66 ^he Expedition of FI . 
Thefe Meafures taken to quiet the Mind of Velafquez *, 
refolved to profecute his Voyage, and, fending Pedro 
Alverado by Land, with a ftrong Party of Soldiers, to take 
care of the Horfes^ and raife more Men in the Settle- 
ments upon the Road, he failed with the Fleet for the 
Havanna. 
The Ships parted from la Prinidad with a favourable 
Wind*, but, at the coming on of the Night, they fe- 
parated from the Capitana^ where Cortes was on board, 
without obferving, as they ought to have done, the Courfe 
he flood, or perceiving the Error of the Pilots, until the 
Day difeovered it •, but being now far advanced, they 
continued their Voyage, and arrived at the Han) anna, 
where the Soldiers landed. They were kindly entertained 
by Pedro de Baj'ba, at that time Governor of the Havan- 
na, under Velafquez. They were much concerned that 
they had not waited for their Captain, but their Dif- 
courfes on that Subjebt went no farther than to furnifh 
themfelves with Excufes againft his Arrival ; yet perceiv- 
ing that he ftaid longer than they thought it poflible he 
could, unlefs fome Misfortune had befallen him, they 
began to be uneafy and divided in their Opinions : Some 
were for fending two or three Veffels in fearch of him ■, fome 
propofed to name a Commander in chief in his Abfence, 
but others thought fuch a Propofition unfeafonable •, how- 
ever, as nobi^dy commanded, every one gave his Ver- 
dict, and nothing was done. 
He who moft infilled upon naming a Commander, 
was Diego de Ordaz *, who, as a Confident of Velafquez, 
expebled to be preferred to the reft j and thought, that 
by the gaining of this Point, he Ihould Hand fair to 
obtain that Poll from Velafquez. But at laft, after a 
Difpute of feven Days, Cortes fafely arrived with the 
Capitana. His Delay was occafioned by the Eleet’s paf- 
fing over fome Fiats, which lie between the Harbour 
of la P rinidad and Cape St. Anthony, at a fmall Diftance 
from the Ifle of Pines-, where the Capitana, as being 
the largell Ship, llruck, and was in Danger of being 
over-fet. 
4. This Accident ferved to raife his Reputation •, for 
animating his Men on the View of the Danger, he gave 
fuch Orders as were neceflary, with great Prefence of 
Mind, and without Confufion. His firft Care was to put 
out his Boat, and take out the Ship’s Lading, which was 
carried to a little fandy Eland •, by which means he fo 
far lightened her, as to fet her afloat; after which, 
getting clear of the Shole, he took her Lading on board 
again, and purfued his Courfe •, having thus fpent the 
feven Days he was detained, and thereby much advanced 
his Reputation. Pedro de Barba lodged him in his own 
Houfe, and he was received with great Acclamations by 
his Soldiers, whofe Numbers immediately encreafed *, 
feveral of the Inhabitants and Gentry entering into the 
Service; among thofe were Francifeo de Moyitejo, who 
v/as afterwards the King’s Lieutenant of Yucatan ; Diego 
de Soto del P oro, Garcia Caro, Juan Sedoy and other Per- 
fons of Diftinblion and Fortune, who added very much 
to the Reputation of the Enterprize. 
Thefe Preparations took up fome Days, but as Cortes 
knew not how to be idle, he commanded the Artillery 
to be brought on Ihore to be cleaned and proved ; or- 
dered: the Cannoniers to obferve, exablly, how far each 
Gun would carry ; and, as there Was great plenty of Cot- 
ton thereabouts, he direbled the making a fufficient 
Qiiantity of defenfive Arms. Thefe were a kind of 
Quilts in the Form of great Coats, which were called 
Efcaupilles : Necefiity inventing what Experience after- 
wards approved. It being found that Cotton Hitched be- 
tween two Cloths was a better Defence than Iron againft 
the Arrows and Darts of the Indians ; for they loft their 
Force, by the wreak Refiftance they met with ; and were 
likewife hindered from glancing from one Man to ano- 
ther. At the fmie time he exercifed his Soldiers in the 
Ufe of their Fire-arms and Crofs-bows, and the Manage- 
ment of their Pikes ; He taught them how to form and 
file off in Order ; hov/ to charge, and how to fecure a 
Poft : Inftrufting them both by Voice and Example, in 
the Rudiments of War, after the Manner of Antiquity ; 
which Pradice, in time of Peace, was in fo miichEfteem 
2RNAN Cortes, Book I. 
among the Romans, that from this kind of Exercife they 
gave their Armies the Name of Exercitus. 
