The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco
Onicaxinall, but there they would sell him no prouision, for feare of the Gouernour Velasques. But yet one Christopher Galsada rentgatherer to the Byshoppe, and receyuer for the Popes Bulles, solde to him great store of Bacon and bread of that Countrey called Maiz, and other prouision, whereby his fléete was reasonably prouided .&c. And then he beganne to distribute his men and vittayles aboorde eache vessell in good order. Then came Aluarado with his caruell, with his other friendes Christopher de Olid, Alonso de Auila, Francisco de Monteio, & manye others of Grijalua hys company, who had bin to talke with the Gouernoure Velasques. And among them came one Garnica so called, with letters for Cortez from Velasques, wherein he wrote, desiring him to abide there, for that he meant to come himselfe, or else to send vnto hym, to treate of matters profitable for them both.
Also, the sayd Gouernour sente other secret letters to Iames de Ordas and others, requiring them to apprehende and take prisoner Cortez. Nowe Ordas did inuite Cortez to a banket aboorde his Caruel, thinking by that meanes to catche Cortez in a snare, and so to carrie him prisoner to the Citie of Saint Iames de Barocoa, but Cortez vnderstood the matter, and fayned hymselfe to be very sicke, and also fearing some vprore, he went aboorde his Shippe Admirall, and shot off a péece of Ordinance, giuing warning to his Nauie to be in a readinesse to make sayle, and to follow him to Saint Anthonies poynte, whiche was done with expedition, and there in the Towne of Guani Guaniga he mustered his men, and found fiue hundred and fiftie Spanyardes, whereof fiftie were Marriners. He deuided them into eleuen companies, and appointed these persons following for Captaynes, that is to say, Alonso de Auila, Alonso Fernandez Porto Carrero, Iaimes de Ordas, Francisco de Monteio, Francisco de Morla, Francisco de Salzeda, Iohn de Escalante, Iohn Velasques de Leon, Christopher de Olid, and one Escouar, and he himselfe as Generall tooke one Company. He made these many Captaynes, bycause his whole fléete was eleuen sayle, and that eache of them shoulde seuerally be Captayne, both of Shippe and men. He also appoynted for chiefe Pilote Antonio de Alamines, who had taken charge before with Francisco de Hernandez de Cordoua, and Grijalua, &c. He carried also 200 Indians, borne in ye Ile of Cuba, to serue and to carrie baggage, & also certayne Negros with some Indian womē, and sixtéene Horses & Mares, with great prouision of Bacon, corne, bisket, hennes, wine, oyle, pease, and other fruites, wt great store of Haberdash, as Belles, necklaces, beades of glasse, collers, points, pinnes, purses, nedels, girdels, thredde, kniues, sissers, pinsars, hāmers, hatchets, Shirts, Coyfes, headkerchiefes, handkerchiefs, bréeches, coates, clokes, cappes, Marriners bréeches, all ye which Merchādise be deuided amōg his nauie. The Ship Admiral was of the burthen of a hūdred Tunnes. Other thrée Shippes of the burthen of eightie Tunnes the péece. All the residue were small withoute ouerloppe, and vergantines. The deuice of his ensigne or aunciente, was flames of fire in white and blewe, with a redde crosse in the middest, and bordred round with letters, in the Lattine and Spanishe tongs, which signified this in effect: friends, let vs follow the Crosse, and with liuely faith with this standerde we shall obteyne victorie. The premisses (as ye haue hearde) was the furniture that Cortez prouided for his iourney, and with so small a thing he conquered so greate and mightie an Empire, & strange Countreys, vnknowen at that time. There was neuer Captayne that did with like army ouercome so infinite a people, & bring both thē and their coūtrey vnder subiectiō. He caried no money to pay his souldiers, but was rather much indebted to others at his departure. And to say the truth, there néeded any money to make pay to those souldiers that went to the Cōquest, for if they shuld haue serued for wages, they would haue gone to other places néere hand. But in India, euery one pretēdeth ye state of a noble man, or else great riches. Now all ye fléete being in readinesse (as ye haue hearde,) Cortez began an exhortation to his cōpany as followeth.
