( 443 ) 



ment j and they faid that while they played him a favourite air, he beat 

 time to it, and juft as it was finifhed he expired. What malignities 

 and flanders were now circulated againft Cortes, by his enemies in Mex- 

 ico ! they faid that he and Sandoval had poifoned the governor, as he 

 had before done Garay. The moft bufy in this malicious affair was the 

 friar Ortiz. It appeared as if the veflei which brought them had been 

 infedled with the difeafe of which the governor died; above a hundrecLof 

 thofe who came in it having died at fea or after landing. All the friars 

 except a very few were fwept off", and the contagion pervaded the city 

 of Mexico. 



It was the wiHi of thofe who were enemies to Cortes, that the 

 enquiry fhould be proceeded on in the fame manner as was intended be- 

 fore the death of the late governor. Cortes aflerted his readinefs, pro- 

 vided that the new governor Aguilar would take upon him the refpon- 

 fibility of ad;ing contrary to the teftament of his predeceflbr. The coun- 

 cil of Mexico however infifted that x'^guilar was ineligible to that high 

 fituation, on account of his age, infirmities, and other incapacities, 

 which indeed were pretty evident. They therefore recommended that 

 Cortes fhould be afTociated with him, but he infifted on adhering ftricft- 

 ly to the letter of the teftament of his predeceflor, and Cortes was alfo 

 entirely adverfe to taking any fhare of the authority, for private reafons, 

 fo that the whole weight refted on this poor hed:ic old man, who was 

 obliged to drink goat's milk, and to be fuckled by a Caftillian woman 

 to keep him alive. 



I will now go to a diftance both in time and place, to relate that 

 which happened to us on our journey to Mexico from Naco, where 

 we were waiting to hear from Sandoval, who was to fend us notice of 

 the failing of Cortes, which intelligence we never received, Saavedra, 

 I have already mentioned, malicioufly fupprefling the letters with which 

 tie was intrufted. 



Lll 2 



When 



