_How Cortes receives a letter from the licentiate Zuazo out of the
Havannah, and of its contents._
After this vessel had cast anchor, the captain, who was a person of
quality, stepped on shore, announced his arrival to Cortes, and handed
over to him a letter from the licentiate Zuazo. The grief which this
letter occasioned our general was so excessive, that he was heard to sob
aloud in his apartment, nor did he show himself again until the next
morning, which was a Sunday. The night previous he confessed to father
Juan, and had desired that the mass might be performed very early in the
morning, and he then made the communion. After mass had been said, he
ordered us all into his presence, and communicated to us the news he had
received with regard to the affairs of New Spain.
To begin, we now learnt, that on the bare rumour of our having perished
on the expedition to the Honduras, our property had been seized, and
sold to the highest bidder; and our Indians distributed among people who
were least deserving of them.
Upon this followed the intelligence which had been received from Diego
de Ordas, and our general's father, Martin Cortes, respecting the
slanderous letters which the accountant Albornoz had despatched to his
majesty against Cortes; and the commands which the emperor had, in
consequence, issued to the admiral of St. Domingo; and how the duke of
Bejar had, for a time, dispersed the storm which was thickening over our
general's head. Those two gentlemen at the same time mentioned that the
captain Narvaez had been empowered by his majesty to subdue the
countries lying on the river Palmas; that a certain Nuno de Guzman was
appointed governor of the province of Panuco; and that Cortes' great
enemy, the bishop of Burgos, was dead.
With respect to the affairs of New Spain, they were in a most dreadful
state of confusion. As soon as the factor Gonzalo Salazar and the veedor
Pedro Almindez Chirinos arrived in Mexico from Guacasualco, with their
credentials, by virtue of which they were empowered to take the
government of New Spain into their own hands if they observed that the
treasurer Alonso de Estrada and the accountant Albornoz began to govern
badly, they allied themselves with the licentiate Zuazo, alcalde-mayor
of Mexico, Rodrigo de Paz, alguacil-mayor, Andreas de Tapia, Jorge de
Alvarado, and the whole of the veteran Conquistadores then staying in
that city. When they thought their party was sufficiently numerous, they
came forth with their commissions, and maintained that they alone were
the real governors, and that neither the treasurer nor accountant ought
to have any share in it whatever. This created terrible factions in the
city, which ended in a regular battle, and many were killed on both
sides.
The factor and the veedor, in the end, gained the upper hand, and cast
their two opponents, with several of their adherents, into prison. But
the opposite party was not put down by this, and not a day passed
without a conflict between the two, while the inhabitants became
continually more embittered against the new governors, who distributed
the Indians among their creatures and other worthless fellows. Nor was
it long before the triumphant party fell out among themselves. The
licentiate Zuazo was obstructed, in every way, in the exercise of his
office, and Rodrigo de Paz was even thrown into prison for siding with
him. The latter had done all in his power to bring about a
reconciliation between the four claimants to the governorship, in which
he had fortunately succeeded; but this harmony was of no longer duration
than eight days, when hostilities again burst out between them.
About this time, also, the provinces of the Zapotecs and Minxes, besides
the extensive and well-fortified township of Coatlan, again revolted,
and the veedor Chirinos marched against them in person, at the head of
some Spanish soldiers, all of whom had but recently arrived from Spain,
and were, consequently, little accustomed to Indian warfare. This
campaign put the royal treasury to vast expense, although nothing but
debauchery and gambling went on in the camp; while the veedor put the
money into his own pocket which he ought to have given the Indians, in
exchange for their provisions. The inhabitants of Coatlan, finding the
Spaniards little upon their guard, fell suddenly upon their encampment
one night, killed a number of the men, and wounded a great many more.
The factor, upon this, despatched one of Cortes' officers, Andreas de
Monjaraz, who was a close adherent of his, to the assistance of his
associate in office; but Monjaraz's aid was of very little use, as he
was suffering severely from virulent swellings in his groins, so that he
was scarcely able to move about. The Indians were each time victorious,
and it was greatly feared the Mexicans themselves would rise up in arms.
Notwithstanding all these unfavorable circumstances, the factor was very
diligent in accomplishing his main object, which was, to forward his
majesty, and the comendador-mayor of Leon, Don Francisco de las Cobas,
as much gold as he could possibly scrape together, to gain their good
wishes, particularly as about that time the rumour was fast spreading
that Cortes and the whole of us had been cut off by the Indians in a
township called Xicalango.
