_Of the stature and outward person of several brave officers and
soldiers, and of their age when they first joined Cortes._
Of the marquis Don Hernando Cortes and of Christobal de Oli, I have
spoken in former chapters. I will therefore now commence with Don Pedro
de Alvarado.
This officer was comendador of the order of Santiago, chief-justice and
governor of Guatimala, the coast of the Honduras, and of Chiapa. He may
have been about thirty-four years of age when he came with us to New
Spain. His build was both beautiful and strong; his countenance was all
cheerfulness, and his eye had a remarkably sweet expression. It was on
account of his pleasant looks that the Mexicans called him Tonatio, or
the sun. He was of a slender figure, a splendid horseman, open and
agreeable in conversation, and remarkably neat in his dress, which was
always of the richest stuffs. He usually wore a small gold chain about
his neck, to which was suspended a fine jewel, and on one of his fingers
a diamond ring.
The chief justice and governor of Yucatan, Montejo, was of middling
stature, had a pleasant-looking countenance, was a good horseman, and
much addicted to all kinds of pleasures. He was about thirty-five years
of age when he came to New Spain, but was rather a man of business than
a soldier. He was generous of disposition, but lived beyond his income.
Gonzalo de Sandoval was a man of extraordinary courage and of heroic
valour. He was twenty-two years of age when he joined us, soon became
alguacil-mayor of New Spain, and was, for the space of eleven months,
joint governor with Alonso de Estrada. The frame of his body was of the
most beautiful proportions, and gave to the beholder the full expression
of muscular power; his chest was finely developed, his shoulders broad,
and his legs rather bowed. He had a large face, his hair and beard were
of an auburn colour, and curled as it was then the fashion. His voice
was rough and unpleasant, and he had a slight lisp. He knew no more of
the arts and sciences than he required, was not in the least avaricious,
and never took more than his rightful share. He was fond of seeing
soldiers act strictly up to their commands, but favoured and assisted
them in every possible manner. He was not a man who put on rich
garments, but dressed simply like a good soldier. His was the finest and
best rode horse of the whole troop; and a more splendid animal,
according to general opinion, was even not to be found in Spain. It was
of a chesnut colour, had a white star on the forehead, and one of the
left legs was white. This horse was called Motilla, and its excellence
has become a proverb; for when any one wants to praise a horse, he says,
It is as good as the Motilla. It was of this officer that Cortes said to
the emperor, that there was a captain among his troops who was never
surpassed in courage and determination, and who was fit to command the
largest armies. He was a native of Medellin, a hidalgo, and his father
had been alcalde of a fortress.
Juan Velasquez de Leon, of Old Castile, may have been about twenty-six
years of age when he joined our ranks. His limbs were straight and
beautifully formed; his chest and shoulders were broad, and he was
altogether a powerful man. His face was full, and he used to dye his
curly beard. His voice was harsh and unpleasant, and he stuttered a
little. He was uncommonly courageous, agreeable in conversation, and
shared his last farthing with his comrades. It was said of him that he
had killed a wealthy and distinguished cavalier at Hispaniola named
Basaltas, for which he was obliged to flee: the royal court of audience
indeed despatched alguacils to apprehend him, but he defended himself so
bravely against them that he escaped to Cuba and thence to New Spain. He
was a splendid horseman, but fought equally well on foot as on
horseback.
Diego de Ordas, a native of Campas, was forty years of age when he came
to New Spain. He was a capital officer with the sword and buckler, but
did not excel as a cavalry soldier. He was equal to any one in foresight
and courage. He was rather tall and strong of limb; his face carried
with it the very expression of muscular power; his beard was thin and
black. He stuttered a little, and many words he could not pronounce
plainly; but he was open and agreeable in conversation.
The captain Luis Marin was a well-built, powerful, and courageous man.
His legs were rather bowed; his beard of a ruddy hue; his face broad,
rather pitted with the smallpox, but cheerful. He was thirty years of
age when he came to New Spain, was a native of San Lucar, and he lisped
a little like the inhabitants of Seville. He was an excellent horseman
and an agreeable companion.
The captain Pedro de Ircio was of middling stature, had short legs, but
a pleasant-looking countenance. His tongue was never silent, and he was
always relating his stories of Don Pedro Giron and of the earl of Urena.
He was more bold in word than in deed; we therefore called him the
Agramant of many words and few works.
