ishop of Burgos, Don
Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca, was wrongly informed respecting these
proceedings, and only laboured to ruin us, as we subsequently learnt.
The partisans of Diego Velasquez, however, were not to be silenced by
this; and as the election had been made without their knowledge, they
considered it illegal, and maintained that they were not called upon to
obey his commands, but were determined to return to Cuba. Cortes
answered, that he would not compel them to remain, but would discharge
any one who might wish it, even if he himself should, in the end, remain
alone behind. By this some were silenced. Juan Velasquez de Leon, (who
was closely related to Velasquez,) Diego de Ordas, Escobar, (whom we
commonly termed the page,) Pedro de Escudero, and others of Velasquez's
party, still continued refractory, and things at last came to such a
pass, that, in the end, they formally refused to obey Cortes. In such a
state of affairs it was necessary to adopt some stronger measure, which
was carried into execution with our consent. We seized the persons of
the above-mentioned refractory officers, bound them in chains, and kept
watch over them as if they had been prisoners.

Respecting these circumstances Gomara has again been misinformed, and
not a word is to be credited of anything he says on the subject.

CHAPTER XLIV.

_How Pedro de Alvarado was ordered to make an excursion into the
interior of the country, in order to procure maise and other
provisions; and what further happened._

It was now resolved that Pedro de Alvarado should make an excursion into
the interior to explore the country, gain further knowledge of some
townships which we knew by name, and procure maise and other provisions,
of which we were in the greatest want. For this purpose 100 men were
selected, among whom were fifteen crossbow-men and six musketeers; above
half, moreover, were adherents of Velasquez: the rest of us, on whom
Cortes could fully depend, remained with him, in order that no
conspiracy might be set on foot against him.

Alvarado, during this expedition, visited some small townships which
were subject to a greater one, called, in the Aculhua language,
_Costatlan_.[17*] This language is that of Mexico and Motecusuma; and
when we speak of persons of Aculhua, we must always understand subjects
of his empire. Alvarado nowhere met with any inhabitants, but found
sufficient proofs in the temples that boys and full