For
This Purpose Ordas And Montejo Went Through Among All The Officers And
Soldiers, And Persuaded Them To Allow Of The Whole Treasure Being Sent To
The King, As It Was For The General Interest To Renounce Our Claim For A
Partition.
Puertocarrera and Montejo were appointed agents for Cortes and
the army, our general having gained Montejo to his party by a present of
2000 crowns.
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.
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