two
pilots, one of whom was Anton de Alaminos, from his being so well
acquainted with the passage through the Bahama channel, and the first
who had ventured that road. Upon this all of us, in common, drew up an
account of our adventures expressly for his majesty, relating everything
that had happened to us, and Cortes himself, as he assured us, likewise
wrote a very circumstantial narrative, which, however, was not given us
to read.[18] The account was signed by all the authorities of the new
town and ten soldiers, of which I myself was one. But there was likewise
another account drawn up by all the officers and soldiers, the contents
of which will be fully explained in the following chapter.

[18] Most probably Cortes' despatches of the 16th of July, 1519, which
were lost. (p. 125.)

CHAPTER LIV.

_Concerning the account of our adventures, with the letter, which we
sent his majesty the emperor, through Puertocarrero and Montejo, the
letter being attested by some officers and soldiers._

This account very properly opened with those distinguished marks of
respect which were due to our great emperor and master. Then followed a
complete account of our expedition, from the day of our departure from
Cuba up to our arrival on the coast of Mexico, and the day the account
was drawn up. We did not omit to state that we had merely been induced
to join the expedition from a promise that we were going to found a
colony, and how Diego Velasquez had given Cortes secret instructions
merely to confine himself to the trade of barter. That Cortes,
conformably to this, had indeed wished to return to Cuba with the gold
we had made; that, however, we had compelled him to remain here and
found a colony, for which purpose we had elected him captain-general and
chief justice, until we should receive his most gracious majesty's
pleasure on this head. We had, moreover, promised him a fifth part of
all the gold that should remain after deducting the fifths for his
majesty. We then mentioned the name of Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba,
as the first discoverer of this country; the expedition which followed
upon that under Juan de Grijalva; of our landing on the island of
Cozumel, and of our fortunate discovery of Geronimo de Aguilar, and
other things. We described our negotiations with the great Motecusuma,
mentioning his power and riches, of which the things he had given us to
present to his majesty, consisting in the sun o