orders, if they found it as it was described, to settle in the principal city — Huicicila. They were well received and lodged by the chiefs and natives, who, besides providing them with food, gave them as much as three thousand marks of silver, so mixed with copper that one-half may have been silver; and about five thousand dollars of gold, likewise mixed with silver in unknown proportion and some cotton stuffs, and other things; after having separated Your Majesty's fifth, these were distributed amongst the Spaniards of the expedition. As they were not much satisfied with the prospects of settling in the country, they objected, and even showed such disaffection that some were punished; on which account I ordered those who wished to do so to go back, and the others I ordered to go on with a captain to the South Sea, where I have established a town called Zacatula,[1] distant one hundred leagues from Huicicila, and where I have four ships in the dockyard for the exploration of that Sea as far as God our Lord will permit me. While marching to Zacatula, the said captain and his people heard of a province, called Coliman, which lies off the road about fifty leagues westward; so, without my permission, he went thither with his people and many allies from the Province of Mechuacan. He marched some distance into it, coming into conflict with the natives, and, although he had forty horsemen and more than one hundred foot soldiers, musketeers, and crossbowmen, they routed him, and drove him from the country, killing three Spaniards and many of our Indian allies; he then took refuge in Zacatula. As soon as I heard of this incident, I summoned the captain and punished him for his disobedience.
In the former account which I sent to Your Cœsarian
- ↑ Zacatula was the first port established on the Pacific coast. Cortes made a dock-yard there. It still bears the same name and is situated just north of Acapulco.
