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…
We will now wish them a pleasant journey, and begin to think ofour tedious march, during
which we suffered so many hardships, thatit was a wonder any of us ever returned alive.
CHAPTER CLXXV.
How we commence our march from Guacasualco, and the terrible fatigues
and hardship we had to undergo for the space of twoyears and three months.
The first thing Cortes did, after despatching the veedor and factorto Mexico, was to write to
his major-domo Simon de Cuenca, at Vera Cruz, ordering him to load two small vessels
with maise biscuits, six pipes of wine, oil, vinegar, smoked hog's flesh, and other
provisions, besides a good quantity of horseshoes. Cuenca was himself to take charge of
these vessels, and to sail in along the coast until he shouldreceive further instructions as to
the place he was to put into.
The next thing he did was to issue orders to all the Spanish settlersat Guacasualco, with the
exception of those who were ill, to join himin this expedition. The reader will remember,
from what I stated ina former chapter, that the first Spanish colonists of Guacasualco were
all of the oldest Conquistadores of New Spain, and most of them wereof noble families.
The whole of us had now hoped to enjoy some repose, and that we should have been
allowed to recover from all thegreat fatigues and hardships we had undergone; and we were
justbringing our lands into a pretty good state of cultivation, when wereceived orders from
Cortes to accompany him in an expedition of above 2000 miles from Guacasualco, the
whole of our route lying through ahostile country; on an expedition which lasted for two
years and threemonths, and in which we lost everything we took with us! Not oneof us had
sufficient courage to say no; and if he had, it would haveavailed him nothing, for he would
have been compelled to go! Wetherefore equipped ourselves in the best possible manner,
caparisonedour horses, and patiently awaited our general's commands to march out.
[Pg 239]
Cortes' whole force, including those of Guacasualco, consisted of above250 foot, besides
the musketeers and crossbow-men, 130 horse, and anumber of men recently arrived from
Spain. Before leaving Guacasualco,Cortes gave me the chief command of a detachment,
consisting of 30 Spaniards and 3000 Mexicans, with instructions to march against the
Cimatans, and force them into obedience, as they still obstinatelyrefused to submit to our
arms. The 3000 Mexicans were to be distributedamong the townships of the country, but I
was particularly instructed to abstain from all violent measures if the inhabitants were
peaceably inclined, and submitted as vassals to our emperor; neither was I to demand
anything further from them than the necessary provisions for the troops. If they still
persisted in their hostilities, I wasthrice to summon them to submit, in a manner intelligible
to them,and in presence of a notary and several witnesses; but if they refusedto submit
after the third summons, I was to commence hostilities against them without any further
delay.
I am still in possession of the document containing these instructions,which is signed by
Cortes himself, and countersigned by hissecretary Alonso Valiente.
These commands I punctually obeyed, and I had the good fortuneto tranquillize the whole
province; but this was of very short duration, for when these Indians heard what a small
number of Spaniards were left behind in Guacasualco, and that the whole of the veteran
Conquistadoreshad marched out with Cortes, they again revolted, a few monthsafter our
departure.
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