Chap. III. for the Reduction 
that are ufed in that Country, under a fmall Guard, 
commanded by Pedro de Solis, of whom he had a very 
good Opinion, and who behaved in this Affair admirably 
well. 
5. In the mean time Cories was extremely at a lofs 
how to behave in this Conjuncture. He had many things 
to do, and many Points to carry •, ftood expoled to a 
Multitude of Crofles, and had little or nothing in his 
Favour ; yet his Behaviour was perfehlly fober and dif- 
creet. He told Motezuma, that his King had fen^ a 
confiderable Army to profecute his Rights to his Coun- 
try ; but, as he had already received his Homage, he 
would go to his Countrymen, perfuade them to return, 
and go back with them himfelf. He gave his Soldiers to 
imderftand, that, notwithftanding Narvaez was fent, v/ith 
the whole Force of the Hand 01 Cuba, for his Deftruc- 
tion,; yet he did not doubt he fliould be able to bring 
him, or at leaft his Soldiers, to join with them ; and, in 
that Cafe, he made no fort of Queftion of their being 
ftrong enough to make a total Conqueft of the Empire 
of Mexico. To his Officers he was very fincere, and found 
in them the mod: perfedl Obedience. 
In the mean time, Solis arrived with the Prifoners, fent 
by Sandoval ; but Cortes, who had been before informed 
of their coming, went out to receive them with more 
than ordinary Attendance. He immediately ordered their 
Fetters to be taken off, embraced them with great Hu- 
manity, and Guevara more than once, with particular 
Civility, telling him, “ That he would chaftife Sandoval 
“ for the little Regard he had ffiewn to his Perfon and 
Dignity.” He afterwards condudled him to his own 
Apartment, gave him his Table, and, with a feeming 
Satisfadion, intimated, “ How much he efteemed the 
“ Happinefs of having Narvaez in that Country, on 
“ account of the pad; Friendffiip and Intimacy that had 
“• been between them.”. He took care that the chief Spa- 
niards fhould all appear chearful before him. He made them 
Witnedes of the Favours he received from Motezuma, 
and the great Relped with which he was treated by the 
Mexican Princes. He prefented them with fome Jewels 
of Value, which greatly mollified their Tempers. 
He did the fame by their Companions ; yet without 
letting them know he ftood in need of their good Of- 
fices to induce Narvaez to Peace. He difpatched them 
in four Days, fully .perfuaded by his Realbns, and en- 
gaged by his liiberality. After he had taken thefe Mea- 
fures, he refoived to fend fome Perfon of Account to 
make fuch Propofals to Narvaez as were reafonable. He 
chofe Friar Bartholomew de Olmedo, a Perfon of known 
Wifdom and Eloquence. He haftened his Difpatches, 
and gave him Letters for Narvaez^ for the Licendate, 
and for the Secretary Duero, with feveral Jewels to dif- 
tribute as he fhould think proper. 
It is eafy to apprehend, from the Account that has 
been already given, that, in the whole Progrefs of this 
Expedition, this great Commander had never met with 
fo much Trouble and Perplexity, or apprehended him- 
felf in fo great Danger as in this Coniundure, when, with 
all the Forces of the Mexican Empire, he had likewife 
a fuperior Army ©f Spaniards to deal with, and thofe 
no lefs inclined to deftroy him than his foreign Enemy. 
Motezuma faw his Trouble, notwithftanding he took all 
the Pains he could to hide it ; and, in a Converfation he 
had with him upon the Siibjed, told him plainly. That 
he perceived either he, or the new Spanijh Commander, 
muft be a Rebel ; which mortified Cortes extremely. But 
he remained firm, notwithftanding, in his firft Refolu- 
tion, which was to march in Perfon againft Narvaez, 
and to leave a fufficient Body of Spaniards hCtirnd. him 
in Mexico to fecure the Perfon of Motezuma, and pre- 
lerve the City under their Obedience. The Number of 
Men that were to be emiployed for this Purpofe was no 
more than fourfeore ; but they were picked and chofen 
Men, to whom he affigned for their Commander, Capt. 
Peter Alveradod a Man of Fidelity and Refolution, ex- 
tremely beloved by the Spaniards, and very highly 
efteemed by Motezuma. He fent Orders likewife to San- 
doval to quit the Fortrefs of Vera Cruz, and to leave it 
to the confederate India?is, that he might he able to 
march againft Narvaez with the gr.eateft Force he could 
draw together. 
VoL. II, Numb, 76. 
