the crown, Alonso de Estrada, who came as treasurer, Gonzalo de Salazar, as factor, Rodrigo de Albornoz, contador, and Pedro Almindez Chirinos, veedor. All had acquired a certain knowledge of their duties in various minor departments of public offices in Spain, although they owed their appointment chiefly to the favor of the all-powerful Cobos, secretary to the emperor. This was especially the case with Salazar and Chirinos, the latter more generally alluded to as Peralmindez, a contraction of his first two names.[1] Both developed a talent for intrigue and unscrupulousness that procured for them an unenviable record in New Spam. Albornoz had held a position as secretary near the king, and possessed excellent observation, but lacked strength of character. Estrada was the more estimable of the four. He had been regidor of Ciudad Real, and one of the royal body-guard. With a claim of being the offspring of the Catholic king was united love of ostentation, which wholly failed to excite admiration in the minds of the somewhat plain and practical colonists, yet his swelling carriage was not inharmonious with the position he later acquired.
The development of the country demanded this increase of officials, and, since Treasurer Alderete had died shortly before, their arrival proved opportune. Cortés vied with the rest in according them a demonstrative welcome, and in propitiating with presents and repartimientos men fresh from the imperial presence, and representing in a great: measure the supreme authority, with perhaps secret instructions to examine and report on the condition and management of the country, as indeed they had.[2] Their public instructions were sufficiently explicit for them to claim a
- ↑ Oveido, iii. 467, gives his birthplace as Ubeda, and that of Albornoz as Madrigal. Gomara, Hist. Mex., 242. Bernal Diaz differs, and writes Ubeda or Baeza, and Paladinas or la Gama, respectively. Hist. Verdad., 188.
- ↑ This is shown by the reports which began to pour in from them. Salazar on a later occasion even vaunted that he had been empowered to arrest and sentence Cortés, should indications of disloyalty appear. Of this more will be said in a later page.
