THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. By WILLIAM ROBERTSON, D. D. PRINCIPAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, HISTORIOGRAPHER THE TENTH EDITION, In which is included the Pofthumous Volume, CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, TO THE YEAR 1688; IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: Printed by A. Strahan, Printers-Street, For A. STRAHAN; T. CADELL and W. DAVIES, Strand; THE HISTORY OF AMER I CA. A BOOK V. continued. V. 1520. The pro ceedings of FTER a profperous voyage, Narvaez landed BOOK his men without oppofition near St. Juan de Ullua. Three foldiers, whom Cortes had fent to fearch for mines in that district, immediately Narvaez. joined him. By this accident, he not only re- April. ceived information concerning the progress and fituation of Cortes, but as these foldiers had made fome progrefs in the knowledge of the Mexican language, he acquired interpreters, by whose means he was enabled to hold fome intercourse with the people of the country. But, according to the low cunning of deferters, they framed their intelligence with more attention to what they thought would be agreeable, than to what they knew to be true; and represented the fituation of Cortes to be fo defperate, and the BOOK the difaffection of his followers to be fo general, V. as increased the natural confidence and prefumption of Narvaez. His first operation, however, might have taught him not to rely on their partial accounts. Having fent to fummon the governor of Vera Cruz to furrender, Guevara, a priest whom he employed in that service, made the requifition with fuch infolence, that Sandoval, an officer of high spirit, and zealously attached to Cortes, inftead of complying with his demands, feized him and his attendants, and fent them in chains to Mexico. CORTES received them not like enemies, but as friends, and condemning the severity of Sandoval, fet them immediately at liberty. By this well-timed clemency, feconded by careffes and prefents, he gained their confidence, and drew from them fuch particulars concerning the force and intentions of Narvaez, as gave him a view of the impending danger in its full extent. He had not to contend now with halfnaked Indians, no match for him in war, and still more inferior in the arts of policy, but to take the field against an army in courage and martial difcipline equal to his own, in number far fuperior, acting under the fanction of royal authority, and commanded by an officer of known bravery. He was informed that Nar |