluded by
giving an account of the country and of the rich gold mines it
possessed.
In order that these passengers, on arriving at Cuba, might have
sufficient credit there, he gave them a number of valuable jewels out of
his private treasure, besides several pieces of his golden dinner
service. As chief in command of this vessel, he appointed his cousin
Avalos, whom he desired to touch at the island of Cozumel, and to carry
away prisoners from thence twenty-five soldiers, who had been left there
by some officer to levy contributions upon the inhabitants.
The vessel set sail with a favorable wind, and had alternately good and
bad weather. She had already doubled the cape of Sant Antonio, and had
arrived within seventy leagues of the Havannah, when a heavy storm
arose, in which she was wrecked off the coast. The Franciscan monks, the
captain Avalos, and a great number of others met with a watery grave;
only a few, by great exertions, saved themselves in the boat, and others
drifted on shore by clinging to pieces of wood.
The persons who thus luckily escaped soon spread the news through the
island of Cuba that Cortes, with his whole army, was still in existence.
The licentiate Pedro Lopez, who had also escaped destruction, hastened
to St. Domingo, and there related to the royal court of audience every
circumstance relative to Cortes' expedition to the Honduras, and how he
was then staying at Truxillo occupied in subduing the surrounding
country. He likewise stated that the troops were in great want of
provisions, wine, and horses; that he had despatched a vessel with a
quantity of gold to Cuba, in order to purchase these necessaries, but
which was unfortunately wrecked off the coast of the latter island, and
he himself had narrowly escaped destruction.
The news of Cortes being still alive and well spread universal joy, for
it was generally believed that he, with the whole of his troops, had
perished in the expedition to the Honduras. From Hispaniola the glad
tidings also reached New Spain, where Cortes' death had also been
currently reported. In St. Domingo the spirit of speculation was soon
stirred up and two vessels were quickly despatched to Truxillo, with
horses, shirts, military caps, and Spanish toys, to all of which these
speculating merchants unfortunately forgot to add provisions, and only
sent one pipe of wine.
Cortes himself had remained at Truxillo, where his time was fully
occupied in making various regulations. While he was staying here
several of the inhabitants of the Guanajas islands came and complained
to him about a vessel which lay at anchor in front of their township.
This vessel, they said, had a great number of Spaniards on board, all
armed with matchlocks and crossbows, and they were intent upon carrying
off the inhabitants into slavery. To all appearances, added they, these
Spaniards were pirates, and the same who had visited their country some
years previously in a similar manner, and forcibly dragged away a
considerable number of their countrymen.
Upon this information, Cortes hastily fitted out one of the brigantiues
with the largest piece of ordnance, and sent twenty men on board, under
the command of one of his best officers, who was ordered, at all events,
to bring the strange vessel, with all her hands, into the harbour of
Truxillo. The Indians likewise promised to man all their canoes and
accompany the brigantine to where the vessel lay moored.
When the strange vessel observed a well-armed brigantine approaching,
with several canoes belonging to these islands, she easily guessed how
matters stood, quickly weighed anchor, made off at the utmost of her
speed, and so eluded the pursuit of the brigantine. We subsequently
learnt that this vessel was commanded by the bachelor Moreno, whom the
royal court of audience at St. Domingo had despatched on certain
business to Nombre de Dios, and he had either been driven by contrary
winds off these islands, or had purposely repaired thither to carry away
a cargo of slaves.