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…
and feared at the same time. He was always pleased tofind this kind of respect paid to his
person, and it was impossible togo too far in your attentions to him.
The army now continued its march from Guazaltepec further ontowards Guacasualco, and
had to pass over a very broad and rapid river,when the first ill omen showed itself; for three
of the canoes, whichwere conveying across considerable sums of money and other things,
upset, and all they contained went to the bottom. Upon this occasionJuan Xaramillo lost the
half of his baggage, nor was it possible to save any part that floated down the river, on
account of the enormous alligatorswith which the water abounded.
From this place Cortes marched over the townships of Uluta up to the broad river of
Guacasualco, where every preparation had been madeto convey the army across, for which
purpose a great number of canoeslay ready fastened two and two together. In the town of
Guacasualcoitself triumphal arches had been erected, and every preparation hadbeen made
to entertain our general as magnificently as possible. Sham fights took place between
Christians and Moors, all kinds of fireworks were displayed at night, and various other
rejoicings were kept up.
[Pg 237]
Cortes staid altogether six days in Guacasualco, during which timethe veedor and factor
left him not a moment's peace, with their representationsto relinquish the expedition, and
return to Mexico. Theyconstantly reminded him of the men to whom he had confided the
chiefgovernment, and told him that the accountant Albornoz was a manfond of innovation,
restless of disposition, and double-faced; that thetreasurer openly prided himself on being a
son of his catholic majesty; so that very little trust could be placed in either of these
gentlemen.From the moment he had intrusted the government to them, and evenpreviously,
they had laid their heads together, and determined upon some secret movement. They
likewise reminded Cortes of the lettershe had received on his march hither, from Mexico, in
which it wasstated that his two representatives had already began to slander hisgovernment
of the country. In short, the veedor and factor spoke insuch eloquent and flattering terms of
their great attachment to his person, and how much more fitting persons they were
themselves tohave been intrusted with the government in his absence than the twoother
gentlemen, that at last they actually persuaded him to grant them equal power in the
administration; and not only this, but with the additional authority to take the sole
government into their ownhands, if they saw that Albornoz and Estrada acted against the
trueinterests of his majesty.
The power which Cortes thus conferred upon the veedor and factorwas the source of many
evils, and of the terrible insurrection whichshortly after burst out in Mexico, and of which I
will give a full accountin a following chapter, when our army has fairly reached thetown of
Truxillo, after a long and tedious march. I will only takethis opportunity of observing, that
father Olmedo, and the Franciscanmonks who accompanied us, did not hesitate a moment
to tell Corteshow greatly they disapproved of this measure, and said, they hoped toGod he
would not have to repent of this step: and indeed their apprehensions were but too well
confirmed by future events! Cortes, however,took little heed of what the good Franciscans
had said; for onlythe words of father Olmedo, whom he consulted on most occasions, had
ever any weight with him.
[Pg 238]
When the factor and the veedor took leave of Cortes before returning to Mexico, it was
ludicrous to behold their reverential bows, and to hearthe compliments they paid him. The
factor, in particular, had a mannerof sighing peculiar to himself, and he appeared ready to
burst into tearswhen he took leave of Cortes, and the deed of appointment, which hadbeen
drawn out by his intimate friend, the secretary Alonso Valiente,was put into his hands. Both
these gentlemen now set out for Mexico,whither they were accompanied by Hernan Lopez
de Avila, as he was suffering from severe pains in his joints and large swellings in his
groins, so that he could scarcely move along.
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