Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/216

 Pedro de Alvarado to those cities of Uclatan and Guatemala which I have mentioned in preceding chapters,  Expedition to Tehuantepec and to other provinces of which I have heard beyond them, and also how this had been interrupted by the arrival of Francisco de Garay. Although I had already incurred great expenses for horses and horsemen, artillery and ammunition, as well as for money advanced to help the people, I believed this to be for the service of God, our Lord, and Your Sacred Majesty, and, according to the accounts of those parts which I had received, I expected to discover many new and rich lands and strange inhabitants, so I reverted to my original intention. In addition to what I had already provided for the last expedition, I again fitted out Pedro de Alvarado, and despatched him from this city on the 6th of December, 1523, and he took one hundred and twenty horsemen, so that with his relays, he had one hundred and seventy horses and three hundred foot soldiers of which latter one hundred and thirty were crossbowmen and musketeers; he also took four field pieces of artillery, with plenty of powder and ammunition, and he was accompanied by some chiefs, both of this city and from its neighbourhood, who brought some people with them, though not very many, as the journey was so long.

I have heard that they arrived in the province of Tecuantepeque on the 12th of January, and that everything was going well. May it please our Lord to guide them and the others, for I readily believe that, acting in His service and in the Royal name of Your Cæsarian Majesty, great success will not be wanting.

I also recommended Pedro de Alvarado always to take special care to send me a complete account of everything that happens to him so that I may report to Your Highness. I am positive from the reports I have had about that country that Pedro de Alvarado and Cristobal