Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/354

 them, with more than two hundred horsemen and five hundred Spanish foot soldiers, besides from five to ten thousand Indians, he has so far been unable to reduce them to Your Majesty's service, but on the contrary they become daily stronger through reinforcements of other people. I believe that, had I been able to go that way, I might with God's help, through kindness and other means, have won them over. For some of the provinces which were driven to rebellion by the ill-treatment they received during my absence and against which had marched no less than one hundred and twenty horsemen three hundred footmen, and considerable artillery, besides thousands of Indian auxiliaries, all under command of the inspector who governed at that time, not only continued in their rebellion, but rather succeeded, and killed ten or twelve Spaniards and many Indians; but when I arrived it sufficed to simply send them a message of my speedy coming, for all the principal persons of that province to come and explain to me the cause of their rising. It really seemed to me sufficiently just, for the Spaniards to whom they had been given in charge had burned eight of their principal chiefs alive, five of them dying on the spot, and the remaining three, a few days after; and, although they had demanded reparation and justice, they had not obtained it; so I consoled them in such manner that they went away satisfied, and have so far continued to live peaceably, and to serve as they had done before I went away. Therefore I am persuaded that the other towns in the province of Coatzacoalco, which are in the same plight, on hearing of my arrival, and without even sending messengers to them, will become tranquil.

In another part of my narrative, most Catholic Majesty,  The Slave Trade I have already spoken of certain small islands off the port of Honduras, which are called Los Guanajos, some of which have been