Not only the estates of Cortés, but the offices, lands, and Indians of his followers, were appropriated for the benefit of the governor's friends, and many who had failed to take refuge in the sanctuary were arrested. This created a further dispersion, and not a few fled to the mountain regions, preferring to trust themselves among the half-revolted Indians rather than to the tender mercies of the executioners of Paz. In this persecution Casas and Gil Gonzalez were not overlooked, the former indeed being too dangerous. They were arraigned for the murder of Olid and condemned to death; to decapitation in this instance, since the culprits were by their rank exempt from the ignoble noose. Their appeal to the sovereign was at first disregarded, but their friends were sufficiently influential to prevail upon the governors to modify the decision and order their removal to Spain for judgment.[1]
By the vessel in which Gonzalez embarked, the ea sent a paltry remittance to the king, and a arge number of costly presents\[2] for friends and their patron, whose favor and efforts in their behalf would be more effective than any services they could perform for the crown. The fate of the chivalrous Vasco Nuñiez, and the success of the nefarious schemes of the tyrant Pedrarias had proved a lesson to many another besides Salazar, and the sovereign suffered
- ↑ Gonzalez gave bonds on November 22, 1525, as knight of Santiago, to embark. Concerning his fate, see Hist. Cent. Am., i. 534, this series. Although most authorities assume that Casas also embarked, this is doubtful, for he is said to have been with Cortés shortly after his return in the middle of 1526. Testimony, in Cortés, Residencia, i. 310, etc. He probably remained in hiding on his estates in Oajaca. Herrera includes Hurtado de Mendoza in the condemnation.
- ↑ These went in charge of Juan de la Peña, with instructions how best to promote the governors' interests, The remittance to the king was merely 12,000 ducados says Loaisa, in Oviedo, iii. 523. Albornoz enumerates two remittances of 20,000 and 21,000 castellanos in gold, and 102 marcos of silver, sent in August and December by way of Española. He remarks on the insignificance of even these amounts, due to reigning disorder. Carta, in Icazbalceta, Col. Doc., i. 501-2.
and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xiii. 35. He came not only as factor, but to seize Cortés, and would have done so had he not departed for Honduras. Zumárraga, ubi sup.
