( >S9 ) 



■when he gave him the appointment good-humouredly faid to him, 

 **■ Now Senior de Grado, go and poffefs your willies ; you are com- 

 ** mandant of Villa Rica, and fee that you fortify it well; and mind I 

 ** charge you on no account to go out and hght the wicked Indians, 

 •* nor let them kill you as they did Juan de Efcalante." This Cortes 

 faid ironically, knowing the condition of the man, and that all the 

 world could not have got him to put his nofe out of the town. Wc 

 who were liflening to this, and perceived his drift, could hardly for- 

 bear laughing aloud. He then gave him his inftrudions to behave 

 kindly to his Indian neighbours, and not permit them to be robbed or 

 oppreffed: he alfo defired him to caufe the fmiths who were in that 

 fettlement to make two large chains, out of the old iron of the fhips, 

 and fend them to him immediately, and to lofe no time in proceeding 

 with the conftrudtion af the wooden fort. When De Grado arrived 

 at his government, he affed:ed to carry on bufinefs with a lofty de- 

 meanour, and fent to the neighbouring Indians who were at peace with 

 us, requiring them to give him gold, and female Haves j paying no at- 

 tention whatever to the fortifications, but palling his time in feafting 

 and play. What was worfe, he combined with the adherents of Ve- 

 lafquez, offering to put him in poffeffion of the poft he was entrufted 

 with. Thefe things being foon communicated to Cortes, he repented 

 of his imprudent flep in appointing to fuch a place a man whofe bad 

 difpofition he well knew : he alfo forefaw that Velafquez mufl: fooner 

 or later find out that he had fent agents to Old Caftille, and would pro- 

 bably fend a force againfi: us. For thefe reafons it was neceffary that 

 he fliould have a perfon of confidence in the command at Villa Rica; 

 he therefore fent Sandoval, who was now alguazil mayor, with whom 

 went Pedro de Ircio already mentioned, who gained the confidence of 

 Sandoval, a goodnatured man, by diverting him with anecdotes of the 

 families of the Count de Urena, and Don Pedro Giron, in which he 

 had ferved. De Ircio by thefe means gained his favor fo completely, 

 that he never ceafed promoting him, till he had got him the rank of 

 captain: inftead of which promotion, for the licenfes he gave his 

 tongue, and for which Sandoval at times reprehended him, he deferved 



to 



