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236 he gave to the conquered officers and left us unnoticed. This, they maintained, was base ingratitude after we had raised him to the post he held.

Cortes was never wanting for an answer, however, and he said that all he possessed was ours, but for the time being he could not do other than gain the good will of the followers of Narvaez with fair words and gifts, for they were many in comparison with ourselves and if they were once to rise up in anger, they might put us all to the sword.

A very great misfortune now came to New Spain. Narvaez had with him a negro servant who was ill of small pox. From this man the terrible disease spread through the whole country. Never before, the Indians said, had they had such a sickness, and in their ignorance of what to do they bathed very often in cold water, as was their custom. Great numbers of them died. The lot of Narvaez was black; but blacker still the death of so many who had not become Christians.