^he Expedition H E R NAN Cortes, 
and that all Spnin rung of the great Things he had pfer-* 
formed j and the mighty Difcoveries he had made. The 
Applaufe given to Cortes made him impatient and out- 
rageous, and notwithftanding he was not-forry to fee the 
Conqueft fo far advanced, yet he could not bear that ano- 
ther Ihould receive the Thanks which, in his Opinion, 
were due to him alone, fo vain was he, in the little 
Share he had in the firft Difpolition of that Enterprise, 
that without any other Foundation he took to himfelf 
the Name of Conqueror. Upon thofe Motives he imme- 
diately prepared to form a Fleet and Army for the De- 
ftrudtion of Cortes^ and all who had followed his For- 
tune. He bought Ships, lifted Soldiers, and went in 
Perfon over the whole Hand, vifiting the Spaniards, and 
encouraging them to the Undertaking. 
He fhared with them before-^hand the immenfe Riches 
of that Conqueft, which he faid was ufurped by ill ad- 
vifed Rebels, who had bafely made their Efcapes from 
Cui>a by flight. With thofe Hopes, and fome Expence, 
he got together a Body of Men, which in thofe Parts of 
the World might be termed a formidable Army. It con- 
fifted of eight hundred Spanijh Foot, eighty Horfe, and 
ten or twelve Pieces of Artillery, with abundance of 
Provifions, Arms and Ammunition. He appointed for 
chief Commander of that Expedition Pamphilo de Nar- 
vaez, a Man of Capacity, and of the firft Diftindlion in 
that Ifland, but highly opinionated, and obftinately pofi- 
tive in his Refolutions. 
He gave him the Title of his Lieutenant, naming him- 
felf Governor of New Spain. He gave him likewife fe- 
cret Inftru(ftions, in which he ordered him, “ That he 
ftiould endeavour to the utmoft of his Power to take 
Cortes, and fend him Prifoner under a ftrong Guard, 
that he might receive from his Hands the Punifhment 
“ he had deferved ; that he fhould do the fame by the 
** chief Officers who followed him, in cafe they refufed 
“ to abandon his Intereft, and that he fhould take Pof- 
“ feffion in his Name of all that had been conquered, 
« and adjudge it to be all within his Diftrid, as the 
‘‘ King’s Lieutenant.” He never fo much as confidered 
that it was pofTible his Defign might not fucceed, or that 
the new Officer he fent might not have it in his Power to 
treat the old one in the Manner he direded. 
3. But while he was thus employed in taking Mea- 
fures to gratify his private Refentment, under Colour of 
promoting the public Service, fome wifer People in the 
were much better employed 5 for xht Royal Audience 
at St. Domingo, as foon as they were informed of thefe 
Preparations, forefeeing the Inconveniencies that might 
refult from fb public a Competition, fent the Licenciate 
Velafquez de Ayllon, Auditor of the fame Audience, to 
endeavour to bring Velafquez to reafon ; and if he found 
gentle Means infufficient, to acquaint him with the Or- 
ders he carried •, commanding him upon great Penalties 
to difarm his People and unrig his Fleet, and not dif- 
turb or give any Impediment to the Conqueft, in which 
Neman Cortes was employed, under the Colour of its be- 
longing to him *, and in cafe he had any Complaint a- 
gainft Cortes, or any Claim of Right to the Country he 
was then gaining, to appear before the Royal Tribunal, 
where he fhould be fure of Juftice in a regular way. 
The Licenciate, according to his Inftrudions, did all 
he could to reduce Velafquez to reafon, making ufe of 
what Arguments he thought moft proper to perfuade 
him to defift from his Enterprize ; and feeing him inca- 
pable of Advice, he fhewed his Orders, and caufed them 
to be notified by an Efcrivano he had brought with him 
for that Purpofe, accompanying them with Requefts and 
Proteftations. But nothing was fufficient to flop his Re- 
folution, for the Htle of the King’s Lieutenant had fo 
raifed him, in his own Conceit, that it feemed he would 
acknowledge no Superior in his Government, and ob- 
ftinately perfifted in his iintraftable Humour. 
