Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/71

Rh His powers devolved upon Marcos de Aguilar, who was not only too old for such an arduous post, but was ill of a disease which, it was said, obliged him to take nourishment by suckling, for which purpose wet nurses and she-goats were daily furnished him. The speedy death of this harmless old man started another story of poisoning, and was followed by the supreme disaster of Estrada's succession to the ill-starred commissionership, under whom the baiting of Cortes went on apace, while the entire population, Spanish as well as native, groaned under oppressions and vexations innumerable. The slave-trade was carried on shamelessly with nameless cruelties, chiefly by the brutal Nuñez de Guzman, a partisan of Diego Velasquez, who had been placed by the latter's influence as Governor of Panuco, for the express purpose of tormenting Cortes, and fomenting cabals against his authority. This petty tyrant committed barbarities never before heard of in Mexico.

Wearied out with persecutions and insults, and hopeless of obtaining justice from such officials as Estrada and his subordinates, Cortes decided to go to Spain and lay his own case before the Emperor. His decision created some consternation amongst his opponents, and Estrada realised that it was a grave blunder to drive the Captain-General to make a personal appeal to the Emperor. If opposition or concessions could have stopped him, Cortes would have relinquished his plan, for overtures were made through the bishop of Tlascala, and promises of satisfaction were not spared; but his preparations were well under way, and, though perhaps somewhat mollified by the changed tone of Estrada, he remained firm in his purpose. Sailing with two ships from Vera Cruz (where he learned the news of his father's death), he landed after an unusually brief and prosperous voyage at the historic port of Palos in May, 1528.