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ortlers protedled him, but he got a great fright. Efcudero and Cer- 

 meno were hanged, the pilot Umbria had his feet cut off, and each of 

 the mariners received two hundred lafhes. I remember when Cortes 

 was ratifying this fentence, he gave a deep figh and exclaimed, " How 

 ** happy is he who is not able to write, and is thereby prevented from 

 *' figning the death warrants of men.** It feems to me that this ex- 

 prcffion is very frequently afFe6led amongft judges, and that it was bor- 

 rowed from the cruel Nero at the time he counterfeited the appearance 

 of being, a good emperor. As foon as the fentences were executed, 

 Cortes pofted off at full fpeed to Cempoal, commanding two hundred 

 foldiers, and all the cavalry, as alfo a detachment which was out under 

 Alvarado, to follow him. 



In the confultations which we held at Cempoal upon our intended 

 expedition to Mexico, the friends of Cortes advifed him to deftroy the 

 fleet, in order to prevent attempts fimilar to that related in the laft 

 chapter, and alfb to obtain fo confiderable a reinforcement as the whole 

 body of mariners, who amounted to above a hundred. It appeared to 

 me that Cortes had already determined this in his own mind, but he 

 preferred that it fhould come as an application from us, in order that if 

 damages were fued for on account of the lofs incurred, we fhould be all 

 refponfible as himfelf. Cortes therefore ordered his friend Juan de Ef- 

 calante who bore a bitter enmity to Velafquez on account of not being 

 given a good diftrid in Cuba, to difmantle the fhips, and then fink 

 them, retaining only the boats for the purpofe of fifhing. Efcalante 

 executed this fervice, and returned to Cempoal with a company formed 

 of the mariners, many of whom turned out very good foldiers. Cortes 

 now fummoned the chiefs of tliefe people who had renounced their 

 allegiance to Montezuma, and enjoined them to render all fervices in 

 their power to the party he left in Villa Rica, and to afTift them in 

 completing the town. Then taking Efcalante by the hand he faid, 

 " This is my brother: obey him in whatever he defires you to do, and 

 •* if you require afliflance or protection againfl your enemies, recur to 

 '* him, and he will give it to you." This the cagiques all promifed 



to 



