Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/215

 port, they are to land the people, horses, and provisions, and fortify themselves, with their artillery — of which they take plenty — in the best position they can choose, and there establish a settlement; three of the largest ships are then to go to Cuba, to the port of Trinidad, because that is the best place and because one of my agents has everything in readiness there which the commander of the expedition may require. The other smaller ships and the brigantine, with the chief pilot — who is a cousin of mine called Diego Hurtado — in command, are to cruise along the coast of the Ascension Bay, searching for the strait which is believed to be there, and, after discovering everything about it, are to return to wherever Captain Cristobal de Olid may be, sending me one of the ships with an account of what they have discovered so that I may make a complete report of all that has been done to Your Catholic Majesty.

I also said that I had prepared certain people to go with