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While Cortes was in Caftillc, the members of the royal court of 

 audience arrived in Mexico. Nuno de Guzman formerly governor of 

 Panuco was the prefident. The Oydors were, four licentiates, by name 

 Matienzo, Dcigadillo, Maldonado, (I do not mean Alonzo Maldonado 

 the good who was governor of Guatimala) and Parada. Thefe magif- 

 tra:es from their firft arrival (hewed a determination to dojuftice. They 

 were armed with greater powers than any officers ever fent by his 

 Majefly to New Spain. They were alfo intruded with the manage- 

 ment of the final partition of landed property, wherein his Majefty had 

 particularly charged them to take care of the interefts of the conquerors. 

 On their arrival, they iffued a proclamation, requiring the attendance 

 of an agent from each fettlcment, with memorials and returns of the 

 feveral -diftridts. The agents all arrived in the courfe of a few days, I 

 was then in Mexico on my office of procurador findico of the town of 

 Guacacualco; I pofted off to the lafl: mentioned place, in order to at- 

 tend at the eledlion of the agents, about which there was a violent con- 

 teft but plurality of voices decided it in favour of Captain Luis Marin 

 and myfelf. When we arrived at Mexico we found that two of the 

 oydors were dead of pleurifies, and that the fi^tor Salazar had acquired 

 fo complete an afcendency over the others, that they did nothing but as 

 he advifed them. It was lucky for Cortes that he was not at Mexico i 

 the death of the two oydors would have been certainly laid to his 

 charge. 



The agents now called loudly for a final repartition ; but the fadtor 

 had perfuaded the prefident and oydors, not to agree to that which 

 would be a diminution of their influence, by taking fo much patronage 

 out of their hands. It was alfo fettled, that Salazar Hiould go to Europe 

 to folicit the government of New Spain for the prefident Guzman. He 

 adlually failed, but being overtaken by a ftorm was fiiipwrecked on the 

 coaft near Guacacualco, from whence he returned to Mexico. The 

 treafurer Eftrada died in a fliort time after his being fuperfeded, which 

 he was more by his own tamenefs than from any right they could prove 

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