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d, at the foot of this building, eight orange seeds which I had
brought with me from Cuba. These seeds grew very fast, and when grown
to small plants, were most probably watered and preserved from the ants
by the papas, as soon as they perceived the new plant. I have merely
related this in order to acquaint my reader that these were the first
orange seeds that were planted in New Spain. Subsequent to the conquest
of Mexico and friendly subjection of the Indian tribes on the
Guacasualco, this province, being excellently situated, was considered
of greater importance than any other, no less on account of its mines
than for its beautiful harbour. The country, moreover, abounded in gold,
and contained fine pastures for sheep, which was the reason why the most
illustrious of the conquistadores[8] of Mexico settled themselves there;
among which number was myself,--and I did not forget to look for my
orange trees, which, indeed, I transplanted, and they afterwards
flourished uncommonly.

I am well aware that it will be said, such old tales as these are quite
out of character here; I will not, therefore, say another syllable on
the subject, but merely acquaint the reader that the inhabitants of
these districts were all very much pleased with us, and embraced us at
our departure. We set sail for Cuba, and arrived there in the space of
forty days, during which time the weather was sometimes favorable and
sometimes boisterous. We were most friendly received by the governor
Diego Velasquez, who was highly delighted with the additional gold we
brought him. Altogether it was well worth 4000 pesos; so that with the
16,000 brought over by Alvarado, the whole amounted to 20,000 pesos.
Some make this sum greater, some less; but one thing is certain, the
crown officials only took the fifths of the last-mentioned sum. When
they were about to take this also of the Indian axes, which we had
mistaken for gold, they grew excessively angry on finding them to be
merely of a fine species of copper; nor did this circumstance fail to
produce the usual laughter at the expense of our trade of barter. Diego
Velasquez, however, appeared perfectly satisfied, though not so with his
relative Grijalva. This was wrong on his part, for it originated solely
in the misrepresentations of Alonso de Avila, a man of a bad
disposition, who did all he could, backed by Montejo, to lower Grijalva
in his eyes. All this--rumour spread--was done in order to fit out
another armament, and select a new commander.

[7] According to Humboldt, the word cue was imported by the Spanish into
New Spain from Cuba. The great temple of Mexico was called by the
Indians teocalli; a word which Torquemada (Monarchia Indiana) thus
explains: "Que es come decir, templo, u casas de Dios;" i.e. "As much as
to say, a temple, or house of God." (p. 36.)

[8] So those Spaniards, who made the first conquests in New Spain,
termed themselves, by way of preference, which name they ever after
retained as an honorary title. Even to this day in Spain it is
considered very distinguishing to be descended from one of the
Conquistadores, and some of the first families there date all their
greatness from one of these bold adventurers. (p. 37.)

CHAPTER XVII.

 _Diego Velasquez despatches one of his officials to Spain._

My readers may perhaps think, that what I am now about to relate does
not exactly belong to this history; but in the course of it they will
readily perceive that I have been obliged to notice many circumstances
before I could introduce them to the captain, Hernando Cortes. They
ought also to bear in mind, that it often happens that two or three
things take place at the same moment; in which case there only remains
for the historian to treat of one circumstance after the other, and
begin with that which lies nearest at hand. In this place the following
comes first under our consideration.

After the arrival of Pedro de Alvarado with the gold which we had made
in the newly-discovered country, Diego Velasquez began to fear that some
one at court, who might have received private information of all this,
would anticipate him, in forwarding his imperial majesty the first news
of our important discovery, and so rob him of the reward. He, therefore,
despatched one of his chaplains, named Benito Martinez, a thorough man
of business, to Spain, with letters and a few of the valuable things, to
Don Juan Rodriguez Fonseca, bishop of Burgos, and archbishop of Rosano.
He wrote at the same time to the licentiate Louis Zapata, and the
secretary Lope Conchillos, who at that time had the conduct of all
Indian affairs under the archbishop.

Diego Velasquez was quite devoted to these gentlemen, and had presented
them with considerable Indian villages in Cuba, with the inhabitants of
which they worked their gold mines. But he took particular care to
provide well for the archbishop, troubling himself very little about his
majesty, who was at that time in Flanders.

He sent moreover to these, his patrons, a great portion of the gold
trinkets which Alvarado had brought with him; for everything that was
determined in the imperial council of India depended upon these
gentlemen. Diego Velasquez therefore sought, by means of his chaplain,
to obtain unlimited permission to fit out armaments at any time he might
think proper to make voyages of discovery, and to found colonies in the
new countries as well as in those that might subsequently be discovered:
in the accounts he transmitted to Spain, he spoke of the many thousands
of gold-pesos which he had already spent in like undertakings; thereby
giving such a favorable direction to the negotiations of his chaplain,
Benito Martinez, that his expectations were more than fulfilled, who
even obtained for him the additional title of Adelantado of Cuba. This
latter appointment, however, did not arrive until the new expedition
under Cortes had left. I will not make any further remarks on these
matters at present, but rather say a few words respecting Francisco
Lopez de Gomara's History of the Conquest of New Spain and Mexico. His
history fell into my hands while I was writing my own, and I soon
foresaw that I should have to contradict him in many instances. My
intention is to give a faithful account, and that in due order, of every
circumstance; this will greatly differ from his narrative, which is
quite at variance with truth.

CHAPTER XVIII.

 _Of some errors in the work of Francisco Lopez de Gomara._

While busily engaged writing this narrative, the eloquent History of the
Conquest of Mexico and New Spain, by Gomara, fell into my hands; and
when I perceived the elegance of his style, and considered the rudeness
of my own, I laid down my pen, ashamed at the very thoughts of its being
read by men of distinction. With my spirits thus damped, I once more
undertook to go through his history; it was then I, for the first time,
discovered how mistaken this author was with respect to the occurrences
which had really taken place in Ne

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