With the like Diligence and Ardour he went on with 
the reft of his Preparations ; but when every one was re- 
joicing at the near Approach of the Day appointed for 
their Departure, Gafpar de Garnica, a Servant of Velaf- 
quez, arrived at the Hamanna with freih Orders to Ped^o 
de Barba, exprefly enjoining him to difpoffefs Cortes of 
the Command of the Fleet, and to fend him Prifoner 
under a good Efcort ; telling him how highly he had 
been difpleafed with Francifeo Verdago, for letting him. go 
from la Prinidad : And withal, giving him to imderftand 
how much he would rifque in not complying wdth his 
Orders. He likewife fent to Diego de Ordaz, and to 
Juan Velafquez de Leon, to be affifting to Pedro de Bar- 
ba in the Execution of his Comm.ands. But Cortes was 
advertifed of what was doing from feveral Hands, and 
even from Garnica. They warned him to take care of him- 
felf, fince he, who firft entrufted this Enterprize to his 
Condud, was now going to difeard him, in a Manner 
highly injurious to his Honour, and who freed him from 
the Scandal of Ingratitude, by forcing from him the Favour 
for which he ftood obliged. Cortes, though a Man of great 
Spirit, could not help being fhocked with this new. At- 
tempt, which touched him the more fenfibly, the lefs it was 
expeded; for he thought Velafquez had been fatisfied with 
the Affurances that had been given him by all, in their 
Anfwer to his firft Orders which came to la Prinidad ; 
but being convinced of his Obftinacy, he began with lefs 
Temper to think of taking care of himfelf. He acknow- 
ledged that Velafquez had expended fome Money in fit- 
ting out the Fleet, but the greateft Part of the Charge 
was borne by himfelf and his Friends, and almoft all thq 
Soldiers were raffed upon their Credit : He was alfo con- 
cerned for the Enterprize, which he forefaw would entirely 
mifearry if he quitted it ; but that which moft fenfibly af- 
feded him, was the Wound given to his Honour, which 
is dearer than Life itfelf; and upon thefe Refledions 
Cortes took his firft Refolution of breaking with Velafquez, 
judging that it was now no longer a time to fmother his 
Refentment, but refolved to provide for himfelf, and 
make ufe of the Force he was Mafter of, as Occafion 
fliould require. To this end, before Pedro de Barba 
had determined to publifli the Order he had againft him, 
he made hafte to fend away from the Havanna Diego de 
Ordaz, whofe Fidelity he fufpeded on account of the 
Efforts he'had made to be chofen Commander in chief in 
his Abfence. He therefore commanded liim to embark im- 
mediately on board one of the Veffels, and to make the 
beft of his Way to Guanicanico, a Settlement fituate on 
the other Side of the Cape St. Antony, to take in fome 
Provifions, which he had direded to be carried to that 
Place, and there to wait his Arrival with the reft of the 
Fleet. 
Cortes aflifted in putting this Order in Execution, with 
his ufual Diligence and Calmnefs, and by this means got 
quickly rid of a Perfon who might have given fome 
Oppofition to his Defign. He went xhtn to VAit Juan 
Velafquez de Leon, whom he eafily brought over to his 
Intereft ; being himfelf not a little difpleafed with the Pro- 
ceedings of his Relation, and withal, more tradable and 
of lefs Artifice than Diego de Ordaz. Having taken thefe 
Precautions, he fhewed himfelf to the Soldiers, acquaint- 
ino- them with the new Difafter that threatened him. 
They all offered him their Services, agreeing in their Re- 
folution of affifting him, but differing in the Manner of 
expreffing themfelves. But Pedro de Barba, apprehending 
the ill Confequences of not aopeafing this Tumult in time, 
went to Cortes, and, appearing publickly v/ith him, qui- 
eted all in a Moment, by declaring aloud that he did 
not defign to execute the Order of V dafquez, or to have 
any Share in fo great and fo unprovoked an Injuftice. 
This turned all their Threats into Acclam.ations ; and 
he prefently fliewed the Sincerity of his Intentions, by 
publickly difpatching Gafper de Garmca witii a Letter to 
Velafquez ; in which he told him that this was not a time 
to Hop Cortes, who was too well attended to let himfelf 
be ill treated, or to be reduced to Obedience by Violence; 
he reprelented to him in the ftrorsgeft Terms, tne i^er- 
ment 
