squez
had already succeeded in altering his sentiments with regard to Cortes.
The latter therefore desired his wife to send him on board the
provisions and other presents which women under such circumstances are
accustomed to give their husbands. He made known to the masters and
pilots of the different vessels the day and hour of departure, and
ordered all the men to be on board by a certain day.

Everything being now ready for his departure, and all the men on board,
Cortes called upon the governor to take leave of him, and was
accompanied on this occasion by his best friends and companions in arms,
Andreas de Duero, the royal treasurer, Almador de Lares, and the
principal inhabitants of the town. Velasquez and Cortes vowed eternal
friendship, and did not part until they had several times embraced each
other.

The next morning early we attended mass, after which we marched to our
vessels accompanied by the governor and a number of cavaliers in
honorable escort.

The weather being very fine, we arrived, after a few days' sail, safely
in the harbour of Trinidad, and landed there.

From what has already been said, and will further be seen in the
following chapter, the reader may easily imagine the various
difficulties Cortes had to struggle with; though, when my narrative is
confronted with that of Gomara, it will be found how greatly they
differ. Gomara, for instance, will have that Andreas de Duero was a
merchant, though, as private secretary to the governor, he had
considerable weight in the island; and of Diego de Ordas, he says, that
he accompanied the expedition under Grijalva, though he never went out
until this time with Cortes. But I will leave Gomara and his miserable
history, and relate our doings in the town of Trinidad.

CHAPTER XXI.

_Cortes's occupations at Trinidad, and of the cavaliers and warriors
who there joined our expedition, and other matters._

On the first notice of our arrival at Trinidad, the inhabitants came out
to welcome us and our commander Cortes. Among the great body of
cavaliers in this place, every one strove hardest to have Cortes for his
guest. Cortes immediately planted his standard in front of his dwelling,
and made the public acquainted with the particulars of the expedition in
the same way as he had done at Santiago, and further collected whatever
he could in the shape of firearms with other necessaries. Here we were
also joined by the Alvarados, namely, Pe