Cortes Accordingly, In
The Year 1523, Sent Peter De Alvarado To His Assistance, With 200 Foot
And 40 Horse, Who Built A Town Called St Jago, In Which He Left A
Garrison.
The caciques of Tecoantepec and Quahutemallan inquired at
Alvarado concerning certain _sea monsters_ that had been on their coast
The year before; meaning the ships of Gil Gonzales de Avila, at which
they had been much amazed; and they wondered still more on being informed
that Cortes had many such, and much larger than those they had seen. They
displayed a painting of a mighty carak, having six masts, with sails and
shrouds, and having armed horsemen on board[45]. In May 1523, Antonio de
Britto, the Portuguese governor of the Molucca isles, sent Simon de Bru
to discover the passage from thence by the island of Borneo to Malacca.
They came in sight of the islands of Manada and Panguensara, and thence
through the strait of Treminao and Taquy to the islands of St Michael, in
7 deg. S. and then to the island of Borneo, where they came in sight of
_Pedra Branca_, or the _white stone_; whence, passing through the strait
of Cincapura, they came to the city of Malacca[46].
In the same year 1523, Cortes went with 300 Spanish foot, 150 horse, and
20,000 Mexicans, to make a complete discovery and conquest of Panuco, and
to punish the inhabitants for having killed and devoured the soldiers of
Francis Garay. The natives resisted him, but were overthrown; and to keep
the country under subjection, he built a town on the river, near Chila,
which he named Santo Stephano del Puerta, in which he left a garrison of
100 foot and 30 horse, under the command of Peter de Valleia. In this
expedition he lost many of his people, both Spaniards and Mexicans, and
several horses[47].
In this same year 1523, Francis de Garay, having a commission from the
emperor as governor of all the coast he had discovered from Florida to
Panuco, fitted out nine ships and two brigantines, with 850 soldiers and
150 horses, on purpose to take possession of his government. Some men
joined him from Jamaica, where he had furnished his squadron with warlike
ammunition; and sailing thence to the harbour of Xagua, in the island of
Cuba, he there learnt that Cortes had taken possession of the coast of
Panuco. That he ought not meet with the fate of Narvaez, he sent the
doctor Zuazo to Mexico, to endeavour to enter into treaty with Cortes.
Garay arrived in the Rio de las Palmas on St Jameses day, and sent
Goncalo de Ocampo up the river to explore the country, who reported, on
his return, that the country was bad and desert. Yet Garay landed with
400 foot soldiers and some horse, and commanded John de Grijalva, to
explore the coast, while he marched by land to Panuco, in which march he
crossed a river to which he gave the name of Rio Montalto.
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