_Diego Velasquez sends one of his officials, named Gaspar Garnica,
with full authority to take Cortes prisoner, whatever might be the
consequence; and what further happened._
In order that my history may be perfectly intelligible to my readers, I
must sometimes recur to prior events. In this place I have to return to
Diego Velasquez, who, when he learnt that his brother-in-law, Francisco
Verdugo, sub-governor of Trinidad, had not only confirmed Cortes in his
appointment over the squadron, but even, conjointly with Diego de Ordas,
lent him every possible assistance, fell into such a rage that he roared
like a wild beast. He accused his private secretary Andreas de Duero,
and the royal treasurer Almador de Lares, of a conspiracy to cheat him,
adding, that Cortes had run off with the whole squadron. Nor did
Velasquez stop here, but despatched one of his officials with
imperative commands to Pedro Barba, sub-governor of the Havannah, at the
same time writing to all his relatives in that town, to De Ordas and to
Juan Velasquez de Leon, who were his special confidants, requiring them
to swear, by the friendship they bore him, not, under any pretence
whatsoever, to allow the squadron to depart, but to send Cortes prisoner
to Santiago. As soon as Garnica, the bearer of these despatches,
arrived, it was immediately guessed for what purpose he came. Cortes was
even apprized of it by means of the very bearer himself: for one of the
brethren of Charity, who was much in company with Velasquez, and greatly
in favour with him, had forwarded by this same Garnica a letter to a
brother of the same order, named Bartolome de Olmedo, who had joined our
expedition. By means of this letter, Cortes was apprized of the whole
posture of affairs by those interested with him, Andreas de Duero and
the royal treasurer. Ordas, as we have above seen, having been sent off
in quest of provisions, Cortes had now only to fear opposition from Juan
Velasquez de Leon; but even him he had half gained over to his side, not
being on the best of terms with his relative the governor, who had only
presented him with a very poor commendary. Thus it was that the design
of Velasquez was frustrated by those very persons to whom he had
written. Indeed, from that very moment, these personages only united
themselves the closer to Cortes, particularly the sub-governor Pedro
Barba, the Alvarados, Puertocarrero, Montejo, Christobal de Oli, Juan
de Escalante, Andreas de Monjaraz, and his brother Gregorio, who, with
all of us, were ready to stake our lives for Cortes. Had the orders of
Velasquez been kept secret in Trinidad, they were now the more so in
this place; and Pedro de Barba despatched Garnica to Diego Velasquez
with the information that he durst not venture to take Cortes into
custody, as he was too powerful and too much beloved by the soldiers;
fearing, if he should make the attempt, that the town would be
plundered, and the whole of the inhabitants forcibly dragged away. For
the rest, he could assure Diego Velasquez that Cortes was quite devoted
to him, and did nothing that could be said to militate against his
interests. Cortes himself also wrote a letter couched in those smooth
terms he so very well knew how to employ, assuring Velasquez of the
unabated friendship he entertained for him, and that he was going to set
sail the very next day.