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ing that he would put us all to death; and as to Cortes, he would cut 

 off his ears, and broil and eat them, with a great deal of fuch abfurdity. 

 Of courfe he fent no reply whatever. Juft at this time, Guevara and 

 his aflbciates arrived, and. they immediately launched out in the praifes 

 of Cortes^ declaring the expreffions of refped: he had made ufe of rela- 

 tive to Narvaez, the fervices that he had rendered, and the advantages 

 that would refult from a jundion of their forces. This put Narvaez 

 in fuch a rage that he would neither fee nor hear any of them again. 

 They then began to converfe with their comrades, and when the latter 

 perceived how well furniflied they had returned, tiiey already, wiflied 

 themfelves amongft us. At this time alfo, arrived the reverend father of 

 the order of mercy, and brought with him the private letters and pre- 

 fents; he went firft to kifs the hands of Narvaez, and to tell him how- 

 anxious Cortes was to ferve under his command, but Narvaez would 

 not fee him, except to revile and abufc him. The reverend father there- 

 fore gave up that part of his commiffion, and applied himfelf to the 

 diftribution of the prefents, with fuch effedl, that in a fliort time all the 

 principal officers of the army of Narvaez were in our interefts. 



If the oydor was- originally inclined to favour Cortes, he was now 

 much more fo .fince he faw the magnificent prefents which had been fo 

 liberally diftributed. This was ffrongly contrafted by the miferable ava- 

 rice of Narvaez, who ufed to fay in his lofty, tones to his major domo, 

 ** Take heed that not a mantle is miffing, as I have duly entered down 

 ** every article." This penurioufnefs put his officers in. an uproar of 

 exclamation againft, him, all which he attributed to the. intrigues of the. 

 oydor Vafquez. There was alfo a. difference between them owing to 

 his not keeping due accounts with the oydor,. as was his duty, relative 

 to the provifions fent in by order of Montezuma; and Narvaez being 

 encouraged by the favour and patronage of the Bifhop of Burgos, now 

 feized the oydor, and fent him as a prifoner to the Ifland of Cuba, or 

 Old Spain, and a gentleman of the name of Oblanco, a man of confide- 

 ration, remonftrating with Narvaez upon this, and faying a good deal 

 upon the merits of Cortes and his aflbciates, was alfo arreffed by him, 



and: 



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