On Receiving These Duplicates Of Our Letters, The Emperor Was
Pleased To Say, That He Would Soon Return To Spain, When He Would Attend
To Our Memorials, And Would Reward Our Faithful Services.
Four days after the departure of our agents, a plot was discovered which
had been concerted among the enemies
Of Cortes, for seizing a vessel to
carry over intelligence to Velasquez of the departure of our agents, and
of the measures which had been taken by us against the authority of the
adelantado. Among the conspirators were, Escudero, Cermeno, Umbria a
pilot, Bernardino de Coria, a clergyman named Juan Diaz, and some sailors
who had been whipped at the island of Cozumel; but the plan had been
suggested by some persons of consequence, who were enraged at Cortes for
preventing their return to Cuba, and for having been deprived of their
shares of the treasure which was sent to the emperor. This plot was
revealed only a few hours before the vessel was to have sailed, by the
repentance of de Coria. All the before-mentioned conspirators were
immediately seized, and having confessed the whole plot, they were all
condemned to die except the priest, who was in a terrible fright. Escudero
and Cermeno were hanged; Umbria had his feet cut off, and each of the
sailors received 200 lashes. When Cortes signed the ratification of this
sentence, he exclaimed with a sigh: "Happy is he who cannot write, that he
may not have occasion to sign the death-warrants of other men." In my
opinion, this sentiment is often affected by judges, in imitation of Nero,
at the time he counterfeited the appearance of clemency. As soon as the
sentence was put in execution, Cortes set off full speed for Chempoalla,
ordering 200 soldiers and all the cavalry to follow him to that place,
where likewise he sent orders for a detachment that was then out under
Alvarado to march.
In a consultation respecting our intended expedition to Mexico, Cortes was
advised by his friends to destroy the fleet, in order to prevent all
possibility of the adherents of Velasquez deserting to Cuba, and likewise
to procure a considerable augmentation to our force, as there were above
an hundred sailors. In my opinion, Cortes had already determined on this
measure, but wished the proposal to originate with us, that we might all
become equally responsible for the loss. This being resolved upon, Cortes
ordered his friend Escalente to dismantle all the ships and then sink them,
preserving only the boats for the purpose of fishing. Escalente bore
inveterate enmity against Velasquez, who had refused him a good district
in Cuba, and went immediately to Villa Rica where he executed this service
effectually. All the sails, cordage, and every thing else that could be
useful were brought on shore, and the whole of the ships sunk. Escalente
then came back to Chempoalla with a company formed of the mariners, many
of whom became excellent soldiers. Cortes now summoned all the chiefs who
had renounced their allegiance to Montezuma into his presence, whom he
exhorted to give every service in their power to the detachment he meant
to leave in Villa Rica, and to assist them in completing the town: Then
taking Escalente by the hand, whom he had appointed to command there in
his absence, he presented him to the caciques as his brother, desiring
them to obey him in every thing, and assuring them that he would protect
them against their enemies. The chiefs all engaged to perform every thing,
he had enjoined. Escalente was left in charge of this port as a person in
whom Cortes could entirely confide, to repel any attempts that might be
made against him by Velasquez, while absent on the expedition to Mexico.
Soon after the destruction of the vessels, Cortes assembled us one morning
after mass; and, after some discourse on military affairs, he said, That
we now knew the business in which we were engaged, wherein we had no other
alternative but conquest or death; for in case of defeat we had no means
of escape, and must depend entirely, under GOD, on our own valour;
afterwards adding many comparisons of our present situation with incidents
drawn from the Roman history. We unanimously answered, That we were
prepared to obey and follow him wherever he chose to lead, the lot being
now cast, as Caesar said on passing the Rubicon, and we devoted ourselves
to the service of God and our emperor. He then addressed us in an eloquent
speech; after which he called for the fat cacique, whom he informed of our
intended march to Mexico, and gave him strict injunctions to take great
care of the holy cross and the church we had established.
When we were ready to depart on our expedition to Mexico, a letter was
brought from Escalente, informing Cortes that a strange ship had come to
anchor in a river about three leagues from Villa Rica, from which he could
get no answer to his signals. Cortes left the command of the army during
his absence to Alvarado and Sandoval, and set out with four horsemen for
Villa Rica, leaving orders for thirty of the lightest armed infantry to
follow, who accordingly arrived that night. Escalente offered to go with
twenty men to the vessel, lest she might escape; but Cortes set out along
the coast without delay, and fell in with four Spaniards on the road, who
had been sent on shore by Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda, the captain of the
vessel, to take formal possession of the country. One of these was a
notary, named Guillen de la Loa, and the rest attended him to witness the
act. From these men Cortes was informed that Francisco de Garay, governor
of Jamaica, had procured a commission from the court as adelantado of such
districts as he might discover on this coast to the north of the river of
St Peter and St Paul, and had sent three ships with 270 soldiers under
Pineda, who was then in the river of Panuco.
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