( 474 ) 



force commanded by an officer named Francilco Val'qucz Coronado, 

 who married the virtuous and fair daughter of the tfeafurer Ellrada. 

 Coronado left his government of XaHfco to an officer named Gnate, and 

 after he had been for fome months in the country to which he was fent, 

 and which was named Cehbola or the feven cities, a Francifcan friar 

 named Marcos de Nica, returned from thence to Mexico to give an ac- 

 count of the country to the Viceroy. He defcribed it as confifting of 

 fine plains full of herds of cattle, but which were quite different in 

 their appearance from thofe of Caftille. The houfes he defcribed as hav- 

 ing two ftories and ftairs, and the towns as being populous. He alfo 

 reprefented, that as it lay near the Pacific Ocean, a fupply of neceffaries 

 eould be fent to the Spanifh force, conveniently, in that direcStion. It 

 •was for this reafon that three fhips were fent thither under the command 

 of Hernando de Alarco, an officer in the Viceroy's houfehold. 



' I mull not omit to mention the particulars of the great armament 

 prepared by Don Pedro de Alvarado, in the year one thoufand five hun- 

 ■dred and thirty feven, in the port of Acaxatla on the Pacific Ocean. 

 This fleet was fitted out by Alvarado in confequence of permiffion ob- 

 tained from his Majefty, by whom he was granted certain rents and 

 advantages, in fuch countries as he fhould difcpver tov/ards the weft ; 

 that is to fay China, the Moluca, and Spice Illands, „ 



Alvarado being always zealous for his Majefty's fervice, as appear- 

 ed hy his condudl in Mexico and Peru, was anxious that this expedi- 

 tion fliould exceed any other that had ever been fitted out. It confifted 

 of thirteen fail, amply provided. The port at which the preparations 

 were cfiade was above two hundred leagues diftant from that of Vera 

 Cruz, from which all the iron, and moft other neceffary articles were 

 to be brought by land carriage. The confequence was, that the money 

 expended would have built eighty fuch fhips in Seville. All the wealth 

 Alvarado brought from Peru, what he got from the mines of Guati- 

 xnala^ with the rents of bis eftates and the prefents of his friends and 



. - relations. 



