A New Era in Old Mexico

had been visited a little more than a year before by Hernandez de Cordova, who, with Juan de Grijalva, had explored the coast of Yucatan and the adjacent islands, turning back at last from the shore of the main-land with stories of an immense empire, rich in gold and precious stones, which lay far in the interior. Cuba and other West Indian islands had been settled by the Spaniards in the years following the voyages and discoveries of Christopher Columbus. In 1511, Diego Velasquez, who, from having been a servant in the house of Diego Columbus, brother of Don Christopher, became later the colonial governor of the island of Espanola, was transferred to the larger island of Cuba, recently vanquished by the Spanish arms, taking with him, among others, his private secretary, Don Hernando Cortez. This young man was a native of the Spanish city of Me- dellin, where he was born in the year 1485. Running away from school at the age of sixteen years, Early Years of Cortez. 39 he had, after various difficulties, secured passage to the New World, where, on the island of Santo Domingo, he was living as a farmer and land-owner at the time when his friend, Don Diego, was made governor of the island of Cuba. In the skirmishes which preceded the settlement of this new government he distinguished himself as an intrepid soldier, and when the lands and slaves captured in the conquest were divided among the followers of the governor general, he received a large assignment of bot...