CHAPTER CXCVI.

How the royal court of audience arrive in Mexico during Cortes' stay in Spain, and what their first occupations were.

While Cortes was staying in Spain, and had already been created a marquis, the royal court of audience appointed by his majesty arrived in Mexico. This court consisted of a president, Nuño de Guzman, who was previously governor of Panuco, and of four licentiates as auditors, whose names were Matienzo of Biscay or Navarra, Delgadillo of Granada, Maldonado of Salamanca, (not the licentiate Alonso Maldonado the Good, who was governor of Guatimala,) and the licentiate Parada, who, up to this moment, had lived at Cuba.

These gentlemen met with a most splendid reception in Mexico, and commenced their operations about sixteen days after their arrival. None of the subsequent viceroys or presidents possessed the extensive powers granted to these men by his majesty. They had full power to distribute the commendaries in perpetuity, and they were particularly desired to reward the Conquistadores handsomely, and to give them the preference in all matters.

These gentlemen made known their arrival in every town throughout New Spain, and ordered the citizens to send their procuradores to them, each provided with a list of the Indians in his province. Many days had not elapsed before these procuradores and the Conquistadores made their appearance in Mexico from all parts of New Spain. I myself repaired thither as procurador syndic of the town of Guacasualco, but when I found in what manner the auditors intended to treat the matter, I hastened back to Guacasualco in order to elect the procuradores who were to represent the interests of the latter place at the royal court of audience, during the distribution of the commendaries in perpetuity. Various disputes arose respecting this election, for every one was desirous of choosing his particular friend; however, at length their choice fell upon Luis Marin and myself; but when we arrived in Mexico and the whole of us procuradores insisted upon a distribution in perpetuity as his majesty had commanded, we found that a great change had taken place. Nuño de Guzman, Matienzo, and Delgadillo were now quite against this measure; and the two other auditors, Maldonado and Parada, died of pleurisy shortly after their arrival in Mexico, and no doubt if Cortes had been at that time in New Spain calumny would have accused him of their death also. With respect to the distribution in perpetuity, I have been assured by many credible persons that the factor was the only man who stopped it from being carried into effect, for he had so far gained the confidence of Guzman and Delgadillo, that they never did anything without consulting him, and allowed themselves to be led blindly by him in all matters. These gentlemen now opposed the distribution in perpetuity, because they saw that the Conquistadores by such a measure would become independent of them, and trouble themselves no more about them. They consequently considered it more to their interest to leave matters as they were, for then they could bestow and take away Indians whenever they liked, by which they would always have us at their mercy, and they themselves derive great power and riches. The factor, Delgadillo, and Guzman likewise came to a secret understanding with each other, that the first-mentioned gentleman should repair to Spain in order to procure for Guzman the appointment of governor of New Spain; for they had already learnt that Cortes did not stand so high in his majesty's favour as at first, and that, notwithstanding all his great interest at court, he had not been able to obtain this appointment for himself. The factor accordingly embarked for Spain, but he had not been many days at sea before he was overtaken by a violent storm, and his vessel was wrecked off the coast of Guacasualco; the factor narrowly escaped on shore in the boat, and here this project ended.

The first thing which Nuño de Guzman and his colleagues did was to institute an inquiry into the government of the treasurer Estrada, to which he very patiently submitted. If this man had shown the determined character we had expected of him, he would certainly have continued governor of New Spain, for it was only a few months previously that his majesty had conferred this appointment on him, with every approbation of the conduct he had pursued in the government of the country; besides which, Guzman had no further powers than those conferred upon him as president of the royal court of audience, and even then he could not make any distribution of lands or ofIndians, unless it met with the approbation of his colleagues. Every inhabitant of Mexico, and the whole of the Conquistadores would have the more zealously supported Estrada if he had shown any determination to maintain his authority, as he had evinced the utmost impartiality in his government, and had scrupulously acted up to the commands of his majesty; but the inquiry had scarcely lasted a few days when he grew weary of offering any further resistance to the court of audience, and he died shortly after of downright vexation.

This new court of audience was altogether opposed to Cortes and his adherents, in which partisan-like spirit they instituted an inquiry into the conduct of Jorge de Alvarado, in his government of Guatimala, and for this purpose a certain Orduña, the elder, of Tordesillas, was despatched thither; but I am totally ignorant of the result of his investigation. In the same way they attacked the government of Cortes, and specially appointed for this purpose the fiscal and the factor Salazar. During this investigation, Cortes was accused in open court of so many base actions, and was altogether so grossly calumniated, that the licentiate Altamirano, to whom Cortes had intrusted the sole care of his possessions in New Spain, with cap in hand, stepped up in front of the president and the auditors, and respectfully begged of them to bridle the slanderous tongue of the factor, and to forbid him henceforth to utter his low abuse of the marquis, a cavalier of unblemished character, and the faithful servant of his monarch. He then demanded justice of the factor, but very little notice was taken of his remonstrances, for the next day the factor produced even more infamous accusations, and the auditors countenanced this in so far that very high words arose between the licentiate Altamirano on one side, and the factor and the auditors on the other. At length Altamirano lost all patience, drew his dagger, and would certainly have killed the factor on the spot if he had not flown for protection behind the auditors. The whole city broke out into open insurrection at this circumstance. Altamirano was thrown into prison, and the factor was confined in his own house. The whole of us Conquistadores, however, went in a body to the president and interceded for Altamirano, so effectually, indeed, that three days after, he was set at liberty again, and a reconciliation was brought about between him and the auditors.

