and as honest as he was brave. He had been with the governor for some time, and the wonder was how so bad a master should have so good a man. There was no lack of volunteers, two hundred and forty[1] coming forward at once; among them several who afterward became famous. Two caravels were added to the two brought back by Córdoba, making in all refitted and equipped, four vessels, the San Sebastian, the Trinidad, the Santiago, and the Santa María de los Remedios. The pilots and many of the men from the former expedition were engaged, and some natives of Cuba were taken as servants. Grijalva, as commander of the armada, directed one vessel, and Pedro de Alvarado, Alonso Dávila, and Francisco de Montejo,[2] were appointed captains of the others. Grijalva's instructions were not to settle, but only to discover and trade.[3] License was obtained from the Jeronimite Fathers, who stipulated that Francisco de Peñalosa should accompany the expedition as veedor. As priest, attended one Juan Diaz,[4] and Diego de Godoy went as notary.
- ↑ Solis and Herrera say 250; Gomaraand Galvano, 200; Peter Martyr, 300, etc.
- ↑ Torquemada, i. 358, asserts that Montejo furnished his own vessel, and that Alonso Hernandez Puertocarrero, Alonso Dávila, Diego de Ordaz, and others, went at their own cost.
- ↑ As upon this point, that is to say, the orders and their fulfilment, turned the destiny, not only of Grijalva, but of the conquest, there has been much controversy over it. 'Si Iuan de Grijalua supiera conocer aquella buena ve tura, y poblara alli como los de su compañia le rogauan, fuera otro Cortes, mas no era para el tanto bien, ni lleuaua comission de poblar.' Gomara, Hist. Ind., 57-8. Partisans of Cortés regard Grijalva with disdain, while no one seems greatly to care for Velazquez. Bernal Diaz was of opinion that the matter of founding a colony was left to Grijalva's discretion; but Las Casas, who had much better opportunities for knowing, being intimate with the governor, and at special pains to ascertain the truth of the matter, states clearly that Grijalva's instructions were positive, that he should not settle but only trade. Bartolome de las Casas, autor de mucha fe, y que con particular cuydado lo quiso saber, y era gran amigo, y muy intimo de Diego Velazquez, dize que fue la instruccion que espressamente no poblasse, sino q͏̃ solamente rescatasse." Herrera, dec. ii. lib. fii. cap. i. So hold Torquemada, Solis, and all careful writers on the subject.
- ↑ Or as he calls himself, 'capellano maggior' of the armada. Long before the soldier, Bernal Diaz, published his 'True History,' Juan Diaz had given to the world an account of the voyage,Itinerario de la isola de Iuchatan, following the Itinerario de Ludovico de Varthema Bolognese nella Egitto, etc., in a volume printed at Venice in 1520. Juan Diaz disputes the honor with Bartolomé de Olmedo of having first said mass in the city of Mexico.
