_Narrative of the Expedition of Cortes to Higueras_.
I have formerly mentioned the revolt of De Oli. Cortes was much distressed
on receiving this intelligence, and immediately sent off his relation,
Francisco de las Casas, with five ships and a hundred well appointed
soldiers, among whom were some of the veteran conquerors of Mexico, with
orders to reduce De Oli. Las Casas soon arrived at the bay of Triumpho de
la Cruz, where De Oli had established his head-quarters; and though Las
Casas hoisted a signal of peace, De Oli determined on resistance, and sent
a number of soldiers in two armed vessels to oppose Las Casas, who ordered
out his boats armed with swivels and musquetry to attack those belonging
to De Oli. In this affair Las Casas was successful, as he sunk one of the
vessels belonging to De Oli, killed four of his soldiers, and wounded a
great number. On this misfortune, and because a considerable number of his
soldiers were on a detached service in the inland country, for the purpose
of reducing a party of Spaniards under Gil Gonzalez de Avila, who was
employed in making conquests on the river Pechin, De Oli thought it
advisable to propose terms of peace to Las Casas, in hopes that his
detachment might return to his assistance. Las Casas unfortunately agreed
to treat, and remained at sea; partly for the purpose of finding some
better place of disembarkation, and partly induced by letters from the
friends of Cortes who were along with De Oli. That same night a heavy
storm arose, by which the vessels of Las Casas were driven on shore and
utterly lost, and above thirty of the soldiers perished. All the rest were
made prisoners two days afterwards, having been all that time on shore
without food, and almost perished with cold, as it was the season of
almost incessant rain. De Oli obliged all his prisoners to swear fidelity
to him against Cortes, and then released them all except Las Casas.
The party which he sent against De Avila returned about this time, having
been successful in their errand. Avila had gone with a party to reduce the
country about the _Golfe Dolce_, and had founded a settlement to which he
gave the name of _St Gil de buena vista_; and the troops sent against him,
after killing his nephew and eight of his soldiers, made himself and all
the rest prisoners. De Oli was now much elated by his success, in having
made two captains belonging to Cortes prisoners, and sent off a full
account of his exploits to his friend Velasquez. He afterwards marched up
the country to a place called Naco in a very populous district, which is
all now laid waste. While here, he sent off various detachments in
different directions, among which one was commanded by Briones, who had
first instigated him to revolt; bat Briones now revolted from him in his
turn, and marched off with all his men for New Spain. He was a seditious
fellow, who had on some former occasion had the lower part of his ears cut
off, which he used to say had been done for refusing to surrender in some
fortress or other. He was afterwards hanged at Guatimala for mutiny.
De Oli was personally brave but imprudent, and permitted Las Casas and
Avila to be at large, disdaining to be under any apprehensions from them;
but they concerted a plan with some of the soldiers for putting him to
death. Las Casas one day asked him, as if half in jest, for liberty to
return to Cortes; but De Oli said he was too happy to have the company of
so brave a man, and could not part with him. "Then" said Las Casas, "I
advise you to take care of me, for I shall kill you one of these days". De
Oli considered this as a joke, but measures were actually concerted for
the purpose; and one night after supper, when the servants and pages had
withdrawn to their own apartment, Las Casas, Avila, Juan de Mercado, and
some other soldiers attached to Cortes, suddenly drew out their penknives
and fell upon De Oli. Las Casas seized him by the beard, and made a cut at
his throat, and the rest gave him several wounds; but being strong and
active, he escaped from their hands, calling loudly to his people for
assistance, but they were all too busy at their suppers to hear him. He
then fled and concealed himself among some bushes, calling out for
assistance, and many of his people turned out for that purpose; but Las
Casas called upon them to rally on the side of the king and his general
Cortes, which after some hesitation they consented to. De Oli was made
prisoner by the two captains, who shortly afterwards sentenced him to be
beheaded, which was carried into execution in the town of Naco. He was a
brave man, but of no foresight, and thus paid with his life for following
evil counsels. He had received many favours from Cortes, having valuable
estates, and the commission of _Maestre de Campo_. His lady, Donna
Philippa de Aranja, was a Portuguese, by whom he had one daughter. Las
Casas and Avila now joined their troops together, and acted in concert as
captains under Cortes. Las Casas colonized Truzilo in New Estremadura.
Avila sent orders to his lieutenant in Buena Vista to remain in charge of
that establishment, promising to send him a reinforcement as soon as
possible, for which purpose he meant to go to Mexico.
Some months after the departure of Las Casas, Cortes became afraid of some
disaster, and repented that he had not gone himself on the expedition, and
now resolved to go himself, that he might examine the state of the country
and the mines it was said to contain. He left a good garrison in Mexico,
and appointed Alonzo de Estrada and Albornos, the treasurer and contador,
to carry on the government in his absence, with strict injunctions to pay
every attention to the interest of his majesty, and recommended to
Motolinca and Olmedo to labour incessantly in converting the natives. On
purpose to deprive the Mexicans of chiefs during his absence, he took
along with him Guatimotzin the late king of Mexico, the prince of Tacuba,
an Indian now named Velasquez, who had been a captain under Guatimotzin,
and several other caciques of consequence. We had along with us Fra Juan
de las Varillas, and several other good theologians to preach to the
Indians, as also the captains Sandoval and Marin and many other cavaliers.
On this occasion, Cortes, was attended by a splendid personal suit; such
as a steward, paymaster, keeper of the plate, a major-domo, two stewards
of the household, a butler, confectioner, physician, surgeon a number of
pages, among whom was Francisco de Montejo, who was afterwards captain in
Yutucan, two armour-bearers, eight grooms, two falconers, five musicians,
a stage-dancer, a juggler and puppet-master, a master of the horse, and
three Spanish muleteers. A great service of gold and silver plate
accompanied the march, and a large drove of swine for the use of the table.
Three thousand Mexican warriors attended their own chiefs, and a numerous
train of domestic servants.
When about to set out, the factor Salazar and veedor Chirinos,
remonstrated with Cortes on the danger of leaving the seat of government;
but finding him determined, they asked permission to accompany him to
Coatzacualco, which he agreed to. Cortes was received in all the places on
his way with much pomp and many rejoicings; and above fifty soldiers and
straggling travellers newly arrived from Spain, joined us on the road.
During the march to Coatzacualco, Cortes divided his troops into two
detachments, for the convenience of quarters and provisions. While on the
march, a marriage took place at the town of Ojeda near Orizava, between
our linguist Donna Marina and Juan Xaramillo. As soon as the advance of
Cortes to Guazpaltepec in the district of Sandoval was known at
Coatzacualco, all the Spaniards of that settlement went above thirty
leagues to meet him; in so much respect and awe was he held by us all. In
proceeding beyond Guazpaltepec fortune began to frown upon us, as in
passing a large river three of our canoes overset, by which some plate and
other valuables were lost, and nothing could be recovered as the river
swarmed with alligators. At Coatzacualco three hundred canoes were
prepared for crossing the river, fastened two and two together to prevent
oversetting, and we were here received under triumphal arches, with
various festivities, such as mock skirmishes between Christian's and Moors,
fireworks, and the like. Cortes remained six days at Coatzacualco, where
the factor and veedor prevailed on Cortes to give them a commission to
assume the government of Mexico in case they should judge that the present
deputies failed in their duty. This measure occasioned much trouble
afterwards in Mexico, as I shall explain hereafter; but these two
associates took their leaves at this place, with much pretended tenderness
and affection for the general, even affecting to sob and cry at parting.
From Coatzacualco, Cortes sent orders to Simon de Cucena, one of his
major-domos, to freight two light vessels at Villa Rica with biscuit made
of maize flour, as there was then no wheat in Mexico, wine, oil, vinegar,
pork, iron, and other necessaries, and to proceed with them along the
coast till he had farther directions. Cortes now gave orders for all the
settlers of Coatzacualco who were fit for duty, to join the expedition.
This was a severe disappointment to us, as our colony was composed of most
of the respectable hildagos, the veteran conquerors, who expected to have
been allowed to enjoy our hard earned houses and lands in peace, instead
of which we were obliged to undertake an arduous expedition of five
hundred leagues, which took us up above two years and a half of infinite
fatigues. We had nothing for it but compliance, so that we armed ourselves
and mounted our horses; being in all above 250 veterans, 130 of whom were
cavalry, besides many soldiers newly arrived from Old Spain. I was
immediately dispatched at the head of 30 Spaniards and 3000 Mexicans, to
reduce the district of Cimatan, which was then in rebellion. My orders
were, if I found the natives submissive, I was merely to quarter my troops
on the natives, and do them no farther injury. But, if refractory, they
were to be summoned three times in presence of a royal notary and proper
witnesses, after which, if they still persisted in rebellion, I was to
make war on them and compel them to submit. The people received me in a
peaceable manner, for which reason I marched on with my detachment to
rejoin Cortes at Iquinapa. In consequence of the veterans being withdrawn
from Coatzacualco, these people revolted again in a few months after.
