The herald., 1895-04-14

which was very wrong, we being loyal
servants of the Crown; and that he had
disturbed the whole country and melted
the Mexcans to rebellion by the messages
| he had sent to Montezuma, and that he now
again begged him to name the provinces
! he desired to occupy, and we, as loyal
vassals of the King, would go elsewhere.
| And Cortes further said that rs we had al
ready begged him if he had any royal
commands for us, under the Kings seal
to send us the originals by royal escrib-
| ano, and that we would receive them with
our breasts to the earth and obey them
instantly, as was our duty, but that he
had done neither the one nor the other;
| and that now we begged him. in the
name of God and the King if he had any
such to send them to us within three days
and that we would obey the royal COM
! mands, no matter what they were.
And Cortes told him that we had come
for that purpose to this town of Pangua-
niquita, so as to be the nearer to his
camp, and that if he came without the
| royal license we called on him TO at
once return to Cuba and not disturb this
land any more with his pretensions, and
that if lie did not do either one thing
or the other we would be compelled to
make war on him and take him prisoner
rs one who had attacked us, loyal SER
| wants of the Crown. without royal war
rant, and that whatever deaths or destruc-
|
| Kings interest that might ensue must
! be laid to his charge and not to ours,
and that this letter he would have to send
him by priest, as the royal escritanos
| who were with him were afraid to go to
his camp lest he should treat them as he
had recently treated a certain Oidor of His
Majesty whom he had thrown into prison
and afterwards sent out or the country;
and that as Captain General and Justicia
Mayor of New Spain it is his duty to pun
| rch ii off l,nf, ,ntt l,nr
nor less than high treason. And Cortes
also demanded that Narvaez Immediately
return to the Cacique Gordo all of that of
which he had robbed him and to return
to their relatives the Indian women who
had been given to us by their parents;
aud that in the future he must restrain
his soldiers and not permit them to rob
the Indians. Cortes and all the rest of
the Captains and some of the soldiers
then signed the letter and was one of
the sgners. 1t was then given to Pa
DIRE Olmedo, who. accompanied by one
Bartolome Usagre, a brother of the Usagre
who had charge of the artillery of Mar
vaez, set out for the camp of that Cap
tain at Cempoal, where he arrived with
out accident
When Father Olmedo arrived in the
camp of Narvaez he immediately set
about complying with the commands of
Cortes and to that end he delivered the
messages and gold given him by Cortes
to several gentlemen in the camp, and
had long conversation with AndreaS de
Duero and told him that Cortes wanted
him to come Immediately to his camp.
At the same time he made great offers
of his services to Narvaez, but the friends
of that Captain suspected Padre Olmedo
and advised Nurvaez to put him in
prison. And when Andreas de Duero, who
was a man held in high esteem by
every one in the camp of Narvaez, learned
4 ,;u I, ,o1i fol tn
said that he understood that he contem-
plated putting in prison Padre Olmedo,
who came as the ambassador of Cortes,
and to recollect the manner in which
Cortes received all the messengers sent
him. giving them all gifts, and that he
had had private talk with Father o.
medo and from what he could learn he
was well disposed toward Narvaez and
that it would be a thing that would reflect
but little honor on him to imprison
priest, and that it would be better to in
vite him to dinner and try to draw some
thing from him. And with these and
other like reasons he Gained the anger of
Narvaez. And Immediately he took his
leave and went to where Padre Olmedo
was and informed him of what had oc-
cured.
Narvaez shortly afterwards sent to in
vite Padre Olmedo to dine with him and
when he came he treated him with much
respect Padre Olmedo could scarcely re-
strain smile, Tor he was very sagaciOus)
and NarvaeZ took him apart from the rest
to speak to him In secret, and when they
were alone Father Olmedo said: Il we'll
understand that your excellency has con-
templated putting me in prison. but
would lave you know sir. that you have
no more faithful servant than myself and
know that5there are great many Cap
tains and soldiers of Cortes who only wish
they we're in your camp, and / think
tl,a>r will a
have a letter sent by Cortes to your ex-
! cellency but because it is SO wild and ex-
travagant | have not as yet presented it,
but now that we are speaking confident
tally, [ tell you of it, and in fact ] came
near throwing it in the river with disgust
at the terms used there IN reference to
your worship, and although the letter is
signed by the Captains and many of the
soldiers OF Cortes they only did 1t for the
purpose of Fastening his ruin"
To which NarvaeZ replied that he
wished to see the letter. Padre Olmcdo
then said that he had left it in his apart
ment but that he would Immediately go
for it. While he was absent there came
the bold Salvatierra to where Narvaez
was, and when Padre Olmedo went for
the letter he sent word to Andreas de
Duero to go to Narvaez that he might be
present when the letter was prese ated,
and in fact the priest had the letter on
his person all the time, but he wished to
have witnesses when he presented It,
Presently he returned and presenting
the letter said do not be surprised, your
worship, if Cortes speaks wildly, for he
is a desperate man, and [ believe if you
show him favor he will surrender, and
all who are with him will surrender
also"
When Narvaez read the letter he was wild
with rage, as was also Salvaterra, but
the others all smiled as though amused
by it, and Andreas de Duero said, Il do
not understand this, because this holy
priest has told me that Cortes and those
| who are with him are anxious to make
terms and surrender themselves to your
worship, and now he writes in this bold
| manner"
Then a certain Agustin Bcrmudez, who
was a Captain and the Chief Alguazil of
| Narvaez, to help the matter on, said: II
| have also understood from Father Olmedo
that if some proper third parties were
sent to Cortes that he would render HIM
self to your worship, and l think now
that it would be well to send to his camp,
which is not very distant, the Veedor
Senior Salvatierra and Andreas de Duero,
and l will go. with them and see what
they will do"
And this he said maliciously, to see
what Savatierra would say, and indeed
Salvatierra replied Immediately that he
| was not feeling well and that he would