Ocampo Now Proceeded Against All Those Spaniards Who Had Been
Guilty Of Outrages, Going About The Country In Bands, Plundering And
Murdering The Natives, Or Who Had Invited Other Soldiers To Desert To Them;
And Having Collected Them Together, He Shipped Them Off For Cuba.
To Juan
de Grijalva, who had been commodore of the fleet under Garay, Cortes
offered the alternative of a present of 2000 crowns, and a passage to Cuba,
or an honourable reception at Mexico.
But Grijalva and all the other
officers belonging to Garay preferred going to Cuba. When Sandoval and
Ocampo had thus reduced the settlement to order, and cleared it of these
troublesome inmates, they returned to Mexico, leaving the command at St
Estevan to an officer named Vallecillo; and on their arrival at the
capital, they were received by Cortes and others with the distinction
which their services richly merited[2].
[1] This is probably the river of Nueva Santander, about 100 miles north
from the Rio Tampico or river of Panuco - E.
[2] A very uninteresting episode, respecting the misfortunes of the
liceniate Zuazo, who has been formerly mentioned, is here omitted, as
having no reference whatever to the general history in hand: It is
sufficient to say that, after many perils by sea and land, Zuazo came
to Mexico, where Cortes gave him the office of alcalde-major, which
seems to have resembled our provost-marshal, or chief military
judge. - E.
SECTION XVII.
_Narrative of various Expeditions for the Reduction of different Provinces
in New Spain_.
As the views of Cortes were always lofty, so was he always well supported
by the talents and bravery of his officers and soldiers. After his power
was thoroughly established in the great city of Mexico and its more
immediate dependencies, and in the districts or provinces of Guaxaca,
Zacatula, Colima, Vera Cruz, Panuco, Coatzacualco, and others, as already
related, he was informed that there were populous nations and rich mines
in the province of Guatimala; and he resolved to send a military force
under Alvarado, to conquer and colonize that country. Alvarado, therefore,
was dispatched to that province, with 300 infantry, 135 cavalry, 200
Tlascalans and Cholulans, and 100 Mexicans[1], and four field-pieces.
Alvarado was instructed to bring those nations to submission by peaceful
means, if possible; and Father Olmedo accompanied him, on purpose to
preach the doctrines of our holy religion to the natives; and at all
events, to insist upon all the prisons and cages that were used for human
victims being destroyed, the prisoners set free, and the utter abolition
of human sacrifices and cannibal feasts. This expedition left Mexico on
the 13th of December 1523; and Alvarado during his march, received the
submission of the district known by the name of the Rocks of Guelama,
where he received many rich contributions in gold. Having passed the
districts belonging to the Tzapotecas of Tecuantepec, and by Soconusco, a
town containing above 15,000 houses, Alvarado came to the neighbourhood of
a place named Zapotitlan, where, at a bridge over a river, he was opposed
by a very numerous body of warriors who disputed the passage with so much
bravery, that many of the soldiers were wounded and one horse killed; and
it required three very hard fought battles before the Spaniards were able
to break through and disperse the enemy.
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