532 THE CORONADO EXPEDITION, 1540-1542 [eth. ann. U 



that the general was near his end, as already related, they did not dare to 

 tell him uutil he had recovered, and when he finally got up and learned 

 of it, it affected him so much that he had to go back to bed again. He 

 may have done this in order to bring about what he afterward accom- 

 plished, as was believed later. It was while he was in this condition 

 that he recollected what a scientific friend of his in Salamanca had 

 told him, that he would become a powerful lord ia distant lands, and 

 that he would Lave a fall from which he would never be able to recover. 

 This expectation of death made him desire to return and die where he 

 had a wife and children. As the physician and surgeon who was doc- 

 toring him, and also acted as a talebearer, 1 suppressed the murmurings 

 that were going about among the soldiers, he treated secretly and uuder- 

 haudedly with several geutlemeu w r ho agreed with him. They set the 

 soldiers to talking about going back to New Spain, in little knots and 

 gatherings, and induced them to hold consultations about it, and had 

 them send papers to the general, signed by all the soldiers, through 

 their ensigns, asking for this. They all entered into it readily, and not 

 much time needed to be spent, since many desired it already. When 

 they asked him, the general acted as if he did not want to do it, but all 

 the gentlemen and captains supported them, giving him their signed 

 opinions, and as some were in this, they could give it at once, and they 

 even persuaded others to do the same. 2 Thus they made it seem as 

 if they ought to return to New Spain, because they had not found any 

 riches, nor had they discovered any settled country out of which estates 

 could be formed for all the army. When he had obtained their signa- 

 tures, the return to New Spain was at once announced, and since noth- 

 ing can ever be concealed, the double dealing began to be understood, 

 and many of the gentlemen found that they had been deceived and had 

 made a mistake. They tried iu every way to get their signatures back 

 again from the general, who guarded them so carefully that he did not 

 go out of one room, making his sickness seem very much worse, and 

 putting guards about his person and room, and at night about the floor 

 on which he slept. In spite of all this, they stole his chest, and it is 

 said that they did not find their signatures in it, because he kept them 

 in his mattress; on the other hand, it is said that they did recover them. 

 They asked the general to give them 00 picked men, with whom they 

 would remain and hold the country until the viceroy could send them 

 support, or recall them, or else that the general would leave them the 

 army and pick out 60 men to go back with him. But the soldiers did 

 not want to remain either way, some because they had turned their prow 

 toward New Spain, and others because they saw clearly the trouble 

 that would arise over who should have the command. The gentlemen, 

 I do not know whether because they had sworn fidelity or because they 



'Compare the Spanish. Ternanx, p. 203: " Le chirurgien qui le pansait et qui lui aervait en meme 

 temps d'espinn. l'avait averti du mecontenteinent des soldats.' 

 2 Compart.' the Spanish. 



