These People Were The Most Powerful Archers I Had
Yet Seen, As They Were Able To Drive Their Arrows Through Two Suits Of
Well Quilted Cotton Armour; And Their Country Is Mostly Composed Of A
Marsh Which Quakes Under Foot.
It was in vain therefore to think of
pursuing the natives in such an impracticable country; and as they
Treated
all our offers of peace with contempt, we judged it best to return to our
colony of Coatzacualco; which we did through the districts of Guimango,
Nacaxa, Xuica, Teotitlan, Copilco, and some others which I do not remember
the names of, to Ulapa, and thence across the rivers Agaqualulco and
Tonala to Coatzacualco, where the slain horses were paid for at the rate
of a penny the pound.
[1] Though without any warrant for this purpose, we believe that the
numbers of these allies ought to have been reckoned by thousands
instead of hundreds. - E.
[2] Diaz is often variable in his orthography of Indian names; calling
this people in different places, Gueguestitlans, Guehuistlans, and
Quiahuistlans. - E.
SECTION XVIII.
_Negotiations of Cortes at the Court of Spain, in respect to the Conquest
and Government of Mexico_.
In the year 1521, the holy father Adrian de Lobayana, succeeded to the
papacy, he being then governor of Castille and resident in the city of
Vittoria, where our agents waited upon him to kiss the foot of his
holiness. About the same time a great nobleman, named M. de la Soa,
arrived from Germany, who was chamberlain to our emperor, and was sent by
him to congratulate the new pope on his election. When this nobleman was
informed of the heroic deeds of the conquerors of Mexico, and the great
things they had performed for the extension of the holy faith, by the
conversion and baptism of such myriads of Indians, he became interested in
our behalf, and made application to his holiness to expedite the business
of our agents. This was readily acceded to, as besides the allegations of
our agents, the pope had received other complaints against the bishop of
Burgos from persons of quality and honour. Our chief agents on this
occasion were Francisco de Montejo, Diego de Ordas, Francisco Nunez cousin
to our general, and his father Martin Cortes; who were countenanced by
many powerful noblemen, and chiefly by the Duke of Bejar. Thus supported,
they brought forward their charges against the bishop to good purpose.
These were, that Velasquez had bribed the bishop by the gift of a
considerable district in Cuba, the natives of which were made to work in
the gold mines for his emolument, to the manifest injury of the royal
revenue. That when, in 1517, 110 of us had sailed at our own expence under
the command of Hernandez de Cordova for the discovery of New Spain, the
bishop had falsely informed his majesty that it was done by Velasquez.
That Velasquez had transmitted 20,000 crowns in gold, which had been
procured by his nephew Juan de Grijalva on our second voyage, all of which
was given to the bishop, and no part of it to his majesty to whom it
belonged.
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