ng
about this unjust division; for what would it have availed us had we
demanded justice? Besides which, Cortes had secretly bribed some with
presents and large promises, and many of the most noisy he presented
with a hundred pesos to stop their mouths.

The portion belonging to the garrison at Vera Cruz was forwarded to
Tlascalla for safe keeping. Most of our officers employed Motecusuma's
goldsmiths of Escapuzalco to make them heavy chains of the gold; and
Cortes, among other things, ordered a grand dinner service. Several of
our soldiers, who had learnt how to fill their pockets, had other things
made; and it was not long before a number of the stamped bars and
trinkets came into circulation; for gambling was now commenced to a
great extent, after a certain Pedro Valenciano had managed to
manufacture playing cards from parchment, which were as well painted and
as beautiful to the eye as those manufactured in Spain.

I will, however, show what impression this unfair division of the gold
made upon our men. Among our troops there was a man named Cardenas, a
sailor by profession, who had left behind him in Spain a wife and
children in great want, and had the ill-luck, with many of us, to
continue in poverty.

When this man beheld the great heap of gold piled up in bars, plates,
besides the gold dust, and found his share of the spoil was a mere
hundred pesos, he became excessively low-spirited. One of his friends,
who had observed this, asked him the cause of his grief and heavy sighs?
He answered, "Why, how the devil can I do otherwise, when I see the gold
which we have so hardly earned find its way into Cortes' pockets, with
his fifths, monies laid out for horses, vessels, and other such like
vile trickeries, while my wife and children are perishing at home for
want of food? I could even have sent them a little help when our agents
went to Spain, for there was sufficient gold at that time to have
divided it among us." "What gold are you speaking of?" inquired his
friend. "Why," answered Cardenas, "of that which our agents took with
them to Spain. If Cortes had granted me my share of that, my wife and
children would not have wanted: but he employed every species of
artifice to persuade us to send the whole treasure as a present to the
emperor, with the exception, however, of above 6000 pesos to Martin
Cortes, his father: I will not even mention the gold which he has
secretly stowed away. We others who have fought abou