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…
the most experiencedpilots and cosmographers, and learnt from them, but particularly from
his relative Villalobos, who was a very skilful geographer and navigator,that it was every
way possible to reach China by sailing due west fromthe new world. This created a great
desire in him to share the expensesof the expedition with Alvarado; for which purpose he
first made the latter a proposal by letter, and then despatched to him his major-domo
Agostino Guerrero and Don Luis de Castilla, to settle the terms of an agreement. In
consequence of this proposal an interviewtook place between the viceroy and Alvarado in
the township of Chiribitio,lying in the province of Mechoacan, a commendary belonging to
Juande Alvarado. Here both these distinguished personages inspected the armament,and
then travelled in company to Mexico, in order to select anofficer as captain-general of the
whole expedition. Alvarado was desirous of appointing his relative Juan de Alvarado, of
Guatimala, who, however,must not be confounded with the person of the same name just
mentioned; but the viceroy's choice fell upon his relative Villalobos.Alvarado himself had
been obliged to relinquish all thoughts of takingthe chief command himself, as the affairs
of his own province requiredhis immediate presence there; nevertheless, he was desirous of
beingpresent at the departure of the armament, for which purpose he journeyedoverland to
the harbour of Natividad, where all the vessels lay in readiness, and only awaited his
commands for setting sail.
Just as he was about to issue these commands, he received a letter from Christobal de
Oñate, whom, as I have above stated, VasquezCoronado, during his absence in Cibola, had
appointed governor ofXalisco. In this letter Oñate stated that he was threatened on all sides
by large bodies of Indians, who had, in particular, taken up a strong position on the
mountains of Chochitlan, and had killed a considerablenumber of his troops; and that, if he
did not receive immediate assistance, he must be cut off, with the whole of his men. In
short, Oñate drew so dreadful a picture of the posture of affairs, that the whole of New
Spain itself seemed to be threatened with destruction, if the Indians could march down
victorious from their strong position on the heights.Alvarado, on receiving this intelligence,
hastened with a large body of troops to Oñate's assistance, whom he indeed found in so
perilous a position, that if this timely help had not come, the Indians would very shortly
have mastered his small body of troops. After Alvarado's arrivalthe enemy did not repeat
their attacks so often, yet they fought with great courage each time the combat was
renewed. It was in one of these engagements between the rocky mountains that a horse
stumbled, and rolled headlong down a steep declivity. Alvarado, who happened to be
ascending the same height, was unable to get out of the way of the rolling horse, which
carried him down, and lay upon him,when both reached the bottom, so that his body was
bruised all over,and he found himself very ill. However, the bruises he had receivedwere
not considered dangerous, and he was conveyed in a sedan to theneighbouring town de la
Purificacion for medical aid, but on his waythither he had frequent swoons, and scarcely a
few days elapsed beforehe rendered up his spirit to God, after he had partaken of the holy
communion, and made his confession. Some persons even maintainedthat he left a will, but
nothing was ever seen of it.
[Pg 360]
This excellent cavalier would, no doubt, have survived, if he had not been carried to the
town in the weak state he was in, but had beenpromptly attended by a surgeon on the spot
where the accident tookplace. However, it was thus ordained by the Lord, whose will be
praised, and may God have mercy on his soul. Alvarado was buried with every possible
splendour in the town where he breathed his last. Subsequently, I heard that Juan de
Alvarado carried his earthly remainsto Chiribitio, where they were again entombed with the
greatestfuneral pomp, many alms were distributed, and several masses wereordered for the
repose of his soul.
When intelligence of Alvarado's death reached the fleet and the head-quartersof Cochitlan,
there being no one there to take the chief command,a number of the troops dispersed with
the money they had receivedin advance. The consternation which this sad news created in
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