We must now see how matters stood in Truxillo.
CHAPTER CLXXXIII.
How Cortes disembarks in the harbour of Truxillo, and the inhabitants rejoice at his arrival.
Cortes had embarked at Puerto de Caballos with a considerable body of the best troops; and, after a favorable voyage of six days, he arrived in the harbour of Truxillo. The colonists there were excessively rejoiced on learning that Cortes himself was among the newly arrived. The whole of the inhabitants assembled on the beach to receive him and to pay their homage to him; and as great part of the colony was composed of those who had been expelled from Panuco, and of those who had taken an ostensible part in the revolt of Christobal de Oli, their very first step was to beg forgiveness of Cortes for the past. This he granted them without any hesitation, discoursed with them in a most friendly manner, and in their company proceeded direct to church to make his devotions. The most comfortable mansion was prepared for him, and the chief inhabitants then detailed every circumstance respecting Francisco de las Casas' arrival, his capture, with that of Gonsalez de Avila, and the subsequent beheading of Christobal de Oli; how the two former officers had then departed for Mexico, but that they themselves had in the meantime subdued several of the townships of this province.
After our general had been apprized of everything that had taken place, he expressed his satisfaction, and confirmed the several authorities of the town in their respective offices, both civil and military, but appointed his cousin Saavedra captain-general of the whole country, which met with universal approbation. He then summoned the inhabitants of the whole surrounding neighbourhood to send him ambassadors, and to declare themselves vassals of our emperor, which they were not long in complying with when they understood that Malinche, the conqueror of Mexico, had arrived in person; and they brought at the same time a quantity of provisions for him.
As the caziques of the four principal townships happened to stand all together in the presence of Cortes, he took the opportunity of addressing them at some length, which was interpreted to them by Doña Marina. He first spoke to them about our holy religion, and then of our great emperor Don Carlos of Austria, who had dominion over so many countries and nations; how his majesty had sent us expressly into these countries in order to abolish from among them all idolatry, theft, the sacrificing of human beings, the eating of human flesh, and other abominations; also to accustom them to live in peace and harmony with each other. It was therefore their duty, he added, to subject themselves to a monarch who was so mercifully inclined, and to lend us every assistance in their power; but, on the other hand, he should be compelled to punish those severely who in any way broke the peace.
After this, father Juan de las Varillas and the two Franciscan monks preached an edifying sermon to them, which two Mexicans, who understood the Spanish language, and other persons, interpreted to the caziques, who listened with great attention to all that was said, and readily acknowledged themselves vassals of our emperor, and promised to obey Malinche in everything. Our general then ordered them to furnish the colony with provisions, and to send a number of Indians with the necessary tools to level a rising ground which lay in the town and obstructed the view of the harbour and of the sea. He also desired them to repair with their canoes to some townships of the Guanajas islands to request the inhabitants there to supply him with fish, which they had in abundance. The inhabitants of these islands readily complied, and brought a present consisting in fowls and fish, Cortes, in return, giving them some of the swine he had taken with him on this expedition; for he had been assured by a Spaniard that these islands were peculiarly adapted for breeding pigs, provided the animals were allowed to go at large. This indeed was found to be a fact; for, a couple of years after, they had so increased that people went thither regularly to hunt them.
But all this is rather foreign to my narrative, and I will rather acquaint the reader that the caziques sent so large a body of Indians to level the hill, that, in the space of two days, there was a good prospect of the sea from the town. They likewise constructed fifteen houses, of which one for Cortes was of larger dimensions. As there were still a great number of townships which refused obedience, Cortes desired the caziques of Papayeca, which, at that time, was a very extensive township, to enumerate the several tribes which had omitted to send ambassadors. The whole of them, he was informed, dwelt among the mountains, and had equipped themselves for war. Our general then despatched thither Saavedra, with a strong detachment of troops, among whom were also the eight soldiers of Guacasualco, to compel these Indians to sue for peace. Most of these townships, on the approach of our troops, very wisely submitted without offering any resistance; but there were three which obstinately refused to do so, and, if I am not mistaken, are called the Acaltecas, against which Saavedra immediately marched his men. Cortes' name was so feared and respected among all the inhabitants of this country that even the distant tribes of Olancho, where subsequently so many lucrative mines were discovered, sent ambassadors to him to declare themselves vassals of our emperor. Throughout this country Cortes was known by the name of the captain Hue, Hue of Marina, which means the old captain who has Marina with him.
During our general's stay in Truxillo, his cousin Avalos, the two Franciscan monks, the licentiate Pedro Lopez, the officers of his household, Carranza and Guinea, Juan Tlamena and several of the men he had brought with him, besides many of the colonists, were all suffering from bad health. Cortes, therefore, determined to send the whole of them, as soon as the weather was favorable, either to Cuba or to St. Domingo. For this purpose he fitted out a vessel and sent on board the best provisions that were to be had, and likewise took this opportunity of forwarding despatches to the Hieronymite brotherhood, in which he gave them a full account of the hazardous expedition to the coast of the Honduras, and of the arrangements he had made in Mexico for the government of New Spain, during his absence. He likewise mentioned every circumstance from the day he had despatched Oli with an armament to the Honduras, down to the tragical death of the latter; and concluded by giving an account of the country and of the rich gold mines it possessed.