How the Governor Diego Velásquez sent two of his servants post haste to the town of Trinidad with orders and authority to cancel the appointment of Cortés, detain the fleet, arrest Cortés and send him as a prisoner to Santiago.

I must go back a little from our story, to say that after we had set out from Santiago de Cuba with all the ships, in the way I have already related, so many things were said to Diego Velásquez against Cortés, that he was forced to change his mind, for they told him that Cortés was already in rebellion, and that he left the port by stealth. and that he had been heard to say that although Diego Velásquez and his relations might regret it, he intended to be Captain and that was the reason why he had embarked all his soldiers by night, so that if any attempt were made to detain him by force he might set sail; they also said that Andrés de Duero, the Secretary, and the Accountant Amador de Lares had deceived Diego Velásquez on account of arrangements made between them and Cortés. Those who took the leading part in persuading Diego Velásquez to revoke the authority he had given to Cortés were some members of the Velásquez family and an old man named Juan Millan whom some called the astrologer, but others said he had a touch of madness because he acted without reflection, and this old man kept repeating to Diego Velásques “Take care, Sir, for Cortés will take vengeance on you for putting him in prison, ¹ and as he is sly and determined he will ruin you if you do not prevent it at once.”