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fentat'lORS of his enemies, and of the old madman Jmn Millari. Thus 

 Cortes continued in his command. The twelve cnfuing days were 

 paffed ill preparations ; all the fmiths of the city were employed in 

 making arrow heads for the crofs-bows, and alfo engaged to join the 

 expedition. 



Cort^js perceiving that nothing more was to be done atthe town of 

 Trinidad, gave orders for the fleet to fadl for the Havannah, arid alfo, 

 that all fuch as chofe to proceed thither by land fhould go under the 

 command of Pedro de Alvarado, who was to receive the volunteers who 

 expelled us in fonie fettlements upon our road. I and about fifty more 

 marched with Alvarado ; and Cortes, having difpatched one veflel to 

 the Havannah under the command of his friend Juan de Efcalante by a 

 northern route, embarked, and fef fail with his whole fleet for that 

 port, by the Souths All the (hips except that on board of which 

 Cortes was, arrived at the Havannah without any accident, and our 

 land party having alfo reached that town, we were there for the fpace of 

 feven days, that we could not by any means account for his abfence. 

 We were very apprehenfive that the (hip was loft in fome flioals called 

 Los Jar dines, and it was determined to fail with three veflels in fearch 

 of it, bat as there was no one to command, the time was fpent in dif- 

 putes, ^nd faction began to exift as to the choice of a fubftitute for 

 Cortes, until we Ihould know what was become of him. The perfon 

 who was moft particularly bufy on this occafion was Diego de Ordas. 

 At length thefe intrigues were put a flop to by the appearance of Cortes 

 himfelf. The (hip which he was on board af had ftruck upon a fhoal, 

 but being near the land they had got her off, by lightening her of a part 

 of the cargo. 



As foon as Cortes arrived, he took his quarters at the houfe of Pedro 

 Barba the Lieutenant of Velafquez^ where he planted his ftandard before 

 the door, and beat up for volunteers. He was accordingly foon joined 

 by Francifco de Montejo, Diego de Soto, one Angulo, Garci Caro, Se- 

 haftian Rodrique^, Pacheco, Gutierrez, and Rojas, (not Rojas the 



wealthy)!- 