After I left him, the general proceeded with the rest of his troops to
Tonala, crossing the river Aquacualco, and another river seven leagues
from an arm of the sea, by a bridge a quarter of a league in length, which
was constructed by the natives under the direction of two Spanish settlers
of Coatzacualco. The army then proceeded to the large river Mazapa, called
by seamen _Rio de dos bocas_, or Two-mouth river, which flows past Chiapa.
Crossing this by means of double canoes, they proceeded through several
villages to Iquinapa, where my detachment rejoined the army. Crossing
another river and an arm of the sea, on wooden bridges, we came to a large
town named Copilco, where the province of Chontalpa begins; a populous
district, full of plantations of cacoa, which we found perfectly peaceable.
From thence we marched by Nicaxuxica and Zagutan, passing another river,
in which the general lost some part of his baggage. We found Zagutan in
peace, yet the inhabitants fled during the night; on which Cortes ordered
parties out into the woods to make prisoners. Seven chiefs and some others
were taken, but they all escaped from us again in the night, and left us
without guides. At this place fifty canoes arrived at our quarters from
Tabasco, loaded with provisions, and some also from Teapan, a place in my
encomienda.
From Zagutan, we continued our march to Tepetitan, crossing a large river
called Chilapa, where we were detained four days making barks. I here
proposed sending five of our Indian guides to a town of the same name,
which I understood was on the banks of this river, in order to desire the
inhabitants to send their canoes to our assistance; which was accordingly
done, and they sent us six large canoes and some provisions: Yet with all
the aid we could procure, it took us four days to pass this river. From
thence we went to Tepetitan, which was depopulated and burnt in
consequence of a civil war. For three days of our march from the river
Chilapa, our horses were almost constantly up to their bellies in the
marshy grounds, and when we reached a place called Iztapa, it was found
abandoned by the inhabitants; but several chiefs and others were brought
in, who were treated kindly, and made the general some trifling presents
of gold. As this place abounded in corn and grass, we halted three days to
refresh the men and horses, and it was considered by Cortes as a good
situation for a colony, being surrounded by a number of towns, which might
serve as dependencies. Cortes received information from some travelling
merchants at this place concerning the country he had to pass through,
produced to them a map painted on cloth, representing the road to
_Huy-Acala_, which signifies _great_ Acala, there being another place of
the same name. According to them, the way was much intersected by rivers,
as, to reach a place named Tamaztepec, three days journey from Iztapa,
there were three rivers and an arm of the sea to cross. In consequence of
this intelligence, the general sent orders to the chiefs to provide canoes
and construct bridges at the proper places, but neither of these things
were done. Instead of three days, our march occupied us for a whole week;
but the natives succeeded in getting quit of us, and we set out with only
provisions of roasted maize and roots for three days, so that we were
reduced to great straits, having nothing to eat but a wild plant called
_quexquexque_, which inflamed our mouths. We were obliged to construct
bridges of timber, at which every one had to labour from the general
downwards; which detained us for three days. When we had crossed the last
inlet, we were obliged to open a way through the woods with infinite
labour, and after toiling in this manner for two days we were almost in
despair. The trees were so thick that we could not see the sun; and on
climbing to the top of one of the trees, we could not discover any thing
but a continuation of the same impervious forest. Two of our guides had
fled, and the only one who remained was utterly ignorant of the country.
The resources of Cortes were quite inexhaustible, as he guided our way by
a mariners compass, assisted by his Indian map, according to which the
town of _Huy-acala_ of which we were in search, lay to the east; but even
he acknowledged that he knew not what might become of us, if we were one
day longer of finding it out.
We who were of the advanced guard fortunately at this time fell in with
the remains of some trees which had been formerly cut, and a small lane or
path, which seemed to lead towards a town or village. The pilot Lopez and
I returned to the main body with intelligence of this happy discovery,
which revived the spirits of our whole army. We accordingly made all
possible haste in that direction, and soon came to a river, on the
opposite side of which we found a village named Tamaztepec, where, though
abandoned by the inhabitants, we found plenty of provisions for ourselves
and horses. Parties were immediately sent out in search of the natives,
who soon brought back many chiefs and priests who were well treated, and
both supplied us plentifully with provisions, and pointed out our road to
Izguantepec, which was three days journey, or sixteen leagues from the
town where we now were. During our journey to this place, our stage-dancer
and three of the new come Spaniards died of fatigue, and many of the
Mexicans had been left behind to perish. We discovered likewise that some
of the Mexican chiefs who accompanied us, had seized some of the natives
of the places through which we passed, and had eaten them to appease their
hunger. Cortes very severely reprimanded all who had been concerned in
this barbarous deed, and one of our friars preached a holy sermon on the
occasion; after which, as an example to deter our allies from this
practice in future, the general caused one against whom this crime had
been most clearly proved, to be burnt. All had been equally guilty, but
one example was deemed sufficient on the present occasion. Our poor
musicians felt severely the want of the feasts they had been used to in
Spain, and their harmony was now stopt, except one fellow; but the
soldiers used to curse him, saying they wanted maize not music. It may be
asked, how we did not lay our hands on the herd of swine belonging to
Cortes in our present state of starvation? But these were out of sight,
and the steward alleged they had been devoured by the alligators on
passing one of the rivers: In reality, they were artfully kept four days
march behind the army. During our route, we used to carve crosses on the
bark of trees, with inscriptions bearing, that Cortes and his army had
passed this way at such and such a time.
The Indians of Tamaztepec sent a message to Izguantepec, our next station,
to inform the inhabitants, and that they might not be alarmed at our
approach: They also deputed twenty of their number to attend us to that
place as guides. After our arrival at Izguantepec, Cortes was curious to
know the course of a large river which flowed past that place, and was
informed that it discharged itself into the sea near two towns named
Guegatasta and Xicolanga; from which he judged that this might be a
convenient way in which to send for information concerning his ships under
Cuença whom he had ordered to wait his orders on that part of the coast.
He accordingly sent off two Spaniards on that errand, to one of whom,
Francisco de Medina, he gave an order to act as joint commander along with
Simon Cuença. Medina was a man of dilligence and abilities, and well
acquainted with the country; but the commission he carried proved most
unfortunate in its consequences. He found the ships waiting at Xicolanga,
and on presenting his authority as joint captain, a dispute arose between
him and Cuença as to which of them should have the chief command. Each was
supported by a party, and had recourse to arms, in which all the Spaniards
were slain except eight. The neighbouring Indians fell upon the survivors,
and put them all to death; after which they plundered the ships and then
destroyed them. It was two years and a half after this, before we knew
what had become of the ships.
We now learnt that the town of Huy-acala was three days march distant from
our present quarters, and that the way lay across some deep rivers and
trembling marshes. Two soldiers were sent on by Cortes to examine the
route, who reported on their return that the rivers were passable by means
of timber bridges, but as for the marshes, which were more material to
know, they were beyond the rivers and had not been examined. Cortes sent
me in the next place, along with one Gonzalo de Mexia and some Indian
guides, with orders to go forward to Huy-acala to procure provisions, with
which we were to meet him on the road. But our guides deserted us the
first night, on account of the two nations being at war, and we were
forced to rely entirely on ourselves for the remainder of the journey. On
our arrival at the first town belonging to the district of Huy-acala,
which has the supreme command over twenty other towns, the inhabitants
seemed very jealous of us at first, but were soon reconciled. This
district is much intersected by rivers, lakes, and marshes, and some of
the dependent towns are situated in islands, the general communication
being by means of canoes. We invited the chiefs to accompany us back to
Cortes; but they declined this, because their nation was at war with the
people of Izguantepec. It would appear that at our arrival they had no
idea of the force of our army under Cortes; but, having received more
accurate intelligence concerning it next day, they treated us with much
deference, and promised that they would provide every accommodation for
our army on its arrival. While still conversing, two other Spaniards came
up to me with letters from Cortes, in which he ordered me to meet him
within three days with all the provisions I could possibly collect; as the
Indians of Izguantepec had all deserted him, and he was now on his march
for Huy-acala entirely destitute of necessaries. These Spaniards also
informed me, that four soldiers who had been detached farther up the river
had not returned, and were supposed to have been murdered, which we learnt
afterwards was the case. In pursuing his march, Cortes had been four days
occupied in constructing a bridge over the great river, during which time
the army suffered excessive famine, as they had come from their last
quarters without provisions, owing to the desertion of the natives. Some
of the old soldiers cut down certain trees resembling palms, by which
means they procured nuts which they roasted and eat; but this proved a
miserable recourse for so great a number. On the night that the bridge
was completed, I arrived with 130 loads of provisions, consisting of corn,
honey, fruit, salt, and fowls. It was then dark, and Cortes had mentioned
his expectation of my arrival with provisions, in consequence of which,
the soldiers waited for me and seized every thing I had, not leaving any
thing for Cortes and the other officers. It was all in vain that the
major-domo cried out, "this is for the general;" for the soldiers said the
general and his officers had been eating their hogs, while they were
starving, and neither threats nor entreaties could prevail on them to
leave him a single load of corn. Cortes lost all patience, and swore he
would punish those who had seized the provisions and spoken about the hogs;
but he soon saw that it was better to be quiet. He then blamed me; but I
told him he ought to have placed a guard to receive the provisions, as
hunger knows no law. Seeing there was no remedy, Cortes, who was
accompanied by Sandoval, addressed me as follows: "My dear friend, I am
sure you must have something in reserve for yourself and your friend
Sandoval, pray take us along with you that we may partake." Sandoval also
assured me that he had not a single handful of maize. "Well," said I,
"gentlemen, come to me when the soldiers are asleep, and you shall partake
of what I had provided for myself and my companions." They both thanked
and embraced me, and so we escaped famine for this bout, as I had with me
twelve loads of maize, twenty fowls, three jars of honey, and some fruit
and salt. Cortes made inquiry as to how the reverend fathers had fared;
but they were well off, as every soldier gave them a share of what they
had procured. Such are the hardships of military expeditions in unexplored
countries. Feared as he was by the soldiers, our general was pillaged of
his provisions, and in danger of starving, and both he and captain
Sandoval were indebted to me for their rations.
