ce having taken possession of that
town, standing as it did in the midst of so many other populous
townships, we should be better able to plan our operations against
Mexico.

We had scarcely decided in favour of the latter place, when three men
arrived with the news from Vera Cruz that a large Spanish vessel had run
in there from the Canaries, having on board a quantity of crossbows,
muskets, powder, and other ammunition, besides three horses and thirteen
soldiers. The owner of the cargo was a certain Juan de Burgos, and the
captain of the vessel was named Francisco Medel.

The reader may easily imagine our joy at this news; and if we had
previously felt in good spirits for our intended expedition, we now felt
the more so on hearing of the arrival of these timely succours. Cortes
immediately bargained with Burgos for the whole of the ammunition and
cargo, who himself, with Medel and all the passengers, came to our
head-quarters, where they met with the kindest reception. Among the
passengers there was a certain rich man, named Juan del Espinar, who
once lived in Guatimala; further, a certain Sagredo, from Medellin; a
Biscayan, named Monjaraz, uncle of the other two of that name serving
among us. This Monjaraz had a very beautiful daughter, who subsequently
came to Mexico, and was commonly called Monjaraza. But this Monjaraz did
not accompany us in any of our expeditions, as he was always suffering
from ill health. It was not until we had laid regular siege to Mexico
that he came to us in good health, and told us he was desirous of seeing
how we carried on this war, and our mode of attacking the Mexicans, of
whose bravery he entertained a very mean opinion. On this occasion he
mounted to the top of an Indian temple, which was shaped like a tower;
from that moment, however, we never saw him again, nor did we ever learn
how the Mexicans got at him, or what became of him. Many persons who
had known him on the island of St. Domingo saw the hand of God in his
sudden death: for they related that he had put his own wife, a most
virtuous, excellent, and beautiful woman, to death, without any cause or
provocation; and that he had escaped punishment for his crime by
proving, through false witnesses, she had attempted to poison him. I
must, however, leave these old tales, and begin earnestly to think of
our march to Tezcuco.

[Transcriber's Note: Notes to the First Volume, that is, endnotes at the
end of this volume, have been i