ive of Seville and among the oldest [settlers] in
the island, and that was the first time that a new mass was sung in all
the Indies; on account of being the first, the event was celebrated with
great festivity by the Admiral [Don Diego Columbus] and everybody who was
in the city of La Vega; they comprised a large number of the inhabitants
of the island, for it was smelting time, when each brought his gold with
his Indians to have it melted, all meeting together as people do to make
payments, in the places where fairs are held in Castile; as there were no
gold coins, they made certain pieces in imitation of castellanos and
ducats, different sorts in the same smelting, where the King's fifth was
melted and paid; these coins they offered [to the new priest] while others
made arrieles(24) to offer. Reales were current, and many of these were
presented, all of which the newly ordained priest gave to his god-father,
save a few gold pieces that were especially well made. There was one
notable feature of this first mass with which the clergy present were not
satisfied; namely, there was not a drop of wine in the whole feast,
because no ship having arrived from Castile since a long time, there was
none in the entire island."

The newly ordained priest entered immediately and zealously upon his
duties, one of the first of which he considered to be the continuation of
the religious instruction to the Indians he had seen so admirably
initiated by Fray Pedro de Cordoba. He speedily acquired great fame
throughout the colony both for his virtues and his learning, and his
influence over the natives was established once and for ever.

Don Diego Columbus undertook in 1511 to conquer and settle the island of
Cuba, which had been discovered by his father, and, by virtue of the
privileges secured to him by the capitulations of Granada, he named Diego
Velasquez, a native of Cuellar and one of the oldest and most respected
colonists in San Domingo, commander of this enterprise. The expedition,
which consisted of three hundred men, amongst whom was Fernando Cortes,
landed at a port called Las Palmas in the province of Maici and the
conquest was quickly and easily effected, the natives being of a pacific
disposition and little skilled in the use of even such indifferent weapons
as they possessed. Thirty Spaniards in Jamaica, hearing of the events in
Cuba, took service under Velasquez, who appointed Panfilo de Narvaez as
commander under his