a brother, and to share with him the fruits of his
successes. The priest fulfilled his mission, and added his own
advice that the offers of Cortez should be accepted.

Narvaez rejected the counsel with scorn, but the accounts of the
priest of the splendor of the country, the rich spoils won by the
soldiers, and also of the generosity and popularity of Cortez,
exercised a great influence over the soldiers.

The priest was followed by Father Olmedo, with some more letters.
These were similarly rejected by Narvaez; but Olmedo, during his
stay at the camp, contrived largely to add to the feeling in favor
of Cortez, by his eloquence and the numerous presents he
distributed among the officers and soldiers.

Cortez had, some time before, dispatched Don Velasquez de Leon, one
of his trusted officers, with a hundred and fifty men, to plant a
colony near the mouth of one of the great rivers. He was a kinsman
of the Governor of Cuba, and Narvaez had, on landing, sent to him
begging him to quit the service of Cortez, and march with his
troops to join him. Velasquez, instead of doing so, set out at once
for Mexico; but on his way was met by a messenger from Cortez, who
ordered him to stop at Cholula for further orders.

Cortez summoned a force of two thousand natives from the distant
province of Chinantla and, leaving Pedro d'Alvarado in command of a
hundred and fifty Spaniards in Mexico, marched with the remainder
of his force, consisting of some seventy men only, for Cholula.
Here he was joined by Velasquez, with his hundred and fifty men.
Thus reinforced, they marched to Tlascala, where six hundred native
troops joined him.

But his allies soon fell off. They had had too severe an experience
of the fighting powers of the white men to care about taking part
in a battle with them, and so many deserted on the way that Cortez
dismissed the rest, saying that he would rather part with them,
then, than in the hour of trial. On reaching Perote they were
joined by Sandoval with fifty Spaniards, which brought their number
up to two hundred and sixty-six, only five of whom were mounted.

On their march towards Cempoalla, where Narvaez had now established
his headquarters, they were met by an embassy from him, requiring
the acknowledgment by Cortez of his authority, offering at the same
time that all who wished to leave should be transported in his
vessels. By liberal presents Cortez won over the members of the
embassy, who returned