He Wished Therefore To Have These Passages Expunged, But
Some Of Us Roundly Told Him, That His Majesty Must Not Only Be Informed Of
The Truth, But Of The Whole Truth.
When this important affair was completed, our agents set sail from Villa
Rica on the 26th July 1519[2], with strict injunctions not to touch at the
Havanna or the port of el Marien, as we wished to keep the whole from
being known to Velasquez.
Yet they went directly to the Havanna, the pilot
Alaminos being over-persuaded into this measure, under pretence of
Puertocarrero being sick, and that Montejo wanted to procure provisions
from his estate of El Marien. As soon as the ship came to anchor, Montejo
sent letters on shore to Velasquez, giving an account of all that had
taken place during the expedition; and as the messenger went through the
island, he everywhere communicated the news of all that had occurred to
our army. On receiving this intelligence from Montejo, Velasquez was
highly enraged against Cortes, and heartily cursed his secretary and
contador, who had persuaded him to confide the expedition to his guidance.
He immediately dispatched two armed vessels to detain our ship, but soon
got the unwelcome news that she was considerably advanced on her voyage to
Europe. Besides writing to his patron the bishop of Burgos, he lodged a
complaint against Cortes before the royal audience at St Domingo; but the
members sent him an answer highly favourable to us, with whose good
services they were already acquainted.
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