Deceived
By These Misrepresentations, Which Were Enforced By Narvaez, His Majesty
Issued An Order To The Admiral Of Hispaniola, To
Go with six hundred
soldiers to arrest Cortes, and to make him answer with his head if found
guilty; as
Also to punish all of us who had been concerned in attacking
Narvaez. As an encouragement, this officer was promised the admiralty of
New Spain, the right to which was then under litigation. Either from want
of money, or because he was afraid of committing himself against so able
and successful a commander, the admiral delayed his expedition so long,
that the friends and agents of Cortes had time to make a full explanation
of all the circumstances to the Duke of Bejar, who immediately represented
a true statement of the case to the emperor, and offered to pledge his own
life in security for the loyalty of Cortes. Being on due consideration
quite satisfied of the justice of our cause, his majesty determined to
send out a person of high quality and good character to hold a supreme
court of justice in New Spain. The person chosen for this purpose was Luis
Ponce de Leon, cousin to Don Martin, Count of Cordova; whom his majesty
entrusted to inquire into the conduct of Cortes, with full power to
inflict capital punishment if guilty. But it was two years and a half
before this gentleman arrived in New Spain.
I now go beyond the date of my narrative to inform my readers of a
circumstance which happened during the viceroyalty of that illustrious
nobleman, Don Antonio de Mendoza, worthy of eternal memory and heavenly
glory for his wise and just government. Albornos wrote malignant and
slanderous letters against him, as he had before done of Cortes, which
letters were all sent back from Spain to Don Antonio. When he had read all
the gross abuse which they contained, he sent for Albornos, to whom he
shewed his own letters; saying mildly, in his usual slow manner, "When you
are pleased to make me the subject of your letters to his majesty,
remember always in future to tell the truth."
[1] Like the solitary Phoenix, I, without a peer, serve you, who have no
equal in the world.
[2] In Clavigero, at the close of Vol. I. this lady is named Donna Jeroma
Ramirez de Arrellano y Zuniga, daughter of Don Carlos Ramiro de
Arellano, Count of Auguiller, by Donna Jeroma de Zuniga, a daughter of
the Count of Benares, eldest son of Don Alvaro de Zuniga, duke of
Bejar. After two male descents from this marriage, the Marquisate of
the Valley of Oaxaca, and the great estates of Cortes in New Spain,
fell, by various collateral female descents, to the Neapolitan family
of Pignatelli, duke of Montelione and Terranova, marquis of the Valley
of Oaxaca, Grandee of Spain, and prince of the Roman empire. - E.
SECTION XX.
_Narrative of the Expedition of Cortes to Higueras_.
I have formerly mentioned the revolt of De Oli. Cortes was much distressed
on receiving this intelligence, and immediately sent off his relation,
Francisco de las Casas, with five ships and a hundred well appointed
soldiers, among whom were some of the veteran conquerors of Mexico, with
orders to reduce De Oli. Las Casas soon arrived at the bay of Triumpho de
la Cruz, where De Oli had established his head-quarters; and though Las
Casas hoisted a signal of peace, De Oli determined on resistance, and sent
a number of soldiers in two armed vessels to oppose Las Casas, who ordered
out his boats armed with swivels and musquetry to attack those belonging
to De Oli. In this affair Las Casas was successful, as he sunk one of the
vessels belonging to De Oli, killed four of his soldiers, and wounded a
great number. On this misfortune, and because a considerable number of his
soldiers were on a detached service in the inland country, for the purpose
of reducing a party of Spaniards under Gil Gonzalez de Avila, who was
employed in making conquests on the river Pechin, De Oli thought it
advisable to propose terms of peace to Las Casas, in hopes that his
detachment might return to his assistance. Las Casas unfortunately agreed
to treat, and remained at sea; partly for the purpose of finding some
better place of disembarkation, and partly induced by letters from the
friends of Cortes who were along with De Oli. That same night a heavy
storm arose, by which the vessels of Las Casas were driven on shore and
utterly lost, and above thirty of the soldiers perished. All the rest were
made prisoners two days afterwards, having been all that time on shore
without food, and almost perished with cold, as it was the season of
almost incessant rain. De Oli obliged all his prisoners to swear fidelity
to him against Cortes, and then released them all except Las Casas.
The party which he sent against De Avila returned about this time, having
been successful in their errand. Avila had gone with a party to reduce the
country about the _Golfe Dolce_, and had founded a settlement to which he
gave the name of _St Gil de buena vista_; and the troops sent against him,
after killing his nephew and eight of his soldiers, made himself and all
the rest prisoners. De Oli was now much elated by his success, in having
made two captains belonging to Cortes prisoners, and sent off a full
account of his exploits to his friend Velasquez. He afterwards marched up
the country to a place called Naco in a very populous district, which is
all now laid waste. While here, he sent off various detachments in
different directions, among which one was commanded by Briones, who had
first instigated him to revolt; bat Briones now revolted from him in his
turn, and marched off with all his men for New Spain. He was a seditious
fellow, who had on some former occasion had the lower part of his ears cut
off, which he used to say had been done for refusing to surrender in some
fortress or other.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 105 of 216
Words from 106594 to 107621
of 221091
