o our founding a colony
here were Luis Marin himself and Diego de Godoy, a very blustering sort
of a man, both of whom felt more inclination to return to Guacasualco.

I have above spoken of a certain Alonso de Grado, who was a very
turbulent fellow, though but a poor soldier. This man had managed to
procure privately from Cortes a certain grant by which he was to have
half the gold we should find in Chiapa when we had subjected this
township. Grado now produced this document and claimed half of the gold
found in the temples of this place, and of that which we had obtained
from the inhabitants, altogether valued at about 15,000 pesos; but our
captain maintained that, out of this gold, the value of the horses was
to be deducted which had been killed in our recent campaign. This, added
to other circumstances, gave rise to high words between the two, and
Grado frequently made use of unbecoming expressions during the dispute;
and the secretary Godoy, to make matters worse, now also put in his
word, and things at length came to such a pass that Luis Marin lost all
patience, and threw both these gentlemen into chains. After they had
been in prison for about eight days, our captain sent Grado on his
parole to Mexico, and also released Godoy, who had shown full contrition
for his past behaviour. This was very impolitic on the part of Luis
Marin as far as regarded himself, for Grado and Godoy now concocted
measures together, and the latter wrote a letter to Cortes, in which he
scandalized our captain in every possible manner. Alonso de Grado also
requested me to draw up a letter to Cortes, in which he wished me to
exculpate him in this affair, for he had been assured by Godoy that
Cortes would believe me. I willingly complied with his request, and drew
up a faithful account of the whole matter, but stated that no blame
could be attached to Luis Marin. With these letters Grado set out for
Mexico, after our captain had made him promise on oath to appear before
Cortes within the space of eight days; for the distance from this place
to Mexico by the road we had marched was 760 miles.

Our next step was to march to Cimatan, in order to punish its
inhabitants, who, it will be remembered, killed two Spaniards on the
occasion when Francisco Martin and myself so narrowly escaped. When we
were on our march thither, and had arrived at no great distance from
Tapelola, we came to some large mountains, containing several dangerous
passes, th