_How Sandoval, during our stay at Naco, takes forty Spanish soldiers
with their captain prisoners, who, on their march from the province
of Nicaragua, had everywhere plundered and otherwise ill-used the
inhabitants._
While Sandoval was staying at Naco, occupied in the friendly subjection
of the surrounding country, four caziques arrived in our camp from the
two townships of Quecuscapa and Tanchinalchapa, complaining bitterly of
some Spaniards, who, they said, had horses, and were otherwise armed
like ourselves. These men plundered the inhabitants of all their
property, and forcibly carried off their wives and daughters in iron
chains.
Sandoval, it may be imagined, was exceedingly vexed at this
intelligence. On inquiring of the caziques how far distant their
townships lay, they told him only one day's journey. He then immediately
marched out with sixty of us, all well-armed, and we arrived in the
above-mentioned townships before the Spaniards there had the least
notice of our approach; yet the instant they saw us they flew to their
arms, but we came so suddenly upon them, that we took the greater part
of the men with their captain prisoners, without so much as a drop of
blood being spilt on either side. Sandoval, to use a common phrase, blew
them up in fine style, and asked them whether theirs was justifiable
conduct thus to ill-use his majesty's subjects, and whether the course
they pursued was the proper method of making conquests in his majesty's
name? He then commanded the men and women they had taken prisoners, and
around whose necks they had fastened iron collars, to be instantly
released and restored to the caziques of the district.
We then marched back to Naco, carrying along with us our Spanish
prisoners and their captain, whose name was Pedro de Garro. Almost the
whole of these men had horses, and were followed by numbers of female
Indians of Nicaragua, some of whom were uncommonly handsome; besides a
great many female slaves to attend upon them. We others, who had
suffered so many hardships in this expedition, had none of these
comforts, and, in comparison with our miserable appearance, these
Spaniards looked like so many wealthy noblemen. When we arrived in Naco,
Cortes quartered each of them according to his respective rank and
station, as there were several men of distinction and quality among
them.
When these men found that we formed part of Cortes' troops, their
captain, Garro, did all in his power to ingratiate himself in Sandoval's
and our favour, and the whole of them declared they were delighted to be
with us. Respecting their arrival in this neighbourhood, they gave the
following explanation.
Pedro Arias de Avila was governor of Terra Firma, and had sent out
Francisco Hernandez, one of his most distinguished officers, with a
considerable body of foot and horse, in order to make conquests in the
provinces of Nicaragua and Leon, which he subdued and colonized.
Hernandez, finding that everything went on so successfully, and thinking
himself sufficiently far removed from Pedro Arias de Avila, to do what
he liked, listened to evil counsellors, and came to some secret
understanding with the bachelor Moreno, above mentioned, who had been
despatched, by the royal court of audience at St. Domingo, to Terra
Firma, to make inquiries into the death of Balboa, whom Arias de Avila
had most unjustly beheaded, after giving him his daughter in marriage.
This Moreno hinted to Hernandez, that it would not amount to treachery
if he strove to gain for himself the government of the countries he
should subdue, which would be the more easily obtained, since Pedro
Arias had acted so wickedly against Balboa, who had had the best claim
to be appointed adelantado of these countries, and indeed the first of
the two who memorialised his majesty to that effect. Francisco Hernandez
lent a willing ear to this advice, and began by despatching his chief
officer Pedro de Garro to the northern provinces, in search of some
harbour where he might found a colony, and send his majesty thence an
account of the countries he had subdued and colonized; and he doubted
not but that his endeavours would be crowned with success, since the
provinces of which he should petition to be the governor lay so far
distant from Terra Firma.
Respecting these matters, Sandoval and Garro had several secret
conferences with each other, which terminated in the former writing on
the subject to Cortes, at Truxillo, to induce him to confer on Hernandez
the government of Nicaragua. For this purpose he despatched five of our
men, and an equal number of Garro's troops, along the coast, to
Truxillo, in order to convey his letters to Cortes. These men took with
them twenty of Garro's Indians, in order to assist them in crossing the
rivers. Their march, however, was attended with very little success, for
they could neither pass the river Pichin nor the river Balama, both of
which were greatly swollen, so that they returned to Naco, after a
fortnight's absence. Sandoval was excessively annoyed at this
circumstance, and spoke in very severe terms to the person who had the
command of this small detachment. He then ordered captain Luis Marin,
with ten of us, and five of Garro's men, immediately to set out for
Truxillo, and to march thither in a direct line through the country. I
was likewise desired to accompany Luis Marin, and we all set out on
foot. We passed through a number of hostile townships, though, if I were
to relate all the battles we fought with the natives; the difficulties
we had to encounter on this journey; the rivers and estuaries we had to
cross, sometimes by means of swimming, sometimes in canoes; the hunger
we sustained for several days, I should not finish so easily. There
were days in which we crossed, either in canoes or by swimming, three
rapid streams. On approaching nearer to the coast, we had to pass arms
of the sea which abounded with alligators, and when we arrived at the
river Xaqua, which lay forty miles from Triunfo de la Cruz, it took us
two whole days before we reached the opposite shore, in canoes. Here we
saw the remains of seven horses which had belonged to Oli's troops. At
length we arrived in Triunfo de la Cruz, where we found nothing but the
wood of some vessels which had been wrecked. We then marched on for
another four days, and came to the township of Guemara, where the
inhabitants rose up in arms against us. These Indians were armed with
long heavy lances, which they use in the same way we do ours, covering
their bodies at the same time with a shield, which is fastened to the
left arm. They came out against us in a large body, and we were obliged
to fight foot to foot with them; though, after a short conflict, we cut
our way through their crowded ranks, with only two of our men wounded.
Their reason for attacking us was, because they thought we did not
belong to Cortes' troops, but to a body of adventurers, who had on a
former occasion committed depredations among them.
Two days' further march brought us into the neighbourhood of Truxillo.
It was about the hour of vespers, and we speedily came in sight of five
persons, who were strolling along the shore on horseback, one of whom
was our general himself, who soon recognized us at a distance, gave spur
to his horse, and galloped up to us. He instantly dismounted, embraced
us, with the tears flowing from his eyes, and cried out: "O, my
companions and brothers, how I have longed to see you, and to receive
some intelligence of you!"
Cortes looked exceedingly ill, and we felt sorely grieved to see him
thus. He had been suffering from a violent fever, which had nearly
proved fatal to him, and he felt the more downcast, as he had not
received any intelligence whatsoever as to how matters stood in Mexico.
Some of our men even assured me he had been so nigh his death, that the
Franciscan gown, in which he was to have been buried, had been got in
readiness.
After the first welcomes were past, Cortes accompanied us on foot to
Truxillo, where we were immediately shown to our quarters, and then
invited to sup with our general; but it was a very poor set out, for
there was not even cassave bread to be had. The letter we brought from
Sandoval he read to us at table, and he declared his willingness to do
all in his power for Francisco Hernandez.
Three days previously, as I mentioned above, the two small vessels from
St. Domingo ran into the harbour of Truxillo, but had unfortunately
brought nothing in the shape of provisions, excepting a pipe of wine. It
would, however, have been much better for us if these vessels had never
arrived, for the whole of us got greatly into debt, by purchasing
various articles of wearing apparel, and Spanish gewgaws.
We were still in conversation with Cortes, when some one came running in
with the information that another vessel was making full sail for the
harbour. This vessel came direct from the Havannah, and had been
despatched hither by the licentiate Zuazo, whom Cortes had appointed
alcalde-mayor of Mexico. Zuazo sent our general some refreshments by
this vessel, and a letter, the important contents of which I will give
as nearly as possible in the next chapter.