from the friends of Cortes who were along with De Oli.  That same night a heavy storm arose, by which the vessels of Las Casas were driven on shore and utterly lost, and above thirty of the soldiers perished.  All the rest were made prisoners two days afterwards, having been all that time on shore without food, and almost perished with cold, as it was the season of almost incessant rain.  De Oli obliged all his prisoners to swear fidelity to him against Cortes, and then released them all except Las Casas.

The party which he sent against De Avila returned about this time, having been successful in their errand.  Avila had gone with a party to reduce the country about the Golfe Dolce, and had founded a settlement to which he gave the name of St Gil de buena vista; and the troops sent against him, after killing his nephew and eight of his soldiers, made himself and all the rest prisoners.  De Oli was now much elated by his success, in having made two captains belonging to Cortes prisoners, and sent off a full account of his exploits to his friend Velasquez.  He afterwards marched up the country to a place called Naco in a very populous district, which is all now laid waste.  While here, he sent off various detachments in different directions, among which one was commanded by Briones, who had first instigated him to revolt; bat Briones now revolted from him in his turn, and marched off with all his men for New Spain.  He was a seditious fellow, who had on some former occasion had the lower part of his ears cut off, which he used to say had been done for refusing to surrender in some fortress or other.  He was afterwards hanged at Guatimala for mutiny.

De Oli was personally brave but imprudent, and permitted Las Casas and Avila to be at large, disdaining to be under any apprehensions from them; but they concerted a plan with some of the soldiers for putting him to death.  Las Casas one day asked him, as if half in jest, for liberty to return to Cortes; but De Oli said he was too happy to have the company of so brave a man, and could not part with him.  “Then” said Las Casas, “I advise you to take care of me, for I shall kill you one of these days”.  De Oli considered this as a joke, but measures were actually concerted for the purpose; and one night after supper, when the servants and pages had withdrawn to their own apartment, Las Casas, Avila, Juan de Mercado, and some other soldiers attached to Cortes, suddenly drew out their penknives and fell upon De Oli.  Las Casas seized him by the beard, and made a cut at his throat, and the rest gave him several wounds; but being strong and active, he escaped from their hands, calling loudly to his people for assistance, but they were all too busy at their suppers to hear him.  He then fled and concealed himself among some bushes, calling out for assistance, and many of his people turned out for that purpose; but Las Casas called upon them to rally on the side of the king and his