endary of the order of St. Jago, and was allowed to
assume the volcano of Huexotzinco in his escutcheon.

After these high honours had been conferred upon them, both these
gentlemen returned to Mexico, though Ordas, after a lapse of three
years, again returned to Spain, and obtained permission from the emperor
to subdue the country on the river Marannon; he accordingly fitted out
an armament for this purpose, but lost both his property and his life in
the expedition.

When the bishop of Burgos found that everything had terminated in our
favour, and heard of the great honours which his majesty had bestowed
upon Cortes and upon all the Conquistadores, he naturally concluded that
the gentlemen who had formed the commission of inquiry must have soon
seen through all his doings with the governor of Cuba, and have been
convinced that he had kept back all the gold which we had sent for his
majesty to Spain, and that he had suppressed all mention of the great
services we had rendered to the crown. These reflections preyed so hard
upon his mind, that, like his creature Diego Velasquez, he fell
dangerously ill, in which miserable state he had the additional vexation
to see his nephew Don Alonso de Fonseca appointed to the archbishopric
of Santiago, on which he had himself calculated.

I must now return to Rodrigo de Paz and Francisco de las Casas, who were
sent to New Spain with the despatches containing Cortes' appointment of
governor. They made their entry into Mexico in the most splendid manner,
after which feasts and rejoicings took place, and couriers were
despatched to every part of the country where Spaniards resided, to
spread the happy news.

The gentlemen who had brought these despatches, and other persons who
had accompanied them from Medellin were not forgotten by Cortes.
Francisco de las Casas he appointed a captain, and afterwards bestowed
upon him the productive township of Anguitlan. Rodrigo de Paz was
likewise presented with extensive and lucrative commendaries, besides
that Cortes appointed him his private secretary and major-domo. This man
gained so much influence that he ruled all those about him, and even
Cortes himself. There was not a single person who had come to New Spain
with Rodrigo de Paz on this occasion that was not handsomely rewarded;
even the captain of the vessel in which they had arrived received so
large a sum of money from Cortes that he returned to Spain a rich man.

I must now answer so