Early Ex,ploration of tlze Coast of Texas
by the pestiferous mosquitoes and other tropical insects which infest the land. When they finally arrived in the Panuco region, they found it almost deserted as a result of the recent campaign waged by Cortes. This situation made food extremely scarce and the men, losing all restraint and discipline, scattered throughout the country in an effort to find food. "All of this might have been avoided," the twelve men, who testified to the hardships of the march, declared, "if he [Garay] had consented to settle at the Rio de las Palmas." 62 Garay, Narvaez, and Cortes. After his arrival on the Panuco, Garay sent Ocampo across the river to Santiestevan to find out the attitude of the soldiers stationed there. In the meantime, Cortes had been informed of th~ arrival of the large expedition led by Garay to the Rio de las Palmas, and of its march to the Panuco. Cortes feared that his rival might drive out the few defence troops stationed in the province, so recently subdued by him. He, therefore, thought it a wise strategy to appear in person to treat with the intruders. But just then he received a royal cedula from Spain, in which his jurisdiction over the Panuco region was officially recognized by the king, and Garay was ordered not to interfere in any manner with what Cortes had done in this terri- tory.63 Armed with the royal approval, he decided it would not be neces- sary for him to go to the Panuco. He dispatched Pedro de Alvarado and three commissioners instead, to show Garay the royal cedula and to ask him to retire beyond the Panuco. He advised his lieutenants to try to avoid open conflict. Alvarado made all haste to carry out the instructions he had received. Within a few days he arrived in the Panuco region. He immediately contacted Gonzalo de Ovalle, who, although he was a brother-in-law of Garay, betrayed him and agreed to join the forces of Cortes. Oviedo, in commenting upon the treachery of this trusted lieutenant of the unfor- tunate Garay, says: "A slight skirmish or struggle of some sort would not have looked so bad in place of agreeing to be disarmed by the others."" But it was not only his brother-in-law who deserted him. The fleet, which had arrived before Santiestevan, after losing four vessels at sea, soon entered into negotiations with the representatives of Cortes 62 Pacheco y Cardenas, Doc,mzentos, XXVI, I 03; Herrera, op. cit., I 58. 63 Provision de S. M. mandando a Francisco de Garay no entremeterse .•. April 24, I523, in Pacheco y Cardenas, Doc11mentos, XXVI, 71-76. The order arrived in
Mexico September 3, I 5:.13. 64 Oviedo, op. cit., III, 450.
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