Villafuerte had been sent to Zacatula, and Juan Alvarez Chico to Colima, two provinces on the south sea to the west of Mexico, but were unsuccessful; on which Cortes sent Christoval de Oli to reduce these provinces to submission. The natives attacked him on his march, killing two of his soldiers; yet he reached the station of Villafuerte, who was afraid to stir out, and had four even of his soldiers killed by the enemy in the town where he resided. I do not know what became of Captain Juan Alvarez, but I believe he lost his life about this time in some action with the natives. De Oli reduced both provinces to submission and returned to Mexico, where he was hardly arrived when intelligence was brought that they had again rebelled; on which Cortes sent Sandoval with a small party of veterans to take the charge of them. He punished the ringleaders of the rebellion, and regulated them in so effectual a manner, that they continued ever afterwards submissive.
On the departure of Sandoval with the ladies, several of the districts subjected to Coatzacualco rebelled, killing the soldiers who were appointed to collect the tribute; among which were the Tzapotecas of Xaltepec, Cimatan and Copilco, the first being difficult of access on account of its rugged mountains, and the two others because of lakes and marshes, so that they were not reduced to subjection without great difficulty. While Captain Luis Marin was engaged in reducing these districts, Juan Buono arrived at our settlement in a small vessel. He immediately called us all together, and endeavoured to persuade us to submit to Christoval de Tapia as governor of New Spain, being ignorant of the return of that person to Hispaniola. Buono had a number of unaddressed letters from the bishop of Burgos, making large offers to such as would further his views of superseding Cortes, and which Buono had a discretionary power of directing to any persons that he supposed might support the cause in which he was engaged, and which he accordingly transmitted to those who held offices in the settlement. Among the rest, I was offered the appointment of regidor. When Buono learnt that Tapia had left the country, he seemed much disappointed. We referred him to Cortes at Mexico, to which place he went. I know not what passed between him and Cortes, but I believe the general sent him back to Spain with some money in his pocket.
Among the tribes that courted our alliance after the conquest of Mexico, was a people of the Tzapotecan nation, named the Tutepecs, who earnestly requested our assistance against a hostile tribe, who bore the same name with themselves, and whom they represented as possessing a very rich country. Accordingly, in the year 1522, Alvarado marched from Mexico with a detachment of 180 soldiers, cavalry and infantry, with orders to take twenty more on his march through the district of Oaxaco, and also to visit and reduce during his march certain mountainous districts which were said to be in rebellion. Alvarado was forty days on his march between Mexico and Tutepec, and was very hospitably received on his arrival, being lodged in the most populous part of the city, where the houses stood close together, and were thatched with straw, it not being the custom of that part of the country to have terraced roofs, on account of their climate being very sultry. By the advice of Father Olmedo, Alvarado removed his quarters to a more open part of the town; as in case of any treachery being intended, the natives might easily have set fire to the first quarters. In this place, Alvarado was plentifully supplied with provisions, and the principal chief made him every day some rich present of gold; and among other things gave him a pair of golden stirrups, made according to a pattern. Yet, only a few days after, the cacique was made a prisoner, on the information, as was said, of the Indians of Tecuantepec, that he meant to burn the Spaniards in the quarters which had been assigned them in the temples. Some of the Spaniards alleged that Alvarado made him a prisoner in order to extort gold for his ransom. However this may have been, he died in prison of vexation, after Alvarado had got from him to the value of 30,000 crowns. His son was permitted to succeed him in the government, from whom Alvarado obtained more gold than he had done from the father. Alvarado now established a colony, which was called Segura, because most of the colonists came from Tepeaca, named by us Segura de la Frontera.
Alvarado set out soon afterwards on his return to Mexico with all his wealth, as Cortes had written to him to bring all the treasure he possibly could, which he intended to send into Spain. The soldiers were much dissatisfied at being thus excluded from any share, and several of them entered into a conspiracy to assassinate Alvarado and his brothers. One of the conspirators, named Tribejo, gave information of the plot to Father Olmedo, only a few hours before it was intended to have been executed; and the reverend Father informed Alvarado, just as he was riding out along with some of the conspirators. He continued his intended excursion for a short way; then turning suddenly, he complained of a pain in his side, saying he must go back for a surgeon to bleed him. On his arrival at quarters, he immediately sent for his two brothers, together with the alcaldes and alguazils of the settlement, whom he ordered to arrest the conspirators, two of whom were hanged. Alvarado returned to Mexico with his gold; but the colonists finding all the gold taken away, and that the place was hot and unhealthy, infested with musqutioes, bugs, and other vermin, and themselve and slaves fast dying, they abandoned the settlement, some going to Mexico, and others to different places. Cortes was much displeased at this abandonment, and finding on inquiry that it had been done by a resolution of the alcaldes and regidors in full cabildo, he condemned them to suffer death; but their punishment, at the intercession of Olmedo, was mitigated to banishment. Thus the settlement of Segura fell to the ground, which had been established in a very fertile country, but exceedingly unhealthy. By the cruelty and extortion of Alvarado, the minds of the natives were alienated, and they threw off their allegiance; but he reduced them again to submission, and they continued afterwards to behave themselves peaceably.
