arrero, who was a
stout cavalier and cousin to the earl of Medellin. When he subsequently
left for Spain, Cortes took Marina unto himself, and had a son by her,
who was named Don Martin Cortes, and became Comptoir of Santiago.

We remained five days in this spot, partly to cure our wounds, partly
for the sake of those who suffered from pain in the groins, but who soon
recovered here. Cortes employed these days in useful conversation with
the caziques, and talked to them about the emperor, our master, of his
numerous lordly vassals, and the advantage they would gain by having
subjected themselves to him; as, for the future, in all their
difficulties they would only have to apply to him, and wherever he might
be he would come to their assistance.

The caziques thanked him for this offer; they solemnly declared
themselves to be vassals of our great emperor, and these were the first
among the inhabitants of New Spain who subjected themselves to his
majesty. As the day following was Palm Sunday, Cortes desired them to
come early in the morning to pray before the holy mother of God and the
cross. He also sent for six Indian carpenters to assist ours in making a
cross on a high ceiba tree,[13] near the village of Cintla, where the
Lord had granted us the great victory. This cross was made in a manner
so as to be very durable, for the bark of the tree, which always grows
to again, was so cut as to form that figure. Lastly, Cortes desired the
Indians to bring out all their canoes in order to assist us in
re-embarking, for we were desirous of setting sail on that holy day, as,
according to our pilots, our present station was not secure from the
north winds.

Early the next morning the caziques and the principal personages, all
with their wives and children, made their appearance in the courtyard,
where we had erected the altar and cross, and collected the palm
branches for our procession. Upon this Cortes, with the officers and
all our men, rose and made a solemn procession. Both our priests, the
father Bartolome de Olmedo, belonging to the order of the charitable
brethren, and Juan Dias, were dressed in their full canonicals, and read
mass. We prayed before the cross and kissed it, the caziques and Indians
all the while looking on. After the ceremony was finished the principal
Indians brought ten fowls, baked fish, and all kinds of greens, which we
enjoyed very much. We now took our leave, and Cortes repeatedly
recommended th