ensions to religion. It was his crowning glory that he was the
defender of the faith. It would have been altogether too great a
scandal to have repudiated his faithful wife.

"Cortez," says Bernal Diaz, "was very sorry for their coming, but he
put the best face upon it, and received them with great pomp and
rejoicing." In three months from this time the unhappy Donna Catalina
died of an asthma. Her death was so evidently a relief to Cortez, and
so manifestly in accordance with his wishes, that many suspicions were
excited that she had fallen by the hand of violence. Though Cortez had
many enemies to accuse him of the murder of his wife, there is no
evidence whatever that he was guilty. Cortez had many and great
faults, but a crime of this nature seems to be quite foreign to his
character. The verdict of history in reference to this charge has been
very cordially _Not proven_.

CHAPTER XI.

THE EXPEDITION TO HONDURAS.

The natives reduced to slavery.--Laws and institutions.--Colony
at Honduras.--Olid wrecked and taken prisoner.--Cortez starts for
Honduras.--Diaz's account.--The two captives.--Difficulties to
be encountered.--Marina married to Xamarillo.--Don Martin Cortez.
--Demonstrations of homage.--Complaints of Diaz.--Scarcity of
provisions.--Energy and forethought.--Construction of canoes.--The
slough.--Foraging parties.--The tangled wilderness.--The Indian
path.--The cannibal chiefs.--Their punishment.--Hostile attitude.
--The soldiers ravenous.--Influence of the priests.--Care for the
officers.--Plot against two chiefs.--The chiefs executed.--Their
heroism.--Opinions of the Spaniards.--Night wanderings.--Plenty and
want.--The terrible march.--New embarrassments.--Famine.--They reach
Taica.--Humility of Diaz.--Cortez finds there is no insurrection to
be quelled.--Exploring tour.--The brigantines.--Submission.--Present
to the king.--Disappointment of Cortez.--The dispatches.--Bad news.
--Reports of the death of Cortez.--Troubles in Spain.--The attempted
voyage.--Fruitless endeavors to recall his friends.--Commissions.--The
usurpers imprisoned.--Poor health of Cortez.--His return to Mexico.

The great object of the Spanish adventurers was to extort gold from
the natives. The proud cavaliers would not work, and the natives
were not willing to surrender the fruits of their toil to support
their haughty conquerors in splendor. Cortez consequently, though
reluctantly, doomed them to slavery. They were drive