and a certain Maldonado, as second in command. I ought to
mention that all I have related respecting the discovery of this country
I have from hearsay.

CHAPTER CCIII.

_Of a very extensive armament which was fitted out by Alvarado in
the year 1537._

Here I must not pass by in silence the vast armament which Alvarado
fitted out in the year 1537, in the harbour of Acaxatla, lying on the
coast of the South Sea, in the province of Guatimala, of which he was
then governor.

This expedition was fitted out according to an agreement he had entered
into with the crown during his stay in Spain, by which he bound himself
down to fit out a certain number of vessels at his own expense, for the
express purpose of discovering some western passage to China, the
Moluccas, or to other of the Spice islands. In consideration of which he
was promised a certain portion of the lands he should discover, or of
the annual rents that should arise from them; however, as I never saw
this agreement myself, I am unable to give any further particulars about
it.

Alvarado, who had always proved himself a most faithful servant to his
majesty, both during the conquest of New Spain and in the campaigns of
Peru, and, with his four brothers, had taken every opportunity to
promote the interests of the crown, was desirous on this occasion to
surpass every armament which Cortes had fitted out before him. He
therefore equipped thirteen vessels of considerable burden, all well
provided with ammunition, provisions, and water, and care was taken to
select the best sailors and the most experienced pilots. As the harbour
where he built these vessels lay above 800 miles from Vera Cruz, all the
ironwork and the greater part of the building materials had to be
transported thither from the latter port by land; and all this proved so
expensive to him, that he might have built eighty vessels of the same
size at Seville for an equal sum of money. He not only spent in fitting
out this armament all the riches he had brought with him from Peru, and
all the gold he could collect from his mines in Guatimala and other
possessions, but he borrowed large sums of money, besides that he
purchased quantities of goods on credit. To all of which was added the
large sums of money he had to pay the captains of the vessels, the
officers, and the troops, which amounted to 650 men; further, the
purchase of horses, the best of which cost him 300 pesos a piece, and
th