The Oration that Cortez made to his Souldiers
My louing fellowes and déere friendes, it is certayne that euery valiant manne of stoute courage, doth procure by déedes to make him selfe equall with the excellente men of his time, yea and with those that were before his time. So it is, that I do now take in hād such an enterprise, as godwilling shall be héereafter of greate fame, for myne heart doth pronosticate vnto mée, that we shall winne greate and rich Countreys, and manye people, as yet neuer séene to anye of oure nation, yea and (I beléeue) greater Kingdomes than those of oure Kinges. And I assure you, that the desire of glory dothe further extend, than treasure, the whiche in sorte, mortall life doth obtayne. I haue now prepared Shippes, Armor, Horses, and other furniture for the warres, with victuall sufficient, and all things that are vsed as necessary in Conquestes. I haue bin at greate costes and charges, wherein I haue not onely employed myne owne goodes, but also the goodes of my friendes, yet me thinketh that the employmente thereof dothe encrease my treasure and honor. We ought (louing fellowes) to leaue off small things, when great matters doe offer themselues. And euen as my trust is in God, euen so greater profite shall come to our kings, and a nation of this oure enterprise, than hath héeretofore of any other. I doe not speake how acceptable it will be to God our sauiour, for whose loue I do chiefly and willingly hazard my goods and trauel. I will not nowe treat of the perils and danger of life that I haue passed since I began this voyage. This I say, that good men doe rather expect renoune, than treasure. We doe now attempt and begin warre that is both good and iust, and the almighty God in whose name and holy faith this voyage is begonne, will assuredly graunte vnto vs victory, and the time will shew the end of things well begonne. Therefore we will now haue an other manner in our procéedings, than eyther Cordoua or Grijalua hadde, whereof I meane not nowe to dispute, for the presente time doth hasten vs away, but at our arriuall, we will do what shall séeme vnto vs conuenient. Héere déere friends do I lay before you great gaynes, but wrapped in greate trauell, yet Vertue is an enimie to idlenesse .&c. Therefore if you will accept hope for Vertue, or Vertue for hope, and also if ye forsake me not, as I will not forsake you, I will with Gods help make you in shorte time the richest men that euer passed this way. I doe sée you are but fewe in number, but yet such men of haughtie courage, that no force or strength of Indians can offende. Likewise wée haue experience, that Christ our sauiour hathe alwayes fauoured our nation in these parties. Therfore my déere friendes, let vs now in Gods name depart ioyfull, exspecting good successe, according to our beginning .&c.
The entrance of Cortez into the Iland of Acusamill
With the aforesayd communication, Cortez gaue great hope to his cōpany of waightie matters, yea and great admiration of his person, so that all his company had an earnest desire to procéede on that iorney. And Cortez likewise reioyced, to sée his men so willing: and incontinente, they embarqued themselues, and after their prayers made vnto God, hoysed vp their sayles, and with faire winde departed the eighttenth day of Februarie Anno 1519. And beyng at Sea, he willed all his nauie (as the vse is) to haue S. Peter for their patrone, warning them alwayes to follow the Admirall (wherin he went) bycause he carried a light for the night season to guide them the way, whiche was almost East and West from S. Anthonies point, being the nerest part of Cuba to Cape de Cotoche, which is the first lād point of Yucatan, whither they were bounde, so yt being there, they might run alōg the coast, betwene the North point and the West. The firste night yt Hernando Cortez begā to passe ouer the gulfe betweene Cuba & Yucatan, being little aboue lx. leagues, the winde rose vp at Northeast with much force, so yt all the Fléete were separated without sight ye one of the other: yet by the accompt that their Pilots kept, they arriued all sauing one at the Ilande of Acusamil, although not at one time, and those that last ariued, wer the Admirall, and Captayne Morla his Ship, who had lost his Ruther, but by shoting off a pece, Cortez vnderstood his necessitie, and came vering to him, and amayned his sailes to succour him, being in ye night season. Yet when the day appeared, it pleased God yt the rage of the tempest ceassed, & being cléere day, they found agayne their Ruther, and trimmed the Ship, and made sayle, and sayled that day and the next following, without