( 4^8 ) 



Some of the fettlers of this place now began to grow mutinous, on find- 

 ing that Cortes had omitted to name them to any office. He however 

 found the means to pacify them, by promifes not to forget them on his 

 arrival at Mexico. Previous to his departure, he ordered Captain Diego 

 de Godoy with his fettlers to quit the colony of Puerto de Cavallos, 

 where it was impolTible for them to keep their ground, on account of 

 fleas, mufquitos, and other vermin, and to relieve us at the good fettle- 

 ment of Naco. He alfo ordered us to take the province of Nicaragua 

 in our way to Mexico, as the government of it was an objedl worth 

 applying fori Accordingly we took our leave of Cortes who was em- 

 barked, and fet out chearfully upon our journey as Mexico was to be 

 the end of it. It was as ufual attended with extreme diflrefs. How- 

 ever we reached Naco, and found that Captain De Garro had before 

 our arrival gone for Nicaragua, to acquaint his chief, Hernandez, of 

 the promife which Cortes had made, and we fet out on the enfuing 

 day for Mexico. 



Two confidential friends of the governor Arias de Avila, having 

 gotten the knowledge that a private correfpondence was going on 

 between Hernandez and Cortes, began to fufpe<5t the view of the former 

 to furrender his province, and detach himfelf from Avila. Thefe fol- 

 diers were named Garruito and Zamorrano. The former was urged on 

 particularly by an old enmity to Cortes, on account of a rival-fliip about 

 a lady in St. Domingo when they were both youths, and which had 

 ended in a duel. Thefe perfons informed Avila of the whole that they 

 knew, and he, immediately on receipt of the intelligence, haftened off 

 to feize the parties concerned. Garro, alarmed in time, made his ef- 

 cape to us ; but Hernandez, relying upon their former intimacy and 

 friendfhip, thought that Avila would not proceed to extremities, and 

 did not attempt to avoid him. He was however iadly undeceived, for 

 after a very fummary procefs he was executed as a traitor to his fuperior 

 officer, in the town which he was colonizing, and thus ended the nego- 

 tiation between him and Cortes. 



The 



