San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-02-22

cattle from Spain, and raised better
crops than his neighbors. Gold having
been discovered upon his land, he kept
many of his Indians at work mining It,
and so gradually became a man OF
wealth. He is said to have been hard
taskmaster. In such labors his life
passed until he was thirty-three years
of age, and there was no prospect, ut
that time, of his ever emerging from
obscurity. So far as we know, he ex-
pected to live and die a planter and n
miner.
But in 1918 there returned to SANTA
20 (ChilD, after an observation OF sew
eral weeks small feet, which Velas-
ouez had sent out to explore the coasts
of the adjacent continents. This fleet
brought wonderful and most thrilling
intelligence. Mexico had been discov-
ered-a land inhabited, not by poor and
ignorant savages, but by people con-
siderably civilized, who possessed spa
cious and costly ediiices, temples, rich
garments, and ornaments of gold; n
people, too, who were ruled by pow
.erful monarch, with disciplined army,
and vet were so debased by superstition
as to appease the imaginary wrath OF
their idols by sacrifices of human be-
ihgs. Howal this appealed to the re-
ligious zeal of the Spaniards, can be
imagined by those who know anything
of the character of the Spaniards OF
that day: Gov. Nelasquez proceeded
Immediately to organize an expedition
for the settlement and conversion OF
Mexico. There were two things'want
ing-money, and man fit to comman"
silch IN enterprise. On looking around
the governor thought he saw IN Corte2
man rich enough to delray, in greai
part, the expense OF the expedition, and
endowed with the requisite energy and
talents to conduct it.
He sent for Cortcz, revealed the prop
osition to him, and offered him the
command. Cortez accepted it, and
agreed to embark his fortune in the en-
terprise. Six large vessels were speed
ly equipped, and three hundred men
agreed to follow leader already know
for his courage and skill The orders
given by Vclasquez to the commander
of the expedition enioined it upon him
to deal gently with the Mexicans, since
the grand objects in view were, first,
and above all, to convert them to Chris
tianity; secondly, to open with them
peaceful, honest commerce; and, lastly,
to get such knowledge of the country
and its waters as would be of use to fu-
ture nayigators. He was directed, how
ever, to impress upon the Mexicans
lofty idea of the goodness and great
ness of the king of Spain, to invite
them to conciliate that monarch by
presents Of gold and pearls, and ac-
knowledge him as their sovereign lord.
When the feet was ready to sail, We
lasquez awoke to the danger of trusting
with an important, independent com
mand. man so ambitious and resolute
as Cortez, and he determined to remove
him. Cortez, notified in time, hurried
ON board, raised his anchors, and putt
sea; so that when Nelasquez ran down
to the beach at the dawn of day, No
vember Is, 1918, to execute his inten-
tons, he saw the fleet standing out to
sea, beyond the reach of his orders.
Touching at several places on his way
for recruits, Cortez found himself, five
months after, near the port now named
Vera Cruz. with one hundred and ten
sailors. five hundred and tifty-three SOL
diers, and two hundred Indians, four
teen pieces of artillery and sixteen
horses. Discriminating, he established
himself in IN entrenched camp, and
opened relations with the cacique OF the
district. who treated the strangers with
the utmost hospitality. Their first in
tervIcw began with the celebration OF
the mass, after which Cortez invited the
caciuuc and his attendants to n COLA
ton. which. being ended, conversation
began. Having learned from the ca
ciuue that Montezuma, the king of the
country, resided at great city two hun
dred miles distant, Cortez asked per