( 420 ) 



thofe few who efcaped, amongft whom was the licentiate Pedro Lopez, 

 were the firft who brought to the iflands intelligence of the exiftence of 

 Cortes and his army, for it had been hitherto univerfally believed that 

 we had all perifhed. As foon as it was known where Cortes then was, 

 two old (hips were freighted with horfes and colts, and fent out to us. 

 Except thefe, and one pipe of wine, all the reft of the cargo confifted 

 of fhirts, caps, and ufelefs trcimpery of various kinds. 



Some Indians of the iflands called the Guanajes, which are about 

 the diftance of eight leagues from Truxillo, came at this time to com- 

 plain to Cortes, that it had been a pra<5lice of the Spaniards to come to 

 their iflands, and kidnap the natives and their maceguales, or flaves, 

 and that a velTel was now there, as fuppofed for that purpofe. Cortes 

 on hearing this ordered out one of his (hips, which came in view of the 

 vefTel, but (he immediately hoifted fail, and made her cfcape. It after- 

 wards appeared that the commander of her was the bachelor Moreno, 

 who had been fent on bufinefs to Nombre de Dios, by the royal court 

 of audience of St. Domingo. 



Whilft Sandoval remained at Naco, the chiefs of two diftrids in 

 that vicinity named Quecufpan, and Tanchinalchapa, came to him to 

 complain of a party of Spaniards who maltreated their people, robbing 

 them, and putting them in chains, and who were now at the diftance 

 of about one day*s march from his poft. He accordingly fet out againft 

 them with fcventy men, and arrived at the place where thefe people 

 were, perfectly at their eafe, and not expecting any attack. They were 

 furprifed at feeing us, and ran to their arms ; but we foon feized the 

 captain and feveral more, thus getting the better of them without any 

 blood being drawn on either fide. Sandoval cenfured fhem in very ftrong 

 terms for their mifcondudt, and ordered thofe Indians whom they had 

 made prifoners to be immediately releafed. The captain of this party 

 was one Pedro de Garroj he and his men were marched prifoners to our 

 fettlement. From the manner in which they were mounted and attended, 

 they feemed to be lords, in comparifon of us who were dirty and worn 



down 



