The True History of the Conquest of New Spain

by Bernal Diaz del Castillo

Overview

Soldier of fortune and 16th century Spanish conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo is best known today for his first-hand accounts of Spain’s expeditions to the New World. The son of a prominent regidor of Medina del Campo, Diaz del Castillo left home in 1514 at age eighteen to join his first expedition to the New World, that of Pedrarias Davila. This expedition would be the largest of all the Spanish expeditions with nineteen vessels and over fifteen hundred people. Despite the fact that the expedition suffered massive famine and epidemic, killing more than half of the voyagers, Diaz del Castillo was deterred in his ambition for adventure, wealth, and glory. Diaz del Castillo would join subsequent journeys to the Yucatan in 1517 as part of the Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba expedition, in 1518 as part of the Juan de Grijalva expedition, and finally in 1518 as part of the Hernan Cortes expedition. Written fifty years after these voyages to Mexico, “The True History of the Conquest of New Spain” describes the diverse native peoples that the Spanish encountered there and the numerous battles of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. In contrast to the first-hand accounts of Bartolome de las Casas, Diaz del Castillo’s account seeks to portray the conquistadors in a more favorable light, emphasizing their humanity, honesty, and intent of bringing Christianity to the New World. Contained here in this volume is the unabridged translation of John Ingram Lockhart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420971477
Publisher:	Digireads.com Publishing
Publication date:	01/08/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

Table of Contents

Extracts from Introduction Señor Don Genaro García; Bernal Díaz del Castillo - his life; Introduction by the translator; Note on spelling, etc.; Itinerary; Preface by the author; Book I. The Discovery: 1. The beginning of the story; 2. How we discovered the province of Yutacan; 3. How we coasted along towards the west; 4. Concerning the attack made on us; 5. How we agreed to return to the Island of Cuba; 6. How twenty of us soldiers went ashore in the Bay of Florida; 7. About the hardships which I endured on the way to a town called Trinidad; 8. How Diego Velásquez, Governor of the Island of Cuba, ordered another fleet; 9. How we followed the same course; 10. How we went on our way and entered a large and broad river; 11. How we arrived at the Rio de Tabasco; 12. How we followed along the coast; 13. How we arrived at the Rio de Banderas; 14. How we arrived at the Island now called San Juan de Ulúa; 15. How Diego Velásquez, the Governor of Cuba, sent a ship in search of us; 16. How we went on exploring the coast; Book II. The Expedition under Hernando Cortés. The Voyage: 17. How Diego Velásquez sent to Spain; 18. Concerning some errors and other things written by the historians Gomara and Yllescas; 19. How we came again with another fleet; 20. How Cortés prepared and continued the arrangements necessary; 21. What Cortés did when he arrived at the town of Trinidad; 22. How the Governor Diego Velásquez sent two of his servants post haste to the Town of Trinidad; 23. How the Captain Hernando Cortés with all the sailors sailed along the south coast to the Port of Havana; 24. How Diego Velásquez sent a servant with orders that Cortés should be arrested; 25. How Cortés set sail for the Island of Cuba; 26. How Cortés reviewed all his army; 27. How Cortés came to know that the Indians of Cape Catoche held two Spaniards in captivity; 28. How Cortés allotted the ships and appointed captains; 29. How the Spaniard named Jerónimo de Aguilar, heard that we had returned to Cozumel; 30. How we again embarked and made sail for the Rio de Grijalva; 31. How we arrived at the Rio de Grijalva; 32. How Cortés ordered two of his captains to examine the country further inland; 33. How Cortés told us all to get ready by the next day to go in search of the Indian host; 34. How all the Caciques of Tabasco and its dependencies attacked us; 35. How Cortés sent to summon all the Caciques of those Provinces; 36. How all the Caciques and Calchonis from the Rio de Grijalva came and brought a present; 37. Showing that Doña Marina was a Cacica; Book III. The March Inland: 38. How we arrived with all the ships at San Juan de Ulúa; 39. How Tendile went to report to his Prince Montezuma; 40. How Cortés sent to look for another harbour and site; 41. What was done about the bartering for gold; 42. How we raised Hernando Cortés to the post of Captain General and Chief Justice; 43. How the party of Diego Velásquez tried to upset the powers we had given to Cortés; 44. How it was arranged to send Pedro de Alvarado inland to look for maize; 45. How we entered Cempoala; 46. How we entered Quiahuitztlan; 47. How Cortés ordered the five tax gatherers of Montezuma to be taken prisoners; 48. How we determined to found “La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz”; 49. How the fat cacique and other chieftains came to complain to Cortés; 50. How certain soldiers wished to return to the Island of Cuba; 51. What happened to us at Cingapacinga; 52. How Cortés had an altar made and eight Indian damsels were baptized; 53. How we returned to Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz; 54. The narrative and letter which we sent to His Majesty by our proctors; 55. How Diego Velásquez learned that we were sending proctors with an embassy and presents to our King; 56. How our proctors passed through the Bahama Channel; 57. What was done in camp and the judgment which Cortés delivered; 58. How we settled go go