During these troubles, Diego de Ordas, whom Cortes had despatched to
Spain, returned to Mexico, and had been, as I have above related, highly
honoured by his majesty. When he saw the party-spirit which was raging,
and that a total anarchy must soon follow, he united himself closely to
the factor, and declared that he would repair in person to the coast of
Honduras, to gain some certain information with regard to the fate of
Cortes. He actually fitted out a large vessel and a brigantine, and
sailed along the coast until he arrived at Xicalango, where, as I have
mentioned in a former chapter, Simon de Cuenca and Francisco de Medina
perished, with all their men. The accounts which Ordas could gather here
went to confirm all that had been rumoured respecting our total
destruction. He therefore returned to New Spain, and wrote word to the
factor, without going on shore, that there was now no doubt of Cortes
having perished, with all who accompanied him on the expedition. After
despatching this letter to Mexico, he immediately set sail for Cuba, in
order to purchase cows and horses there.
The factor, on receiving this intelligence from de Ordas, made it known
to every one, and subsequently the whole of Cortes' old soldiers and
friends put on mourning, and even a tomb was erected to his memory in
the chief church of Mexico. The factor then, under sound of trumpet and
drum, had himself proclaimed governor and captain-general of New Spain.
His next step was, to order the wives of those who were supposed to have
perished with Cortes to pray for their late husbands' souls, and to form
new marriages, all of which was likewise made known in Guacasualco and
other townships. He even went so far as to order the wife of a certain
Alonso Valiente to be publicly scourged for a witch through the streets
of Mexico, for having declared her determination not to marry again, as
she was sure that Cortes and the whole of us were still alive, and that
we should shortly make our appearance, for we, the veteran
Conquistadores, said she, were a very different kind of soldiers to
those who marched out under the veedor to Coatlan, against whom the
Indians made war, not they against the Indians. The veedor was soon
surrounded by a vile set of flatterers, who supported him in all his
measures; and one Spaniard, whom we had always considered to be a man of
honour, but whose name I will refrain from mentioning, had the
shamelessness to assure the factor, in presence of several persons, that
as he was one night passing over the Tlatelulco, near the church of
Santiago, where the great temple of Huitzilopochtli once stood, he had
seen the souls of Cortes, Dona Marina, and Sandoval burning in livid
flames in a courtyard near this church. This had frightened him to such
a degree, he added, that he fell ill in consequence.
There was also another Spaniard, whose name I will suppress, because we
had always greatly esteemed him, who related a similar circumstance,
telling the factor that evil spirits were seen flitting up and down the
great squares of Tezcuco, which the Indians said, were the departed
souls of Cortes and Dona Marina. But all these were of course infamous
lies, merely invented to flatter the factor, or most likely he had
promulgated them himself.
About this time Francisco de las Casas and Gil Gonsalez de Avila arrived
in Mexico, the officers who, we saw in a former chapter, ordered
Christobal de Oli to be decapitated at Naco. Las Casas, seeing the
disordered state of the government, and that the factor had proclaimed
himself governor of New Spain, publicly declared that the conduct which
had been pursued was bad, and that nothing of all this ought to have
been permitted, as Cortes was still alive. But even if he had perished,
which God forbid, the government ought to have devolved upon a person of
higher rank than the factor, a cavalier of distinction and merit; for
instance, on Pedro de Alvarado, whom, he maintained, ought to be called
to take the government into his hands. The latter's brother, indeed, and
even the treasurer, besides several other of the inhabitants of Mexico,
actually wrote to that officer, requesting him to march, without delay,
to this town, at the head of as large a body of troops as he could
possibly get together, and they would assist him in getting him
proclaimed governor, until some certainty was obtained respecting the
fate of Cortes, and his majesty's pleasure was known as to whom his
successor should be. In consequence of this letter, Alvarado set out on
his march to Mexico, but on the road he changed his mind and returned
to his province, when he heard that the factor threatened to put him to
death, and had already hung Rodrigo de Paz, and cast the licentiate
Zuazo into prison.