On continuing our march from the river for about a league, we came to the
trembling marshes, where our horses had all been nearly destroyed; but the
distance across did not exceed half a bowshot, between the firm ground on
either side, and we got them through by main force. When we were all safe
over, and had given thanks to God for our safety, Cortes sent on to
Huy-acala for a fresh supply of provisions, and took care not to have
these plundered like the former; and on the ensuing day, our whole army
arrived early at Huy-acala, where the chiefs had made ample preparation
for our reception. Having used every proper means to conciliate the chiefs
of this nation, Cortes inquired from them as to the country we had still
to march through, and whether they had heard of any ships being on the
coast, or of any Europeans being settled in the country. He was informed,
that at the distance of eight days journey, there were many men having
beards like ourselves, who had horses and three ships. They also gave the
general a map of the route, and offered every assistance in their power;
but when asked to clear the road, they represented that some of their
dependent districts had revolted, and requested our assistance to reduce
them to obedience. This duty was committed to Diego de Mazariegos, a
relation of the treasurer de Estrada, as a compliment to him, and Cortes
desired me in private to accompany him as his counsellor, being
experienced in the affairs of this country. I do not mention this
circumstance, which is known to the whole army, by way of boast, but as my
duty of historian requires it of me, and indeed his majesty was informed
of it, in the letters which were written to him by Cortes. About eighty of
us went on this occasion along with Mazariegos, and had the good fortune
to find the district in the best disposition. The chiefs returned with us
to Cortes, and brought a most abundant supply of provisions along with
them. In about four days, however, all the chiefs deserted us, and we were
left with only three guides to pursue our march, as well as we could.
After crossing two rivers, we came to another town in the district of
Huy-acala, which was abandoned by the inhabitants, but in which we took up
our quarters.
In this place, Guatimotzin, the last king of the Mexicans, closed his
unhappy career. It appeared that a plot had been concerted by this
unfortunate monarch with many of the Mexican nobles who accompanied him,
to endeavour to cut off the Spaniards; after which they proposed to make
the best of their way back to Mexico, where, collecting all the forces of
the natives, they hoped to be able to overpower the Spanish garrison. This
conspiracy was revealed to Cortes by two Mexican nobles who had commanded
under Guatimotzin during the siege, and who had been baptized by the names
of Tapia and Velasquez. On receiving this intelligence, Cortes immediately
took the judicial informations of these two and of several others who were
concerned in the plot; from which it was learnt, that the Mexicans,
observing that we marched in a careless manner, that discontent prevailed
among our troops, many of whom were sick, that ten of our Spanish soldiers
had died of hunger, and several had returned towards Mexico, and
considering also the uncertainty of the fate of the expedition and the
miseries they endured from scarcity of provisions, they had come to the
resolution of falling upon us at the passage of some river or marsh, being
encouraged by their numbers, which exceeded 3000 well armed men, and
thinking it preferable to die at once than to encounter the perpetual
miseries they now endured by accompanying us in this wilderness.
Guatimotzin acknowledged that he had heard of this proposal, which he
never approved of, declaring that he did not believe it would ever have
been attempted, and anxiously denied that the whole of the Mexican force
had concurred in the plot. His cousin, the prince of Tacuba, declared that
all which had ever passed on the subject, between him and Guatimotzin, was,
that they had often expressed their opinion, that it would be better to
lose their lives at once like brave men, than to suffer in the manner they
did by hunger and fatigue, and to witness the intolerable distresses of
their friends and subjects who accompanied them. On those scanty proofs,
Cortes sentenced Guatimotzin and the prince of Tacuba to be immediately
hanged; and when the preparations were made for the execution, they were
led forth to the place attended by the reverend fathers, who did their
utmost to console them in their last moments. Before his execution,
Guatimotzin addressed Cortes to the following effect: "_Malintzin_! I now
see that your false words and flattering promises have ended in my death.
It had been better to have fallen by my own hands, than to have trusted
myself to your power. You take away my life unjustly, and may God demand
of you my innocent blood." The prince of Tacuba only said, that he was
happy to die along with his beloved sovereign. Thus did these two great
men end their lives, and, for Indians, most piously and like good
Christians. I lamented them both sincerely, having seen them in their
greatness. They always treated me kindly on this march, giving me Indians
to procure grass for my horse, and doing me many services. To me and all
of us, their sentence appeared cruel and unjust, and their deaths most
undeserved.
After this, we continued our march with much circumspection, being
apprehensive of a mutiny among the Mexican troops in revenge for the
execution of their chiefs; but these poor creatures were so exhausted by
famine, sickness, and fatigue, that they did not seem even to have
bestowed a thought on the matter. At night we came to a deserted village;
but on searching we found eight priests, whom we brought to Cortes. He
desired them to recal the inhabitants, which they readily promised,
requesting him not to injure their idols in a temple close to some
buildings in which Cortes was quartered, which he agreed to, yet
expostulated with them on the absurdity of worshipping compositions of
clay and wood. They seemed as if it would have been easy to induce them to
embrace the doctrines of our holy faith; and soon brought us twenty loads
of fowls and maize. On being examined by Cortes about the bearded men with
horses, they said that these people dwelt at a place called _Nito_, at the
distance of seven suns, or days journey from their village, and offered to
guide us to that place. At this time Cortes was exceedingly sad and
ill-humoured, being fretted by the difficulties and misfortunes of his
march, and his conscience upbraided him for the cruelty he had committed
upon the unfortunate king of Mexico. He was so distracted by these
reflections, that he could not sleep, and used to walk about at night, as
a relief for his anxious thoughts. Going in the dark to walk in a large
apartment which contained some of the Indian idols, he missed his way and
fell from a height of twelve feet, by which he received a severe contused
wound in his head. He endeavoured to conceal this circumstance from
general knowledge, and got his wounds cured as well as he could, keeping
his sufferings to himself.
After leaving this place, we came in two days to a district inhabited by a
nation called the _Mazotecas_, where we found a newly built town,
fortified by two circular enclosures of pallisades, one of which was like
a barbican, having loop-holes to shoot through, and was strengthened by
ditches. Another part of the town was inaccessible, being on the summit of
a perpendicular rock, on the top of which the natives had collected great
quantities of stones for their defence. And a third quarter of the town
was defended by an impassable morass. Yet after all these defensive
preparations, we were astonished to find the town entirely abandoned,
though every house was full of the different kinds of provisions which the
country afforded, besides which it had a magazine stocked with arms of all
sorts. While we were expressing our astonishment at these circumstances,
fifteen Indians came out of the morass in the most submissive manner, and
told us that they had been forced to the construction of this fortress as
their last resort, in an unsuccessful war with a neighbouring nation,
called the _Lazandones_ as far as I can now remember. They brought back
the inhabitants, whom we treated with kindness, and from whom we received
farther information, respecting, the Spanish settlement, to which two of
the natives of this place undertook to shew us the way. From this place we
entered upon vast open plains, in which not a tree was to be seen, and in
which innumerable herds of deer were feeding, which were so tame as almost
to come up to us. Our horsemen, therefore, easily took as many as they
pleased, and we found that the Indians never disturbed them, considering
them as a kind of divinities, and had even been commanded by their idols,
or priests rather in their name, neither to kill or frighten these animals.
