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 myself; but I grew so accustomed to
being armed night and day, as it were living in armour, that after the
conquest of New Spain I could not accustom myself for a length of time
to undress on going to lie down, or make use of a bed, but slept better
in soldier fashion than on the softest down. Even at the present day, in
my old age, I never take a bed with me when I visit the townships
belonging to my commendary; and if I do take one, it is merely because
the cavaliers who accompany me may not think I take no bed with me,
because I have no good one. From continued watching at night it has
become quite natural to me to sleep for a short time together only, and
get up at intervals to gaze upon the heavens and the stars, and take a
couple of turns in the open air. Neither do I wear a nightcap or wind a
kerchief around my head; and thanks be to God! this has become so
natural to me, that I never feel any inconvenience from it. I have
merely mentioned all this to convince the reader how we, the true
Conquistadores, were always obliged to be upon our guard, and what
hardships we had to undergo.

CHAPTER CIX.

 _How the governor of Cuba, Velasquez, in all haste fits out an
 armament against us, the command of which he gives to Pamfilo de
 Narvaez, who was accompanied by the licentiate Lucas Vazquez de
 Aillon, auditor of the royal court of audience at St. Domingo._

In order to explain what I am now about to relate I must refer to prior
events.

I have already mentioned, in the proper chapter, that Diego Velasquez
got information of our having sent agents to our emperor with all the
gold and presents we had received; and also of the bad reception they
had met with from the bishop of Burgos; who not only favoured Velasquez
in various ways, but even commanded him to fit out an armament against
us, for which he himself would be responsible to the emperor.

The governor of Cuba accordingly used the utmost exertions and assembled
a flotilla, consisting of nineteen sail, on board of which were 1400
soldiers, above forty cannon, with a quantity of powder, balls, and
gun-flints, besides two artillerymen, who, with the artillery stood
under the immediate command of the captain Rodrigo Martin. To this was
added eighty horse, ninety crossbow-men, and seventy musketeers. Fat and
corpulent as he was, Velasquez had, nevertheless, in the height of his
passion, visited every township in Cuba, to hasten the equipment of the
flotilla, and invited every inhabitant who had either Indians,
relations, or friends who could manage their estates, to join the
standard of Pamfilo Narvaez, and share the honour of taking Cortes and
all of us prisoners, or at least to blow out our brains. He had even
advanced as far as the promontory of Guaniguanico, in the height of his
zeal, though that promontory was above 240 miles from the Havannah.

Before this armament quitted the harbour, the royal court of audience at
St. Domingo, and the Hieronymite brothers, who were viceroys there, were
determined to look into the matter a little; as the licentiate Suazo,
who was their agent in Cuba, had sent them information of the
extensiveness of the armament.

As the great and valuable services which we had rendered God and his
majesty were very well known at St. Domingo, as also the fact of our
having sent valuable presents to our emperor, it was considered there
that Velasquez was not justified in fitting out an armament to revenge
himself upon us, but that his only way was to pursue us in a court of
law. These impartial men well foresaw how this armament would impede the
conquest of New Spain. They therefore despatched the licentiate Lucas
Vazquez de Aillon, who was auditor of the court of audience at St.
Domingo, to Cuba, with peremptory commands to Velasquez not to allow the
flotilla to leave the harbour.

The auditor punctually fulfilled these commands, and in due form
protested against the flotilla leaving the harbour; but Diego Velasquez,
who had spent all his property in fitting out this armament, relied upon
the good favour of the bishop of Burgos, and took no notice of the
protest. Upon this Vazquez de Aillon determined upon embarking himself
on board one of the vessels, to try at least if he could not prevent
hostilities between Narvaez and Cortes. Many even maintained that he
came to Mexico with the secret intention to side with our party, or, if
we could not succeed in defeating Narvaez, himself to take possession of
the country in the name of our emperor. At all events he embarked with
Narvaez and arrived in the harbour of San Juan de Ulua, of which we
shall hear more presently.

CHAPTER CX.

 _How Narvaez arrives with the whole of his flotilla in the harbour
 of San Juan de Ulua, and what happened upon this._

When Narvaez had arrived with the flotilla off the mountains of San
Martin, a north wind arose, which is always dangerous on these coasts.
One of the vessels commanded by a cavalier, named Christobal de Morante,
of Medina del Campo, was wrecked during night-time off the coast, and
the greater part of the men perished. The other vessels, however,
arrived safely in the harbour of San Juan de Ulua.

This armament, which may indeed be considered extensive, considering it
was fitted out at Cuba, was first of all seen by some soldiers whom
Cortes had sent out in search of gold mines. Three of these, Cervantes,
Escalona, and Alonso Carretero, did not hesitate a moment to go on
board the commander's ship, and are said, as soon as they stepped on
board to have praised the Almighty for having rescued them out of the
hands of Cortes and the great city of Mexico, where death stood daily
before their eyes.

Narvaez ordered meat and drink to be set before them, and as their
glasses were abundantly filled, they said to one another in his
presence: "This is indeed leading a different sort of life with a glass
of good wine in one's hand, when compared to the slavery under Cortes,
who allows a person no rest either night or day; where a person dares
scarcely say a word, and death is always staring him in the face."

Cervantes, however, who was a low buffoon, even addressed Narvaez
himself, and exclaimed: "O Narvaez! Narvaez, what a fortunate man you
are, that you just arrive at the moment when the traitor Cortes has
heaped together above 700,000 pesos, and the whole of his men are so
enraged with him for his having cheated them out of the greater part of
the gold, that many even disdain to accept of their shares."

Such was the language which these low-minded and worthless fellows
uttered, and they told Narvaez more than he was desirous of knowing.
They likewise informed him that thirty-two miles further on he would
come to a town we had built, called Vera Cruz, which had a garrison of
sixty men, all invalids, under an officer named Sandoval, and he had
merely to show himself with a few men there and they would immediately
deliver up the town to him.

Motecusuma was immediately apprized of the arrival of this flotill

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