N E W S P A I N, 105 
He gave Diredfions alio for railing coniiderable Bodies 
of well-affedted Indians j but he abioliitely refufed to ac- 
cept of the Succours which Motezuma offered him, that 
he might not put either himfelf, or the Spaniards under 
the Command of his Rival, into the Power of thofe who 
were naturally Enemies to both. Thefe were vaft, and 
indeed ainioft incredible, things to be performed in fo fhort 
a fpace of time ; and yet fuch was his Diligence, fuch was 
. his Dexterity, that they v/ere performed, and every thing 
was ready for his Departure againft the Day he had ap- 
pointed. But what was ftiil itranger, and rtiore extra- 
ordinary, he not only found his Soldiers perfedlly well 
inclined to his Service, but all his Indian Confederates as 
chearful and hearty in his Intereft as he could either wifti 
or defire ; fo that, difficult as his Enterprize was, he en- 
tered upon it with a fair Profpedt of Succefs., 
6. Cortes, being refoived to lofe no time in marching 
againft Narvaez, thought fit to acquaint Motezuma, and 
received a ftiitable Anlwer from that Monarch, who, at 
his Departure, bore him Company as far as the Caufway 
of Papalapaxi, where he took his Leave very kindly. 
Many Mexicans went with him ; fome returned becaufe 
he defired them lb to do j and others becaufe they grew 
weary. Thofe that followed v/ent to bring the King 
word of every thing that happened, as they hourly c^id. 
He was very well received at Chulula, where the Men 
were refrefhed j and, half a League from thence, he met 
a great Number of Tlafcalans coming to compliment 
him. The Chinantlans had Pikes, and Cortes ordered all 
the Men to wear Efcaupiles, or Armour made of Cotton, 
Sandoval likewife came to the Place affigned him, where, 
upon a Mufter, there were found two hundred and fixty- 
fix Men, including the Commanders, five Horfemen, 
and the Friar. 
Cortes’s Friends that were tvith Narvaez, being in- 
formed that he drew near, advifed to fend Andrew Du- 
ero, who had an Influence over Cortes, to propofe an 
Accommodation. Duero went, and difeourfed Cortes in 
private, and the Refuk was, that they treated one an- 
other like Friends. When Duero was gone, Cortes or- 
dered John Velafquez, who was a Relation to Narvaez^ 
to go to his Camp, and talte with him his Gold Chains, 
and all he had, befides much he gaVe him. Velafqtiez, 
excufed himfelf ; but Cortes would have him go, offered 
him his own grey Mare, and, having difeourfed him in 
private, and given him fome Jewels, he departed. Ve- 
lafquez, arriving at Zempoalla, alighted at thb CaziqueT 
Houfe, and from thence went to Narvaez’s Quarters, ' 
who, being informed that he was come, was going out 
to feek him, and, having received him very lovingly, 
faid, He fhould be his Gueft. He anfvered, He muft 
return immediately ; for that he only came to kifs his 
Hands, and to try whether any Accommodation could 
be made. Narvaez flew into a great Paflion, and faid. 
He wondered he ffiould chufe to reconcile him to a d'rai- 
tor, who had revolted from his Coufm James Velafquez. 
John Velafquez v/as much offended at it, and faid. That 
fuch Words were not to be fpoken in his Prefence of 
Cortes, who was a very worthy Gentleman. Capt. Salvar 
tierra, and other Officers, thinking that Velafquez toolc 
too much Liberty, advifed Narvaez to fecure him ; 
but Auguftin Bermudez, who was Chief Alguazil, An- 
drew de Duero, and John de Leon, oppofed it, and per- 
fuaded Narvaez to make much of him, who did fo, and 
defired him to perfuade Cortes to furrender himfelf, and 
put an end to all Controverfies. Narvaez would have 
V dafquez fee his Army, which paffed in review before 
him, and fo they went to dinner. Immediately after 
Velafquez took his leave, thinking he had done what he 
came for, which was to fee the Forces, fpeak to fome 
particular Perfons, and render Narvaez fecure. The 
Friends of that Commander were become abfolutely 
tired of the Company of V dafquez, and were therefore 
-glad to be rid of him, fo that they prevailed upon his 
Friend not to importune him to ffay j and indeed Nar- 
vaez himfelf was, by this time, of their Opinion. 
After his Departure they held a Council of War-, m 
which the Friends of Na7-vaez reprefented to him the 
D anger he was in from the Money that Cortes had taken 
care to diftribute among his Soldiers ; and, while they 
were difeourfing on this Subjed, the Caziqiie of Zm- 
E e poalla 
