t they themselves had in the
meantime subdued several of the townships of this province.

After our general had been apprized of everything that had taken place,
he expressed his satisfaction, and confirmed the several authorities of
the town in their respective offices, both civil and military, but
appointed his cousin Saavedra captain-general of the whole country,
which met with universal approbation. He then summoned the inhabitants
of the whole surrounding neighbourhood to send him ambassadors, and to
declare themselves vassals of our emperor, which they were not long in
complying with when they understood that Malinche, the conqueror of
Mexico, had arrived in person; and they brought at the same time a
quantity of provisions for him.

As the caziques of the four principal townships happened to stand all
together in the presence of Cortes, he took the opportunity of
addressing them at some length, which was interpreted to them by Dona
Marina. He first spoke to them about our holy religion, and then of our
great emperor Don Carlos of Austria, who had dominion over so many
countries and nations; how his majesty had sent us expressly into these
countries in order to abolish from among them all idolatry, theft, the
sacrificing of human beings, the eating of human flesh, and other
abominations; also to accustom them to live in peace and harmony with
each other. It was therefore their duty, he added, to subject themselves
to a monarch who was so mercifully inclined, and to lend us every
assistance in their power; but, on the other hand, he should be
compelled to punish those severely who in any way broke the peace.

After this, father Juan de las Varillas and the two Franciscan monks
preached an edifying sermon to them, which two Mexicans, who understood
the Spanish language, and other persons, interpreted to the caziques,
who listened with great attention to all that was said, and readily
acknowledged themselves vassals of our emperor, and promised to obey
Malinche in everything. Our general then ordered them to furnish the
colony with provisions, and to send a number of Indians with the
necessary tools to level a rising ground which lay in the town and
obstructed the view of the harbour and of the sea. He also desired them
to repair with their canoes to some townships of the Guanajas islands to
request the inhabitants there to supply him with fish, which they had in
abundance. The inhabitants of these islands readily