WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 417 



turned to the brigantines and collected all the munitions there were, 

 almost 100 bars of lead each weighing 2 arrobas, 80 jars of refined salt- 

 peter and the same of sulfur ; and this inhuman traitor secretly con- 

 spired with his confederates to murder Don Fernando de Guzman and 

 his captains ; and so he did, and carried it out 5 days after the above 

 conversation. The brigantines were ready to sail, a day before our 

 scheduled departure from this settlement, and also because we could 

 no longer stay there, the river having flooded it, as it was level and 

 low, and the river in flood for 200 leagues. So the despotic traitor 

 decided that that very night, at a quarter before the first watch, to 

 go where Capt. Diego de Montoya and Admiral Miguel Bovedo and 

 two other ensigns and other soldiers were quartered, on the bank 

 of an inlet, from and to which there was no access to the Militia 

 Captain's quarters except by canoe ; Gen. Don Fernando de Guzman 

 with the other captains and soldiers were quartered on the bank of 

 another inlet. The tyrant posted four harquebussiers at each of 

 these inlets, to guard the passage and if any soldiers wanted to cross 

 from one bank to the other, to seize them secretly and take them 

 to the brigantines. 



Chapter XIII 



Continuing the Preceding Recital ; and the Death of Don Fernando 

 de Guzman. 



1210. Of this enterprise of undertaking to murder Don Hernando 

 de Guzman, he breathed no word to anyone, nor did he confide in 

 anybody except his confederates and himself; but he gave the rest 

 to understand that Capt. Miguel Serrano de Caceres and Capt. Diego 

 de Montoya and Admiral Miguel Bovedo and Gonzalo de Ugartc 

 and other soldiers intended to murder Gen. Don Hernando de Guzman 

 and the rebel Lope de Aguirre himself, and make one of themselves 

 General, and rebel with the fleet ; and with his slanders he persuaded 

 over 50 soldiers that this was so, for the traitor was a very shrewd 

 and scheming person. After these falsehoods, he set out at a quarter 

 before the first watch and murdered Capt. Diego de Montoya and 

 five other soldiers, and returned to the brigantines, without the 

 possibility of any word getting to Gen. Hernando de Guzman, since 

 he had all the passage points held as has been described. And at 

 a quarter before the dawn watch he set out with 40 harquebussiers 

 and went to the cabin where Gen. Don Hernando de Guzman was, 

 instructing them to guard and respect the person of Don Hernando 

 de Guzman, since he was our leader and lord ; but he himself went 

 28 



