The Golden Americas

Soldier, an Adventurer?Finds Favour with Ovand.i ?Serves under Velasquez?Mexico?Receives his Commission to Explore and Conquer Mexico?Touches at Cozumel?Finds an Interpreter?Tabasco ?A Battle and a Victory?Female Slaves?San Juan de Ulloa ?Deputies? A Message to the King?The King's Answer?" A house divided against itself"?March upon Mexico?Montezuma?A Bold Expedient?Battles? Treachery?The Search of All: Thirst for Gold?Triumph of Spanish Arms in Mexico?End of Cortes. TTERNAN CORTES was born at Medellin, a small town of Estre- madura, in the year 1485. He was intended for the legal profession, but became disgusted with it long before he had completed his studies, and, turning his attention to soldiering, took service under the famous Gonsalvo de Cordova. But his military aspirations were disappointed, he being seized with a severe illness which for the tune entirely prostrated his energies, and when he recovered, his opportunity of accompanying De Cordova was lost. Bent upon adventure. and with an eye to profit, he looked longingly towards the Western Indies, where the Spaniards were reaping, or were said to be reaping, golden harvests. At the age of nineteen, with certain letters of introduction, he went to the island of St. Domingo, and was there very kindly received by Ovando, the governor. Thanks to this patronage he obtained several lucrative appointments, and in this way he spent seven years. At the end of that period he accompanied Don Diego Velasque...