After this affair had blown over, another of a more serious nature took place; namely, there arrived about this time in Mexico a relation of Pamfilo Narvaez, named Zavallos, who had been despatched from Cuba by Maria de Valenzuela, Narvaez's wife, to gain some information respecting her husband, who had been appointed governor of thecountry on the river Palmas; but, as was currently reported, had perished on the expedition thither. Maria de Valenzuela had also given Zavallos full authority to take possession of her husband's property wherever he might find it, for she imagined he had taken considerable property with him to New Spain. This man was secretly advised by the auditors to bring actions against all those of the Conquistadores who had accompanied Cortes on the expedition against Narvaez, injured his person, burnt his property, and killed so many of his men. Zavallos immediately lent a willing ear to this, and forthwith commenced an action of indemnification against the Conquistadores, who all happened at that time to be staying in the metropolis. There were altogether 250 of us, and the whole were condemned in the sum of a certain number of pesos, and banished to the distance of twenty miles from Mexico. But this sentence of banishment was instantly withdrawn, and several of us were not even asked for the fine in which we had been condemned, for it was very small. But this was not all, for now other enemies of Cortes began to show themselves, and accused him of having kept to himself a quantity of the gold, silver and jewels taken at the conquest of the city of Mexico; that he had even concealed the treasure of Quauhtemoctzin, and merely given the Conquistadores eighty pesos a piece; that he had only sent a very small portion of this treasure to his majesty, and that in such a manner as if the present had come from him alone. Though these complainants very well knew that the present which Cortes sent on that occasion to Spain fell into the hands of the French freebooter, Jean Florin, yet they not only demanded that Cortes should repay the money captured by this corsair, but also the other treasures which he had secretly kept to himself.

Various other accusations were brought against Cortes, and in every case judgment was given in favour of the complainants, so that his possessions were sold in payment of all demands. The auditors even went so far as to contrive that Cortes' own brother-in-law, Juan Suarez, should accuse Cortes, in open court, of the murder of his late wife, Doña Catalina Suarez, which he sought to prove by witnesses.

With regard to the demands against Cortes respecting the prize-money of Mexico and the treasure of Quauhtemoctzin, we, the friends of Cortes, after obtaining leave of the alcaldes, assembled in the house of Garcia Holguin, and signed our names to a paper, in which we declared that we would not accept of any share of the fines in which Cortes had been condemned, and that we had altogether no demand whatever of that nature against him, as we were perfectly satisfiedthat the gold, with the other valuable matters in question, had been duly forwarded to his majesty, and that this was done with unanimous consent to prove our fidelity and loyalty to the emperor. When the auditors were informed of what we had done, they were going to have us all seized, on the ground that we were not authorized to call any meeting or sign any document of such a nature without their sanction; but we showed them the permission we had received from the alcaldes, yet the auditors again sentenced us to be banished twenty miles from Mexico. This sentence was soon after indeed withdrawn as on the former occasion, but it nevertheless caused us a great deal of vexation and sorrow.

The next thing the auditors did was to announce to the public that all those persons who either descended from the Moors or the Indians, whose relations or forefathers in the fourth degree had been burnt by the holy inquisition, or had even been dismissed with the San Benito, should leave New Spain within the space of six months, or forfeit the half of their property. Many persons were accordingly called up to vindicate themselves on this point, and several found their respectability sadly impugned; yet there were only two persons who were obliged to leave New Spain on this account.

