Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/261

Rh Highness, nor had appeared to give his obedience, with all his lands, as he was obliged to do, it was because he had to cross an enemy's country, and that, fearing to be molested by them, he had deferred coming; but to send him four Spaniards to accompany him, because, they, through whose country he had to pass, knowing for what purpose he was coming, would not then dare molest him, and he would immediately come. The captain, believing that what the said Qualpopoca had sent to say was true, as many others had done the same, had despatched him the four Spaniards, but, after he got them in his power, he tried to kill them, in such a way as would make it appear that he had not done it. After he had killed two of them, however, the other two, wounded, escaped to the forests. The captain had then attacked the city of Almeria, with fifty Spaniards, two horsemen, two field pieces, and about eight thousand friendly Indians. He fought with the inhabitants of the said city, and slaughtered many of them, driving out the rest, and burnt, and destroyed it, because the Indians accompanying him were their enemies, and had put much diligence into it. Qualpopoca, the lord of the city, together with the other chiefs, who had come thither to assist him, escaped by taking flight.

The captain was informed by some of the prisoners, taken amongst the defenders of the city, that Qualpopoca had killed the said Spaniards, whom we had sent, because Montezuma had ordered him, and his other vassals, that, as soon as I left the town of Vera Cruz, they should attack those vassals who had rebelled against him, and offered themselves to the service of Your Highness; and that he should use every means he could to kill the Spaniards I had left there, so that they could not aid nor favour them. This was the reason they had done what they had.

Six days having passed, Most Invincible Prince, after