will wonder that I have not yet mentioned the name of one of
our principal men, Gonzalo de Sandoval, though he was such a renowned
officer, being second to Cortes only, and particularly distinguished by
our emperor himself. There is no other reason than that Sandoval was
still very young, and that we did not make so much of him and other
brave officers then as we did subsequently, when we saw all his real
qualities developed in a manner that drew forth unbounded praise from
Cortes and every soldier: indeed he was considered equal to Cortes
himself.--Gomara has likewise related a good deal respecting these
matters, of which he has been ill informed. I could not leave this
unnoticed, however beautiful his style of writing may be, in which his
strength really lies.

CHAPTER XLIII.

_How the partisans of Diego Velasquez would not acknowledge the
power we had conferred upon Cortes, and what further took place._

The partisans of Diego Velasquez, finding we had elected Cortes
captain-general, and appointed the other officers just mentioned, were
terribly annoyed and vexed. They armed themselves in small troops, and
threw out the most insolent language against Cortes and those among us
who had chosen him captain-general. All this they considered should not
have been done without the consent of the whole of the officers and
soldiers. Diego Velasquez had merely empowered Cortes to barter with the
natives. In short, their dissatisfaction rose to such a pitch, that our
party was afraid matters would be carried much farther, and end in
hostilities. Cortes now secretly desired Juan de Escalante to intimate
that we should demand the instructions to be produced which he had
received from Velasquez. This was accordingly done, and Cortes pulled
them out from under his waistcoat, handing them over to the royal
secretary to be read aloud. And sure enough the words were, _After you
have bartered for as many precious things as possible, you shall return
home._ This document was signed by Velasquez, and countersigned by his
private secretary Andreas de Duero. Upon this we desired of Cortes that
these instructions should be entered into the appointment we had given
him, and announced by a public crier, as had been done at Cuba, in order
that his majesty might convince himself of the true state of things, and
that everything was done to further his sovereign interest only. This
step was most agreeable to our purpose, as the b