The factor had, shortly beforehand, scraped together as much gold as he
possibly could, which he intended forwarding, with secret despatches, to
his majesty in Spain, through his most confidential friend, a certain
Pennas. This was opposed by Las Casas, the licentiate Zuazo, Rodrigo de
Paz, the treasurer, and the accountant, who maintained that it was wrong
to announce Cortes' death to his majesty before they had gained some
certainty as to his fate; but they had no objection to forward the
emperor all the gold arising from the royal fifths; only this should be
done in common, and with the consent of the treasurer and of the
accountant, and not in the factor's name alone. As this gold was put on
board a vessel which was about to set sail for Spain, Las Casas, by
authority of the alcalde-mayor Zuazo, and in understanding with Rodrigo
de Paz and the other crown officers, repaired to the sea coast, in order
to detain the vessel until they should all have drawn up a faithful
account of the state of affairs in New Spain, and to despatch it to his
majesty by this same opportunity. As it was of the first importance to
the factor to prevent this if he wished to further his own ends, he
ordered Las Casas and the licentiate Zuazo to be imprisoned. He then
instituted a criminal suit against Las Casas and Gonsalez de Avila for
the execution of Christobal de Oli, when both were found guilty, and
sentenced to decapitation, which was very nigh being put into execution;
but they succeeded, by the utmost of their exertions, in obtaining an
appeal to his majesty. The factor, consequently, sent them prisoners to
Spain, and, to rid himself of Zuazo, he sent him on a mule to Vera Cruz,
where he ordered him to be put on board a vessel bound for Cuba, which
the factor maintained was his proper place of abode, as he had
previously filled the office of judge in that island. But the
unfortunate Rodrigo de Paz fared worse than all; him he cast into irons,
and wished to extort from him where Cortes' gold and silver lay hid,
which he must know, as he was the latter's major-domo. This treasure, he
said, he was desirous of forwarding to his majesty, whom Cortes had
secretly robbed of it; but as Rodrigo de Paz (against all probability
however) declared he knew nothing of any such treasure, the factor put
him to the torture by pouring boiling oil over the soles of his feet;
and after he had exhausted his strength by this, as well as by keeping
him in close confinement, he at length hung him for a rebel, in order to
put it out of his power of ever bringing any accusations against him for
so much ill-treatment. The factor at the same time issued orders for
the apprehension of the greater part of the soldiers and inhabitants of
Mexico who had remained true to Cortes. These persons, seeing the storm
that was brooding over them, retired with Jorge de Alvarado and Andreas
de Tapia into the cloister of the Franciscans, as their party was too
weak to bid defiance to the factor, and most of the veteran
Conquistadores were with Cortes in the Honduras, and a great number had
closely allied themselves to the factor, who had gained them over to his
side by bestowing lucrative commendaries on them. But as the factor
still feared the inhabitants of Mexico might each moment rise up in arms
against him, and a desperate conflict ensue, he ordered all the arms to
be taken out of the arsenal, and had them brought into his palace, in
front of which he mounted all the cannon of the fortress, and those
which served for the protection of the harbour. The chief command of
this park of artillery he gave to Don Luis de Guzman, a relative of the
duke of Medina Sidonia. In the same way he formed a body guard, in which
were found the names of Gines Nortes, Pedro Gonsalez Sabiote, and others
of Cortes' soldiers. A certain Artiaga he appointed captain of this
guard.
Zuazo advised our general to use the utmost circumspection, in case he
should repair in person to New Spain, as other things had happened even
of a worse nature; for instance, the factor had written to acquaint his
majesty that a stamp had been found in Cortes' bureau, with which he was
accustomed to mark the gold that was secretly brought to him by the
Indians, thereby to avoid paying the royal fifth.
In order that Cortes might form some notion as to how matters stood in
Mexico, he (Zuazo) would give him the following instance: One of the
Spanish inhabitants of Guacasualco had come to Mexico, to apply for some
property, which had become vacant by the death of one of the settlers
there. In Mexico he happened to lodge with a Spanish woman, who had
married a second time, on the supposition that her former husband had
perished with Cortes; he reproached her for having married again, and
assured her that Cortes and the whole of us were still alive. All this
was reported to the factor, who instantly despatched four alguacils to
bind him hand and foot, in which way he was dragged to prison. He would
even have hung him for creating sedition, but the poor fellow, whose
name was Gonsalo Hernandez, swore that he had only said it to console
the woman, for she still bitterly mourned the loss of her husband. He
further said, that he was quite sure we were all cut off to a man by the
Indians, for he had received positive information of it. This confession
of Hernandez made all right again; he obtained the property for which
he had petitioned, but was ordered to quit Mexico forthwith, and
assured that, if he ever again mentioned a word about Cortes being
alive, he would, undoubtedly, be put to death.
Zuazo also communicated the mournful death of the excellent father
Olmedo, who died shortly after Cortes' departure from Mexico; the whole
of the inhabitants of which city had shed tears for the loss of this
holy man. He was buried in the church of Santiago, and the Indians
fasted from the day of his decease up to the moment of his funeral. The
Franciscan monks held a beautiful funeral oration over his body, in
which they enumerated all his great virtues, and said that the emperor
was as much indebted to him as to us, the veteran Conquistadores, for
the conquest of New Spain; but the still greater praise was due to him
for giving the Indians a knowledge of God, and for having opened to them
the gates of heaven. They knew, these Franciscans said, that he alone
had baptized above 2500 Indians; that the good he had done by his advice
and kindness was endless; and that he had been a father to the poor. In
short, concluded Zuazo, all is lost in Mexico; and thus matters stood,
when I was thrown on the back of a mule, and sent in chains to the place
whence I date my letter.
