( 46o ) 



from his Majefty's orders, for they were, that he fhould govern folely; 

 nor was any thing faid of affociating Guzman with him ; whereas the 

 ]atter ufurped the government to himfelf entirely, from the time he was 

 appointed prefident of the court. He was much regretted by ail, hav- 

 ing conduced himfelf in fuch a manner as to give univerfal fatisfadlion, 

 nor would he have wanted fupport if he had infifted on maintaining 

 his office. 



A commiffion was appointed at Guatimala, where Jorge de Alva- 

 rado was eflablifhed, but I do not know the refult of it. 



In Mexico they proceeded with great feverity againft the Marquis 

 del Valle. The factor efpecially took the opportunity to revile and 

 flander him in the groffefl manner, and fouleft expreflions. The Mar- 

 quis's friend the licentiate Altamarano remonftrated with the court upon 

 thefe indecencies, but to no good efFe(5t,.for the factor, countenanced 

 by Guzman and the reft, became more abufive than before. The court 

 was thereby thrown into confufion; for Altamirano was at laft fo pro- 

 voked as to draw his poniard, and would have put the fa6tor to death 

 had it not been for the interference of thofe prefent. Altimirano was 

 carried to the fortrefs, the other was fent to his houfe, and the whole 

 city was in an uproar. The licentiate, upon our fupplieation, was at 

 the end of three days releafed from confinement, and the prefent matter 

 was made up ; but a greater ftorm fucceeded, for at this time there arri- 

 ved in Mexico one Zavalos, a relation of the Captain Pamfillo de 

 Narvaez, who had been fent by the wife of the latter in queft of her 

 hufband, who had gone as governor to the river of Palmas, and was 

 fuppofed to have been loft or dead. When Zavalos arrived m Mexico, 

 inftigated as is fuppofed by the members of the court, he lodged inform- 

 ations agamft all the foldiers of Cortes who had been concerned in the 

 attack upon Narvaez. Of courfe nearly the whole of us who were in 

 the city, and myfelf amongft the reft, amountmg in all to about two 

 hundred and fifty, were apprehended, brought to trial, and convidted. 



. ' ,^ We 