With regard to the distribution of commendaries, the auditors fully acted up to his majesty's commands, and they richly remunerated the true Conquistadores; but the real cause of their downfall was the immoderateness with which they allowed the Spaniards to mark slaves. This was carried to so great a length in the province of Panuco, that the whole of this territory became at length quite depopulated. Nuño de Guzman had, altogether, something noble and frank about him, and when he gave, it was with an unsparing hand. For instance, by way of a new-year's gift he presented the accountant Albornoz with the township of Guazpaltepec. Albornoz had just returned from Spain, with his wife Doña Catalina de Loaisa, whom he had recently married, having also obtained permission from his majesty to erect a sugar refinery at Sempoalla, which a few years after was completely destroyed. If the president Guzman pursued a ruthless course in the marking of slaves, and tried all he could to injure Cortes, the auditor Delgadillo was certainly no better. It was even said of him that he made grants of commendaries in consideration of a certain per centage on their annual produce. Besides this, he appointed his own brother Berrio alcalde-mayor of the town of Guaxaca, where he oppressed and ill-used the inhabitants in every possible manner to obtain gold. This auditor likewise despatched a person of his own name as commandant to thetownship of the Zapotecs, whose conduct was equally infamous there as that of Berrio in Guaxaca. The other auditor, Matienzo, was a man far advanced in years, and the only one who had not abused his power; but against the others so many bitter complaints were made, and these so well confirmed by letters from the monks and prelates, that the emperor ordered the council of the Indies immediately to recall all the members of the royal audience, to severely punish them, and to appoint other men of integrity and intelligence. His majesty also desired that an inquiry should be made as to the number of slaves which had been marked in the province of Panuco. Matienzo was commissioned to make the inquiry, as this aged auditor had shown greater love of justice than his colleagues.

From this moment all the permits which had been given to mark slaves were considered as invalid, and the marking-irons were destroyed wherever they were found, and henceforth it was forbidden ever again to mark slaves. It was even ordered that a census should be taken of all the slaves in New Spain, in order to prevent their being sold out of the country, or even from being sent from one province into another. In the same way it was declared that every distribution of commendaries made by Guzman and his colleagues to their friends, relations, and other persons of no worth, should be considered as invalid, and the property these persons had obtained in this manner was immediately to be delivered up again.

These commands produced endless lawsuits, for those in possession employed every artifice to retain what they had once got. Some maintained they belonged to the body of the Conquistadores, though there was not a word of truth in it; others asserted that they had been settled in the country for many years. Some, who could offer no good excuse, asserted, at least, that they never belonged to the household, or to the table companions of the auditors; declaring that they had only called upon these gentlemen from time to time, and appeared in their suite, to pay them the respect which was due to them in their capacity of royal auditors. In short, each person defended his property as well as he could, and, upon the whole, so successfully, that there were only a few persons who were obliged to relinquish their possessions. The accountant Albornoz was of this number, and he was again deprived of the township of Guazpaltepec, which Guzman had given him as a new-year's gift. In the same way a certain Villa Roël was obliged to deliver up possession of the township of Quauhnahuac. Villegas, Guzman's mayor-domo, and other officials and relatives of the auditors, had to quit their commendaries.

As soon as the news arrived in Mexico that the auditors were to be cashiered, Guzman and his colleagues determined to despatch a procurador to Spain, to testify that they had faithfully fulfilled the duties of their office, and acted up to his majesty's commands. For this purpose, all the procuradores of the different towns of New Spain then staying at Mexico, and the most distinguished of the Conquistadores, were desired to assemble in the principal church, to elect the factor Salazar, when it would be made to appear as if this man was chosen by our unanimous consent to repair to Spain, and there to white-wash Guzman and his colleagues. The auditors had fully expected we should have elected Salazar, particularly as they had been so liberal in their grants of commendaries to the Conquistadores.

This meeting actually took place, but so many persons forced their way into the church who had no voice at all, creating so much disturbance and noise, that it was impossible to restore order. We therefore declared to the auditors that it was impossible to proceed with the business of the day, and that we would assemble in their private dwelling on the following morning. But as we plainly saw that their main object was that we should select some one entirely devoted to their interests, we determined also that a second agent should be chosen in Cortes' interest. We then proceeded to the election, and our choice fell upon Bernardino Vazquez de Tapia, in the latter's interest, and Antonio de Carvajal, who commanded a brigantine during the siege of Mexico, was chosen to represent the interest of the auditors; however, both these gentlemen were more inclined to favour the cause of Nuño de Guzman than that of Cortes: nor could we indeed blame them for this, the royal auditors having been more bountiful towards us than Cortes. They had, at least, in some measure acted up to his majesty's commands, by bestowing commendaries upon us; whereas Cortes, at the time when he had full power to reward us according to our deserts, totally neglected us. But as Spaniards are ever loyal, and we could not forget that he had been our captain, we still felt a great affection for him, more indeed than he had shown us when it was in his power to have remembered us, according to his majesty's express desire.

After we had thus selected our two procuradores, a lengthened discussion took place as to the particular points that were to be impressed on his majesty's mind. The president and his colleagues, on their part, maintained that it was imperative on all the procuradores to declare that it would be both injurious to the cause of religion and the true interests of the crown if Cortes returned to New Spain, for his presence would only create factions and disturbances among the inhabitants, anda good government would be totally impracticable; that moreover it was not unlikely he would seize the first opportunity of taking forcible possession of the country, and declare his independence of the Spanish crown. These assertions most of us Conquistadores positively denied, and we maintained that his majesty had not a more devoted and faithful servant than Cortes.

