her Olmedo, and the Franciscan monks
who accompanied us, did not hesitate a moment to tell Cortes how greatly
they disapproved of this measure, and said, they hoped to God he would
not have to repent of this step: and indeed their apprehensions were but
too well confirmed by future events! Cortes, however, took little heed
of what the good Franciscans had said; for only the words of father
Olmedo, whom he consulted on most occasions, had ever any weight with
him.

When the factor and the veedor took leave of Cortes before returning to
Mexico, it was ludicrous to behold their reverential bows, and to hear
the compliments they paid him. The factor, in particular, had a manner
of sighing peculiar to himself, and he appeared ready to burst into
tears when he took leave of Cortes, and the deed of appointment, which
had been drawn out by his intimate friend, the secretary Alonso
Valiente, was put into his hands. Both these gentlemen now set out for
Mexico, whither they were accompanied by Hernan Lopez de Avila, as he
was suffering from severe pains in his joints and large swellings in his
groins, so that he could scarcely move along.

We will now wish them a pleasant journey, and begin to think of our
tedious march, during which we suffered so many hardships, that it was a
wonder any of us ever returned alive.

CHAPTER CLXXV.

_How we commence our march from Guacasualco, and the terrible
fatigues and hardship we had to undergo for the space of two years
and three months._

The first thing Cortes did, after despatching the veedor and factor to
Mexico, was to write to his major-domo Simon de Cuenca, at Vera Cruz,
ordering him to load two small vessels with maise biscuits, six pipes of
wine, oil, vinegar, smoked hog's flesh, and other provisions, besides a
good quantity of horseshoes. Cuenca was himself to take charge of these
vessels, and to sail in along the coast until he should receive further
instructions as to the place he was to put into.

The next thing he did was to issue orders to all the Spanish settlers at
Guacasualco, with the exception of those who were ill, to join him in
this expedition. The reader will remember, from what I stated in a
former chapter, that the first Spanish colonists of Guacasualco were all
of the oldest Conquistadores of New Spain, and most of them were of
noble families. The whole of us had now hoped to enjoy some repose, and
that we should have been allowed to recov