new titles and honors, but with diminished power, a viceroy having been intrusted with the administration of civil affairs, although Cortes still retained military authority, with permission to continue his conquests. This division of power led to continual dissension, and caused the failure of several enterprises in which Cortes was engaged; but in 1536 he discovered the peninsula of California and surveyed part of the gulf that separates it from Mexico. Subsequently, however, tired of struggling with unworthy adversaries, he returned to Europe, hoping to confound his enemies. He was coldly received by Charles; but, concealing his feelings, he served in the disastrous expedition to Algiers in 1541. During this unfortunate campaign, which was his last, he served with great bravery; and, had his advice been heeded, the Spanish arms would have been saved from disgrace, and Europe delivered nearly three centuries earlier from the scourge of organized piracy. On his return he was utterly neglected, and could scarcely obtain an audience. On one occasion he forced his way through a crowd that surrounded the emperor's carriage, and mounted on the doorstep. The emperor, astounded at such audacity, demanded of him who he was. “I am a man,” replied Cortes proudly, “who has given you more provinces than your ancestors left you cities.” This declaration of services could scarcely fail to offend the proud monarch, and Cortes retired to Seville, where he passed the remainder of his days in solitude. Five letters addressed to Charles V., detailing his conquests, are his only writings. See “Letters and Despatches of Cortes,” translated by George Folsom (New York, 1848); Prescott's “Conquest of Mexico” (Boston, 1843); and Sir Arthur Helps's “Life of Hernando Cortes” (London, 1871).
CORTHELL, Elmer Lawrence, engineer, b. 30 Sept., 1840. He left Brown university to en- list for three years at the beginning of the civil war, and was promoted to be captain of artillery. Returning to the university after his discharge, he was graduated in 1867, then studied civil engineer- ing with S. B. Cushing, of Providence, and went to Illinois as assistant engineer in the construc- tion of the Hannibal and Naples railroad in 1868. He was chief engineer of the Sny Island levee in 1871, became chief assistant engineer on the Mis- sissippi jetties in 1874, chief engineer in the con- struction of the New York, West Shore, and Buf- falo railroad in 1881, and in 1883 was appointed chief engineer of the Tehuantepec ship-railway. He has published a " History of the Jetties at tlie Mouth of the Mississippi River " (New York, 1881).
CORTINA, José M. Justo Gomez de la (cor-
tee'-nah). Count de la Cortina, Mexican scholar, b.
in the city of Mexico, 9 Aug., 1799 ; d. there, 6
Jan., 1860. He was the son of noble parents, from
whom he inherited his title. At the age of fifteen
he was sent to Madrid to finish his education, af-
terward studied at the Academy of Alcala de He-
nares, won in competition the professorship of mili-
tary geography, and became an officer of engineers.
Still later he entered the diplomatic service. The
most distinguished scholars of Spain met at his
house in Madrid, and he was in correspondence
with philologists, historians, critics, and poets of
France, Germany, and Austria. Cortina returned
to his country in 1832, worked hard to promote
literary education in Mexico, and sooii had great
influence in politics ; but this caused his expulsion
from Mexico in June, 1833, and he was absent un-
til Gen. Santa Anna recalled him in the following-
year. He afterward filled many public offices, in-
cluding those of minister of finance, president of
the board of finance, colonel of the grenadiers
corps, member of the board of notables that laid
the bases for the organization of the republic, sena-
tor and chief officer of the war department, and
governor of the district of Mexico. He established
several periodicals, was a constant contributor to
many others, published more than twenty works,
and left fifty-four manuscripts on various subjects.
Among his printed books are " Cartilla historial " ;
" Cartilla social " (1833) ; " Diecionario de sinoni-
mos castellanos " (1845) ; " Leonor," a novel (1845) ;
" Euclea 6 la Griega de Trieste," a novel (1845) ;
" Diecionario manual de voces tecnicas castella-
nas, en bellas artes " (1848) ; " Los enviados diplo-
maticos ; sus atribuciones y derechos " (1854) ; and
" Prontuario diplomatico y consular " (1856). Of
his manuscripts, the " Diecionario diplomatico,"
" Gramatica castellana," " Diecionario de voces an-
tiguas," " Use de las preposiciones de la lengua
castellana," " Nomenclatura cientifica de plantas y
de animales de la Republica mejicana," " Tratado
de la nobleza espafiola," " Diecionario militar an-
tiguo," " Vocabulario de voces poeticas," " Die-
cionario seismologico," and the poems entitled " La
Mariposa " and " El Clasico y el Romantico," de-
serve special mention. Cortina's library, which
included many rare books and manuscripts, was
sold in Paris. He also left a rich numismatic col-
lection, which he presented to the National museum
in the city of Mexico.
CORTINA, Juan Nepomuceno (cor-tee'-nah),
Mexican soldier, b. in La Higuera, near Matamo-
ros, Tamaulipas, 15 June, 1830. He began life as
a farm laborer. When the American troops en-
tered Mexico in 1846 he organized a band of cow-
boys for guerilla warfare. This band was after-
ward incorporated in the Mexican army and took
part in the battles of Palo Alto and Angostura,
where Cortina was dangerously wounded. At the
close of the war he had the rank of captain, but
was not permitted to enter the regular army, and
became a smuggler. On one occasion he had
promised certain Texan dealers to smuggle a lai'ge
cargo of goods into Matamoros, and, as the Mexi-
can authorities were making preparations to pre-
vent it, he entered Matamoros alone, took away
with him the custom-house collector, and forced
him to escort the cargo into Matamoros. In 1856,
while assisting the liberal revolutionists, he entered
the town of Burgos and shot the mayor and other
officers. Even some members of his own party
asked in congress that Cortina and others should
be sentenced to death in 1857. He was now a gen-
eral, and sided with Comonfort, but was attacked
and defeated by Gen. Hinojosa near Cerralbo, and
took refuge iii United States territory, where
he remained until 1859. He then served under
Gen. Vidaurri, but would not submit to mili-
tary discipline. He and Canales governed in the
frontier, appointing and discharging military or
civil authorities at will, burning settlements, and
committing other depredations, until 1863. Cor-
tina remained faithful to the republican party dur-
ing the first year of the French invasion, joined
Vidaurri to defend Maximilian in 1864, refused to
go to the city of Mexico when called there in 1865,
and again sided with the republicans in 1867.
President Juarez appointed him in 1869 federal
chief of Tamaulipas ; but he revolted in 1874 in
favor of the Plan de Tuxtepec, and gave shelter to
Gen. Diaz, then a fugitive, to whom he offered
money and soldiers. After the revolution was
ended in 1876, Diaz ordered Gen. Canales to cap-
ture and shoot Cortina ; but Canales only arrested
him and took him to the city of Mexico, early in
