By These Gentlemen Cortes Sent A Letter To His Majesty, The
Contents Of Which We Were Not Made Acquainted With.
The cabilda or council
of the new settlement wrote also a letter to the king, in conjunction with
those soldiers who were most solicitous for the settlement of the colony,
and had voted in the election of Cortes as captain-general.
Nothing was
omitted in this letter which seemed calculated to establish our cause at
court, and my name was signed to it along with the rest.
Beginning with expressions of our most profound respect, we related all
the events which had occurred from our setting out on the expedition, down
to the election of Cortes as our captain-general, till the pleasure of his
majesty might be made known on the subject, together with our engagement
to allow Cortes a fifth part of the treasure, after deducting the kings
part. We gave an account of our having discovered two Spaniards in the
country; of our having procured two excellent interpreters; of our war in
Tabasco; of the interviews with the messengers of Montezuma; our march
into the country, and our alliance with the natives, who had renounced
their allegiance to Montezuma and submitted themselves and their country
to his majesty; of our expedition to Cincapacinga; the abolition of
idolatry at Chiahuitztla, and the establishment of Christianity; the
construction of our fortress of Villa Rica; and of our present
determination to march to the court of Montezuma, the great sovereign of
Mexico. We gave likewise a succinct account of the military establishment
and religious observances of the natives, an enumeration of the articles
of treasure we had transmitted to his majesty by our agents, and that we
had sent over four natives, whom we had rescued from the cages at
Chempoalla, where they were fattening for victims to the false gods of the
country. We then stated that we were only 450 soldiers, surrounded by
innumerable multitudes of enemies, yet ready to sacrifice our lives for
the glory of God and the service of his majesty; and we earnestly
entreated that he would be graciously pleased not to bestow the government
of this great and rich country upon an unworthy person, expressing our
fears of what Velasquez might attempt to our prejudice, by means of his
patron the bishop of Burgos, whom he had secured in his interest by
grants of valuable estates in Cuba which ought to have belonged to his
majesty. In conclusion, we awaited the return of his gracious answer with
the most profound reverence; yet humbly assured his majesty, if the bishop
of Burgos sent over any person to assume the command, we were resolved to
suspend our obedience till his majesty's pleasure were clearly made known
to us, remaining in the mean time, as now, under the command of his
majesties most faithful servant and our general Hernando Cortes, whose
merits we painted in glowing colours. When this was extended in due form,
Cortes asked permission to read it, and expressed his perfect satisfaction
with the whole, excepting two articles, the mention of his share of the
treasure, and the names of Cordova and Grijalva as having previously
discovered this country; as he assumed the whole merit to himself in his
private letter.
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