About this time also Alvarado returned from Spain, as governor and chief justice of Guatimala, and comendador of Santiago. He was accompanied by his newly-married wife, Doña Francisca de la Cueva, who, however, died soon after her arrival at Vera Cruz, so that Alvarado and his suite arrived in Mexico clad in the deepest mourning. As soon as he learnt the nature of the petition which the auditors were going to despatch to his majesty, he managed that we should draw up a joint address to the emperor, in which we fully explained to his majesty the real object the president and his colleagues had in view. When therefore the two above-mentioned procuradores laid their papers before the council of the Indies, the members of this body readily perceived that they contained nothing but a rancorous feeling against Cortes. Not the slightest notice therefore was taken of these representations, and the imperial decree for the cashiering of the auditors was confirmed. Cortes was at that time still in Spain, and it may naturally be supposed that all these attempts to injure him turned out to his advantage, and added to his honour.

Nuño de Guzman in the meantime sent out an expedition to Xalisco for the colonization of this province, in which, it will be seen, he was more fortunate than Cortes, who had previously made a similar attempt.

How Nuño de Guzman, on the intelligence that the emperor had cashiered the royal court of audience, determines to subdue the province of Xalisco, at present called New Galicia.

Nuño de Guzman, finding that his power in New Spain was drawing to an end, assembled a large body of troops, consisting of cavaliers, crossbow-men, and musketeers, for an expedition to the province of Xalisco. Those who were not willing to accompany him he compelled, or made them give a certain sum of money to hire a substitute. He seized every horse he could lay his hands on, and at most only paid half their value. The more wealthy inhabitants of the metropolis wereobliged to contribute as much money as they could spare, and a large number of Indian auxiliary troops and porters were joined to the expedition.

Guzman's troops everywhere committed terrible depredations. The first province he marched through was Mechoacan, the inhabitants of which still possessed abundance of gold, though not of the finest quality, as it contained a considerable alloy of silver, for which reason Guzman compelled them to contribute a larger amount. Casonci, the principal cazique of the province, boldly refused to give him so great a quantity of gold as he demanded, wherefore Guzman ordered him to be tortured, by pouring hot oil over his feet; but as the unfortunate cazique, notwithstanding all the torments he endured, still remained firm to his purpose, he was ordered to be hung. This was the most cruel and wicked deed the president ever perpetrated, and he himself was the only guilty person, for the whole of his men expressed their horror at this inhuman act. Out of this province he took with him a great number of Indians, to transport his baggage to the spot where he built the present town of Compostella; which, however, cost the imperial treasury a vast sum of money, besides the heavy contributions he levied on the inhabitants of Mexico, a number of whom he compelled to settle in the new town. As I did not accompany this expedition, I will not go into its particulars; but I know well that neither Cortes nor Nuño de Guzman drew any advantages from it, and that the latter remained in the province of Xalisco until his majesty issued orders for him to be seized, and brought back a prisoner to Mexico, at Guzman's own expense, there to render an account of his government to the new court of audience which his majesty had appointed. It was at the particular request of Matienzo and of Delgadillo that these steps were taken against him. We will now, however, leave him to his own fate, and see who the new members of the royal court of audience were.

The arrival of the new members of the royal court of audience in Mexico.

I have above mentioned the orders which his majesty issued with respect to the formation of a new court of audience, which was solely composed of men of intelligence and strict justice, and choice was made of the following persons: Don Sebastian Fuen Leal, as president, whoat that time was bishop of St. Domingo; auditors, the licentiate Maldonado, of Salamanca; Francisco de Cainos, of Toro or of Zamora; Vasco de Quiroga, of Madrigal, subsequently bishop of Mechoacan; and Salmeron, of Madrid. The auditors arrived in Mexico before the president, and they, as well as the latter, who came a few days after, were received with great splendour.

These gentlemen immediately instituted a general inquiry into the government of the late auditors. Numbers of the inhabitants, with the procuradores from every town of New Spain, besides several Indian chiefs, repaired without delay to Mexico, and brought such a mass of accusations against the late auditors, of oppression, extortion, and of injustice, that the present auditors were utterly astounded. Cortes' agents also complained of the illegal manner in which Nuño de Guzman and his colleagues had seized part of the former's property, and sold it by public auction to the highest bidder. The agents then claimed damages to the amount of 200,000 pesos. As Nuño de Guzman refused to appear in Mexico at the summons of the auditors, obstinately refusing to leave the province of Xalisco, Delgadillo and Matienzo had alone to answer all these accusations; they, however, threw all the guilt on the shoulders of Guzman, who, in his capacity of president, they said, had acted on his own authority, and therefore was the only responsible person.

As Guzman refused to appear before the auditors, all they could do for the present was to forward his majesty an account of the state of affairs in New Spain; for they feared, by employing open force, to create insurrection throughout the country. The council of the Indies, on receiving this information, despatched to Mexico the licentiate de la Torre, with orders to repair in person to the province of Xalisco, there to institute an inquiry against Guzman, and to take him prisoner to Mexico. This licentiate was also commissioned to see that Guzman repaid us the money he had obliged us to pay to the wife of Narvaez, as an indemnification for the losses the latter sustained in our expedition against him.

