[XII‑4] Vazquez, Chronica de Gvat., 158-9; Bernal Diaz, Hist. Verdad., 235; Herrera, dec. vii. lib. ii. cap. x.
[XII‑5] 'Y que asimismo descubriese, por la costa de esta Nueva España que llaman de la mar del Sur á la parte del norte, con dos navios.' Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., iii. 507. See also Oviedo, iv. 23.
[XII‑6] Vazquez, Chronica de Gvat., 158-9.
[XII‑7] No greater proof could exist of the high favor in which Alvarado stood at court than the arrangement of this second marriage. The lady being the sister of his former wife, a special dispensation of the pope was required to legalize the marriage; and through the influence of Cobos and the power of the emperor a bull was granted. Such an authorization was rarely obtained. Oviedo, iii. 214-15; Alvarado, Carta, in Arévalo, Col. Doc. Antig., 179; Gavarrete, Copias de Doc., MS., 43-4; Gomara, Hist. Ind., 269; Torquemada, i. 323. Remesal, who is in error as to the date of this marriage, has this remark respecting the dispensation. 'Licencia que se dà raras vezes.... Y entonces parecio mayor liberalidad del Sumo Pontifice, por auer sido el primer matrimonio consumado.' Hist. Chyapa, 17. See also Benzoni, Hist. Mondo Nuovo, 155.
[XII‑8] Alvarado, Carta, in Arévalo, Col. Doc. Antig., 179; Herrera, dec. vi. lib. ii. cap. x. Oviedo says Alvarado brought 400 men; that he touched at Española and took in supplies, staying there 17 days and leaving on March 12th. iii. 214-15. In Datos Biog. the number of men is given as 250, including hijosdalgo and men-at-arms. The cargo included 300 arquebuses, 400 pikes, 200 ballestas, much artillery, and rich merchandise, valued at over 30,000 ducats. Cartas de Indias, 709. The date of his arrival is obtained from his own letter to the cabildo of Santiago above quoted. Remesal states that there existed in the archives of San Salvador a letter of exactly the same tenor, but dated April 3d, and as he quotes the commencement, which is the same as that of the letter preserved by Arévalo, it was either a duplicate, or Remesal commits one of his careless errors. Gavarrete, in Copias de Doc., MS., 43-4, gives the date as the 1st of April.
[XII‑9] Here, as will be hereafter related, Montejo surrendered to Alvarado his claim to the provinces of Honduras and Higueras.
[XII‑10] While at Santo Domingo on his return voyage Alvarado told Oviedo that he had on the coast of the South Sea seven or eight ships built for his proposed voyage to China and to the Spice and Molucca Islands. Oviedo, iii. 215.
[XII‑11] His expenses were enormous. Bernal Diaz says, 'fueron tantos los gastos que hizo que no le bastó la riqueza que traxo del Piru, ni el oro que le sacavan de las minas ... ni los tributos de sus pueblos, ni lo que le presentaron sus deudos y amigos, y lo que tomó fiado de mercaderes.' Hist. Verdad., 235. His will, in which he made Bishop Marroquin his executor, shows that he had numerous creditors, who had furnished ships, provisions, supplies, and money. Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, 185-6. Vazquez says the cost was over 200,000 pesos de oro.
[XII‑12] Niza, Descub., in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., iii. 325 et seq.
[XII‑13] The claimants to this presumed right besides Alvarado were Viceroy Mendoza, Cortés, Nuño de Guzman, Hernando de Soto, and the city of Compostela in Nueva Galicia. Id., xv. 300 et seq. For further particulars, see Hist. Mex., vol. ii., this series.