The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo Vol. 2

1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo written by himself, containing a true an…
obliged to throw a great part of the cargo overboard, which,as it principally consisted of
smoked meat, soon brought great numbersof sharks about the vessel. One of the sailors,
who had venturedwith some others into the shallow water, was seized and devoured byone
of these monsters; the rest would, no doubt, have shared a similar fate if they had not
immediately hastened on board again. It was,therefore, with great difficulty and much risk
the whole of the crew atlength managed to get on to the island; but as they had thrown all
their provisions and their water-casks overboard, they had at firstnothing to eat or drink; at
length, indeed, they managed to fish up afew pieces of their smoked meat from the sea.
They would even have been without fire had it not been for two Cuba Indians, who, by
rubbingtwo pieces of dry wood together, soon kindled a flame. After searchingabout for
some time, they likewise had the good fortune to meet withfresh water; and as the island
was small and very sandy, numbers of turtles came to lay their eggs in the sand. These
creatures, which they found would lay one hundred eggs each, the two Indians of Cuba
easily captured by turning them on their backs, so that they were unable to move. With
these eggs, the flesh of the turtle, and of seals whichcame on land during the night, thirteen
people nourished themselvesfor many days.
Among the hands on board this small vessel there happened to be twocarpenters of Ribera,
who had fortunately rescued their tools; it was therefore determined that they should
construct a boat from the timber of the vessel. When they had finished and completely
rigged this boat,a supply of turtles and smoked seals' flesh, with some water, was puton
board, besides a sea-chart and a compass. With this frail bark,three Spanish sailors, and one
of the Cuba Indians, boldly put out tosea in quest of some harbour of New Spain, whence
they might send avessel to the rescue of those left on the island. After encounteringvarious
kinds of weather, they at length arrived safe in the riverBandera, where at that time goods
were landed from Spain. The three Spaniards immediately repaired to Medellin, where a
certain Simon deCuenca was Cortes' commandant, to whom they related their unfortunate
shipwreck off the Viboras isles. Cuenca, on hearing this, fittedout a small vessel, which he
despatched thither with a letter to Zuazo,in which he told him how pleased Cortes would be
to hear of his arrivalin New Spain. Cortes, to whom Cuenca had sent information of this
circumstance, highly commended the conduct he had pursued, anddesired him, as soon as
Zuazo and his companions should arrive, toprovide them with every necessary, and with
horses for their journeyto Mexico.
[Pg 164]
This vessel had very favorable weather, and soon reached the littleisland. The joy of Zuazo
and his companions can easily be imagined; but they had, in this interval, to their great
sorrow, lost their friendfather Gonzalo, who gradually sunk under hardships to which he
was unaccustomed. They commended his departed soul to God, embarked on board the
vessel which had come to their deliverance, and, in ashort time, reached the coast of New
Spain, from whence they arrivedin Medellin, where they met with a very kind reception.
From thisplace they hastened to Mexico, where Cortes gave them one of his ownpalaces to
live in, and shortly after appointed Zuazo his alcalde major.
[Pg 165]
What I have here related of Zuazo's voyage to New Spain I havecopied word for word from
a letter which Cortes wrote to us the towncouncil of Guacasualco about it, which exactly
corresponds with whatthe sailors related themselves. The reader may, therefore, rely upon
this as being a true narrative.
CHAPTER CLXIV.
How Cortes despatched Alvarado to subdue the province of Guatimala,and to
found a colony there.
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