The auditors in the meantime continued their investigations, and first of all ordered the possessions of Delgadillo and of Matienzo sold, to pay the demands which were made against them; and as the moneys arising from the sale of their property was not sufficient to satisfy these, they were to be imprisoned. In like manner they served Berrio, the brother of Delgadillo, who, in his capacity of alcalde-mayor of Guaxaca, had thought proper to exercise every species of oppression. The whole of his property was sold, and he himself thrown into prison,where he died some time after. Another of Delgadillo's relatives, alcalde-mayor of the country of the Zatopecs, shared a similar fate.

The new auditors were altogether strictly honest and just in their proceedings; they were, indeed, men whose only aim was to serve God, and to watch the true interests of the crown. They were unwearied in their labours to promote the happiness of the Indian population, made the best regulations for their being instructed in the doctrine of our holy faith, and abolished all further marking of slaves.

As two of the auditors, Salmeron and Cainos, were far advanced in age, they begged permission of his majesty, after a stay of four years in Mexico, to return to Spain, there to spend the large fortunes which they had honestly gained, in peace and retirement. His majesty, being satisfactorily convinced of the excellent conduct they had pursued in their government, readily granted their request. The emperor at the same time also recalled the president Don Sebastian, to learn from him the true state of affairs in New Spain, and soon after appointed him president of the supreme court of justice at Granada. From this place he was some time after removed to Valladolid, made bishop of Tui, soon after bishop of Leon, and then bishop of Cuenca; so that one episcopal appointment followed the other in quick succession, all of which he obtained by the strict justice he observed in all matters that came before him. After this last promotion death called him away, and it appears to me, according to our holy faith, that he is clothed with the glory of the blessed in heaven. During the stay of this excellent man in Mexico I had often occasion to confer personally with him, and I at all times found him a man of excellent disposition, whose love of justice knew no bounds. The same kindness of heart he had shown as bishop of St. Domingo, and previously as inquisitor at Seville.

The licentiate Alonso Maldonado, whom his majesty appointed president and governor of the provinces of Guatimala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, likewise possessed every good quality, and was subsequently appointed governor of Yucatan jointly with his father-in-law Don Francisco de Montejo.

The licentiate Quiroga also possessed similar virtues, and was afterwards made bishop of Mechoacan. Thus were these excellent men rewarded for their virtues; while Delgadillo and Matienzo returned poor and despised to Spain, where they died a couple of years after in obscurity.

About this time it pleased his majesty to appoint a viceroy of New Spain, in the person of the illustrious and excellent cavalier Don Antonio de Mendoza, whose memory will be honoured to eternity. The viceroybrought with him, as the new auditors, the doctor Quesada, of Ledesma, and the licentiate Tejada, of Logroño. As the auditor Maldonado shortly after left for the province of Guatimala, another person was appointed in his place, named Loaisa, of Ciudad Real. He was a man advanced in age, and, after staying a few years in Mexico, he returned with a handsome fortune to Spain. After him the licentiate Santillana, of Seville, was appointed an auditor, and the whole of these men observed the strictest justice in their conduct. Their entry into Mexico was uncommonly splendid, and they immediately announced to the public that all those persons who had any complaints to make against the late members of the court of audience should forthwith produce them. However, not a single person came forward to offer any, and their government was pronounced irreproachable.

The first thing which the viceroy did on his arrival in Mexico was to try if he could not induce Nuño de Guzman to come to terms, without using open force. For this purpose he invited him to Mexico; and when he had arrived there, he gave him lodgings in his own palace, treated him with every possible respect, and allowed him to dine every day at his own table. While Guzman was staying here, the licentiate De la Torre arrived, who was commissioned by his majesty to take Guzman prisoner, and, after communicating with the viceroy, to bring him to trial. The licentiate De la Torre finding, however, that the viceroy was very unwilling to assist him in this matter, repaired in person to his palace, seized the person of Guzman, and threw him into prison, where he remained for several days, until he was set at liberty again by the viceroy.

When the disaffected portion of the inhabitants of Mexico found that the licentiate De la Torre was determined to make the minutest inquiry into the late conduct of Guzman, if they could do nothing else, they at least resolved to injure his good name, for which the licentiate's gambling propensity gave them the best opportunity. At that time it was the fashion (particularly for those persons who practised in the law courts) to wear a kind of loose coat with very wide sleeves. In one of the sleeves of such a coat belonging to the licentiate, one of Guzman's partisans ingeniously managed to fasten a small pack of cards in such a manner that they should not fall out immediately. When the licentiate, accompanied by several distinguished personages, was walking across the large square at Mexico, the person who had concealed the cards so contrived it that they dropped one after the other out of his sleeve on the ground, so as to mark his way as he went along. At length this was observed by those who accompanied him,and they drew his attention to what was falling from his coat. This malicious piece of frolic, as may he imagined, annoyed the licentiate excessively, and he exclaimed, "It appears to me that the people here are not exactly pleased with the impartial justice I exercise; however, if I live, his majesty shall certainly be made acquainted with the insult which has thus been offered to me."

