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the veedor and fadtor, and an officer named Don Pedro de la Cueva 

 commendador major of Alcantara, was ordered to go with three hun- 

 dred foldiers, at the coft of Cortes, and in cafe of his guilt being prov- 

 ed, to inflidt the punifhment of death upon him, and diftribute his 

 property amongft the veteran conquerors of Mexico. This was how- 

 ever to be done under the judgment of a royal court of audience, to be 

 prefent upon the fpot for the purpofe. All thefe preparations however 

 ended in nothing; for neither Don Pedro de la Cueva, nor the court qf 

 royal audience ever arrived. 



The treafurer was now greatly elevated by the countenance which 

 he received at court, and which he attributed to his being confidered a 

 fon of the catholic king. He difpofed of governments at his pleafure, 

 fending his relation Mazariejos to make enquiry into the conduct of 

 Don Juan Enriquez de Guzman in Chiapa, where they fay more pil- 

 lage and plunder took place than ought to have done. He alfo fent a 

 force againft the Zapotecans and Minxes under one De Barrios, faid to 

 be a brave foldier, and who had ferved in Italy. I do not mean Barrios 

 of Seville, the brother-in-law of Cortes. This officer marched againfl 

 them with a hundred foldiers, but the native^ furprifed him one 

 night, and killed him with feven mofe of the party. Such was the 

 difference between us the veteran conquerors, and thefe raw half formed 

 foldiers, who did not know the arts and flratagems of the enemy. The 

 governor alfo fent a hundred of the new foldiers, under the command 

 of a particular friend named Figuero, to the province of Guaxaca. On 

 his route by the Zapotecans, Figuero fell in witn a captam left in com- 

 mand there by Marcos de Aguilar, named Alonzo Herrera, and fome 

 difpute arifing between them, fwords were drawn, Herrera wounding 

 Figuero, and three other foldiers who were with him. Figuero find- 

 ing himfelf not able to go into the field, and his foldiers not being fit 

 for expeditions in the mountains, thought proper to fearch for and 

 break open the fepulchres, in which the ancient chiefs of thofe coun- 

 tries v/ere interred,^ to make prize of the gold, which according to 



Mmm cuflom 



