although it was but a small place in comparison with those
they were afterwards to see. Cortez lost no time in sending off a
vessel to Spain, with dispatches to the emperor; and his influence
over the soldiers was so great that they, as well as the officers,
relinquished all their shares of the treasure they had gained, in
order that a worthy present should be sent home to their monarch.

In his dispatches Cortez related all that had befallen them,
dilated on the prospect of annexing so rich a country to the
Spanish dominions, and asked for a confirmation of his acts, and
for an authorization for the magistrates of the new town, which was
called Villa Rica de Vera Cruz. The ship touched at Cuba, but
continued its voyage before Velasquez, who was furious at the news
of the important discoveries made by Cortez, could stop it.

Scarcely had the ship sailed when Cortez discovered that a
conspiracy was on foot, among the partisans of Velasquez, to seize
one of the vessels and to sail away to Cuba. The conspirators were
seized, two of them executed and others flogged; but the discovery
that there were a number of timid spirits in the camp, who might
seriously interfere with his plans, greatly annoyed Cortez, and he
took the extraordinary resolution of destroying all the ships.
Through some of his devoted friends he bribed the captains of the
vessels to fall in with his views; and they appeared before him,
and made a solemn report that the ships were worm eaten and unfit
for sea. Cortez pretended great surprise, and ordered everything
movable to be brought ashore, and the ships to be sunk.

Nine vessels were so destroyed, and but one small craft was left
afloat. When the news reached the troops at Cempoalla, they were
filled with consternation. It seemed to them that nothing but
destruction awaited them, and from murmurings they broke out into
mutiny.

Cortez however, as usual, speedily allayed the tumult. He pointed
out that his loss was the greatest, since the ships were his
property; and that the troops would in fact derive great advantage
by it, since it would swell their force by a hundred men, who must
otherwise have remained in charge of the vessels. He urged them to
place their confidence in him, and they might rely upon it that
success would attend their efforts. If there were any cowards
there, they might take the remaining ship and sail to Cuba with it,
and wait patiently there until the army returned, laden w