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Having thus fecured his port, he turned to other matters, and or^- 

 dercd Velafquez de Leon with one hundred and twenty men upon an 

 expedition to Panuco. One hundred of them were foldiers who had 

 come with Narvaez ; the other twenty were taken from amongft our- 

 felves. This force was alfo to have two fhips with it, for the purpofc 

 of extending our difcoveries. He gave a command upon a fimilar plan 

 to Diego de Ordas, to eftabhf!i a colony at Guacacualco. Ordas was- 

 alfo to fend to Jamaica for horfes and ftock, to eftabliOi an independent 

 fupply in the country, the province he went to being well' adapted for 

 breeding cattle. Cortes commanded all the prifoners to be releafed, ex- 

 cept Narvaez, and Salvatierra, who ftill complained of the pain in his- 

 ftomach. He alfo ordered all the horfes and arms which had been ta- 

 ken from the foldiers of Narvaez to be returned to them ; this gave our 

 people much difcontent, but fince the general? would have it fo, we were 

 obliged to fubmit, and I for my part, was obliged to furrender a good 

 horfe which I had put in a fafe place, with a faddie and bridle, two 

 fwords, three poinards,, and a fhield. Hereupon Captain Alonzo de 

 Avila, and alfo our Reverend Father Olmedo, took an opportunity of 

 fpeaking to Cortes, and told him that they believed he had a mind to 

 imitate Alexander of Macedon, who after his army had atchicved any 

 glorious a6lion, was more generous to the vanquifhed, than to the con- 

 querors ; for that it was obferved, that, all the gold and valuable prefents, 

 as faft as he received them, he gave to the captains of the other army, 

 quite appearing to forget us, which was not well done on his part, we- 

 having made him what he was. To this Cortes replied by protefting, 

 that he, and all he had was entirely at our fervicc, and he would 

 prove it by his future condudt; but that what he did was unavoidable, 

 for our common interefl:, we being fo few, and the others fo many. 

 Avila in anfwer to this ufed fome exprefTions of rather a lofty kind, up- 

 on which Cortes obferved, that whoever did not wifh to follow him 

 might depart, that the women in Caftille had bred good foldiers, and 

 would continue to do fo. Avila anfivered again in a ftill more bold and 

 imperious manner, and as Cortes could not at that time break with him, 

 he was forced to diflimulate, knowing him to be a brave and determi- 

 ned; 



