arrival in New Spain, staid but very few days at Mexico,
and took up his permanent abode with his wife in the town of
Quauhnahuac, which also belonged to his marquisate. He now occupied
himself in fitting out the armament according to his agreement with the
empress Isabella, of glorious memory, and with the council of the
Indies, for discoveries in the South Sea. This armament he fitted out in
the town of Teguantepec, which at that time formed part of his
marquisate, and in the harbours of Zacatula and Acapulco.

How this expedition terminated I will relate in the following chapter,
from which will be seen that Cortes' undertakings were no longer
attended with success.

CHAPTER CC.

_Of the vast expenses to which the marquis Hernando Cortes put
himself in fitting out the expeditions to the South Sea, and of
their unfortunate termination._

The marquis Del Valle had, previous to his departure for Spain, during
the government of Marcos de Aguilar, built two vessels, on board of
which he put 250 men, all well-armed, and a number of excellent sailors.
The command of these vessels he gave to a cavalier named Alvarado de
Saavedra, and they were abundantly victualled for one year, besides
carrying a large quantity of goods for barter.

Saavedra was instructed to shape his course to the Moluccas, or towards
China, and the main object was to discover some direct route from the
Spanish possessions to the Spice islands. This expedition was undertaken
at his majesty's express desire in a letter to Cortes, dated Granada,
the 22d of June, 1526. I am particular in mentioning these
circumstances, because Cortes showed this letter to me and other of the
Conquistadores who were about him at the time. In this letter the
emperor also ordered that Cortes' armament should go in search of
another more extensive one which had set sail direct from Spain for
China, and was commanded by Don Garcia de Loaysa, comendador of the
order of St. John.

When Saavedra was about to set sail, a small vessel arrived off the
coast of Guantepec, belonging to the squadron under Loaysa. The captain
of this vessel, whose name was Ortuno de Lango, gave Saavedra a full
account of the fate of Loaysa's expedition, and explained to him in what
direction he was to sail. Saavedra then persuaded the pilot and a couple
of Ortuno's sailors to join him, and set sail, after attending mass, in
the month of December, 1527, from Ciguatepec, lying in t