The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco

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СКАЧАТЬ hym. Nowe Cortez departed from thence, proclayming himselfe for General, and that the gouernour Valasques had nothing to doe wyth hys Nauie, requesting his soldiers to enbarke themselues wyth such victuals as they had. He also bargayned wyth one Fernando Alfonso for certaine Hogges and Shéepe that were prepared for the shambles, and gaue vnto hym a chayne of golde and brouches for payment, and also moneye, to pay the penaltie that the butcher fel into for not prouiding the Cittie. And so he departed frō Saint Iames de Baracoa the eightéenth of Nouember, with about thrée hundred Spaniardes in sixe shippes.

      The nauie and men that Cortez caried with him to the Conquest

      Cortez departed from Saint Iames de Barocoa with small prouision of victuals for suche a number of men, and also for the nauigation whyche as yet was vncertaine. And beeyng out of that parte, he sent Pedro Xuarez Gallinato with a Caruell to Iaymaica for vittailes, commaunding him, that those things which he should there buy, to goe therwith to Cape de Corrientes, or to S. Anthonies point, which is the farthest part of that Iland Westward. And he himselfe wente with his companye to Macaca, and boughte there greate quantitie of bread, and some Hogges, of one Taymaio. Then he procéeded to the Trinitie Ilande, and there boughte an other Shippe of one Alonso Guillen. And of perticulare persons he bought thrée Horses, and fiue hundred bushels of Corne. And being there at roade, he had aduice, that Iohn Nonez Sedenio passed that way with a Shippe laden with victuals, for to make sale thereof at the Mynes. Wherevppon he sente Iames de Ordas, with a Caruel well armed, for to take him, and to bring him vnto S. Anthonies point. Ordas went and tooke him at the Channell de Iardines, and brought him to the place appointed. Sedenio broughte the register of his marchandise, whiche was greate store of bread, Bacon, and Hennes: Cortez gaue him chaynes of golde, and other pieces for payment, and a bil for the rest. In consideration whereof, Sedenio wente with him to the Conquest. In the Trinitie Ilande Cortez gathered togyther two hundred men more, who had bin in Grijalua hys company, and were dwellers in that Iland, and in Matancas, Carenias, and other Villages, and sending his ships forward, he went with his men by land to Hauana, which was then inhabited on the South side in the mouth of the riuer called 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.

A snare layde for Cortez

      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 y^e 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, w^t 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 y^e 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 y^e state of a noble man, or else great riches. Now all y^e 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 СКАЧАТЬ