The heat of the weather was now so excessive that Palacios Rubios, a
relation of Cortes, lost his horse by pursuing the deer. We continued our
march along this open campaign country, passing several villages where the
destructive ravages of war were distinctly perceivable. On one occasion we
met some Indians on their return from hunting, who had along with them a
huge _lion_[1] just killed, and several _iguanas_[2], a species of small
serpent very good to eat. These people shewed us the way to their town, to
which we had to wade up to our middles through a lake of fresh water by
which it was surrounded. This lake was quite full of fish, resembling
shads, but enormously large, with prickles on their backs; and having
procured some nets, we took above a thousand of them, which gave us a
plentiful supply. On inquiry, five of the natives of this place engaged to
guide us to the settlement of our countrymen; and they were glad to get so
easily rid of us, as they were apprehensive we had come to put them all to
death.
Leaving this place, we proceeded to a town named _Tayasal_, situated on an
island in a river, the white temples, towers, and houses, of which place,
glistened from a distance. As the road now became very narrow, we thought
proper to halt here for the night, having in the first place detached some
soldiers to the river to look out for a passage. They were so fortunate as
to take two canoes, containing ten men and two women, who were conveying a
cargo of maize and salt. Being brought to Cortes, they informed him that
they belonged to a town about four leagues farther on. Our general
detained one of the canoes and some of the people, and sent two Spaniards
along with the rest in the other canoe, to desire the cacique of that town
to send him canoes to enable us to cross the river. Next morning, we all
marched down to the river, where we found the cacique waiting for us, who
invited the general to his place of residence. Cortes accordingly embarked
with an escort of thirty crossbows, and was presented on his arrival at
the town with a few toys of gold very much alloyed, and a small number of
mantles. They informed him that they knew of Spaniards being at three
different places, which were Nito, Buena Vista, and Naco, the last being
ten days journey inland from Nito, and where the greater number of the
Spaniards resided, Nito being on the coast. On hearing this, Cortes
observed to us that De Oli had probably divided his forces, as we knew
nothing as yet respecting Gil Gonzalo de Avila, or Las Casas.
Our whole army now crossed the river, and halted about two leagues from it,
waiting the return of Cortes. At this place, three Spanish soldiers, two
Indians, and a Negro deserted; preferring to take their chance among the
unknown natives of the country, to a continuance of the fatigues and
dangers they had experienced. This day likewise, I had a stroke of the sun,
which occasioned a burning fever or calenture. At this period the weather
changed, and for three days and nights it rained incessantly; yet we had
to continue our march, lest our provisions might fail. After two days
march we came to a ridge of rocky hills, which we named the _Sierra de los
Pedernales_, the stones of which were as sharp as knives. Several soldiers
were sent a league on each side of this bad pass in search of a better
road, but to no purpose, so that we were forced to proceed. Our horses
fell at every step, and the farther we advanced it grew the worse,
insomuch that we lost eight horses, and all the rest were so lamed that
they could not keep up with us. After getting over this shocking pass, we
advanced towards a town called _Taica_, where we expected to procure
provisions in abundance; but to our great mortification were unexpectedly
stopped by a prodigious torrent, so swelled by the late heavy rains that
it was quite impassable, and made such a noise in tumbling over its rocky
bed that it might have been heard at the distance of two leagues. We had
to stop here for three complete days to construct a bridge between the
precipitous banks of this river; in consequence of which delay the people
of Taica had abandoned their town, removing all their provisions out of
our reach. We were all miserably disappointed at this event, finding that
hunger was to be our portion after all our fatigues. After sending out his
servants in every direction, Cortes was only able to procure about a
bushel of maize. He then called together the colonists of Coatzacualco,
and earnestly solicited us to use our utmost endeavours to procure
supplies. Pedro de Ircio requested to have the command on this occasion,
to which Cortes assented: But as I knew Ircio to be a better prater than
marcher, I whispered to Cortes and Sandoval to prevent him from going, as
he was a duck-legged fellow, who could not get through the miry ground,
and would only interrupt us in our search. Cortes accordingly ordered him
to remain, and five of us set out with two Indian guides across rivers and
marshes, and came at length to some Indian houses where we found
provisions in abundance. We here made some prisoners, and with their fruit,
fowls, and corn, we celebrated the feast of the Resurrection to our great
contentment. That same night we were joined by a thousand Mexicans, who
had been sent after us, whom we loaded with all the corn we could procure,
and twenty fowls for Cortes and Sandoval, after which there still remained
some corn in the town, which we remained to guard. We advanced next day to
some other villages, where we found corn in abundance, and wrote a billet
to Cortes desiring him to send all the Indians he could spare to carry it
to the army. Thirty soldiers and about five hundred Indians arrived in a
short time, and we amply provided for the wants of the army during the
five days it remained at Taica. I may observe here, that the bridges which
we constructed on this march continued good for many years; and the
Spaniards, when they travelled this way, used to say, "These are the
bridges of Cortes."
After resting five days at Taica, we continued our march for two days to a
place called Tania, through a country everywhere intersected by marshes,
rivers, and rivulets, all the towns being abandoned and the provisions
carried away; and, to add to our misfortunes, our guides made their escape
during the night, being entrusted, as I suppose, to some of the newly
arrived Spaniards, who used to sleep on their posts. We were thus left in
a difficult country, and did not know which way to go; besides which heavy
rains fell without ceasing. Cortes was very much out of humour, and
observed among his officers, that he wished some others besides the
Coatzacualco settlers would bestir themselves in search of guides. Pedro
de Ircio, a man of quality named Marmolejo, and Burgales, who was
afterwards regidor of Mexico, offered their services, and taking each of
them six soldiers, were out three days in search of Indians, but all
returned without success, having met with nothing but rivers, marshes, and
obstructions. Cortes was quite in despair, and desired Sandoval to ask me
as a favour to undertake the business. Though ill, I could not refuse when
applied to in this manner; wherefore, taking two friends along with me who
could endure fatigue, we set out following the course of a stream, and
soon found a way to some houses, by observing marks of boughs having been
cut. Following these marks, we came in sight of a village surrounded by
fields of corn; but we remained concealed till we thought the people were
asleep, and taking the inhabitants by surprise, we secured three men, two
very handsome Indian girls, and an old woman, with a few fowls and a small
quantity of maize. On bringing our prize to head-quarters, Sandoval was
quite overjoyed. "Now," said he to Pedro de Ircio in the presence of
Cortes, "was not Castillo in the right, when he refused to take hobbling
people along with him, who tell old stories of the adventures of the Conde
de Urena and his son Don Pedro Giron?" All who were present laughed
heartily at this sally, as Ircio used to pester us with these stories
continually, and Sandoval knew that Ircio and I were not on friendly terms.
Cortes paid me many compliments on this occasion, and thanked me for my
good service. But what is praise more than emptiness, and what does it
profit me that Cortes said he relied on me, next to God, for procuring
guides? We learnt from the prisoners that it was necessary to descend the
river for two days march, when we would come to a town of two hundred
houses, called _Oculiztli_; which he did accordingly, passing some large
buildings where the travelling Indian merchants used to stop on their
journeys. At the close of the second day we came to Oculiztli, where we
got plenty of provisions, and in one of the temples we found an old red
cap and a sandal, which had been placed there as offerings to the idols.
Some of our soldiers brought two old men and four women to Cortes, who
told him that the Spanish settlement was on the seaside two days journey
from this place, with no intervening towns. Cortes therefore gave orders
to Sandoval to set out immediately with six soldiers for the coast, to
ascertain what number of men De Oli had with him, as he meant to fall upon
him by surprise, being quite ignorant of the revolution which had happened
in this quarter.
Sandoval set out accordingly with three guides, and on reaching the sea
shore, he soon perceived a canoe; and concealing himself where he expected
it might anchor for the night, was fortunate enough to get possession of
the canoe; which belonged to some Indian merchants who were carrying salt
to _Golfo dolce_. Sandoval embarked in this canoe with a part of his men,
sending the rest along the shore, and made for the great river. During the
voyage, he fell in with four Spaniards belonging to the settlement, who
were searching for fruit near the mouth of the river, being in great
distress from sickness and the hostilities of the Indians. Two of these
men were up in a tree, when they saw Sandoval to their great astonishment,
and soon joined him. They informed him of the great distress of the
settlement, and of all the events which had occurred, and how they had
hanged the officer whom Avila had left in the command, and a turbulent
priest, for opposing their determination to return to Cuba, and had
elected one Antonio Niote in his stead. Sandoval resolved to carry these
people to Cortes, whom he wished to inform as soon as possible of the news,
and sent a soldier named Alonzo Ortiz, who soon reached us with the
agreeable intelligence, for which Cortes gave him an excellent horse, and
all of us gave him something in proportion to our abilities. Sandoval
arrived soon afterwards, and Cortes issued immediate orders to march to
the coast, which was about six leagues distant. Cortes pushed forwards
with his attendants, and crossed the river by means of the two canoes,
swimming the horses. The Spanish settlement was about two leagues from the
place where Cortes landed, and the colonists were astonished on seeing the
Europeans coming towards them, and still more so when they found it was
the renowned conqueror of Mexico. Cortes received their congratulations
very graciously, and desired them to bring all the canoes they could
collect, and the boats belonging to their ships to assist his army in
crossing. He likewise ordered them to provide bread for the army; but of
this only fifty pounds weight could be got, as they lived almost entirely
on _sapotes_ and other vegetables, and fish.
