according to the established rules in Hispaniola and
Cuba, and to brand slaves: And he brought notice
that these tribunals had transmitted a report of the
steps they had now taken to the government in Spain,
whence it was transmitted to the emperor, then in Flanders.
If Avila had been in New Spain at the arrival of Tapia,
he might have proved troublesome, as he was entirely
devoted to the Bishop of Burgos, having been bred
up in his house. On this account, and by the advice
of Olmedo, Cortes gave him the command of the district
of Guatitlan, one of the most profitable in New Spain,
and also made him a considerable present of gold,
and many flattering words and promises by which he
gained him over entirely to his interest, insomuch
that he sent him soon afterwards into Spain as his
agent, carrying a large quantity of gold, pearls, and
jewels to the emperor, together with several gigantic
human bones that were found in a temple at Cojohuacan,
similar to those which had been formerly sent from
Tlascala, as already mentioned[3]. Besides these
things, he carried over three Mexican tigers, and
many other curious things which I do not now remember.
One part of the business of this agency, was to carry
a memorial from the cabildo of Mexico, and
from us the conquerors of New Spain, soliciting to
be supplied with bishops and clergy of holy life and
exemplary manners, and requesting that all offices
of honour and emolument might be conferred on us who
had conquered this vast empire for our sovereign,
and that the supreme government might be confided to
our general Cortes. We requested that his majesty
might be pleased to prohibit any lawyers from coming
among us, who would throw us into confusion with their
learned quibbles; and we farther represented the insufficient
commission of Christoval de Tapia, who had been sent
out by the Bishop of Burgos, merely for the purpose
of effectuating a marriage between him and the bishops
niece. We deprecated the interference of the bishop
in the affairs of New Spain, which had already obstructed
our efforts of conquest in the service of his majesty,
and had manifested great enmity against us by prohibiting
the Casa de Contratation of Seville from sending us
any supplies. We concluded by declaring ourselves
ready to receive his majesties commands with the most
perfect submission and obedience, but that we had
deemed it our bounden duty to lay all these particulars
before his majesty, which had hitherto been artfully
kept from his knowledge. On his part, Cortes
sent a memorial to the king of twenty-one pages long,
in which he left no argument unemployed to serve his
own and our interest. He even requested permission
to go over to the island of Cuba, and to send the
governor Velasquez a prisoner to Spain, that he might
be tried and punished for the injuries he had done
to the public service, and especially for having sent
an order to put Cortes to death.