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US throughout. What Gomara afferts might be the cafe, and I, finner 

 as I am, was not worthy to be permitted to fee it. What I did fee was, 

 Francifco de Morla riding in company with Cortes and the reft upon a 

 chefnut horfe, and that circumftance, and all the others of that day ap- 

 pear to me at this moment that I am writing, as if actually pafTing in 

 the view of thefe finful eyes. But although I, unworthy finner that I 

 am, was unfit to behold either of thofe holy apoftles, upwards of four 

 hundred of us were prefent, let their teftimony be taken. Let enquiry 

 alfo be made how it happened, that when the town was founded on that 

 fpot, it was not named after one or other of thofe holy apoftles, and 

 called St. Jago de la Vitoria, or St. Pedro de la Vitoria, as it was Santa 

 Maria, and a church ered:ed and dedicated to one of thofe holy faints. 

 Very bad chriftians were we indeed, according to the account of Gomara, 

 who when God fent us his apoftles to fight at our head, did not every 

 day after acknowledge and return thanks for fo great a mercy ! Would 

 to heaven that it were fo, but until I read the chronicle of Gomara I 

 never heard of it, nor was it ever mentioned amongft the conquerors 

 who were then prefent. 



I have related how we made two chiefs prifoners in the late battle j 

 having been kindly treated by Cortes, and exhorted to induce their 

 countrymen to come into amicable terms, they were difmifted for that 

 purpofe, after having been prefented with a number of beads^ and arti- 

 ficial diamonds. Thefe Indians faithfully executed their miftion; and 

 to fuch an effed:, that the chiefs of the province immediately fent 

 fifteen of their flaves with their faces befmeared with black, and in 

 wretched habits, in fign of contrition for what had pafled, and bearing 

 fowls, roafted fifh,, and maize, as a prefent. Cortes received them 

 with kindnefs, hut the interpreter fpeaking fomewhat angrily to them 

 faid, that it w,zs with chiefs, and not with flaves that we were to treat. 



On the enfuing day thirty Indians of rank came in good drefles 

 with another prefent, and to requeft permiflion to inter their dead that 

 jthey fliould not be eaten by lions and tygers. This being granted 



them 



