uxillo to make
bitter complaints to Cortes of the Spaniards at Nicaragua, who, they
said, had fallen hostilely into their country, plundering them with
impunity, and carrying off their wives and daughters.

Sandoval, on this expedition, was only accompanied by sixty men, and, on
arriving in Olancho, at first was going to imprison Rojas, but several
cavaliers stepping in as mediators between the two captains, they came
to more amicable terms, and parted the best of friends, after Rojas had
presented Sandoval with one of his Indian pages. While the latter was
yet here, he received Cortes' letter, in which, after giving him a short
account of what had taken place in Mexico, he was desired immediately to
repair with his troops to Truxillo. No intelligence could have been more
welcome to Sandoval; and, after arranging matters with Rojas, he marched
with the utmost expedition towards the coast.

Cortes conferred upon Saavedra the chief command of the provinces about
Truxillo, and gave him particular instructions as to what he was to do.
He also wrote to Luis Marin and we others who were under his command,
informing us of the arrival of father Altamirano, and desiring us to
march forward to Guatimala. The captain Diego de Godoy, who had
previously commanded in Puerto de Caballos, was ordered to march with
his men into the province of Naco. The letters which were destined for
us, Cortes gave in charge to Saavedra, with instructions that they were
to be forwarded to us immediately; but, from sheer malice, he neglected
to do so, and they never came to hand. To return to my narrative; I must
not forget to mention that Cortes, previous to embarking, fell so
dangerously ill again that his life was actually despaired of, and the
last sacrament was administered to him; yet he had the good fortune to
recover this time also, and he set sail from Truxillo with a
considerable suite. He had the most beautiful weather all the way to the
Havannah, where he put in to await a more favorable wind for his passage
to New Spain. The inhabitants of the last-mentioned town were
exceedingly rejoiced at seeing him again, and he greatly recruited his
strength in this place. While here, he even received very satisfactory
accounts from Mexico, where the news of his speedy return had produced
this good effect, that the Indians of Coatlan called of their own
account upon the treasurer Estrada, and again submitted, on certain
conditions, as vassals of our