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 vessel which was to have conveyed them. Upon
which he closely examined the conspirators, when they immediately made a
full confession, and mentioned the names of others who were implicated.
These names were for the present very prudently suppressed, and
proceedings were merely taken against those who stood most prominent in
the affair. A council of war having been held with all the usual
formalities, Pedro Escudero and Juan Cormeño[19] were sentenced to be
hung; the pilot Gonzalo de Umbria to have his feet cut off, and the
sailors to receive two hundred lashes each. If father Juan had not been
a priest he would likewise have shared a similar fate; as it was he
merely suffered for a time the dread of suspense which indeed must have
been terrible enough. I shall never forget how Cortes cried out, with a
sigh, and deeply affected, at the moment he signed the death-warrants:
"What a fortunate thing if I were unable to write; then should I neither
be able to sign a death-warrant!" This same exclamation likewise
frequently falls from judges who have to decide over life and death; in
which expression, however, they merely repeat the words of the barbarous
emperor Nero, when in the commencement of his reign he showed so goodly
a disposition.

The sentences being executed, Cortes immediately set out for Sempoalla,
having previously ordered that 200 men, with all our horse, should
follow him. The distance to this place was a good twenty miles. Pedro de
Alvarado was absent during this time, having three days beforehand been
sent with 200 men into the mountains in search of provisions, which were
extremely scarce. Orders were, therefore, left behind for him to march
to Sempoalla on his return, where arrangements would be made for our
further route to Mexico. Alvarado, consequently, was not present when
the executions took place.

[19] Torquemada (Mon., Ind. i, iv, c. 25) gives some additional
circumstances respecting this conspiracy; among other things he says,
that the pilot Cermeno was so remarkably nimble, that if two of the
tallest men held up a lance as high as they could horizontally, he would
bound over it with ease by means of another lance. Also that his sense
of smelling was so acute that he could scent the land at a distance of
sixty miles when at sea; but adds, "aunque no olio esta muerte;" yet he
could not smell the nature of his death. (p. 133.)

CHAPTER LVIII.

 _How we came to the resolution of marching to Mexico, and of
 destroying all our vessels, which was done with the sanction and by
 the advice of all Cortes' true adherents._

While preparations were going on at Sempoalla for our march into the
interior numerous consultations were held with Cortes respecting
everything connected with it, we, his trustworthy adherents, proposed
that all the vessels should be run on shore, in order at once to cut off
all possibility of further mutiny, when we should have advanced far into
the interior of the country. In which case, likewise, the pilots and
sailors would be of greater use to us than by idling their time away in
the harbour. I am well aware that the idea of destroying our vessels
originated with Cortes himself, and that he merely shoved it on our
shoulders for this reason, that if payment for the vessels should be
demanded of him, he could throw the blame on us, and say that all was
done at our own request; so that we both individually and collectively
should have to assist in repaying the damages. This resolution was
immediately adopted, and Cortes ordered the alguacil-major, Juan de
Escalante, a young man of very great courage, and who was a close
adherer to him, utterly hating Diego Velasquez because he had neglected
to give him any considerable commendary in Cuba, to take all the
anchors, ropes, sails, in short everything that might be of use to us
out of the vessels, and run the latter all on shore, with the exception
of the boats. The pilots, the old ships' masters, and those seamen who
were unable to make the campaign with us, were to remain behind in the
town, and employ themselves in catching fish with our two drag-nets in
the harbour, where the former were in great abundance.

Juan de Escalante punctually obeyed these orders, and arrived in
Sempoalla with an additional company formed of the sailors, of whom
several became very excellent soldiers. The next thing Cortes did was to
call all the caziques of the mountain tribes together, who had revolted
from Motecusuma, and formed an alliance with us. He gave them to
understand that they were to assist in the building of the church, the
fortresses, and houses of our new town. "This man," continued he, taking
Juan de Escalante by the hand, "is my brother; him you must obey in
everything; and to him you must apply if you require assistance against
the Mexicans. He will himself at all times march out in your defence."
The caziques in reply, said, "They were ready to obey him in
everything," and perfumed Juan de Escalante after their fashion, which I
can still well remember he unwillingly submitted to. For the rest he was
a man you could trust in all matters, and who fully possessed the
confidence of Cortes; for which reason the latter intrusted him with the
command of the town and harbour, as one in whom he could place implicit
reliance, in case, during his absence, Diego Velasquez should set
anything on foot against him.

Gomara here relates, that Cortes ordered the vessels to be sunk, and
that he did not disclose his intentions to us of visiting the great
Motecusuma himself at Mexico. But we Spaniards are, indeed, not the
people who require so much pressing to move forward, or who desire to
sit quietly down in a place where neither advantage nor military honour
is to be gained. Gomara also says, that Pedro de Irico was the person
left behind in command of Vera Cruz. This, however, is quite erroneous,
for it was Juan de Escalante who was appointed commander and
alguacil-major of New Spain. Pedro de Irico, indeed, would scarcely
have been intrusted with the command of a company, much less, therefore,
with such an important post. Nothing should be given to a man that does
not belong to him, and nothing should be taken from him to which he is
entitled.

CHAPTER LIX.

 _Of the speech which Cortes made to us after our vessels were
 destroyed, and how we prepared for our march to Mexico._

After the vessels had been run ashore before our eyes, and we the
officers and soldiers were one morning after mass all standing around
Cortes, the discourse turned upon various military topics, when he
begged our attention for a few minutes, as he had some proposal to make
to us. He then addressed us at great length, as near as possible, to the
following effect. We already knew of the campaign which was in
contemplation. It was of such a nature, that the aid of Jesus Christ,
our Lord, only could bring us forth victorious from all the battles and
engagements which awaited us; but, notwithstanding all the trust we
reposed in Go

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