We had an arm of the sea to cross, and had therefore to wait for low water,
but Cortes had found the passage so dangerous that he sent us word not to
follow till farther orders. The care of passing this dangerous place was
entrusted to Sandoval, who took as effectual measures as possible, but it
took us four days to get over, partly wading and partly swimming. One
soldier and his horse went to the bottom, and was never seen more, and two
other horses were lost. A person named Saavedra, presuming on his
relationship to Cortes, refused obedience to the orders of Sandoval, and
endeavoured to force his passage, even laying his hand on his poinard, and
using disrespectful expressions to Sandoval; who seized him instantly and
threw him into the water, where he was nearly drowned. Our sufferings at
this time were excessive, as during all these four days we had literally
nothing to eat, except by gathering a few nuts and some wild fruits, and
on getting across our condition was not improved. We found this colony to
contain forty men and six women, all yellow and sickly, and utterly
destitute of provisions; so that we were under the necessity of setting
out immediately in search of food both for ourselves and them. For this
purpose, about eighty of us marched, under the command of Luis Marin, to a
town about eight leagues distant, where we found abundance of maize and
vegetables, and great quantities of cacao; and as this place was in the
direct road for Naco, to which Cortes intended to go, he immediately sent
Sandoval and the greatest part of the troops to join us, on receiving the
agreeable intelligence of our good fortune. We sent a plentiful supply of
maize to the miserable colonist who had been so long in a starving
condition, of which they eat to such excess that seven of them died. About
this time likewise a vessel arrived with seven horses, forty hogs, eight
pipes of salted meat, a considerable quantity of biscuit, and fifteen
adventurers from Cuba. Cortes immediately purchased all the provisions,
which he distributed among the colonists, who eat the salted meat so
voraciously that it occasioned diarrhoeas, by which, in a very few days,
fourteen of them were carried off.
As Cortes wished to examine this great river, he caused one of the
brigantines belonging to Avila which had been stranded to be fitted out;
and embarking with thirty soldiers and eight mariners belonging to the
vessel lately arrived, having likewise a boat and four double canoes, he
proceeded up the river to a spacious lake with good anchorage. This lake
was navigable for six leagues, all the adjacent country being subject to
be inundated; but on endeavouring to proceed higher, the current became
stronger, and he came to certain shallows, which prevented the vessels
from proceeding any farther. Cortes now landed with his soldiers, and
advanced into the country by a narrow road which led to several villages
of the natives. In the first of these he procured some guides, and in the
second he found abundance of corn, and many domesticated birds, among
which were pheasants, pigeons, and partridges, which last are often
domesticated by the Indians of America. In prosecuting his route, he
approached a large town called _Cinacan Tencintle_, in the midst of fine
plantations of cacao, where he heard the sound of music and merry-making,
the inhabitants being engaged in a drunken feast. Cortes waited a
favourable opportunity, concealed in a wood close by the town, when
suddenly rushing out, he made prisoners of ten men and fifteen women. The
rest of the inhabitants attacked him with their darts and arrows, but our
people closed with them and killed eight of their chiefs, on which the
rest submitted, sending four old men, two of whom were priests, with a
trifling present of gold, and to petition for the liberation of the
prisoners, which he accordingly engaged to give up on receiving a good
supply of provisions, which they promised to deliver at the ships. A
misunderstanding took place afterwards between Cortes and these Indians,
as he wished to retain three of their women to make bread, and hostilities
were renewed, in which Cortes was himself wounded in the face, twelve of
his soldiers wounded, and one of his boats destroyed. He then returned
after an absence of twenty-six days, during which he had suffered
excessive torment from the mosquitoes. He wrote to Sandoval, giving him an
account of all that had occurred in his expedition to Cinacan, which is
seventy leagues from Guatimala, and ordered him to proceed to Naco; as he
proposed to remain himself on purpose to establish a colony at _Puerto de
Cavallos_[3], for which he desired Sandoval to send back ten of the
Coatzacualco veterans, without whose assistance nothing could be done
properly. Taking with him all the Spaniards who remained at St Gil de
Buena Vista, Cortes embarked in two ships, and arrived in eight days sail
at Puerto de Cavallos, which had a good harbour, and seemed every way well
calculated for a colony, which he established there under the command of
Diego de Godoy, naming the town Natividad. Expecting by this time that
Sandoval might have arrived at Naco, which is not far distant from Puerto
Cavallos, Cortes sent a letter for him to that place, requiring a
reinforcement of ten of the veteran soldiers of Coatzacualco, as he
intended to proceed for the bay of Honduras; but this letter reached us in
our last-mentioned quarters as we had not yet reached Naco. Leaving Cortes
for the present, I shall only say that he was so tormented by the
mosquitoes, which prevented him from procuring rest either by night or day,
that he had almost lost his life or his senses.
On receiving this last letter from the general, Sandoval pressed on for
Naco, but was obliged to halt at a place called _Cuyocan_, in order to
collect the stragglers who had gone in quest of provisions. We were also
impeded by a river, and the natives on every side were hostile. Our line
of march was now extremely long, by the great number of invalids,
especially of the Mexicans, who were unable to keep up with the main body;
on which account Sandoval left me at this place, with the command of eight
men at the ferry, to protect and bring up the stragglers. One night the
natives attacked my post, setting fire to the house in which we were
lodged, and endeavoured to carry away our canoe; but, with the assistance
of some of our Mexicans who had come up, we beat them off; and, having
collected all the invalids who had loitered behind, we crossed the river
next day, and set but to rejoin Sandoval. A Genoese, who had been sometime
ill, sunk at length through weakness, occasioned by poverty of diet, and
died on the road, and I was obliged to leave his body behind. When I made
my report to Sandoval, he was ill pleased at me for not having brought on
the dead body; but I told him we had already two invalids on every horse,
and one of my companions said rather haughtily, that we had enough of
difficulty to bring on ourselves, without carrying dead men. Sandoval
immediately ordered me and that soldier, whose name was Villanueva, to go
back and bury the Genoese, which we did accordingly, and placed a cross
over his grave. We found a purse in his pocket, containing some dice, and
a memorandum of his family and effects in Teneriffe. God rest his soul!
_Amen_. In about two days we arrived at Naco, passing a town named
_Quinistlan_, and a place where mines have been since discovered. We found
Naco to be a very good town, but it was abandoned by its inhabitants, yet
we procured plenty of provisions and salt, of which we were in very great
need. We took up our quarters in some large quadrangular buildings, where
De Oli was executed, and established ourselves there as if we had been to
have remained permanently. There is the finest water at this place that is
to be found in all New Spain; as likewise a species of tree which is most
admirable for the _siesta_; as, however great may be the heat of the sun,
there is always a most delightful and refreshing coolness under its shade,
and it seems to give out a delicate kind of dew, which is good for the
head. Naco is admirably situated, in a fertile neighbourhood, which
produces different kinds of _sapotes_ in great abundance, and it was then
very populous. Sandoval obtained possession of three chiefs of the
district, whom he treated kindly, by which means the people of the
district remained in peace, but all his endeavours to induce the
inhabitants to return to the town were ineffectual. It was now necessary
to send the reinforcement of ten Coatzacualco veterans which Cortes had
required. At that time I was ill, and besides Sandoval wished to retain me
along with him: Eight valiant soldiers were sent off, however, who
heartily cursed Cortes and his expedition at every step of their march;
for which indeed they had good reason, as they were entirely ignorant of
the state of the country through which they had to go. Sandoval took the
precaution of sending five principal people of the natives along with them,
making known at the same time that he would punish the country most
severely if any injury was done them on their journey. They arrived in
safety at Natividad, where Cortes then was; who immediately embarked for
Truxillo, leaving Godoy in the command of the settlement at Puerto de
Cavallos, with forty Spaniards, who were all that remained of the settlers
who had accompanied de Avila, and of those who had come recently from Cuba.
Godoy maintained himself for some time; but his men were continually
dropping off by disease, and the Indians began at last to despise and
neglect him, refusing to supply the settlement with provisions, so that in
a short time he lost above half his number by sickness and famine, and
three of his men deserted to join Sandoval. By various expeditions and
judicious measures, Sandoval reduced all the country round Naco to peace
and submission, namely the districts of Cirimongo, Acalao, Quinistlan, and
four others, of which I forget the names, and even extended his authority
over the natives as far as Puerto Cavallos, where Godoy commanded.
