Certain monks have asked me to tell them and explain why so many Indian men and women were branded for slaves throughout New Spain, and whether we branded them without reporting it to His Majesty. To this I replied, and repeat it now, that His Majesty sent twice to order it, and, that this may be clearly understood, interested readers should know that this was the way of it:—Diego Velasquez, Governor of the Island of Cuba, sent a fleet against us, and as Captain of it one Panfilo de Narvaez, who brought with him thirteen hundred soldiers, among them ninety horsemen, and ninety small cannon (they were called Espingardas at that time), and eighty crossbowmen. He came to capture us and take the country for Diego Velasquez, as I have already stated in my narrative in the chapter that treats of it, and it is necessary that I should now refer to it again so that it may be clearly understood.

To go back to my subject : as soon as our Captain and all of us soldiers knew how Narvaez came in a fury, and about the insolent speeches he was uttering against us, we decided to set out from Mexico and meet him with two hundred and sixty soldiers, and endeavour to defeat him before he could capture us.