following
officers and soldiers.

Don Pedro de Alvarado, who, subsequent to the conquest of New Spain, was
comendador of Santiago, chief justice and governor of Guatimala,
Honduras, and of Chiapa. As we have above seen, he was accidentally
killed in the province of Xalisco.

Gonzalo de Sandoval, a most distinguished officer; he was
alguacil-mayor, and for a short time joint governor of New Spain with
Alonso de Estrada. His majesty had been duly informed of the heroic
conduct which he showed on every occasion. He died at Palos, while on
his journey to court with Cortes to pay his respects to the emperor.

Christobal de Oli, a very brave officer; our quartermaster-general in
the campaign of New Spain: was beheaded at Naco for having revolted with
the troops which Cortes had put under his command.

When Cortes, after the conquest of New Spain, made his first appearance
at court, he particularly praised these three officers, and he told his
majesty that in the army with which he made the conquest of New Spain he
had three officers who could be compared to the most celebrated of any
age. The first he said was Pedro de Alvarado, who, besides being very
courageous, was graceful in his manners, and just the man to become the
father of a race of heroes. The second was Christobal de Oli, whom he
called a real Hector in battle, when he was combating man to man; but
if he had known how to command, he would even have been more than a
Hector. Of Gonzalo de Sandoval he said, that he united power of command,
courage, and valour in such a degree as to constitute him one of the
best officers that Spain ever possessed,--an officer on whom he could at
all times depend, and whose words were followed up by deeds.

On this occasion Cortes likewise spoke of the other brave soldiers who
fought with him in the campaigns of New Spain. It is, however, to be
regretted that he omitted to mention our names with the same praise in
his first despatches as he did when in his majesty's presence. In these
despatches he takes all the glory and merit of our conquests to himself;
and he never so much as mentions the names and heroic deeds of his
officers and brave soldiers; for he only says, This I did, and thus I
commanded my officers to do. For us there only remained the blank piece
of paper at the end, where we had scarcely room to sign our names.

But let us continue the enumeration of our brave companions in arms.

First there was Juan Velasquez