Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/352

 having been told by the Indians that it was near and that they might come without fear as the entire country was at peace. I learned from these men that their companions belonged to Francisco Hernandez and had come, under command of Gabriel de Rojas as their captain, in search of that port. I immediately sent those two Spaniards, together with the natives who had come to complain, and also one of my alguacils, to Gabriel de Rojas, intimating to him to leave that province at once, after restoring to the natives all the property and women and everything else he had taken from them; besides this I wrote him a letter saying that if he needed anything to let me know as I would willingly supply him to the best of my ability. He complied with my mandate and instructions at once, which entirely satisfied the natives of the said province; though afterwards they returned again to complain that when the alguacils whom I had sent returned, they had again been robbed. I wrote therefore to the said Francisco Hernandez, offering to supply him and his men with everything I could which they required, enjoining him to remain loyal to his governor. I do not know what has occurred since then, though I learned from the alguacil I sent to Gabriel de Rojas, and those who went with him, that, when they were all assembled there, a letter from their captain, Francisco Hernandez, had arrived addressed to Gabriel de Rojas, bidding him join him with all possible haste as great dissensions prevailed among his people, two of his captains, named Soto and Andres Garabito, having rebelled on the plea that he was himself about to renounce his allegiance to Pedro Arias. Thus matters remained in such a state that only harmful results could follow, not only to the Spaniards, but also to the natives. Whence Your Majesty may consider the mischievous consequences of these commotions, and how necessary it is that the authors and promoters of them should be punished. I