er, meeting
nowhere with any traces of him, had soon got into a conflict with the
natives, by whom he was informed of the unfortunate termination of that
expedition; he then again hoisted sail and made for Vera Cruz, where he
disembarked his troops, consisting of upwards of fifty men and seven
horses, with which he immediately repaired to Cortes' head-quarters.
These were the most valuable succours we ever received, and certainly
they could not have come more opportunely.

This Miguel Diaz subsequently rendered our emperor the most signal
services in the conquest of New Spain. He was for some time engaged in a
lawsuit respecting the possession of half Mistitan, with a
brother-in-law of Cortes, named Andreas de Barrios, of Seville, whom he
commonly termed the dancer. This lawsuit terminated in his favour in
this way, that he was to receive the whole of the yearly rents of that
estate, amounting annually to above 2500 pesos; but he himself was
prohibited from setting foot in that district for the space of two
years, for having there, as well as in other townships belonging to him,
put several Indians to death.

A few days after this vessel another arrived in Vera Cruz, which Garay
had likewise despatched for the protection of his armament in the river
Panuco, where he thought all was going on prosperously. This vessel
brought above forty men, ten horses, and various kinds of ammunition,
and was commanded by an elderly man named Ramirez, whom we called the
elder to distinguish him from another Ramirez, who served in our troops.
In this way Garay lost one ship after another, and no one derived any
advantage from them excepting Cortes and ourselves. All these troops
arrived by degrees in Tepeaca, and respectively obtained some by-name or
other from our men. Those of Diaz, who were all stout, fat fellows; were
called the _stiff-backs_, and those of Ramirez, _pack-saddles_, because
they all wore heavy cotton cuirasses, which no arrow could pierce. The
officers, as the reader may imagine, received most distinguished
treatment from Cortes.

I have now, however, to speak of another expedition, of which Cortes
gave the command to Sandoval, and was directed against the tribes of
Xalatzinco and Zacatemi.

CHAPTER CXXXIV.

_How Cortes despatches Sandoval with 200 men, among which were
twenty horse and twelve crossbow-men, to punish the tribes of
Xalatzinco and Zacatemi, for having put some Spaniards to death,