The Licenciate feeing that he endeavoured to haften 
the Embarkation of his People, feigned a Defire of be- 
holding this Land, fo much applauded and cried up, 
and under the Pretext of Curiofity offered to accompany 
them, to v/hich Propofal Velafquez agreed, that the News 
of his Infolence might come later to the Ifle of Santo Do- 
ming. Whereupon he embarked with general Appro- 
bation. Andres de Duero, that Secretary of Velafquez, 
who favoured Cortes fo much, in the beginning of his 
Fortune, iikewife, made one in this Expedition ; fome 
fay, he offered himfelf for this Voyage, purely to fliare 
fome of the Wealth Cortes had acquired, by putting 
him in Mind of the Services he had formerly done him ; 
and others fay^ it was to pacify Narvaez, and prevent' 
as much as he could the Ruin of his Friend. 
4. The Fleet fet fail, and, having a favourable Wind, 
in a few Days got Sight of the defired Land. They 
came to an Anchor in the Port of Ulua, and Pamphilo de 
Navaez, fent fome Soldiers afhore to get Intelligence, 
and make what Difcoveries they could in the neighbour- 
ing Villages. Thefe were not long before they furprized 
two or three Spaniards who were ftraggling about that 
Place. They brought them before the Commander, 
and the Men either fearful, or inclinable to Novelty, in- 
formed him of all that had paffed in Mexico and Vera 
Cruz, endeavouring to flatter him, by difcrediting of 
Cortes i Upon this Intelligence thp firft thing he refolved 
on, was, to treat with Gonfalo de Sandoval about the 
Surrender of the Fortrefs under his Cqmmand, and to 
engage him either to maintain it for him or to difman- 
tle it, and with his Garrifon to join the Army. 
He intrufted this Negotiation with a Clergyman, 
named Juan de Guevara, a Man of a lefs gentle Temper 
than his Profcffion required. There went with him three 
Soldiers, who ferved as WitneflTes, and a public Notary. 
Gonfalo de Sandoval had his Sentinels in proper Places, to 
obferve the Motions ©f the Fleet •, and they gave Advice 
from one to another, by which Means he had an account 
of their Approach a good while before they arrived, 
and being affured that there was no greater Number to 
follow, he ordered the Gates to be opened, and retired, 
to wait their coming. 
The Prieft after the firft Civilities were over, gave him 
an Account of the Forces with Narvaez, who were come 
to take Satisfadlion for the Injury which Cortes had done 
Velafquez, by withdrawing from his Obedience, the 
Conqueft of that whole Country being intirely his Pro- 
perty, as having been begun by his Order, and at his 
Expence. Sandoval anfwered him with fome Warmth, 
which he could not well conceal, “ That Pamphilo de 
“ Narvaez was his Friend, and fo loyal a Subjecft, that 
“ he would certainly defire nothing but what fhould 
“ be convenient for his Majefty’s Service. That the 
“ prefent Jundlure of Affairs required that he fhould 
“ join his Forces with thofe of Cortes, and affift him to 
“ perfe( 5 t that which was in fuch Forwardnefs, for that 
“ the Quarrels of private Perfons were not, at the King’s 
“ Expence, to be decided by a Civil War : But that if 
“ Narvaez, preferring private Revenge to public Intereft, 
“ defigned any Violence againft Cortes, he might be af- 
“ fured not only himfelf, but all the Garrifon, would ra- 
“ ther chufe to die, than to agree to fo difhonourable an 
“ Adlion.” 
The Prieft received this Repulfe as an unexpefted 
Stroke, and broke out into injurious Language and 
Threats againft calling him Traitor, and went fo 
far as to fay, that Sandoval, and all who efpoufed that 
Traitor’s Intereft, deferved no better Title. They all 
endeavoured to bring him to reafon, putting him in 
mind of his Profeffion, that he might be fenfible of the 
Confideration upon which they bore with him : But he, 
raifing his Voice'’ without changing his Stile, commanded 
the Notary he had brought with him to pubfifh the Or- 
ders he had, “ That all might know that they were to 
“ pay Obedience to Narvaez on Pain of Death.” But 
this was what could not be put in Execution, for Gonfalo 
de Sandoval told him roundly, “ That he would order 
“ him immediately to be hanged, if he prefumed to 
“ publifh any Orders which did not come from the 
“ King.” 
At laft Things rofe to fuch a Height, that, to prevent 
a Mutiny, Sandoval found it requifite to make thefe Peo- 
ple Prifoners ; and upon mature Confideration, he like- 
wife thought proper to fend them Prifoners to Mexico, 
being carried by Indians in Chairs, or a kind of Litters, 
• that 
a 
i 
