Worshipful sirs, I departed from _Cuba_ with eleuen saile in my fléete, furnished with fiue hundred and fiftie Spaniardes, and I arriued here at _Acusamil_ from whence I write you this letter. The people of this Iläd haue certifyed me, that there is in that countrey fiue or sixe bearded men, and in al pointes like vnto vs: they can not here enforme me of anye other signes or tokens, but hereby I do coniecture, and certainely beleue that ye be Spaniards. Both I and these gentlemen of my company do come to discouer and inhabit this land, we hartily pray you y^t within sixe days after the receite hereof, ye come vnto vs, w^tout any excuse or delay, and if ye so doe, al we of this nauie wil gratifye your gentlenesse & good seruice y^t ye shal do vnto vs. I do send you a Vergantyn wherin you may come, & two shippes for your safeconduct. _Hernando Cortez._ This letter being written, there was found an inconuenience, which was, they knew not how to carrye the letter so secretly y^t it might not be séene, & they taken for espies, wherof the saide _Indians_ stoode in great feare. Thë _Cortez_ bethought him, y^t the letter wold passe wrapped in y^e haire of the head of one of thë, for ordinarily the _Indians_ wear lög heare, & on their solemn feasts & in wars they vse their haire platted & boüd about their forheads. And he appointed captaine of the Vergantine wherin y^e messëgers wët, _Iohn de Escalante_, & _Iames de Ordas_ for captaine of the other two ships, with fiftie men if any nede should happen. So shortly after the ships arriued at the place appointed, _Escalante_ set a land his messengers, and abode there eight days they returne, although he promised thë to abide there but sixe dayes. And thë séeing that they came not, he surmysed y^t they were either slaine or taken captiues: & so returned backe againe to _Acusamill_ without his messëgers, wherof al the army were sorowful, & chiefly _Cortez_, thinking that the _Indians_ had wrög enformed him. Nowe in this meane season they trymmed their shippes of the hurte receiued by the late tempest, & at the returne of the two ships and Vergantyne, they hoysed vp sailes and departed. A miraculous chaunce hovv Geronimo de _Aguilao came to Cortez_.