Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/143

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

FIRST LETTER

Sent to the Queen Doña Juana, and the Emperor Charles V., her son, by the Judiciary and Municipal Authorities of the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, dated the 10th July 1519.

Very High and Very Powerful and Excellent Princes, Very Catholic and Very Great Sovereigns and Rulers. We believe that Your Majesties by a letter from Diego Velasquez,^[1] Lieutenant of the Admiral^[2] in the Island of Fernandina,^[3] will have been informed of the new land, which

↑ He was a native of Cuellar, and accompanied Columbus on his second voyage in 1493; under commission of Diego Columbus, then viceroy, he effected the conquest of Cuba, and became governor of the island. He showed himself ungrateful to his benefactor, Diego Columbus, and he was in his turn betrayed, and finally outgeneralled, by Cortes. When the royal appointment of the latter, as Captain-General of New Spain, was proclaimed in Cuba by Rodrigo de Paz, and Francisco de las Casas, to the sound of trumpets in 1522, Diego Velasquez took to his bed from sheer mortification, and died within a few months. Fuller notice of his character, and his dealings with Cortes, are given in the preceding Biographical Note.
↑ Diego Columbus, only son of the Admiral Christopher Columbus and his wife Felipa Mogniz Perestrello of Lisbon, succeeded Don Nicolas de Ovando as governor, and bore the title of viceroy.
↑ Cuba, which was discovered by Columbus, on October 28, 1492, and named by him, Juana, in honour of the Royal Infante, Don Juan. He was convinced that he had reached China, or Cipango, of which he had read in Marco Polo's narrative. It was discovered to be an island by Ocampo, who first circumnavigated it in 1508. The island was conquered in 151 1 by Velasquez, in command of three hundred men, but so peaceable and indolent were the natives, that the conquest was effected almost without a struggle; for only one chief, Hatuey, with a few followers, attempted to dispute the landing of the Spaniards. Hatuey was captured, and sentenced to be burned. When this cruel sentence was about to be carried out, a friar exhorted him to be baptised, and thus ensure his soul going to paradise. The chief asked if there would be Spaniards there, and when the friar

123

[1] He was a native of Cuellar, and accompanied Columbus on his second voyage in 1493; under commission of Diego Columbus, then viceroy, he effected the conquest of Cuba, and became governor of the island. He showed himself ungrateful to his benefactor, Diego Columbus, and he was in his turn betrayed, and finally outgeneralled, by Cortes. When the royal appointment of the latter, as Captain-General of New Spain, was proclaimed in Cuba by Rodrigo de Paz, and Francisco de las Casas, to the sound of trumpets in 1522, Diego Velasquez took to his bed from sheer mortification, and died within a few months. Fuller notice of his character, and his dealings with Cortes, are given in the preceding Biographical Note.

[2] Diego Columbus, only son of the Admiral Christopher Columbus and his wife Felipa Mogniz Perestrello of Lisbon, succeeded Don Nicolas de Ovando as governor, and bore the title of viceroy.

[p143-3] Cuba, which was discovered by Columbus, on October 28, 1492, and named by him, Juana, in honour of the Royal Infante, Don Juan. He was convinced that he had reached China, or Cipango, of which he had read in Marco Polo's narrative. It was discovered to be an island by Ocampo, who first circumnavigated it in 1508. The island was conquered in 151 1 by Velasquez, in command of three hundred men, but so peaceable and indolent were the natives, that the conquest was effected almost without a struggle; for only one chief, Hatuey, with a few followers, attempted to dispute the landing of the Spaniards. Hatuey was captured, and sentenced to be burned. When this cruel sentence was about to be carried out, a friar exhorted him to be baptised, and thus ensure his soul going to paradise. The chief asked if there would be Spaniards there, and when the friar

[1]

[2]

[3]

Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/143

Navigation menu

Search