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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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… unknown island, to which he gave the name of St. Thomas. Bezerra with his vessel had likewise continued to sail forward, but he soon fell out with the chiefpilot Ximenes, who, with his countrymen of Biscay and a greater part of the troops fell upon Bezerra in the night, and put him to death,with several of the soldiers; even greater loss of life would have ensued if two Franciscan monks who were on board had not interfered, and persuaded Ximenes and the other conspirators to put them on shore on the coast of Xalisco with several of the men who were wounded in thescuffle. Ximenes now continued his course, and came to an islandwhich he named Santa Cruz, where, according to all accounts, there were fine pearl fisheries. This island was inhabited by a savage tribeof Indians, and they massacred Ximenes with the whole of the men whohad accompanied him on shore to take in fresh water. The few sailorswho had remained on board put back with the vessel to the harbour ofXalisco, where they related all that had taken place and spread a vastaccount of the large population and the rich pearl fisheries of the island they had discovered. These accounts soon reached Mexico, and as may be imagined, were anything but pleasing to Cortes; but as he was a man whose spirits were not easily damped by adversity, he determined in future not to trust similar expeditions to other hands, but to take the chief command himself. By this time three other fine vessels were lying in readiness at Guantepec, with which he proposed to sailout in person, for he felt a great temptation to visit the above-mentionedpearl island, besides that he fully believed there were other large continentsto be discovered in the South Sea. As soon as it was known in New Spain that Cortes was going to head the expedition in person, no one any longer doubted of its good success,and of the riches it would produce those who joined it; and so many cavaliers, musketeers, and crossbow-men offered their services, that their number soon amounted to above 380 men, among whom were thirty married men, accompanied by their wives. [Pg 352] These vessels were provided with a copious supply of the best ofprovisions, with all kinds of ammunition, and tools of various descriptions.The most experienced pilots and sailors were hired, who, with the troops, received instructions to repair by a certain route to the harbourof Guantepec, while Cortes, with Andreas de Tapia, several otherofficers, a few priests, surgeons, physicians, and an apothecary, travelledthither by another road. When he arrived at the harbour above mentioned he found the three vessels in readiness, and immediately set sailwith the first body of troops for the bay or island of Santa Cruz, where he landed safely in the month of May, 1535. [51] The three vessels then put back for Guantepec to fetch the ladies and the rest of the menwho had remained behind under the command of Tapia. This time,however, the passage was not so favorable, for the vessels were drivenout of their course by a violent wind into the mouth of a wide river,to which they gave the name of St. Peter and St. Paul. The vessels,on leaving this river, to get into their right course again, were overtakenby another storm, and they became separated from each other. Therewas only one which reached the harbour of Santa Cruz; the secondwas cast on shore off Xalisco, the men on board narrowly escaping a watery grave, and becoming wearied of the perils of the sea, they dispersedthemselves through New Spain, only a few remaining in theprovince of Xalisco; the third vessel ran into a bay, to which the mengave the name of the bay of Guajava, on account of the numbers ofGuajava trees they saw growing there. [52] But this vessel likewise ranaground, nor were the hands on board able to set her afloat again.Cortes in the meantime was impatiently awaiting the arrival of thesevessels, particularly as all his provisions were consumed, for the greaterpart of the biscuits and salted meat was on board the vessel which hadgot ashore off Xalisco. As the inhabitants of Santa Cruz are perfectsavages, and neither grow maise nor in anywise till the ground, butmerely live on wild fruits, fish, and animals, there arose so dreadful afamine among Cortes' troops, that twenty-three of the men died ofhunger and disease. The greater part of the remaining troops likewise suffered from ill-health, and they threw out bitter curses against Cortes,the island, and the whole voyage of discovery. [Pg 353] https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32475/32475-h/32475-h.htm 232/282
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… Cortes, determining, if possible, to put an end to their distress,ran out with the vessel which had arrived in search of the two others,taking with him fifty men, two smiths, and several shipwrights. On arriving off Xalisco he found one of them lying on a sand-bank, quite deserted, and the other he discovered jammed between the coral rocks. By dint of the utmost exertions he succeeded in setting them afloat again; and, after the carpenters had properly repaired them, he arrived safely with the two vessels and their cargoes at Santa Cruz. Those of thetroops who had not tasted any nourishing food for so long a time ate so ravenously of the salted meat that half of them died of a violent dysentery. In order not to witness this scene of misery any longer, Cortes again set sail from Santa Cruz, and discovered the coast of California. Corteshimself was in very bad health about this time, and he would gladly have returned to New Spain but he feared the slanderous tongues ofhis enemies, who would be sure to make their observations respectingthe large sums of money he expended in the discovery of countries which held out no advantage; besides, he could not brook the idea that people should say, all his present undertakings were failures, andthat this was owing to the curses which the veteran Conquistadores of New Spain had heaped upon him. During the whole of this time the marchioness Del Valle had heard no tidings of her husband, and as information had been received thata vessel had been wrecked off the coast of Xalisco, she became excessivelylow-spirited, and felt almost sure that her husband had been lostat sea. In order, however, if possible, to gain some certain informationrespecting her husband's fate, she sent out two vessels, under thecommand of a captain named Ulloa, to whom she gave a letter for herhusband if he should perchance meet with him alive, in which she fervently begged of him to return to Mexico and his beautiful possessions; to think of his children, and no longer to tempt fortune, butto content himself with his former deeds of valour, which had spreadhis fame throughout the whole world. In the same way the viceroyMendoza also wrote to him, and desired him, in the most courteous andfriendly terms, to return. [Pg 354] Ulloa had a most favorable voyage, and soon arrived in the harbour where Cortes lay at anchor. The letters of his wife, with those of hischildren and of the viceroy, had so much effect upon him, that he gavethe command of his vessels and troops to Ulloa, embarked for Acapulco, and when he had arrived here he hastened to Quauhnahuac, where his wife resided. The joy of his family at his safe return may easily beimagined; but the viceroy, with the royal auditors, and the whole ofthe inhabitants of Mexico, were no less so, as they feared a general insurrection of the caziques of New Spain, who were going to take advantage of Cortes' absence. Shortly after also, the troops arrived which had been left behind inCalifornia, but I cannot say whether they left this country of their ownchoice or by permission of the viceroy and royal court of audience. Cortes had scarcely enjoyed a few months' repose when he sent out a more considerable armament, under the command of Ulloa, and thistime by the express command of the royal court of audience, and according to the agreement he had made with his majesty. This armament left the harbour de la Natividad in the month of June, of one thousand five hundred and thirty, and so many years—I forget the exact year; and Ulloa received instructions, first of all, to shape his course alongthe coast in search of Hurtado, of whom nothing had been heard sincehis departure. Ulloa sailed up and down in this manner for the space of seven months, and then returned to the harbour of Xalisco without having accomplished anything worthy of mention; but he had not beenmany days on shore when he was waylaid by one of his men andstabbed to death. Thus miserably terminated the several expeditions which Cortesfitted out in the South Sea, and I have frequently been assured that they cost him above 300,000 pesos. Cortes, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32475/32475-h/32475-h.htm 233/282
Page 1 and 2:
1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenb
Page 3 and 4:
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182: 1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenb
Page 231: 1/25/22, 8:50 PM The Project Gutenb
show all

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?