Cortes Sent At This Time For Me And One Martin Ramos, Who Had Been On The
Former Voyages, Inquiring Our
Opinion respecting the word Castillano,
which was so often repeated by the Indians of Cotoche when we accompanied
Cordova, saying
He was convinced it had allusion to some Spaniards who
were in that country. The native chiefs, and some Indian merchants who
were then in Cozumel, confirmed this opinion, assuring us that they had
seen and spoken to them only a few days before. Being anxious to relieve
these men, and being informed what ransom was expected, he amply provided
these native merchants for the purpose, and sent them with letters for
these Spanish captives. He likewise sent two of our smallest vessels,
under the command of Diego de Ordas, with twenty musketeers and cross-bows;
directing one of these ships to remain eight days at Cape Cotoche, waiting
the return of the messengers, while the other was to return with a report
of the proceedings. The place where the Spaniards were said to live at was
only about four leagues from Cape Cotoche, and Cortes sent a letter by the
Indian messengers, requesting these captive Christians to join him. The
ships with the Indian merchants crossed the gulf to Cotoche, and the
letters were delivered two days afterwards to one of these Spaniards,
Jeronimo de Aguilar, together with beads for his ransom. Jeronimo
immediately procured his liberty, and then went to his companion in
captivity, Alonso Guerrero, whom he solicited to go along with him; but he,
having a wife and children, could not be prevailed upon to desert them;
and so much time had been lost in this fruitless attempt, that when
Jeronimo came with the Indian messengers to the coast, the ships had
already sailed, having waited one day beyond the eight, so that Aguilar
was forced to return to his master.
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