The herald., 1895-03-17

spoke the Totonac language assem- bled now
and asked Cortes what they would do ii
Montezuma learned of the imprisonment
of his recaudadores and sent his powers
against them, as they could not escape
being all killed and destroyed.
Cortes replied with a cheerful counte-
nance that he and his brothers would
defend them against anyone who tried to
injure them. *
Then all the Caciques replied that they
would unite with us against any power
Montezuma or his allies might send
against us and would serve us in every
way possible.
And they gave their allegiance to his
Majesty before Diego Godoy, the Royal
Secretary, and they sent an account Of
all that had passed to the neighboring
towns.
Shortly after our arrival in Quivistlan
a party IF the friends of Velasquez de-
termined to EN- bark in one of the ships and
go to Cuba to notify Diego Velasquez how
he might capture our commission ers at
Havana, but it pleased God that one of
them repented and at the last moment
informed Cortes of the plot and he caused
the principal conspirators to be arrested
and they were tried, and Juan Cermeno
and Pedro Escudero were sentenced to be
hanged, the pilot Gonzalo de Umbria to
have his feet cut off and some sailors to
receive a certain number of lashes. The
priest Juan Diaz had narrow escape and
holy orders alone saved him. The SEN
tence was executed and Cortes then left
f,r 81 hot +u,c hen,
dred soldiers and all the horsemen should
follow him that we might take counsel for
our march to Mexico.
While we were at Cempoal discussing
with Cortes the details of our march to
Mexico, we who were his friends advised
that before setting out he should sink all
the ships, so that while we were in the
interior, other persons should not seize
on them to return, and besides by doing
this We would increase our strength by the
addition of the mariners and pilots, who
amounted to over one hundred persons,
who could assist us more by fighting with
us than by remaining in the port to care
for the ships. But in this matter as
saw and understood it, Cortes had already
proposed this to his friends privately
but wanted it to come from some one else
in public so that if anyone had to pay for
the ships, which belonged to Diego Velas-
quez, we would all be equally liable.
AS we proposed, so it was ordered, and
Juan de Escalante was sent to the port
with orders to take out all the sails and
anchors and ropes and chains and sink
all the ships, leaving nothing but the
boats, and to leave all the sailors who
were not fit to go with us in the town.
Juan de Escalante did as he was ordered
and soon returned with the sailors and
some of whom afterwards turned out to
be good soldiers.
Cortes now ordered all the Caciques. our
allies to be called toge her and told them
they must assist in finishing the church
and the houses and fort we had COM
mneced and in their presence took Juan
de Escalante by the hand and said: "This
is my brother. Anything he orders you
must do and if.it is necessary to defend
you against the Mexcans call on him. y
All of the Caciques promised to do as he
said, and | rememer that they immedi-
ately burned incense before Juan de Es-
calahte, although he did not desire it.
1t is here that the chronicler Gomara
says that Cortes ordered the ships de-