A few days after this trick had been played off upon him, he actually fell ill from downright vexation, and died.

Cortes returns to New Spain as marquis del Valle Oaxaca, and captain-general of New Spain and of the South Sea, accompanied by his wife Doña Maria de Zuniga, and father Leguizamo and other monks.

Cortes having now been so long absent in Spain, and having married a second wife, was very desirous of returning to New Spain, in order to take the management of his property into his own hands again, and enter into possession of the marquisate which the emperor had bestowed upon him. As he was well aware how matters stood in Mexico, he hastened his departure, and embarked with his whole household and twelve monks of the order of Charity, who were to continue the good work of conversion commenced by father Olmedo and by several other pious men mentioned in former chapters. The general of this order again selected for Cortes virtuous and excellent men, at the head of whom he placed father Juan de Leguizamo, of Biscay, a man of great learning and piety, and who was the confessor both of Cortes and his wife.

Cortes this time again had a very favorable passage; but, unfortunately, one of the monks died a few days after his arrival in Vera Cruz. In this town Cortes was received with every mark of respect, but not with the former splendour. From Vera Cruz he travelled to some of the townships belonging to his marquisate, and thence to Mexico, in order to have himself proclaimed captain-general of New Spain and of the South Sea, and to desire the viceroy and the royal auditors to count out to him the number of his subjects according to his own views. The emperor, when granting him the marquisate, had stated how many inhabitants it was to contain, but I cannot remember the exact number. However, I know it came to a lawsuit; for when Cortes begged of his majesty to bestow these Indians on him, he counted one whole household, including the sons, sons-in-law, and servants, as one person. But the royal court of audience explained this in a very different manner; for doctor Quesada, one of the auditors, being commissioned to make the enumeration, counted all the full-grown members of a family separately, reckoning the slaves and servants in a similar manner. In this way one house often contained from ten to fifteen subjects; instead of which, Cortes said that each house must only be considered as one individual, and maintained that his majesty fully intended, when he presented him with the several townships, that the number of inhabitants should be the number of houses. This matter involved him in lawsuits, and he became at variance both with the viceroy and the auditors, who then laid the matter before his majesty, but no decision was come to for several years, during which time the marquis continued to levy his tribute according to his own views.

Cortes, on his arrival in New Spain, staid but very few days at Mexico, and took up his permanent abode with his wife in the town of Quauhnahuac, which also belonged to his marquisate. He now occupied himself in fitting out the armament according to his agreement with the empress Isabella, of glorious memory, and with the council of the Indies, for discoveries in the South Sea. This armament he fitted out in the town of Teguantepec, which at that time formed part of his marquisate, and in the harbours of Zacatula and Acapulco.

How this expedition terminated I will relate in the following chapter, from which will be seen that Cortes' undertakings were no longer attended with success.

Of the vast expenses to which the marquis Hernando Cortes put himself in fitting out the expeditions to the South Sea, and of their unfortunate termination.

The marquis Del Valle had, previous to his departure for Spain, during the government of Marcos de Aguilar, built two vessels, on board of which he put 250 men, all well-armed, and a number of excellent sailors. The command of these vessels he gave to a cavalier named Alvarado de Saavedra, and they were abundantly victualled for one year, besides carrying a large quantity of goods for barter.

Saavedra was instructed to shape his course to the Moluccas, or towards China, and the main object was to discover some direct routefrom the Spanish possessions to the Spice islands. This expedition was undertaken at his majesty's express desire in a letter to Cortes, dated Granada, the 22d of June, 1526. I am particular in mentioning these circumstances, because Cortes showed this letter to me and other of the Conquistadores who were about him at the time. In this letter the emperor also ordered that Cortes' armament should go in search of another more extensive one which had set sail direct from Spain for China, and was commanded by Don Garcia de Loaysa, comendador of the order of St. John.

When Saavedra was about to set sail, a small vessel arrived off the coast of Guantepec, belonging to the squadron under Loaysa. The captain of this vessel, whose name was Ortuño de Lango, gave Saavedra a full account of the fate of Loaysa's expedition, and explained to him in what direction he was to sail. Saavedra then persuaded the pilot and a couple of Ortuño's sailors to join him, and set sail, after attending mass, in the month of December, 1527, from Ciguatepec, lying in the province of Colima or Zacatula. This armament, indeed, reached the Moluccas, and visited several other islands, but suffered dreadfully from heavy tempests, hunger, and disease, and many of the men died. One of the sailors who accompanied this expedition I saw three years after at Mexico, and he told me marvellous things of the towns and islands which Saavedra had visited. If my memory is correct, (for many years have since elapsed,) Saavedra, with all his men, were taken prisoners by the Portuguese there, and transported to Spain, or brought back thither at his majesty's request.

