ed to preserve their allegiance to his Catholic
majesty, by which they would secure his protection. They promised
faithfully to perform all that he had enjoined, and thus became the first
native vassals of the Spanish monarchy in New Spain. On Palm Sunday, with
the assistance of the natives, we erected a cross made of a large _cieba_
tree, on the field where the late battle was fought, as a lasting memorial
of our victory, as this tree has the power of reproducing its bark. The
natives attended us in our procession to adore the holy image of the cross,
and they likewise assisted us in our preparations to reimbark, our pilots
wishing to get away from this part of the coast, the anchorage being
unsafe for the ships, as the wind blew strongly on the shore. Every thing
being in readiness, and Cortes having taken leave of the natives, we all
embarked on the evening of Palm Sunday, and set sail next morning for St
Juan de Ulua. While we proceeded along the coast, such of us as had been
there before along with Grijalva, pointed out to Cortes the different
places which we recollected; saying here is _la Rambla_, there _Tonala_,
or St Antonio, there the river of _Coatzacualco_, the _Sierra Nevada_, or
Snowy Mountains, and those of St Martin, the _Roca Partida_, or Pierced
Rock, the rivers of Alvarado, and the Vanderas, _Isla Blanca_,
_Isla Verda_, _Isla de los Sacrificios_, and early in the evening of Holy
Thursday, 21st April, we arrived at the harbour of St Juan de Ulua. While
we were pointing out these places to the general, Puertocarrero came up to
him, saying: "These gentlemen seem to make an exhibition, as who should
say, here you have the Montesinos of France, here you see the great and
flourishing city of Paris, and so forth: But I say, here you have the land
of riches, and look well to your measures." Cortes perfectly understood
the meaning of his words, to which he answered: "GOD grant us good fortune
in arms like the paladin Orlando; for having such gentlemen as you under
my command, I shall know well how to bring our enterprize to a happy
conclusion."

[1] Diaz minutely enumerates and describes all the horses, mentioning who
they all belonged to.--E.

[2] According to Clavigero, II. 7. this armament, by which a great and
populous empire was subverted, consisted of eleven vessels, carrying
1O9 mariners, 508 soldiers, divided into eleven companies, ten
field-pieces, four falconets, and sixteen horse