z were newly built, and
fast sailers, he despatched his mayor-domo Pedro Ruiz de Esquival
thither to purchase them. Various kinds of provisions were then
collected in great abundance, of the most expensive kinds, and
everything was regulated for his voyage in a manner due to so
distinguished and wealthy a person. The two vessels were so plentifully
provisioned, that they had sufficient victuals for a voyage of two
years, although the number of people on board was much greater than
ordinary.

The mayor-domo, who was to repair to Vera Cruz, had, in order to take
the shortest route thither, embarked in a canoe on the lake of Mexico,
for the township of Ayotzinco. This canoe, of considerable size, was
manned with six Mexican rowers, and Ruiz had with him a number of gold
bars, for the purchase of the vessels, and a negro slave to attend upon
him. Whether he was waylaid by any one in the midst of the lake, and
murdered, could never be discovered, but certain it is that neither the
canoe, the rowers, nor the negro were ever seen again; only the body of
Ruiz was found, four days after, on a small island of the lake, half
devoured by the birds of prey. Various conjectures were made respecting
the death of this man, and many persons said he had bragged too openly
of the great favours which were bestowed upon him by the ladies, and
that he had most likely boasted of things which never happened. Others
maintained that something much worse had taken place, which, however, I
will not go into here; in short, it was never known, nor was there ever
much trouble taken to investigate, how this man came to his end, and we
can only wish that his poor soul may rest in peace.

Cortes, on learning the untimely end of this man, despatched other
officers of his household to Vera Cruz, to make the necessary
preparations there for his departure, and he made it publicly known that
all those who were desirous of leaving for Spain, and could obtain the
governor's permission thereto, should have a free passage with him. He
then departed, in company of Sandoval, Andreas de Tapia, and of several
other cavaliers, for Vera Cruz, where the whole of them, after having
confessed, and made the holy communion, set sail for Spain.

Cortes had so very favorable a passage, that, without touching at the
Havannah or any other port, he arrived safe in forty-one days off the
coast of Spain, and cast anchor near the town of Palos, opposite the
church of our dear l