_How the treasurer, with several other cavaliers, requested the
Franciscan monks to despatch father Diego de Altamirano, a relation
of Cortes, to Truxillo, to desire our general to hasten his
departure for Mexico._
The treasurer and other cavaliers of Cortes' party soon saw how
necessary it was that our general should lose no time in repairing to
New Spain, for a strong party was already forming against him, which
might become the more formidable, as no reliance was to be placed on
Albornoz. This man had, from the very commencement, greatly disapproved
of the imprisonment of the factor and veedor: his principal reason for
which was, that he feared Cortes might have received intelligence of the
infamous manner in which he had calumniated him in secret letters to the
emperor. Cortes' party, therefore, considered there was not a moment to
be lost, and begged of the Franciscan monks to despatch father Diego de
Altamirano to Truxillo, for which purpose they had already fitted out a
vessel, manned with the best sailors. They had purposely made choice of
father Diego, from his being related to Cortes, and because he had
formerly been a soldier, and was altogether a man of business-like
habits. Altamirano readily undertook to fulfil this commission, and the
other brothers gave their immediate consent to his departure.
Matters were now daily gaining a more unfavorable aspect in Mexico. The
accountant Albornoz, as I have already stated, bore a dubious character,
and was very adverse to the recent change; besides which, the factor
himself had still a number of adherents among the more turbulent
spirits, whose friendship he had gained with gold and lucrative
commendaries. These personages, therefore, secretly conspired with
several other men of distinction, to murder the treasurer, with the
whole of his party, and to liberate the factor and veedor from their
cages. When the accountant was let into this secret, it is said, he was
excessively delighted.
The conspirators commenced their operations by enlisting among their
number a locksmith, named Guzman, a very poor fellow, but much addicted
to low wit. They first made him take an oath of secrecy, and then
commissioned him to construct a key to open the cages in which the
factor and veedor were imprisoned, and to ensure his fidelity they gave
him a large piece of gold. This man declared he was ready to serve them
as much as lay in his power, and appeared the more eager to do so the
more they assured him of the importance of his services, and the more he
became acquainted with the extent of the conspiracy. He made every
appearance as if he wished nothing more sincerely than the liberation of
the factor and veedor, and inquired the names and number of the
conspirators, with the day and hour they intended to rise up in arms.
After he had gained sufficient information of every circumstance he
commenced making a key according to the impression they had given him,
but purposely constructed it in such a manner as not to open the lock,
that the conspirators might return with it to him. As in this way they
came several times backwards and forwards to his shop, he continually
gained further information respecting their plans. When the whole of the
conspirators stood ready armed, merely awaiting his key to commence the
murderous attack, the locksmith hastened to Estrada and discovered the
whole plot to him.
The treasurer, without saying a word to Albornoz, instantly assembled
the whole of Cortes' party, and repaired at their head to the house
where the conspirators had met for the purpose of sallying out in a body
at a preconcerted signal. Twenty of their number were soon seized, but
the rest saved themselves by a precipitate flight. The prisoners were
instantly put upon their trial, when it was clearly proved that they
contemplated murdering the treasurer and liberating the factor and
veedor. It was also discovered that Albornoz was cognisant of the
conspiracy, and that three or four very dangerous and rebellious fellows
were concerned in it, who had performed a conspicuous part in all the
disorders that had taken place in Mexico during Cortes' absence, one of
whom had even insulted a Spanish lady in the grossest manner. A
criminal suit was soon after instituted against these latter personages
by the bachelor Ortega, alcalde-mayor of Mexico. The whole of them were
found guilty of sedition, three were sentenced to be hung, and several
of the other conspirators to be scourged. Those sentenced to the gallows
were Pastrana, Valverde, and Escobar; the names of the others I have
forgotten.
As for the locksmith, he durst not venture out of doors for several
days; fearing the partisans of the factor would assassinate him in
revenge for having betrayed the secret.
Although it may be thought rather out of place here, I must observe that
the factor had indeed despatched to Spain the vessel, mentioned in a
former chapter, with the gold which he had collected for his majesty. In
his despatches he stated Cortes' death as a fact of which there was not
the slightest doubt; he then went on to magnify the great confidence
which all parties placed in him (the factor); and he concluded by
petitioning his majesty to confer the appointment of governor on him.
