A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 3 - By Robert Kerr












































































































 -  These happened to grow, and being noticed
as uncommon plants by the priests of this temple, they took care of - Page 375
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These Happened To Grow, And Being Noticed As Uncommon Plants By The Priests Of This Temple, They Took Care Of Them, Being The First That Ever Grew In New Spain.

As after the conquest, this province was understood to offer great advantages for settlements, many of the principal conquerors chose it for their residence.

I was one of the number; and on my arrival, I went in search of the produce of my seeds, and finding the young orange trees in a flourishing state, I had them transplanted, and they throve amazingly well. After our ship was repaired, we set sail for Cuba, leaving the natives very well satisfied with our behaviour, and arrived safe in forty-five days. Velasquez was much pleased with the gold, which amounted to the value of 20,000 crowns; but we were much laughed at on producing our six hundred copper axes to be assayed. On the whole, Velasquez was well satisfied with the conduct of this expedition; though he appeared at first displeased with Grijalva, owing to the unjust aspersions which were thrown upon him by Avila and Montejo.

After receiving a full account of our voyage, Velasquez sent over his chaplain, Benito Martinez, to make a report of these discoveries to the court of Spain, with letters for Fonseca bishop of Burgos his patron, and to the licentiate Juan Zapata, and the secretary Lope Conchillos, both of whom were employed in conducting the affairs of the West Indies. Velasquez had secured a powerful interest with all these three, by assigning them rich districts in the island of Cuba, thus forwarding his own advantage at the expence of the crown. Martinez was instructed to solicit a commission, authorizing Velasquez to procure gold from the new discovered country, or to make conquests and settlements, as he might see fit; and in this he so effectually succeeded, that he brought back a commission for Velasquez as adelantado of the island of Cuba, so well pleased was the court with his conduct in regard to the discoveries, and the proofs which he had transmitted of the wealth of those countries which he had discovered.

[1] This seems the place named Pontonchan in the former voyage. - E.

[2] These were probably swivel guns mounted on the bows of their boats. - E.

[3] According to Clavigero, I. 240, the proper name of this Mexican sovereign was Moteuczoma. - E.

[4] Named Tezcatlipoca by Clavigero, and said to be the god of providence, the soul of the world, and the creator of all things. - E.

[5] By Clavigero called Acolhua, the name given by all the distant inhabitants of the empire to the people of the Vale of Mexico, or Anahuac. - E.

SECTION III.

Commencement of the Expedition of Hernando Cortes for the Conquest of Mexico, in 1518.

Anxious to prosecute the advantages derivable from the discoveries made by Grijalva, Velasquez used the utmost efforts in providing a new and more powerful armament. For this purpose, he collected ten ships at the port of St Jago, four of which had been on the former expedition, and supplied them with such provisions as could be procured in that place, intending to complete their equipment at the Havanna.

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