eran Conquistadores, in which he
expressed his unqualified satisfaction with the great and excellent
services we had rendered the crown.

About this time also, Ferdinand king of Hungary and king of the Romans
wrote a letter to Cortes, in which he thanked him for the beautiful
present of gold ornaments and jewels which he had sent him, adding, that
he had heard, with much pleasure, of the great services he had above all
things rendered to God, and then to his master and brother the emperor,
and to the whole of Christendom, and that he should feel happy at all
times to promote his interests with the emperor. Thus much he thought
himself indebted to a man who possessed so many noble qualities, and who
had rendered himself so meritorious; in like manner he wished to express
his high esteem for his brave companions in arms.

This letter besides passed many high encomiums on the Conquistadores,
and I still remember that it was signed with the words, _I the king and
Infante of Castile_, countersigned by the private secretary Castillejo.
I read the letter myself two or three times at Mexico, for Cortes shewed
it to me in order to convince me of the great esteem in which we the
true Conquistadores were held by his majesty.

As soon as these royal mandates and letters had been put into the hands
of our agents, they despatched them in all haste to Mexico by a cousin
of Cortes named Rodrigo de Paz, who was accompanied by Francisco de las
Casas, a nobleman of Estremadura, and also a relative of our general.
These gentlemen embarked in an excellent sailing vessel, and had a most
favorable voyage. They stopped on their way at Cuba, and there, under
sound of trumpet, published the decision which his majesty had come to
in favour of Cortes, and they then demanded of Velasquez an account of
the monies which had been expended in fitting out the armament. The
governor of Cuba, however, took the unfavorable termination of his suit
so to heart, that he fell ill and died shortly after very poor and
unhappy.

In order to save myself the trouble of recurring to these matters, I
must observe that Francisco de Montejo and Diego de Ordas did not forget
to profit by their stay at the imperial court, and their endeavours
proved very successful. Montejo was appointed governor and chief-justice
of Yucatan and Cozumel, and was allowed to assume the Don before his
name; and Diego de Ordas was confirmed in his New Spanish possessions,
received a comm