CHAPTER XLIII.

_How the partisans of Diego Velasquez would not acknowledge the

power we had conferred upon Cortes, and what further took place._

The partisans of Diego Velasquez, finding we had elected Cortes

captain-general, and appointed the other officers just mentioned, were

terribly annoyed and vexed. They armed themselves in small troops, and

threw out the most insolent language against Cortes and those among us

who had chosen him captain-general. All this they considered should not

have been done without the consent of the whole of the officers and

soldiers. Diego Velasquez had merely empowered Cortes to barter with the

natives. In short, their dissatisfaction rose to such a pitch, that our

party was afraid matters would be carried much farther, and end in

hostilities. Cortes now secretly desired Juan de Escalante to intimate

that we should demand the instructions to be produced which he had

received from Velasquez. This was accordingly done, and Cortes pulled

them out from under his waistcoat, handing them over to the royal

secretary to be read aloud. And sure enough the words were, _After you

have bartered for as many precious things as possible, you shall return

home._ This document was signed by Velasquez, and countersigned by his

private secretary Andreas de Duero. Upon this we desired of Cortes that

these instructions should be entered into the appointment we had given

him, and announced by a public crier, as had been done at Cuba, in order

that his majesty might convince himself of the true state of things, and

that everything was done to further his sovereign interest only. This

step was most agreeable to our purpose, as the bishop of Burgos, Don

Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca, was wrongly informed respecting these

proceedings, and only laboured to ruin us, as we subsequently learnt.

The partisans of Diego Velasquez, however, were not to be silenced by

this; and as the election had been made without their knowledge, they

considered it illegal, and maintained that they were not called upon to

obey his commands, but were determined to return to Cuba. Cortes

answered, that he would not compel them to remain, but would discharge

any one who might wish it, even if he himself should, in the end, remain

alone behind. By this some were silenced. Juan Velasquez de Leon, (who

was closely related to Velasquez,) Diego de Ordas, Escobar, (whom we

commonly termed the page,) Pedro de Escudero, and others of Velasquez's

party, still continued refractory, and things at last came to such a

pass, that, in the end, they formally refused to obey Cortes. In such a

state of affairs it was necessary to adopt some stronger measure, which

was carried into execution with our consent. We seized the persons of

the above-mentioned refractory officers, bound them in chains, and kept

watch over them as if they had been prisoners.

Respecting these circumstances Gomara has again been misinformed, and

not a word is to be credited of anything he says on the subject.