CHAPTER LIII.

_How we arrived in our town of Vera Cruz, and what happened there._

We arrived at Vera Cruz, in company of the most distinguished personages

of Sempoalla, on the same day that a ship had run in there from Cuba.

The captain's name was Francisco de Saucedo, but we always called him

the gallant, from his extravagance in beautifying his outward person,

being altogether a perfect fop. He was said to have been at one time

butler to the admiral of Castile, and was born at Medina de Rioseco.

Along with him were ten soldiers, and a certain Luis Marin, a most

distinguished officer, who afterwards became one of our chief commanders

in the Mexican campaigns. Both the former had horses, one a stallion,

and the other a mare. These men brought us intelligence that Diego

Velasquez had obtained authority from Spain to trade and found colonies

wherever he liked, and was appointed adelantado of Cuba. All this

pleased his adherents excessively, in particular the latter preferment.

The building of the fortress having solely occupied us for a length of

time, and now in such a forward state that we could lay the woodwork, we

began to grow tired of doing nothing. Almost the whole of us, therefore,

addressed Cortes in a body: representing to him, that we had now been

three months in this country, and high time we should just convince

ourselves how much truth there was in the boasted power of Motecusuma,

of which so much had been said: we would gladly risk our lives in it,

and therefore begged he would make preparations for this expedition.

But, previous to commencing our march, we ought first to give some proof

of our most humble submission to his majesty our emperor, by forwarding

him a complete account of everything that had befallen us since our

departure from Cuba. We also proposed that all the gold we had bartered

for, and the presents sent by Motecusuma, should be forwarded to his

majesty.

In answer to which Cortes said, that our ideas accorded exactly with his

own, and that he had already spoken to the same effect to several of the

cavaliers. There was merely one circumstance which caused him to

hesitate, namely, that if each person took the portion of gold which

fell to his share, too little would remain to be worthy of his majesty's

acceptance. For this reason he commissioned Diego de Ordas and Francisco

de Montejo, who were thorough men of business to see what they could

make out of those men whom they might expect would demand their share.

This was accordingly done, and they represented to every one that we

were desirous of sending his majesty the emperor a present in gold,

which, considering it was the first, ought indeed to be something

valuable. In order, however, to make this possible, nothing remained but

that each one should give up his share of the gold which had been made

up to this moment. A great number of officers and soldiers had already

signed their hands to that effect; yet every one was at liberty to act

herein as he thought proper. Here was the paper, which every one who

chose could put his hand to.

Every one, without exception, signed his name to the document, and

agents were chosen to be despatched to Spain. These were Alonso

Puertocarrero and Francisco de Montejo, to whom Cortes himself had

already given above two thousand pesos. The best vessel of our squadron,

furnished with the necessary provisions and manned with fifteen sailors,

was selected to convey them. The charge of the vessel was given to two

pilots, one of whom was Anton de Alaminos, from his being so well

acquainted with the passage through the Bahama channel, and the first

who had ventured that road. Upon this all of us, in common, drew up an

account of our adventures expressly for his majesty, relating everything

that had happened to us, and Cortes himself, as he assured us, likewise

wrote a very circumstantial narrative, which, however, was not given us

to read.[18] The account was signed by all the authorities of the new

town and ten soldiers, of which I myself was one. But there was likewise

another account drawn up by all the officers and soldiers, the contents

of which will be fully explained in the following chapter.

[18] Most probably Cortes' despatches of the 16th of July, 1519, which

were lost. (p. 125.)