Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/74

46 servant and was going to set sail the very next day.

The fleet sailed on the 10th of February, 1519, and shaping its course direct to Cozumel, we landed our men in the same harbor I mentioned when I told of our expedition under Grijalva. Three days after we were landed Cortes ordered a muster to see how many of us there were. Not counting pilots and sailors, who were about one hundred, we numbered five hundred and eight men; and sixteen horses or mares, all trained for sport or war. We had eleven ships, great and small, and one, a sort of brig, which belonged to one man. Thirteen of our number were musketeers, and thirty-two, perhaps, crossbowmen. Added to these were our ten cannon, four falconets and quantities of powder and balls.

After this review, Cortes ordered certain artillerymen to keep all our guns clean and ready for use, and likewise two crossbowmen to inspect the crossbows and see that every crossbow had two or three nuts and as many cords carefully stored. He also ordered that the men should exercise in shooting at a target, and the horses be accustomed to fire-arms and kept in fine condition. But I should not use so much ink in telling how particular and exact Cortes was—except to say he was most vigilant about the merest trifles.