He Sent Also Two Ships From Panuco, To
Explore The Coast From Thence To Florida; And He Commanded Other Vessels
To Examine The Coast Of The South Sea, Between Zacatullan And Panama.
On
the arrival of Olid at Cuba, he entered into a league with Diego
Velasquez against Cortes:
And, instead of prosecuting the orders he had
received, he set sail for Puerto de Cavallos, in lat. 10 deg. N. 54, near
which he built a town, which he named _Triumpho de la Cruz_. He made Gil
Gonzales de Avila prisoner, and killed his nephew, and all the Spaniards
who were with him, except one child; thus acting in direct opposition to
Cortes, who had expended, in fitting out the present expedition, the sum
of 80,000 castellans of gold, entirely to gratify Olid[55]. On learning
this treachery, Cortes went by land from Mexico in the month of October
1524, to take revenge on Olid, carrying with him a force of 300 Spaniards,
part foot, and part horse, and accompanied by Quahutimoc, king of Mexico,
and many of the chief Mexican nobles. On coming to the town of Spiritu
Santo, he procured ten guides from the caciques of Tavasco and Xicalanco,
who likewise gave him a map painted on cotton cloth, delineating the
situation of the whole country, from Xicalanco to Naco and Nito, and even
as far as Nicaragua, with their mountains, hills, fields, meadows, rivers,
cities, and towns; and Cortes ordered three ships from the harbour of
Medellin to follow him along the coast[56]. When he had reached the city
of Izancanac, Cortes learned that King Quahutimoc and his Mexicans had
conspired to betray or destroy him and his Spaniards; wherefore he hanged
the king and two of his principal nobles.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 115 of 812
Words from 31719 to 32013
of 224388
