A Cacique, Named; Cuchadaquir, Used
Them Hospitably, And Sent Two Hundred Of His People To Cortes With
Presents Of Gold And Silver; And The People Of Tecoantepec Did The Same.
Not Long Afterwards, This Friendly Cacique Sent To Cortes, Requesting Aid
Against His Neighbours, Who Warred Against Him.
Cortes accordingly, in
the year 1523, sent Peter de Alvarado to his assistance, with 200 foot
and 40 horse, who built a town called St Jago, in which he left a
garrison.
The caciques of Tecoantepec and Quahutemallan inquired at
Alvarado concerning certain _sea monsters_ that had been on their coast
the year before; meaning the ships of Gil Gonzales de Avila, at which
they had been much amazed; and they wondered still more on being informed
that Cortes had many such, and much larger than those they had seen. They
displayed a painting of a mighty carak, having six masts, with sails and
shrouds, and having armed horsemen on board[45]. In May 1523, Antonio de
Britto, the Portuguese governor of the Molucca isles, sent Simon de Bru
to discover the passage from thence by the island of Borneo to Malacca.
They came in sight of the islands of Manada and Panguensara, and thence
through the strait of Treminao and Taquy to the islands of St Michael, in
7 deg. S. and then to the island of Borneo, where they came in sight of
_Pedra Branca_, or the _white stone_; whence, passing through the strait
of Cincapura, they came to the city of Malacca[46].
In the same year 1523, Cortes went with 300 Spanish foot, 150 horse, and
20,000 Mexicans, to make a complete discovery and conquest of Panuco, and
to punish the inhabitants for having killed and devoured the soldiers of
Francis Garay.
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