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…
order to detain the vessel until they should all havedrawn up a faithful account of the state
of affairs in New Spain, andto despatch it to his majesty by this same opportunity. As it was
ofthe first importance to the factor to prevent this if he wished to furtherhis own ends, he
ordered Las Casas and the licentiate Zuazo to be imprisoned.He then instituted a criminal
suit against Las Casas andGonsalez de Avila for the execution of Christobal de Oli, when
bothwere found guilty, and sentenced to decapitation, which was very nighbeing put into
execution; but they succeeded, by the utmost of theirexertions, in obtaining an appeal to his
majesty. The factor, consequently, sent them prisoners to Spain, and, to rid himself of
Zuazo, he sent him on a mule to Vera Cruz, where he ordered him to be put on board a
vessel bound for Cuba, which the factor maintained was his properplace of abode, as he
had previously filled the office of judge in thatisland. But the unfortunate Rodrigo de Paz
fared worse than all; himhe cast into irons, and wished to extort from him where Cortes'
gold and silver lay hid, which he must know, as he was the latter's major-domo. This
treasure, he said, he was desirous of forwarding to hismajesty, whom Cortes had secretly
robbed of it; but as Rodrigo de Paz (against all probability however) declared he knew
nothing of anysuch treasure, the factor put him to the torture by pouring boiling oilover the
soles of his feet; and after he had exhausted his strength bythis, as well as by keeping him
in close confinement, he at length hunghim for a rebel, in order to put it out of his power of
ever bringingany accusations against him for so much ill-treatment. The factor atthe same
time issued orders for the apprehension of the greater partof the soldiers and inhabitants of
Mexico who had remained true to Cortes. These persons, seeing the storm that was
brooding over them,retired with Jorge de Alvarado and Andreas de Tapia into the cloister
of the Franciscans, as their party was too weak to bid defiance to thefactor, and most of the
veteran Conquistadores were with Cortes inthe Honduras, and a great number had closely
allied themselves to thefactor, who had gained them over to his side by bestowing lucrative
commendaries on them. But as the factor still feared the inhabitantsof Mexico might each
moment rise up in arms against him, and a desperateconflict ensue, he ordered all the arms
to be taken out of thearsenal, and had them brought into his palace, in front of which he
mounted all the cannon of the fortress, and those which served for the protection of the
harbour. The chief command of this park of artillery he gave to Don Luis de Guzman, a
relative of the duke of MedinaSidonia. In the same way he formed a body guard, in which
were found the names of Gines Nortes, Pedro Gonsalez Sabiote, and others of Cortes'
soldiers. A certain Artiaga he appointed captain of this guard.
Zuazo advised our general to use the utmost circumspection, in case he should repair in
person to New Spain, as other things had happenedeven of a worse nature; for instance, the
factor had written to acquainthis majesty that a stamp had been found in Cortes' bureau,
with whichhe was accustomed to mark the gold that was secretly brought to himby the
Indians, thereby to avoid paying the royal fifth.
In order that Cortes might form some notion as to how mattersstood in Mexico, he (Zuazo)
would give him the following instance:One of the Spanish inhabitants of Guacasualco had
come to Mexico,to apply for some property, which had become vacant by the deathof one
of the settlers there. In Mexico he happened to lodge with a Spanish woman, who had
married a second time, on the supposition that her former husband had perished with
Cortes; he reproached her for having married again, and assured her that Cortes and the
whole of us were still alive. All this was reported to the factor,who instantly despatched
four alguacils to bind him hand and foot, inwhich way he was dragged to prison. He would
even have hung himfor creating sedition, but the poor fellow, whose name was Gonsalo
Hernandez, swore that he had only said it to console the woman, for she still bitterly
mourned the loss of her husband. He further said,that he was quite sure we were all cut off
to a man by the Indians,for he had received positive information of it. This confession of
Hernandezmade all right again; he obtained the property for which hehad petitioned, but
was ordered to quit Mexico forthwith, and assuredthat, if he ever again mentioned a word
about Cortes being alive, hewould, undoubtedly, be put to death.
[Pg 286]
[Pg 287]
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32475/32475-h/32475-h.htm 190/282