After six days sail, Cortes arrived at the port of Truxillo, where he
found a colony which had been established by Francisco de las Casas, among
whom were many of the mutineers who had served under De Oli, and who had
been banished from Panuco. Conscious of their guilt, all these men waited
on Cortes, and supplicated for pardon, which he granted them, even
confirming all who had been appointed to offices in the colony; but he
placed his relation Saavedra as commandant of the colony and surrounding
province. Cortes summoned all the chiefs and priests of the Indians, to
whom he made a long harangue, giving them to understand that he had come
among them to induce them to abandon the cruel and abominable practices of
their false religion, and to embrace the only true faith. He also enlarged
upon the power and dignity of our great emperor, to whose government he
required their submission. He was followed by the reverend fathers, who
exhorted them to become proselytes to the holy catholic religion, the
principles of which they explained. After all this, the people readily
agreed to obey our general, and to become vassals to Don Carlos; and
Cortes enjoined them to provide the settlement with provisions, especially
fish, which are caught in great abundance in the sea about the islands of
_Guanojes_[4]; he likewise ordered them to send a number of labourers to
clear the woods in front of the town of Truxillo, so as to open a view of
the sea. Cortes likewise ordered a number of sows with young to be turned
loose in these islands, by which, in a few years, they were amply stocked.
The natives cleared the woods between Truxillo and the sea in two days,
and built fifteen houses for the colonists, one of which for Cortes, was
sufficiently commodious. Cortes became feared and renowned over all the
districts, as far as _Olancho_, where rich mines have been since
discovered; the natives giving him the name of _Captain Hue-hue de Marina_,
or the old captain of Donna Marina. He reduced the whole country to
submission, excepting two or three districts in the mountains, against
which he sent a party of soldiers under Captain Saavedra, who brought most
of them under subjection, one tribe only named the _Acaltecans_ holding
out.
As a great many of the people along with Cortes became sick through the
unhealthiness of the climate, he sent them by a vessel to Hispaniola or
Cuba for the recovery of their healths. By this opportunity, he sent
letters to the royal audience of St Domingo and the reverend brothers of
the order of St Jerome, giving an account of all the events that had
recently happened, and in particular of his having left the government of
Mexico in the hands of deputies, while he proceded to reduce de Oli who
had rebelled. He apprised them of his future intentions, and requested a
reinforcement of soldiers, to enable him to reduce the country where he
now was to subjection; and that they might attach the greater credit to
his report of its value, he sent a valuable present of gold, taken in
reality from his own side-board, but which he endeavoured to make them
believe was the produce of this new settlement. He entrusted the
management of this business to a relation of his own, named Avalos, whom
he directed to take up in his way twenty-five soldiers who, he was
informed, had been left in the island of Cozumel to kidnap Indians to be
sent for slaves to the West Indian islands. This vessel was wrecked about
seventy leagues from the Havanna, on which occasion Avalos and many of the
passengers perished. Those who escaped, among whom was the licentiate
Pedro Lopez, brought the first intelligence to the islands of the
existence of Cortes and his army; as it had been universally believed in
Cuba and Hispaniola that we had all perished. As soon as it was known
where Cortes was, two old ships were sent over to Truxillo with horses and
colts, and one pipe of wine; all the rest of their cargoes consisting of
shirts, caps, and useless trumpery of various kinds. Some of the Indian
inhabitants of the Guanajas islands, which are about eight leagues from
Truxillo, came at this time to Cortes, complaining that the Spaniards had
been accustomed to carry away the natives and their _macegualos_ or slaves,
and that a vessel was now there which was supposed to have come for that
purpose. Cortes immediately sent over one of his vessels to the islands;
but the ship against which the natives complained made sail immediately on
seeing her, and escaped. It was afterwards known, that this vessel was
commanded by the bachelor Moreno, who had been sent on business by the
royal audience of St Domingo to Nombre de Dios.
While Sandoval remained at Naco, the chiefs of two neighbouring districts,
named Quecuspan and Tanchinalchapa, complained to him of a party of
Spaniards, at the distance of a days march from Naco, who robbed their
people and made slaves of them. Sandoval set out against these people
immediately with a party of seventy men, and on coming to the place these
Spaniards were exceedingly surprised at seeing us and took to their arms;
but we soon seized their captain and several others, and made them all
prisoners without any bloodshed. Sandoval reprehended them severely for
their misconduct, and ordered all the Indians whom they had made prisoners
to be immediately released. One Pedro de Garro was the commander of these
men, among whom were several gentlemen, and in comparison of us dirty and
worn down wretches, they were all mounted and attended like lords. They
were all marched to our head-quarters as prisoners; but in a day or two
they became quite reconciled to their lot. The occasion of their coming
into the country was as follows: Pedro Arias de Avila, the governor of
Tierra Firma, had sent a captain named Francisco Hernandez to reduce the
provinces of Nicaragua and New Leon, and to establish a colony in that
place, which he accomplished. After the atrocious murder of Balboa, who
had married Donna Isabella the daughter of Aries, Moreno had been sent
over by the court of royal audience, and persuaded Hernandez, who was now
comfortably settled, to throw off his dependence upon Pedro Aries, and to
establish a distinct government immediately under the royal authority.
Hernandez had done so, and had sent this party under de Garro on purpose
to open a communication from Nicaragua with the north coast, by which to
receive supplies from old Spain. When all this was explained to Sandoval,
he sent Captain Luis Marin to communicate the intelligence to Cortes, in
expectation that he would support the views of Hernandez. I was sent along
with Marin on this occasion, our whole force consisting of ten men. Our
journey was exceedingly laborious, having to cross many rivers which were
much swollen by the rains, and we had at times to make our way through
hostile Indians armed with large heavy lances, by which two of our
soldiers were wounded. We had sometimes three difficult rivers to cross in
one day; and one river, named Xagua, ten leagues from Triumpho de la Cruz,
detained us for two days. By the side of that river we found the skeletons
of seven horses, which had belonged to the troops of de Oli, and had died
from eating poisonous herbs. Several of the rivers and inlets on our
journey were much infested by alligators.
Passing Triumpho de la Cruz and a place called Quemara, we arrived one
evening near Truxillo, where we saw five horsemen riding along the sea
shore, who happened to be our general and four of his friends taking the
air. After the first surprize at this unexpected meeting, Cortes
dismounted and embraced us all with tears in his eyes, quite overjoyed to
see us. It made me quite melancholy to see him, as he was so worn down by
distress and disease, that he appeared much reduced and extremely weak,
insomuch that he had even expected death, and had procured a Franciscan
habit to be buried in. He walked along with us into the town of Truxillo,
and invited us all to sup with him; where we fared so wretchedly that I
had not even my fill of bread or biscuit. After reading over the letters
we had brought him relative to Hernandez, he promised to do every thing in
his power to support him. The two vessels which I formerly mentioned as
having brought horses from Hispaniola, only arrived three days before us,
and we were fools enough to run ourselves in debt by purchasing their
useless frippery. Hitherto Cortes had not received any intelligence
whatever from Mexico since he left it on this disastrous expedition; but,
while we were giving him an account of the hardships of our late journey
from Naco, a vessel was descried at a distance making for our port. This
vessel was from the Havanna, and brought letters from the licentiate Zuazo,
who had been alcalde-major of Mexico, the contents of which overwhelmed
Cortes with such sorrow and distress, that he retired to his private
apartment, whence he did not stir out for a whole day, and we could
distinctly hear that he suffered great agitation. After hearing mass next
morning, he called us together and communicated to us the intelligence
which these letters conveyed, which was to the following effect.
In consequence of the power which Cortes had inconsiderately granted to
Salazar and Chirinos, to supersede Estrada and Albornos in the
administration of government in Mexico, in case of misconduct in these
deputies, they had formed a strong party on their return to Mexico, among
whom were Zuazo the alcalde-major, Rodrigo de Paz, alguazil-major, Alonzo
de Tapis, Jorge de Alvarado, and many of the veteran conquerors, and had
attempted to seize the government by force, and much disturbance and some
bloodshed had ensued. Salazar and Chirinos had carried their point, and
had taken the two former deputies and many of their friends prisoners; and
as discontents and opposition still prevailed, they had confiscated the
property of their opponents, which they distributed among their own
partizans. They had superseded Zuazo in his office of alcalde-major, and
had imprisoned Rodrigo de Paz; yet Zuazo had brought about a temporary
reconciliation. During these disturbances, the Zapotecans and Mixtecans,
and the inhabitants of a strong rocky district named Coatlan had rebelled,
against whom the veedor Chirinos had marched with an armed force; but his
troops thought of nothing but card-playing, so that the enemy had
surprised their camp and done them much mischief. The factor Salazar had
sent a veteran captain, Andres de Monjaraz, to assist and advise Chirinos;
but Monjaraz being an invalid was unable to exert himself properly; and to
add to their distractions, an insurrection was every hour expected in
Mexico. The factor Salazar, constantly remitted gold to his majesties
treasurer, Don Francisco de los Cobos, to make interest for himself at
court, reporting that we had all died at Xicalonga. This report originated
with Diego de Ordas, who, on purpose to escape from the factious troubles
in Mexico, had gone with two vessels in search of us to Xicalongo, where
Cuença and Medina had been slain as formerly mentioned, on learning which
misfortune he concluded it had been Cortes and his whole party, which he
so reported in letters to Mexico, and had sailed himself to Cuba. Salazar
shewed these letters to our several relations in Mexico, who all put on
mourning, and so universally were we all believed to be dead, that out
properties had been sold by public auction. The factor Salazar even
assumed to himself the office of governor and captain-general of New Spain;
a monument was erected to the honour of Cortes, and funeral service was
performed for him in the great church of Mexico. The self-assumed governor
even issued an order, that all the women whose husbands had gone with
Cortes, and who had any regard for their souls, should consider themselves
as widows and should immediately marry again; and because a woman named
Juana de Mansilla, the wife of Alonzo Valiente, refused to obey this order,
alleging we were not people who would be so easily destroyed as Salazar
and his party, she was ordered to be publickly whipped through Mexico as a
witch. One person from whom we expected better behaviour, and whose name I
will not mention, by way of flattering Salazar, solemnly assured him
before many witnesses, that one night, as he was passing the church of St
Jago, which is built on the site of the great temple of Mexico, he saw the
souls of Cortes, Donna Marina, and Sandoval burning in flames of fire:
Another person, also, of good reputation, pretended that the quadrangles
of Tescuco were haunted by evil spirits, which the natives said were the
souls of Donna Marina and Cortes.
