In This First Christian Church Of New Spain,
The Principal Persons Of The Surrounding Districts Attended Divine Service,
And The Eight Native Ladies, Already Mentioned, Having Been Previously
Instucted In Our Holy Faith, Were Solemnly Baptized.
The niece of the fat
cacique of Chempoalla, who was as ugly as possible, was named Donna
Catalina; yet
The general took her by the hand very affectionately.
Puertocarrero was more fortunate, as his lady, who was called Donna
Francisco, was very handsome for an Indian, and her father, named Cuesco,
was a cacique of considerable power. Having thus cemented a firm
friendship with the Totonacas, we returned to our new settlement of Villa
rica. We found there a vessel newly arrived from Cuba, under the command
of Francisco Sauceda, called el pulido or the beau, from his affectation
of finery and high manners. In this vessel there had arrived an able
officer named Luis Marin, accompanied by ten soldiers and two horses. He
brought intelligence that Velasquez had received the appointment of
adelantado of Cuba, with authority to barter and colonize in New Spain.
This news gave much satisfaction to the friends of Velasquez in our army,
but made no change in the plans of Cortes.
As the works of Villa Rica were nearly completed, many of us became eager
for the proposed visit to Montezuma, and expressed our wishes to Cortes
that we might try our fortune in that expedition. It was resolved in the
first place in a grand consultation, to send a deputation to Old Spain, to
give an account to his majesty of all our proceedings, together with all
the gold and other articles of value which we had hitherto obtained.
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