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.
