to them; and having collected them together, he shipped them off for Cuba.  To Juan de Grijalva, who had been commodore of the fleet under Garay, Cortes offered the alternative of a present of 2000 crowns, and a passage to Cuba, or an honourable reception at Mexico.  But Grijalva and all the other officers belonging to Garay preferred going to Cuba.  When Sandoval and Ocampo had thus reduced the settlement to order, and cleared it of these troublesome inmates, they returned to Mexico, leaving the command at St Estevan to an officer named Vallecillo; and on their arrival at the capital, they were received by Cortes and others with the distinction which their services richly merited[2].

[1] This is probably the river of Nueva Santander, about 100 miles north
    from the Rio Tampico or river of Panuco—­E.

[2] A very uninteresting episode, respecting the misfortunes of the
    liceniate Zuazo, who has been formerly mentioned, is here omitted, as
    having no reference whatever to the general history in hand:  It is
    sufficient to say that, after many perils by sea and land, Zuazo came
    to Mexico, where Cortes gave him the office of alcalde-major, which
    seems to have resembled our provost-marshal, or chief military
    judge.—­E.

SECTION XVII.

Narrative of various Expeditions for the Reduction of different Provinces in New Spain.

As the views of Cortes were always lofty, so was he always well supported by the talents and bravery of his officers and soldiers.  After his power was thoroughly established in the great city of Mexico and its more immediate dependencies, and in the districts or provinces of Guaxaca, Zacatula, Colima, Vera Cruz, Panuco, Coatzacualco, and others, as already related, he was informed that there were populous nations and rich mines in the province of Guatimala; and he resolved to send a military force under Alvarado, to conquer and colonize that country.  Alvarado, therefore, was dispatched to that province, with 300 infantry, 135 cavalry, 200 Tlascalans and Cholulans, and 100 Mexicans[1], and four field-pieces.  Alvarado was instructed to bring those nations to submission by peaceful means, if possible; and Father Olmedo accompanied him, on purpose to preach the doctrines of our holy religion to the natives; and at all events, to insist upon all the prisons and cages that were used for human victims being destroyed, the prisoners set free, and the utter abolition of human sacrifices and cannibal feasts.  This expedition left Mexico on the 13th of December 1523; and Alvarado during his march, received the submission of the district known by the name of the Rocks of Guelama, where he received many rich contributions in gold.  Having passed the districts belonging to the Tzapotecas of Tecuantepec, and by Soconusco, a town containing above 15,000 houses, Alvarado came to the neighbourhood of a place named Zapotitlan, where, at a bridge over a river, he was opposed by a very numerous body of warriors who disputed the passage with so much bravery, that many of the soldiers were wounded and one horse killed; and it required three very hard fought battles before the Spaniards were able to break through and disperse the enemy.