After this first armament had departed, Cortes fitted out two more vessels with eighty musketeers and crossbow-men. The command of these vessels he gave to a certain Diego Hurtado Mendoza, who set sail from Acapulco in the month of May, 1532, for the discovery of islands and new countries. The captain Hurtado, however, did nothing of all this, and durst not even venture far out at sea, so that the greater part of his men at length grew wearied of sailing about to no purpose, refused all further obedience to him, and deserted with one of the vessels; though these men afterwards positively declared that the two vessels parted with the captain's consent, who granted them permission to return with one of the vessels to Spain: but this account cannot be credited, and the men no doubt took forcible possession of the vessel. However, they had not been separated long before the vessel was cast on shore by a severe storm, and, after undergoing many fatigues, the crew arrived at Xalisco, whence the news of their misfortune speedily reached Mexico. Hurtado, in the meantime, continuedto sail along the coast, but all at once his vessel disappeared, nor was she or any of those on board ever after heard of.

Cortes was excessively grieved at this loss, yet it did not deter him from fitting out other armaments for the same purpose. He had already built two more vessels at his own expense, which were lying in the harbour of Guantepec, and were manned with seventy soldiers. The command of one of these vessels he gave to a cavalier named Diego Bezerra de Mendoza, and captain Hernando de Grijalva he appointed to the other, though Bezerra had the chief command of both. Ortuña Ximenes, of Biscay, a great cosmographer, accompanied this expedition, as chief pilot. Bezerra's instructions were to go in quest of Hurtado; but if he should not fall in with him, he was to steer at a venture for the main ocean in search of islands and new countries; for it was said there were many islands in the South Sea which produced immense quantities of pearls. The chief pilot Ximenes was so confident of the good success of this expedition that he promised the men on board he would steer them to countries where they would all become rich, and many there were who firmly believed what he said.

These expectations, however, vanished with the very first night after the vessels had left the harbour of Guantepec, for a contrary wind arose, which parted the two vessels, and they never joined again. Very favorable weather indeed soon returned, and the vessels might easily have fallen in with each other again if Grijalva had not made direct for the main ocean in order to evade the superior command of Bezerra, who was a haughty and ill-disposed man. Grijalva sailed on to the distance of above 800 miles, and discovered an unknown island, to which he gave the name of St. Thomas. Bezerra with his vessel had likewise continued to sail forward, but he soon fell out with the chief pilot Ximenes, who, with his countrymen of Biscay and a greater part of the troops fell upon Bezerra in the night, and put him to death, with several of the soldiers; even greater loss of life would have ensued if two Franciscan monks who were on board had not interfered, and persuaded Ximenes and the other conspirators to put them on shore on the coast of Xalisco with several of the men who were wounded in the scuffle. Ximenes now continued his course, and came to an island which he named Santa Cruz, where, according to all accounts, there were fine pearl fisheries. This island was inhabited by a savage tribe of Indians, and they massacred Ximenes with the whole of the men who had accompanied him on shore to take in fresh water. The few sailors who had remained on board put back with the vessel to the harbour of Xalisco, where they related all that had taken place and spread a vastaccount of the large population and the rich pearl fisheries of the island they had discovered. These accounts soon reached Mexico, and as may be imagined, were anything but pleasing to Cortes; but as he was a man whose spirits were not easily damped by adversity, he determined in future not to trust similar expeditions to other hands, but to take the chief command himself. By this time three other fine vessels were lying in readiness at Guantepec, with which he proposed to sail out in person, for he felt a great temptation to visit the above-mentioned pearl island, besides that he fully believed there were other large continents to be discovered in the South Sea.

As soon as it was known in New Spain that Cortes was going to head the expedition in person, no one any longer doubted of its good success, and of the riches it would produce those who joined it; and so many cavaliers, musketeers, and crossbow-men offered their services, that their number soon amounted to above 380 men, among whom were thirty married men, accompanied by their wives.

