Your Royal Highnesses, was ready to spend all he had, and to equip almost two parts of this armada at his own cost, not only in ships, but also in stores, and moreover to distribute his moneys amongst those who were going in the armada, and who needed to provide things necessary for the voyage.
The armada having been fitted and equipped, Diego Velasquez in the name of Your Majesties, named the said Fernando Cortes Captain of it, that he should come to this land to trade, and accomplish what Grijalba had failed to do. The
Cortes
Given Comm-
mand of the
Armada
agreement respecting the said armada, although he did not invest or spend more than one-third part of it, was made entirely according to Diego Velasquez's wishes as Your Royal Highnesses may command to be verified from the instructions and faculty which the said Fernando Cortes received from him in the name of Your Majesties. These we now send with these our procurators to Your Royal Highnesses. Let it be known to Your Majesties that the larger part of the third, which Diego Velasquez spent in fitting out the said armada, consisted in investing his money in wines, and clothing, and in other things of little value, in order to sell them to us here at a much higher price than they had cost him, so that we may say that Diego Velasquez has made his bargains, and the profits on his money, amongst us Spaniards, vassals of your Royal Highnesses, doing a very good business.
Having finished fitting out the said armada, Your Royal Highnesses' Captain, Fernando Cortes, sailed upon his voyage from the Island of Fernandina, having ten caravels, and four hundred men at arms, amongst whom were many knights and other noblemen, and sixteen horses. Pursuing their voyage, the first land where they arrived was the Island of Cozumel (now called Santa Cruz, as has been said), in the port of San Juan
