CORTES
.398
CORTES
was no issue, antl, after her death, to Dofia Juana de
Ziifiiga, niece of the Duke of Bejar. From this union
there sprang four children, one son (Martin) and
three daughters. His parents were Martin Cortes
de Monroy and Catalina Pizarro Altamirano, both of
honourable extraction, belonging to the middle class
of nobility, but not wealthy. They sent their son to
school at (Salamanca when he was fourteen years of
age, but study was irksome to him, his restless and
ambitious temper chafed under restraint, and he
returned home much to the displeasure of his parents.
As he was the only son, they looked upon him as tlieir
hope and future support, and had wished that he
would adopt the profes-
sion of the law. Dissatis-
fied at home Cortes turned
his eyes to the newly dis-
covered Western world,
and, after an unsuccess-
ful attempt to embark
for the West Indies with
Ovando, succeeded in
reaching Espanola in a
craft commanded by one
Quintero, who signalized
himself during the voy-
age by trying to deceive
his superiors and reach
the New World before
them in order to secure
personal advantages. It
may be that the example
of Quintero was a school
for Cortes in his subse-
quent career. The life
Cortes led in the Antilles
was that of the military
man of his time, with in-
tervals of rest on such
estates as he gradually
acquired. He was a fa-
vourite of both Ovando
and Velazquez, but he
quarrelled with the latter,
deceived him and made
him a mortal enemy. The
consequences were very
serious, for Velazquez was
Governor of Cuba and a
man of influence at court.
The conduct of Cortes
during his stay in thr>
Antilles (1504-1519) re-
vealed, besides military
aptitude (which he hail
small opportunity of dis- (P;
playing) , shrewdness, dar-
ing (in his dealings with Velazquez), and no excess
of scruples in morals.
In 1517 Cordova reached the coast of Yucatan, while commanding a modest expedition despatched liy Velazquez. He was mortally wounded and only a renuiant of his crew reached Cuba again, bring- ing back news of the superior culture of tlie people they had met. Another expedition was deter- mined upon, and was carried out the year following under the leadership of Orijalva. It touched the coast of Mexico, and brought home metallic objects and evidences of superior culture. Dre (irijalva had come back, Velazquez determined to send a third and more numerous .stiuadron to the Mexican coast. Cort(5s, then one of Velazquez's favourites, was named as the coirunander, a choice which created no little envy. Cort(s enteretl into the enterprise with zeal and energy, sacrificing with too much ostenta- tion a considerable part of his fortune to equip the expedition. Eleven vessels were brought, together.
in I lie Hospital of
manned with well-armed men, and horses and artillery
were embarked. At the last moment Velazquez,
whose suspicions were aroused by the actions of
Cortes, instigated by his surroundings, attempted to
prevent the departure. It was too late; Cortes, after
the example set by Quintero, slipped away from the
Cuban coast and thus began the conquest of Mexico.
His life from the time he sailed on his momentous
undertaking in 1519 is so intimately linked with the
history of Mexico, that the reader may be referred
for additional details to the articles Mexico, Aztecs,
and Pedro de Alvarado.
As a soldier Cortes put to use in Mexico the Indian mode of warfare he had observed in the Antilles, and it enabled him to achieve an unbroken suc- cess in the open field. Indian defensive tactics from buildings and walls were new to him, but he quickly saw both their strong and their weak points, and his reduction of the island settlement of Tenochtitlan was no small feat. He recognized at an early date the Indian method of proceeding by decoy and ambush, and this led to his success against the tribe of Tlax- cals. He was very ciuick in detecting devices and stratagems, even in time of apparent peace, and in adopting and executing measures to defeat them. (Ine of the most remark- able instances is what has been called the " massacre ofCholula". When Cortes was at the large Indian settlement of Tlaxcals and had perfected an alli- ance with that people, some Indians from the neighbouring tribe of Cholula urged him to visit| their home. He was warned not to go, since the visitors did not ex- ])ress the wish of their kindred, who were bit- terly opposed to dealing, .■n-ulate Conception, Mexico) \nth the Spaniards. Though unacquainted with the character of the natives, he marched tc Cholula. but noticed that a trap was being set foi him. He prevented the outbreak by an attack or the Indians, and after a short struggle forced then into submission.
The most daring of his exploits, and one that maj be qualified as absolutely reckless althougli success ful, was his inarch on Narvaez who, with a mucl superior force of Spaniards, had landed on the gul coast with orders from Velazquez, not only to super sede Cortfe, but to ca))ture him and bring him ti trial in Cuba for disobedience and treason toward the governor. Tjcaving only one hundred and fort; men under Alvarado to hold an Indian sottlemont o twenty thousand souls, he set out against NarvaM who had nine hundred soldiers, while Corti^s, rein forced as he approaclied the coast, mustered abou two hundred and sixty. With these he surprised hi.l antagonist and took him prisoner. The move was desperate one, as the sequel proved. But the secre