However, by this same vessel, other letters were secretly forwarded to
his majesty, in which his majesty was duly apprized of every
circumstance that had transpired in New Spain, with a full account of
the tyrannical and cruel government of the factor. His majesty was also
at the same time informed by the royal court of audience at St. Domingo
and the Hieronymite brotherhood that Cortes was alive and busily
occupied in subduing and colonizing the country along the coast of the
Honduras. When, therefore, the council of the Indies and the
comendador-mayor of Leon communicated with his majesty on the affairs of
New Spain, it is said that the emperor expressed himself as follows:
"The people of New Spain have done very wrong indeed in rising up
against Cortes, and have greatly injured the true interests of the
crown; but as Cortes is still alive, I trust that, on his return to
Mexico, he will severely punish the villains who have caused so much
disorder."
I must now return to father Altamirano, who set sail from Vera Cruz, and
arrived, after a most favorable passage of two days, in Truxillo. As
soon as the inhabitants of this town observed a large vessel in the
horizon, they immediately concluded it came from New Spain to convey our
general thither. Altamirano, the instant he arrived in the harbour,
stepped on shore, with several others, and repaired to Cortes' abode,
who gave them all a most hearty welcome, and again recognized several of
them whom he had previously known in Mexico. The whole of them then went
to church to offer up their prayers to God.
On their return to Cortes' quarters, Altamirano minutely related every
circumstance that had taken place in Mexico during his absence. Our
general was sorely grieved at what he heard, and yet he returned fervent
thanks to the Almighty that matters were not worse, and that peace had
been restored to the city. He said, however, that he would return to New
Spain by land, as he was afraid of the sea, after having twice set sail,
and each time been obliged, by contrary winds and heavy currents, to put
back into the harbour; besides which, he thought he was in too weak a
state of health to bear the fatigues of a sea voyage. The pilots,
however, assured him that, being now the month of April, there was less
apprehension of boisterous winds, and the best of weather was to be
expected at this time of the year. By these representations Cortes was
induced to alter his determination, and he made up his mind to journey
thither by sea, but would postpone his departure until the return of
Sandoval, whom he had despatched with a detachment of troops to Olancho,
a distance of about 600 miles from the coast, to drive out of this
province a captain named Rojas, who had been sent out to explore the
gold mines of the country by Pedro Arias, after the latter had beheaded
Francisco Hernandez.
The Indians of Olancho had journeyed all the way to Truxillo to make
bitter complaints to Cortes of the Spaniards at Nicaragua, who, they
said, had fallen hostilely into their country, plundering them with
impunity, and carrying off their wives and daughters.
Sandoval, on this expedition, was only accompanied by sixty men, and, on
arriving in Olancho, at first was going to imprison Rojas, but several
cavaliers stepping in as mediators between the two captains, they came
to more amicable terms, and parted the best of friends, after Rojas had
presented Sandoval with one of his Indian pages. While the latter was
yet here, he received Cortes' letter, in which, after giving him a short
account of what had taken place in Mexico, he was desired immediately to
repair with his troops to Truxillo. No intelligence could have been more
welcome to Sandoval; and, after arranging matters with Rojas, he marched
with the utmost expedition towards the coast.
Cortes conferred upon Saavedra the chief command of the provinces about
Truxillo, and gave him particular instructions as to what he was to do.
He also wrote to Luis Marin and we others who were under his command,
informing us of the arrival of father Altamirano, and desiring us to
march forward to Guatimala. The captain Diego de Godoy, who had
previously commanded in Puerto de Caballos, was ordered to march with
his men into the province of Naco. The letters which were destined for
us, Cortes gave in charge to Saavedra, with instructions that they were
to be forwarded to us immediately; but, from sheer malice, he neglected
to do so, and they never came to hand. To return to my narrative; I must
not forget to mention that Cortes, previous to embarking, fell so
dangerously ill again that his life was actually despaired of, and the
last sacrament was administered to him; yet he had the good fortune to
recover this time also, and he set sail from Truxillo with a
considerable suite. He had the most beautiful weather all the way to the
Havannah, where he put in to await a more favorable wind for his passage
to New Spain. The inhabitants of the last-mentioned town were
exceedingly rejoiced at seeing him again, and he greatly recruited his
strength in this place. While here, he even received very satisfactory
accounts from Mexico, where the news of his speedy return had produced
this good effect, that the Indians of Coatlan called of their own
account upon the treasurer Estrada, and again submitted, on certain
conditions, as vassals of our emperor.