Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/331

Rh finished, for there are still some cities and towns to be pacified, which by the help of Our Lord will shortly be, like these others, subject to the royal dominion of Your Majesty.

In a certain part of this province, where they killed those ten Spaniards, the natives were always very active in the war, and very rebellious, and had to be reduced by force of arms. I made a number slaves, of whom I gave a fifth part to the officials of Your Majesty. I did this especially as, in addition to their having killed the said Spaniards, and rebelled against the service of Your Highness, they eat human flesh, a fact. so notorious that I do not send proofs of it to Your Majesty. I was also moved to make the said slaves in order to strike terror into the Culuans, and also because there are many who will never mend themselves until great and severe punishment is inflicted upon them. We entered upon this war with the aid of the natives of Tascaltecal, and Churultecal, and Quasucingo, by which our friendship has been well confirmed; and we are convinced that they will always serve Your Highness as loyal vassals.

While conducting this war in the province of Tepeaca, I received letters from Vera Cruz, telling me that two ships had arrived in that port, belonging to Francisco de Garay who it appears had again sent more people to that great river which I described to Your Highness, and that the natives there had fought with them, killing seventeen or eighteen Christians, and wounding many others. They had likewise killed seven horses, and the remaining Spaniards who returned to the ships had escaped by their good legs. The captains and all of them had arrived very much shattered and wounded, and my lieutenant had received them very kindly and taken care of them. That they might convalesce the better, he had sent some of the said Spaniards to the country of a friendly chief near there, where they were well attended to and provided