When Cortes had finished reading this letter to us, our grief and
vexation were without bounds; nor did we spare our abuse of him who, in
addition to the many hardships and fatigues we suffered, had also
brought this calamity upon us. We vented a thousand curses upon Cortes,
as well as upon the factor, and every one expressed his sentiments
aloud, without any reserve. But Cortes himself could not refrain from
shedding tears. He again shut himself up for half a day with the letter,
and would not allow any one to come near him. When he made his
reappearance, we unanimously proposed to him immediately to embark with
the three vessels which lay in the harbour for New Spain. To this he
replied, in the most affectionate manner, as follows: "O! my sons and
companions, with so worthless a character as the factor a person must be
particularly on his guard. This man has at present the government in his
own hands, and is villain enough, if he should get us into his power, to
put us all to death. Wherefore I intend, with God's assistance, to
embark with no more than four or five of you gentlemen, and to land in
some harbour where my arrival will not be immediately known in Mexico;
not, until we are enabled to march with a considerable force into this
metropolis: besides which, Sandoval is with too small a body of troops
in Naco for you all to leave him; wherefore you, Luis Marin, must again
join him with your small detachment, and desire him to commence his
march as speedily as possible through the province of Guatimala to
Mexico."
Our general then wrote to the captain Francisco Hernandez, who was
staying at Nicaragua, offering to promote his interests to the utmost of
his power, and sent him two mules laden with horseshoes, of which he
knew he was in great want; a quantity of agricultural implements,
several splendid articles of dress, and four pieces of beautiful plate,
besides several golden ornaments. With these things a certain Cabrera,
one of the five men of Garro's troops, who had accompanied us to
Truxillo, was despatched to the camp of Hernandez. This Cabrera was a
hidalgo by birth, and a native of Old Castile, an officer of great
courage and muscular power, who subsequently gained so much renown as
captain under Benalcazar. He became quartermaster-general of Blasco
Nunez Vela, and fell in the same battle with the viceroy.
When I found that Cortes was determined to proceed to New Spain by
water, I earnestly begged he would allow me to accompany him, and
desired him to remember that, in all the dangers he had undergone, and
in the battles he had fought, I never had flinched from his side; how
faithfully I had always cooperated with him to accomplish his objects;
and that now he had an opportunity of showing me he valued the services
I had rendered to him. When I had done speaking, Cortes gave me a hearty
embrace, and said, "If I take you along with me, my son, who will be
with Sandoval? I therefore beg of you to remain with your friend, and I
swear to you by my beard that I will reward you for it, and believe me I
shall never forget the services you have rendered me." In short, all I
might say was to no purpose; he would not allow me to accompany him.
While we were still lying in Truxillo, a cavalier, named Rodrigo
Mannueca, wished by some means or other to enliven Cortes, who was
exceedingly downcast, and certainly required something to rouse his
spirits; for which purpose he, with several other cavaliers, clambered
suddenly, in full armour, to the top of a house, which the Indians had
recently built; but this bit of fun terminated fatally for Mannueca. The
house stood upon a hill of considerable height, and poor Mannueca fell
through the roof, broke his ribs, and died shortly after of the
consequences.
Another circumstance likewise caused our general much grief, which was,
that several of the cavaliers of the town, being dissatisfied with the
appointments he had given them, boldly refused to obey him, and he could
only succeed in quieting them by promising that they should accompany
him to Mexico, when he would bestow honorable appointments on them all.
He then desired Diego de Godoy, whom he had appointed commandant of
Puerto de Caballos, to repair to Naco with those of the inhabitants, who
were suffering from ill health, and unable to live any longer in the
former place, on account of the innumerable swarms of moschitoes and
flies. The rest of us, under command of Luis Marin, were to take our
route overland to Mexico, and, if possible, to march through the
province of Nicaragua, the government of which our general meant to
petition his majesty to join to that of New Spain.
We then took leave of Cortes, just as he was about embarking for Mexico,
and we marched in a direct line for Naco, in the best spirits, because
we were now on our return to New Spain. After suffering a great deal of
fatigue and hunger, we arrived safely in Naco, to the great joy of
Sandoval. Pedro de Garro had already left, with the whole of his men for
Nicaragua, to inform his captain, Francisco Hernandez, of the
arrangements he had made with Sandoval; neither did we lose a moment's
time, but broke up our quarters for Mexico the morning after we arrived
in Naco.
I will not tire the reader by relating to him what happened to us on
this long march, but rather acquaint him with the unfortunate end of
Francisco Hernandez.