_How Cortes despatches one of his servants, named Martin de Orantes
to Mexico, with letters to Francisco de las Casas and Pedro de
Alvarado, in which he empowers them to take upon themselves the
chief government of New Spain; but in case they were absent he
conferred the same power on Estrada and Albornoz._
As Cortes could not be persuaded to embark in person for New Spain, but
was determined to continue the colonization of the country about
Truxillo, although he could do no more than he had done, Sandoval and he
at length agreed to despatch to Mexico one of the officers of his
household, named Martin de Orantes, a remarkably shrewd and clever man,
who might have been intrusted with business of the greatest importance.
This Orantes was furnished with papers by Cortes, in which he gave Pedro
de Alvarado and Francisco de las Casas, if they were in Mexico, full
power to take upon themselves the chief government of New Spain until
Cortes' return thither. If, however, they were not staying there, then
he conferred this power on the treasurer Alonso de Estrada, and the
accountant Albornoz. Cortes, at the same time, deprived the factor and
veedor of any share in the government, and wrote very friendly letters
both to Estrada and Albornoz, although he was well aware how the latter
had calumniated him to his majesty. He likewise sent letters to all
those of the Conquistadores whom he knew favoured his party. Orantes
himself took the chief command of the vessel which was to convey him,
and he was instructed to run into a certain bay which lay between Vera
Cruz and Panuco. No one was to go on shore but Orantes, and the vessel
was instantly to return when he had landed, to which the pilot and
sailors were bound down by a solemn oath, and richly remunerated, that
they might not be induced to break it.
The best of the three vessels lying in the harbour was fitted out for
this purpose, and after Orantes, with all the crew had attended mass, he
set sail with a favorable wind. The Almighty prospered this voyage so
greatly that the vessel arrived in the bay determined upon, and Orantes,
according to his instructions, immediately disembarked. After he had
offered up his prayers to Heaven for his safe arrival, he disguised
himself in the dress of a labourer, and so set out on foot for Mexico.
He had taken the great precaution to conceal his papers next to his
skin, and as he was an excellent pedestrian he soon reached some Indian
townships, where also a few Spaniards were staying, whom he avoided as
much as he possibly could, that he might not be recognized by them. Now
and then, indeed, he could not help coming up with a Spaniard, yet they
did not recognize him, as he had been absent for two years and three
months, in which time he had allowed his beard to grow. If any one asked
him who he was and whence he came, he told them, that his name was Juan
de Flechilla, and that he was a poor labourer. By this means he passed
through the country without being recognized, and he made so much haste
that he arrived in Mexico on the fourth day after landing. It was in the
night-time he entered the town, and he instantly repaired to the
cloister of the Franciscans, where he found a considerable number of
Cortes' friends, who had sought refuge there from the factor's
persecutions. Of these the principal personages were Jorge de Alvarado,
Andreas de Tapia, Juan Nunez de Mercado, Pedro Moreno Medrano, and
several other of the veteran Conquistadores.
As soon as these men recognized Orantes, and learnt from him that Cortes
was alive and had despatched him with letters to them, they were almost
overcome with joy, and jumped about the room as if they had been out of
their senses. Even the Franciscan monks themselves, with brother Toribio
Motolinia, and brother Domingo Altamirano, danced about the room with
delight, and offered up fervent thanks to God for this good news. All
the doors of the cloister were immediately fastened and no one allowed
egress, as there were several persons among them who were not to be
trusted. About the hour of midnight the treasurer Estrada and the
accountant Albornoz were sent for, besides several other of Cortes'
adherents, the whole of whom hastened to the cloister in all secrecy.