Alonso de Avila was thirty-three years of age when we arrived in New
Spain. He was of good stature, had a cheerful countenance, was
remarkably courageous, and eloquent and persuasive in argument. He was
very open-hearted towards his comrades, but rather imperious, jealous,
and turbulent, for which reason Cortes despatched him with Quinones to
Spain to present part of the treasure of Motecusuma and Quauhtemoctzin
to his majesty, but he was captured by a French corsair, and imprisoned
in France. Several years after he again returned to New Spain. He was
uncle to the two sons of Gil Gonsalez de Benavides, who were decapitated
in Mexico.
Andreas de Monjaraz, who had a command during the siege of Mexico, was a
man of good stature; he had a cheerful countenance, black beard, and was
an agreeable companion. He was always suffering with painful swellings
in his groins, which was the reason he never accomplished anything
worthy of mention, and I have merely noticed him here because he was
once put in command. He was about thirty years of age when he came to
New Spain.
Here I must not forget to mention the very brave soldier Christobal de
Olea, a native of Medina del Campo. He was twenty-six years of age when
he joined our ranks. He was of middling stature; his limbs were strong
and beautifully proportioned; his chest and shoulders broad; his face
was full and cheerful; his hair and beard curly, his voice strong and
clear.
Neither must I forget to mention Gonzalo Dominiguez and Larez, who were
considered equal in courage to Olea. Both were strong of limb, well
proportioned, had agreeable countenances, and were men of excellent
dispositions; in short, they may be considered among the bravest
soldiers Spain ever possessed.
Andreas de Tapia was also a courageous officer, and was about
twenty-four years of age when he joined us. He had rather an unpleasant
expression of countenance, which was of a leaden colour; his beard was
thin, but his figure was stately. He was both a capital horse and foot
soldier.
I should be going too much into detail if I were to describe the
countenances and figures of all the officers and soldiers who fought
with Cortes. We were all men of courage and distinction, and we have
deserved that our names should be written in letters of gold. I must
also pass by in silence many brave officers of Narvaez's corps; for I
intended from the beginning to confine myself to the heroic deeds of the
small army which first set out for New Spain with Cortes. I must,
however, make an exception in the person of Pamfilo Narvaez.
This officer may have been about forty-two years of age when he arrived
in New Spain with an army of 1300 men, which was totally defeated by our
small body of 266 men. He was tall of stature, strong of limb; his beard
was red; his face large but cheerful. His voice was amazingly powerful,
and sounded as if it proceeded from a vault. He was a capital horseman,
and was said to be an officer of great courage. He was a native of
Tudela or Valladolid, on the Duero, and was married to a lady of rank
named Maria de Valenzuela. He had settled in Cuba; was considered very
rich, but miserly. He was an excellent spokesman, and obtained for
himself the government of Florida, where, however, he lost both his life
and his property.
Several curious cavaliers who had read the minute description I have
here given respecting the persons and the characters of the officers and
soldiers of the courageous and fortunate Don Hernando Cortes, marquis
del Valle Oaxaca, inquired of me in astonishment how I could remember
all these little particulars after so many years had rolled by. I told
them it was no great wonder at all when they reflected that we were only
550 men altogether, who daily came in contact with each other in the
numerous campaigns, battles, skirmishes, and at the outposts. We were
constantly in conversation with each other, and in this way it soon
became known what happened to every individual, in what battles he fell,
or whether he was captured by the Indians and sacrificed to their idols:
besides which, a list of the killed was taken after every engagement.
Nor can I see anything so very wonderful in all this; for we read in
ancient times of generals who knew every soldier personally, his name
and birthplace, though these armies were generally composed of 30,000
men. Historians have mentioned as instances of this, Mithridates, king
of Pontus, of one of the kings of Epirus, and of Alexander of Macedonia.
The renowned Carthaginian general Hannibal is also said to have known
every one of his soldiers personally. In our times we know this of
Gonzalo Hernandez de Cordoba, called the "great captain." Besides these
there are many other generals who possessed the same powerful memory.
But I go further than this, for I perfectly retain in my memory the
outward person and peculiar habits of every one of my companions in
arms, so that I should be able to sculpture or draw the very form of
their bodies, their manner of holding themselves, and the exact
expression of their countenances, as well as is mentioned of Apelles,
the celebrated painter of old, or in later times of Berruguete, Michael
Angelo, or the far-famed Burgales, who is termed the second Apelles.
Indeed I should very much like to paint each of them according to life,
with the full expression of courage which sat on their countenances the
moment they rushed into battle!
Thanks be to God and the blessed Virgin who saved me from being
sacrificed to the idols, and from so many perils, and thereby rendered
it possible for me to write this history!