HISTORY OF MEXICO, 



301 



office. In order that they might never want lights be- 

 fore that facred image, he taught them the ufe of wax, 

 which the bees wrought in their mountains ; and that 

 they might not in his abfence replace the idols, or other- 

 wife profane that fan&uary, he left one of his foldiers, 

 named Juan Torres, behind, who, on account of his age, 

 was of little fervice in war. The eight virgins, as foon 

 as they were fufficiently inftrucled, received holy bap- 

 tifm. 



From Chempoalla Cortes returned to the new colony 

 of Vera-Cruz, where he had the good fortune to recruit 

 his little army with two other officers and ten foldiers, 

 who had landed there from Cuba ; and a little time after 

 he was joined by fix other men, who had been taken by a 

 velfel belonging to Jamaica. 



Cortes, before he undertook the journey to Mexico, 

 thought proper to tranfmit to his fovereign an account of 

 all that had happened to him ; and that the news might 

 be more welcome, he fent at the fame time all the gold 

 which had been acquired by the armament, inducing all 

 the foldiers and officers to yield up their (hares for that 

 purpofe. In this letter Cortes aimed at prepoffeffing the 

 king againft the reprefentations which might be made by 

 the governor of Cuba. Two other letters were alfo 

 written to the king, one fubfcribed by the magiflrates of 

 the new colony, the other by the principal officers of the 

 expedition, in which they requeued his acceptance and ap- 

 probation of what they had done for him, and to confirm 

 the offices of General and chief judge, already conferred 

 by their fuffrages, on Cortes, whom they recommended 

 with the mod warm praifes, Thofe two letters, with the 

 prefent of gold, were fent to Spain by the two captains 

 Alonfo Hernandez de Portocarrero and Francifco de 

 Montejo, who fet fail on the 16th of July, 1519. 



The 