At this time the captains Las Casas and De Avila, who had beheaded
Christoval de Oli, arrived in Mexico, and publickly asserted the existence
of Cortes, reprobating the conduct of Salazar, and declaring if Cortes
were actually dead, that Alvarado was the only fit person to have been
raised to the government, till his majesties pleasure could be known.
Alvarado was written to on the subject, and even set out for Mexico; but
becoming apprehensive for his life, he returned to his district. Finding
that he could not bring over Las Casas, De Avila, and Zuazo to his party,
Salazar caused the two former to be arrested and prosecuted for the murder
of De Oli, and even procured their condemnation; and it was with the
utmost difficulty their execution could be prevented by an appeal to his
majesty; but he was obliged to content himself with sending them prisoners
to Spain. He next sent off the licentiate Zuazo in irons to Cuba, under
pretence of making him answer for his conduct while acting as a judge in
that island. Salazar collected all the gold he could lay his hands upon,
and seized Rodrigo de Paz, alguazil-major of Mexico, who had been major
domo to Cortes, demanding of him an account and surrender of all the
treasure belonging to the general; and as he either could not or would not
discover where it was, he caused him to be tortured by burning his feet
and legs, and even caused him to be hanged that he might not carry his
complaints to his majesty. His object in collecting gold was to support
his negociations at court; but in this he was counteracted by almost all
the other officers of government in New Spain, who determined to send
their own statements of the affairs of the colony to court by the same
conveyance with his. He arrested most of the friends of Cortes, several of
whom joined his party as he gave them Indians, and because they wished to
be of the strongest side; but Tapia and Jorge Alvarado took sanctuary with
the Franciscans. To deprive the malcontents of arms, he brought the whole
contents of the arsenal to his palace, in front of which he planted all
the artillery for his defence, under the command of Captain Luis de Guzman,
son-in-law to the duke of Medina Sidonia. He formed likewise a body guard
for his own individual protection, partly composed of soldiers who had
belonged to Cortes, to the command of which he appointed one Arriaga. This
letter likewise mentioned the death of Father Bartholomew de Olmedo, who
was so much revered by the native Mexicans, that they fasted from the time
of his death till after his burial. Zuazo, in the conclusion of his letter,
expressed his apprehensions that the colony of Mexico would be utterly
ruined by these confusions. Along with this long and melancholy letter
from Zuazo, Cortes received letters from his father, informing him of the
death of the bishop of Burgos, and of the intrigues of Albornos at court,
already mentioned on a former occasion, and the interference of the Duke
of Bejar in his behalf. He also told him that Narvaez had been appointed
to the government of the country on the river Palmas, and one Nuno de
Guzman to the province of Panuco.
The intelligence from Zuazo made us all very melancholy, and it is
difficult to say which of the two we cursed most heartily in secret for
our misfortunes, Cortes or Salazar, for we gave them ten thousand
maledictions, and our hearts sunk within us to think of our miserable
plight after all our fatigues and dangers. Cortes retired to his chamber,
and did not appear again till the evening, when we unanimously entreated
him to hasten to Mexico, that he might recover the government from the
usurper. He replied kindly: "My dear friends, this villainous factor is
very powerful. If I go along with you to Mexico, he may waylay us by the
road and murder us all. I think it better for me to go privately to Mexico
with only three or four of you, that I may come upon him at unawares, and
that all the rest of you rejoin Sandoval and go along with him to Mexico."
When I saw that Cortes was resolved on going privately to Mexico, I
anxiously requested to attend him, as I had hitherto accompanied him in
all his difficulties and dangers. He complimented me on my fidelity, but
insisted on my continuing with Sandoval. Several of the colonists of
Truxillo began to grow mutinous, because Cortes had neglected promoting
them to offices; but he pacified them by promises of providing for them
when he should be replaced in his government of Mexico. Previous to his
intended departure, he wrote to Diego de Godoy, to quit Puerto Cavallos
with his settlers, where they were unable to remain on account of
mosquitos and other vermin, ordering them to relieve us in the good
settlement of Naco. He also ordered that we should take the province of
Nicaragua in our way to Mexico, as it was a country in his opinion worth
taking care of. We took our leave of Cortes, who embarked on his intended
voyage, and we set out cheerfully for Naco to join Sandoval, as Mexico was
now the object of our march. The route to Naco was as usual attended with
much difficulty and distress, yet we got safe there, and found that
Captain De Garro had set off for Nicaragua, to inform his commander
Hernandez that Cortes was setting out for Mexico, and had promised to give
him all the assistance in his power.
Two confidential friends of Pedro Aries had come to the knowledge of the
private correspondence between Hernandez and Cortes, and suspected that
Hernandez meant to detach himself from the command of Aries, and to
surrender his province to Cortes. The names of these men were Garruito and
Zamorrano, the former of whom was urged by an ancient enmity to Cortes, on
account of a rivalship between them in Hispaniola when both young men,
about a lady, which ended in a duel. These persons communicated
intelligence of all they knew to Aries, who immediately hastened to
Nicaragua, to seize all the parties concerned. Garro took the alarm in
time, and made his escape to us; but Hernandez, relying on his former
intimacy with Aries, expected that he would not proceed to extremities
against him, and waited his arrival. He was miserably disappointed in
these hopes, as Aries, after a summary process, ordered him to execution
as a traitor to his superior officer.
On his first attempt to sail from Truxillo to Vera Cruz, Cortes was put
back by contrary winds, and a second time by an accident happening to his
ship. Dispirited by sickness, the accidents which had delayed his voyage
prayed on his spirits, he became apprehensive of the power of Salazar
being too great for him, and his lofty mind sunk under superstitious fears.
On his second return to Truxillo, he ordered the celebration of a solemn
mass, and prayed fervently to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to his
future proceedings. On this occasion it appears that he became inclined to
remain in Truxillo to colonize that part of the country; and in three
several expresses which he sent in quick succession to recall us to that
place, he attributed his determination on that subject to the inspiration
of his guardian angel. On receiving these messages, we cursed Cortes and
his bad fortune, and declared to Sandoval that he must remain by himself,
if he chose that measure, as we were resolved on returning to Mexico.
Sandoval was of the same opinion with us, and we sent a letter to Cortes
to that effect signed by all of us; to which we had an answer in a few
days, making great offers to such of us as would remain, and saying, if we
refused, that there still were good soldiers to be had in Castile and
elsewhere. On receiving this letter we were more determined than ever to
proceed; but Sandoval persuaded us to wait a few days till he could see
and speak with Cortes; to whom we wrote in reply, that if he could find
soldiers in Castile, so could we find governors and generals in Mexico,
who would give us plantations for our services, and that we had already
suffered sufficient misfortunes by following him. With this reply Sandoval
set off, attended by a soldier named Sauzedo and a farrier, swearing by
his beard that he would not return till he had seen Cortes embarked for
Mexico. On this occasion Sandoval applied to me for my horse, an excellent
animal for speed, exercise, and travel, which cost me six hundred crowns,
my former horse having been killed in action at a place called Zulaco.
Sandoval gave me one of his in exchange, which was killed under me in less
than two months; after which I was reduced to a vicious colt which I
bought from the two vessels at Truxillo. On parting from us, Sandoval
desired us to wait his return at a large Indian town called Acalteca.