SECTION XVI.
Some Account of the Expedition of Francisco de Garay for the Colonization of Panuco.
Having formerly mentioned the expedition fitted out by Francisco de Garay, the governor of Jamaica, it seems proper to give a more particular account of that affair in this place. Hearing of the great riches which Diego Velasquez was likely to acquire from New Spain, and of the fertile countries which had been discovered on the continent of the West Indies, and encouraged by the means he now possessed of prosecuting discoveries and conquests, he determined to try his own fortune in that career. For this purpose he sent for and discoursed with Alaminos, who had been our chief pilot, from whom he received so favourable an account of these countries, that he sent Juan de Torralva, a person in whom he could confide, to solicit the bishop of Burgos to grant him a commission for settling the country on the river of Panuco; and having succeeded in this preliminary step, he fitted out an armament of three ships, with 240 soldiers, under the command of Alonzo Alvarez Pineda, who was defeated by the Panuchese, one ship only escaping, which joined us at Villa Rica, as already related. Receiving no intelligence of the fate of his first armament, Garay sent a second, which also arrived at our port. Having now expended a great deal of money to no purpose, and having learnt the good fortune of Cortes, he became more than ever desirous to secure the advantages he expected to derive from his commission. With this view he fitted out thirteen ships, in which he embarked 136 cavalry, and 840 foot soldiers, mostly musqueteers and crossbow-men, of which he took the command in person. He sailed with this great armament from Jamaica, on the 24th June 1523, and arrived safe at the port of Xagua in the island of Cuba, where he received information that Cortes had reduced the province of Panuco to subjection, and had sent a petition to the emperor to get a commission for governing his new acquisition. He was here informed of the heroic deeds of Cortes and his companions, and in particular of our having defeated the large force of Narvaez, while we had only 270 soldiers.
Struck with awe at the power and abilities of our general, he solicited the licentiate Zuazco to mediate between him and Cortes, that he might be permitted to take possession of the government of Panuco, in pursuance of his commission from the bishop of Burgos.
Garay shortly afterwards set out with his armament, and being driven by a storm into the river Palmas[1], he disembarked there, intending to march by land to Panuco, having first exacted an oath of fidelity from his troops; and he even nominated the various officers of his colony, which he intended to name Garayana. Having marched for two days along the sea-shore, through a marshy uninhabited country, he arrived at some villages, where the inhabitants entertained him hospitably, but many of his soldiers straggled about robbing and maltreating the people. Garay at length arrived at Panuco, where his soldiers expected all their difficulties would end, but it was almost a desert, as it had been much wasted in the war with Cortes, and the natives concealed what remained, so that they found nothing but bare walls, where they were tormented with mosquitos and every kind of vermin. Garay could get no intelligence of his fleet, and learnt from a Spaniard who had fled from punishment and lived among the Indians, that the province of Panuco was poor and unhealthy; and as this man gave a very favourable account of Mexico, many of Garays soldiers deserted from him, and went off for Mexico, plundering the natives on their way. Garay found himself in a bad plight, and sent one of his officers, named Diego de Ocampo, to sound the disposition of Vallejo, who was governor of St Estevan del Puerto for Cortes, and to notify the appointment of Garay to the government of this country. Vallejo gave a favourable answer, requesting the soldiers might be restrained from maltreating the inhabitants; but sent off an express to Cortes, soliciting a strong reinforcement or the immediate presence of the general. On receiving this intelligence, Cortes immediately sent off Alvarado, Sandoval, Father Olmedo, and Gonzalo de Ocampo, brother to Diego de Ocampo, who was with Garay, giving them a copy of the royal instructions, by which all his conquests were left under his command till the dispute between him and Velasquez were judicially settled.
[1] This is probably the river of Nueva Santander, about 100 miles north from the Rio Tampico or river of Panuco--E.