These vessels were provided with a copious supply of the best of provisions, with all kinds of ammunition, and tools of various descriptions. The most experienced pilots and sailors were hired, who, with the troops, received instructions to repair by a certain route to the harbour of Guantepec, while Cortes, with Andreas de Tapia, several other officers, a few priests, surgeons, physicians, and an apothecary, travelled thither by another road. When he arrived at the harbour above mentioned he found the three vessels in readiness, and immediately set sail with the first body of troops for the bay or island of Santa Cruz, where he landed safely in the month of May, 1535.[51]The three vessels then put back for Guantepec to fetch the ladies and the rest of the men who had remained behind under the command of Tapia. This time, however, the passage was not so favorable, for the vessels were driven out of their course by a violent wind into the mouth of a wide river, to which they gave the name of St. Peter and St. Paul. The vessels, on leaving this river, to get into their right course again, were overtaken by another storm, and they became separated from each other. There was only one which reached the harbour of Santa Cruz; the second was cast on shore off Xalisco, the men on board narrowly escaping a watery grave, and becoming wearied of the perils of the sea, they dispersed themselves through New Spain, only a few remaining in the province of Xalisco; the third vessel ran into a bay, to which the men gave the name of the bay of Guajava, on account of the numbers of Guajava trees they saw growing there.[52]But this vessel likewise ran aground, nor were the hands on board able to set her afloat again.Cortes in the meantime was impatiently awaiting the arrival of these vessels, particularly as all his provisions were consumed, for the greater part of the biscuits and salted meat was on board the vessel which had got ashore off Xalisco. As the inhabitants of Santa Cruz are perfect savages, and neither grow maise nor in anywise till the ground, but merely live on wild fruits, fish, and animals, there arose so dreadful a famine among Cortes' troops, that twenty-three of the men died of hunger and disease. The greater part of the remaining troops likewise suffered from ill-health, and they threw out bitter curses against Cortes, the island, and the whole voyage of discovery.

Cortes, determining, if possible, to put an end to their distress, ran out with the vessel which had arrived in search of the two others, taking with him fifty men, two smiths, and several shipwrights. On arriving off Xalisco he found one of them lying on a sand-bank, quite deserted, and the other he discovered jammed between the coral rocks. By dint of the utmost exertions he succeeded in setting them afloat again; and, after the carpenters had properly repaired them, he arrived safely with the two vessels and their cargoes at Santa Cruz. Those of the troops who had not tasted any nourishing food for so long a time ate so ravenously of the salted meat that half of them died of a violent dysentery.

In order not to witness this scene of misery any longer, Cortes again set sail from Santa Cruz, and discovered the coast of California. Cortes himself was in very bad health about this time, and he would gladly have returned to New Spain but he feared the slanderous tongues of his enemies, who would be sure to make their observations respecting the large sums of money he expended in the discovery of countries which held out no advantage; besides, he could not brook the idea that people should say, all his present undertakings were failures, and that this was owing to the curses which the veteran Conquistadores of New Spain had heaped upon him.

During the whole of this time the marchioness Del Valle had heard no tidings of her husband, and as information had been received that a vessel had been wrecked off the coast of Xalisco, she became excessively low-spirited, and felt almost sure that her husband had been lost at sea. In order, however, if possible, to gain some certain information respecting her husband's fate, she sent out two vessels, under the command of a captain named Ulloa, to whom she gave a letter for her husband if he should perchance meet with him alive, in which she fervently begged of him to return to Mexico and his beautiful possessions; to think of his children, and no longer to tempt fortune, but to content himself with his former deeds of valour, which had spreadhis fame throughout the whole world. In the same way the viceroy Mendoza also wrote to him, and desired him, in the most courteous and friendly terms, to return.

Ulloa had a most favorable voyage, and soon arrived in the harbour where Cortes lay at anchor. The letters of his wife, with those of his children and of the viceroy, had so much effect upon him, that he gave the command of his vessels and troops to Ulloa, embarked for Acapulco, and when he had arrived here he hastened to Quauhnahuac, where his wife resided. The joy of his family at his safe return may easily be imagined; but the viceroy, with the royal auditors, and the whole of the inhabitants of Mexico, were no less so, as they feared a general insurrection of the caziques of New Spain, who were going to take advantage of Cortes' absence.

Shortly after also, the troops arrived which had been left behind in California, but I cannot say whether they left this country of their own choice or by permission of the viceroy and royal court of audience.

Cortes had scarcely enjoyed a few months' repose when he sent out a more considerable armament, under the command of Ulloa, and this time by the express command of the royal court of audience, and according to the agreement he had made with his majesty. This armament left the harbour de la Natividad in the month of June, of one thousand five hundred and thirty, and so many years—I forget the exact year; and Ulloa received instructions, first of all, to shape his course along the coast in search of Hurtado, of whom nothing had been heard since his departure. Ulloa sailed up and down in this manner for the space of seven months, and then returned to the harbour of Xalisco without having accomplished anything worthy of mention; but he had not been many days on shore when he was waylaid by one of his men and stabbed to death.

Thus miserably terminated the several expeditions which Cortes fitted out in the South Sea, and I have frequently been assured that they cost him above 300,000 pesos. Cortes, therefore, determined to repair in person to Spain to solicit a reimbursement of this sum from his majesty, and also to bring the dispute with respect to his marquisate to some favorable issue; and lastly, to force Nuño de Guzman, who had been taken prisoner to Spain, to pay him the large amount of damages in which he had been condemned by the royal court of audience.

When we reflect that none of his undertakings were attended with success after the conquest of New Spain, we cannot at least feel surprised that people should say, he was pursued by the curses which were heaped upon him.

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