When Sandoval came to Truxillo, Cortes received him very joyfully; but
neither his pressing instances nor our letter could prevail on him to
proceed to Mexico. He prevailed on him, therefore, to send Martin de
Orantes, a confidential servant, with a commission to Pedro de Alvarado
and Francisco de las Casas, in case these officers were in Mexico, to
assume the government till he should return; or, in the event of their
absence, to authorise the treasurer, Estrada, and the contador, Albornos,
to resume the power granted by the former deputation, revoking that which
he had so inadvertently given to the factor Salazar and the veedor
Chirinos, which they had so grossly abused. Cortes agreed to this, and
having given Orantes his instructions and commissions, directed him to
land in a bay between Vera Cruz and Panuco, suffering no person but
himself to go on shore, after which the vessel was immediately to proceed
to Panuco, that his arrival might be kept as secret as possible. Orantes
was likewise furnished with letters from Cortes to all his friends in New
Spain, and to the treasurer and contador, although he knew they were not
of that description, desiring them all to use their utmost diligence in
displacing the present tyrannical usurpers. Having favourable weather,
Orantes soon arrived at his destination; and disguising himself as a
labourer, set forward on his journey, always avoiding the Spaniards, and
lodging only among the natives. When questioned by any one, he called
himself Juan de Flechilla; and indeed he was so altered during his absence
of two years and three months, that his most intimate acquaintances could
not have recognised him. Being a very active man, he arrived in four days
in Mexico, which he entered in the dark, and proceeded immediately to the
convent of the Franciscans, where he found the Alvarados and several other
friends of Cortes, who were there concealed. On explaining his errand and
producing the letters of Cortes, every one was exceedingly rejoiced, and
even the reverend fathers danced for gladness. The gates of the monastery
were immediately locked, to preclude all notice being conveyed to the
adverse party; and about midnight, the treasurer and contador, and many of
the friends of Cortes were brought secretly to the convent, where the
intelligence was communicated to them. In a grand consultation, it was
resolved to seize the factor Salazar next morning, the contador Chirinos
being still occupied at the rock of Coatlan.
The rest of the night was employed in providing arms and collecting all
their friends, and at day-break next morning the whole party marched for
the palace which Salazar inhabited, calling out as they went along, "Long
live the king, and the governor Hernando Cortes." When this was heard by
the citizens, they all took up arms; and under an idea that their
assistance was required by the government, many of them joined Estrada on
the march. The contador Albornos played a double game on the occasion, as
he sent intelligence to put Salazar on his guard, for which Estrada
reproached him afterwards with much severity. On approaching the palace,
the friends of Cortes found Salazar already well prepared for resistance,
in consequence of the information he had received; the artillery under
Guzman being drawn out ready for action in front of the palace, and a
strong garrison inside for its defence. But the adherents of Cortes pushed
on, forcing their way by the different doors, and others by the terraces
or wherever they could get access, continually shouting, for the king and
Cortes. The adherents of Salazar were dismayed; the artillery-men
abandoned the guns, and the other soldiers run away and hid themselves,
leaving the poor factor with only Pedro Gonzalez Sabiote and four servants.
Salazar being thus abandoned, became desperate, and endeavoured to fire
off one of the guns, in which attempt he was made prisoner, and confined
in a wooden cage. Circular notice of this revolution was immediately
conveyed to all the provinces of New Spain; and the veedor Chirinos,
leaving the command of his troops with Monjaraz, took refuge in the
Franciscan monastery at Tescuco; but was shortly afterwards made prisoner
and secured in another cage. Immediate intelligence of this revolution was
transmitted to Pedro de Alvarado, with directions to go immediately to
Truxillo to wait upon Cortes. The next thing done by the new deputies was
to wait upon Juanna de Mansilla, who had been whipped as a witch, who was
placed on horseback behind the treasurer Estrada, in which situation she
was escorted in grand procession through all the streets of Mexico, like a
Roman matron, and was ever afterwards stiled _Donna Juanna_, in honour of
her constancy, for refusing to marry again while she believed her husband
was still living.
As the situation of Mexico evidently required the presence of Cortes, Fra
Diego de Altamirano was sent by his friends to represent to him the
necessity of setting out immediately for the capital. This reverend father
had been in the army before he entered the church, and was a man of
considerable abilities, and experienced in business. On his arrival at
Truxillo, and giving Cortes an account of the recent events in Mexico, the
general gave thanks to God for the restoration of peace; but declared his
intention of going to Mexico by land, being afraid of encountering the
adverse currents, and because of the bad state of his health. The pilots,
however, represented that the season was quite favourable for the voyage,
it being then the month of April, and prevailed on him to give up his
first resolution. But he would on no account leave Truxillo till the
return of Sandoval, who had been detached with seventy soldiers against a
Captain Roxas, who served under Pedro Arias de Avila, against whom
complaints had been made by the inhabitants of Olancho, a district about
fifty-five leagues from Truxillo. When the parties first met they were on
the brink of proceeding to hostilities; but they were reconciled and
parted amicably, Roxas and his men agreeing to evacuate the country.
Sandoval was recalled in consequence of the arrival of Altamirano, and
Cortes took measures to leave the country in good order, of which Saavedra
was left lieutenant-governor. Captain Luis Marin was directed to march our
whole party to Mexico by way of Guatimala, and Captain Godoy was ordered
to take the command at Naco. All things being now settled for the
departure of Cortes, he confessed to Fra Juan and received the Sacrament,
previous to his embarkation, as he was so exceedingly ill that he thought
himself on the point of death. The wind was favourable, and he soon
arrived at the Havanna, where he was honourably received by his former
friends and acquaintances, and where he had the pleasure, by a vessel just
arrived from Vera Cruz, to receive intelligence that New Spain was
entirely restored to peace; as all the refractory Indians, on hearing that
Cortes and we their former conquerors were alive and returning, had come
in and made their submissions.
The conduct of Salazar and Chirinos during their usurped authority had
gained them many adherents; as, by means of their confiscations and the
distribution of property among their greedy supporters, many were
interested in the maintenance of their authority. These were mostly of the
lower order, and persons of a seditious disposition; though some men of
quality, especially influenced by the contador Albornos, who dreaded the
arrival of Cortes, had formed a plot to kill the treasurer Estrada, and to
reinstate Salazar and Chirinos in the government. For the purpose of
releasing them from prison, they employed one Guzman, a white-smith, a
fellow of low character who affected to be a wit, to make keys for opening
their cages, giving him a piece of gold of the form which they required,
and enjoining the strictest secrecy. He undertook all that they asked with
the utmost apparent zeal, pretending to be very anxious for the liberation
of the prisoners; and by his affected humour and zeal for the cause,
contrived to become acquainted with their whole plan of procedure: But
when the keys were finished and the plot ripe for execution, he
communicated intelligence of the whole affair to Estrada; who instantly
assembled the friends of Cortes, and went to the place of meeting, where
he found twenty of the conspirators already armed and waiting for the
signal. These were seized, but many others made their escape. Among the
prisoners there were several very notorious characters, one of whom had
lately committed violence on a Spanish woman. They were immediately
brought to trial before Ortega, the alcalde-major of Mexico; and, being
convicted, three of them were hanged, and several of the rest whipped.
I must here digress, to mention an affair not exactly accordant in point
of time with my narrative, but relevant in regard to its subject. By the
same vessel in which Salazar had transmitted letters to his majesty
tending to criminate Cortes, other letters were conveyed and so artfully
concealed that he had no suspicion of their existence, in which a full and
true account of all his oppresions and unlawful proceedings was sent to
his majesty. All these facts had also been reported by the royal court of
audience at St Domingo; by which the reported death of Cortes was
contradicted, and his majesty was truly informed in what manner the
general was employed for his service. In consequence of these
representations, the emperor is said to have expressed his high
indignation at the unworthy treatment which Cortes had experienced, and
his determination to support him in the government of New Spain.
[1] The true lion, Felis leo, is only found in the old world, chiefly in
Africa and the south of Persia. The American lion, or _puma_, the
Felis concolor of naturalists, is considerably less than the true lion,
being about the size of a large wolf, of a lively red colour tinged
with black, but without spots. It climbs trees, whence it drops down
by surprise on animals passing below; and though fierce and cunning,
hardly ever ventures to attack mankind.--E.
[2] The iguana, instead of being a _serpent_, is a large species of
_lizard_, the Lacerta iguana of naturalists. It abounds in all the
warm and marshy parts of America, and is reckoned excellent eating.--E.
[3] Diaz is very lax in his topographical notices of this famous
expedition. The settlement of St Gil de Buena Vista, where Cortes now
was, appears to have been at the bottom of the gulf of Amatique in the
bay of Honduras, on the east side of the inlet which communicates with
the _golfo dolce_. His exploration of that inland gulf, was probably
in the hope of finding a navigable passage to the Pacific Ocean. The
settlement which Cortes projected in Puerto Cavallos, must have been
near that now called Fort Omoa.--E.
[4] These islands of Guanajes appear to be those called by the English
settlers of Honduras, Ratan and Bonaeo, off cape Honduras.--E.