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The young native who was baptized by the name of Donna Ma- 

 rina, and who rendered fiich elTential fervices in the fequei, was the 

 daughter of the chief or Prince of Painala, a powerful lord who had 

 leveral diflrid:s fubjedl to him, eight leagues from Guacacualco. He 

 dying while this lady was an infant, his widow married another chief, 

 a young man, by whom fhe had a fon whom they determined to place 

 in fucceflion after them. They therefore gave this girl to certain In- 

 dians of Xicalango to carry off fecretly, and caufed it to be rumoured 

 that fhe was dead ; which report they corroborated by taking the ad- 

 vantage of the death of a child about her age, the daughter of a flave. 

 The people of Xicalango gave her to thofe of Tabafco, and the latter to 

 Cortes, by whom fhe was prefented to a cavalier named Alonzo Her- 

 nandez Puertocarrero : when he went to Old Caftille, Cortes took her 

 to himfelf, and had by her a fon who was named Don Martin Cortes, 

 and who was a commander of the order of St. Jago. She afterwards on 

 our expedition to Higueras married a cavalier named Juan Xaramillo. 



Donna Marina had by her birth an univerfal influence and confe- 

 quence through thefe countries j fhe was of a fine figure, frank manners, 

 prompt genius, and intrepid fpirit ; an excellent linguifl, and of mofl 

 eflential fervice to Cortes whom flie always accompanied. I was ac- 

 quainted with her motlier, and her half brother, who was at the time 

 J knew him grown up ; they governed their territory conjointly, the 

 fecond hufband being alfo dead. They were afterwards baptized, the 

 mother by the name of Marta, the fon by the name of Lazarus ; this 

 I know, for in the expedition to Higueras, when Cortes pafTed through 

 Guacacualco, he fummoned all the neighbouring chiefs to meet him in 

 that fettlementj and amongft many others came the mother, and half 

 brother of this lady. She had told me before that fhe was of that pro- 

 vince, and in truth fhe much refembled her mother who immediately 

 recognifcd her. Both the old lady and her fon were terrified, thinking 

 that they were fent for to be put to death, and cried bitterly, but Donna 

 Marina dried their tears, faying, that fhe forgave them, that at the 

 time they fent4ier from them they were ignorant of what they did; and 



that 



