of everything that had transpired, and
advised him to forward a few bars of gold, with some jewels, to sooth
Tapia in his excessive disappointment; all of which our general sent
without delay, and our officers purchased some negroes and three horses
from Tapia, who then returned to St. Domingo. Neither did he meet with
the best of receptions there, as the royal court of audience and the
Hieronymite brotherhood had been exceedingly vexed with him for having
persisted in going to New Spain, though they had so strongly advised him
not to do so, as the time was badly chosen, and his arrival there would
create disputes, and only tend to interrupt the progress of the conquest
of New Spain. But Tapia had placed all his reliance on the protection of
the bishop of Burgos, wherefore they had not dared to detain him by
force in St. Domingo, particularly as his appointment had been made out
by the president of the council of the Indies, and as the emperor
himself still continued in Flanders.

I will now return to Cortes' plan of forming settlements. Alvarado, as I
have mentioned above, was sent for this purpose to a province abounding
in gold, called Tuztepec, which must not be confounded with Tutepec,
whither Sandoval was despatched for the same end. Sandoval was also to
make a settlement on the river Panuco, as Cortes had received
intelligence that a certain Francisco de Garay had fitted out an
extensive armament for the same object, in which Cortes wished to
anticipate him.

About this time our general again sent Rodrigo Rangel to Vera Cruz as
commandant of that place, and ordered Gonzalo de Alvarado to conduct
Narvaez to Cojohuacan, where Cortes still occupied the same palace,
until the one should be finished which was building for him in Mexico.
Cortes' motive for ordering Narvaez to be brought to Mexico was,
because he had been informed that, in a conversation he had had with
Christobal de Tapia, he thus addressed him: "Senor, you are come here
with the same lawful authority as I came before you, but it will avail
you no more than it did me, who arrived, moreover, in this country with
so large a body of troops. I advise you to be upon your guard, lest they
put you to death. You have no time to lose; for the wheel of fortune
still turns in favour of Cortes and his men. Strive to get as much gold
out of them as you can, and with that journey to his majesty in Spain,
and relate to him how matters stand here; and if you can rely