The commissions which Orantes had brought were read aloud, and all
present were unanimously of opinion that their first step must be to
seize the factor's person. The whole night was spent in deliberations
and letting into the secret those in whom they could place confidence;
the necessary arms were got in readiness, and early in the morning a
sudden attack was to be made upon the factor's palace. Fortunately, the
veedor was still stationed with the troops in Coatlan, so that they had
not much opposition to fear. As soon as daylight appeared the whole of
Cortes' adherents sallied forth in a body from the cloister, accompanied
by Orantes, that every one might see him, and they hastened off to the
factor's abode, under the cry of: "_Long live the emperor, and in his
imperial name Hernando Cortes, who is still alive and will shortly
arrive in person! I, his servant Orantes, have come to announce his
approach._"
The inhabitants, hearing this sudden alarm so early in the morning, flew
as usual to arms, imagining their aid was required in the name of his
majesty; and scarcely had they recognized Orantes, and heard that Cortes
was alive, when they joined Estrada in great numbers. The accountant
Albornoz, however, though Cortes had appointed him joint governor with
the former, evinced very little zeal in this matter; the steps which had
been taken did not seem to meet with his approbation, and he expressed
himself in so dubious a manner that Estrada was obliged to put him in
mind of a few circumstances which soon brought him to his proper senses.
When they approached the dwelling of the factor, they found him quite on
his guard, for he had been secretly informed by the accountant Albornoz
of what was going to happen. The park of artillery, under the command
of Don Luis de Guzman, a nephew of the duke of Medina Sidonia, was ready
loaded, and the factor's body-guard, commanded by the captain Artiaga,
Gines Nortes, and Pedro Gonsalez, stood ready drawn out to defend any
attack upon the palace. But Jorge de Alvarado and the confederates were
not to be daunted by this, and forced their way into the palace, from
different sides, some even clambered to the top of the roof and forced
an entrance that way. The cannons were certainly fired off against them,
but the captain of the artillery, Guzman, fired in one direction and the
artillerymen in another; Artiaga, captain of the guards, concealed
himself, and Gines Nortes took to his heels. At last the factor had no
one about his person but Pedro Sabiote, and four of his servants.
Finding his men had thus deserted him, he seized a match in order to
fire the cannon himself; but the confederates rushed so suddenly upon
him that he was obliged to surrender himself prisoner. For the moment a
strong guard was put over him, until a cage was constructed of heavy
beams, in which he was then securely fastened.
Thus ended the power of this man, and couriers were despatched in all
haste to every town in New Spain, to spread the news. This change was
hailed by some, but others again, on whom the factor had bestowed
commendaries, seemed anything but pleased; and when intelligence of the
factor's overthrow reached the camps at Coatlan and Oaxaca, the veedor
was so excessively alarmed at the bad news that he fell ill, conferred
the chief command of the troops on Monjaraz, who was suffering
dreadfully from disease of the groins, and he actually sought refuge in
the Franciscan cloister at Tezcuco. By this time, however, the new
governors had despatched a number of Alguacils in search of him; when,
therefore, they learnt whither he had flown, they entered the cloister
without any ceremony, and carried him off prisoner to Mexico, where he
was locked up in a similar cage to that which the factor inhabited.
Upon this, couriers were sent to Guatimala, to inform Alvarado of the
fall of the factor and veedor. As the province he was then staying in
was not very distant from Truxillo, the confederates also conveyed to
him their letters to Cortes, containing an account as to how the whole
affair had been managed, and that it was necessary for him to repair to
Mexico in all haste. With these letters Alvarado was requested to set
off in person for Truxillo, and when there he was to urge Cortes to
leave without any further delay. The first thing which Estrada did was
to restore Juana de Mansilla to honour, whom, it will be remembered, the
factor had whipped for a witch through the streets of Mexico. The
following was the method which Estrada adopted to honour this injured
woman; the whole of the cavaliers were ordered to mount their horses, he
himself placing Juana Mansilla on his saddle behind him, and in this
way, at the head of the cavalcade, he paraded every street of the city.
"This woman," he said, "had behaved like the Roman matrons of old,
wherefore the insult which had been offered to her person by the factor,
should now be made to exalt her in the estimation of all honest men."
And, indeed, she could not be too highly honoured for the praiseworthy
conduct she had pursued, and ever after she was addressed as Dona Juana
de Mansilla. The factor could not induce her to form a second marriage,
and, notwithstanding all his persecution, she had steadfastly maintained
that her husband and all of us were still alive.