Fter Cortés had rested five days in Havana he could hardly await the hour when he would be in Mexico, and he promptly ordered all his people to embark and set sail, and with good weather he arrived in two days near to the Port of Medellin, opposite to the Island of Sacrificios. There he ordered the ships to be anchored (for the wind was not favourable for going any further), and so as not to sleep that night at sea, Cortés, with twenty soldiers who were friends of his, went ashore and marched on foot about half a league, and, as luck would have it, came on a drove of horses which had come to the port with certain passengers who were about to embark for Castile, and they went to Vera Cruz, a matter of five leagues, on the horses and mules of this drove. He ordered that no one should go and give notice that he was coming by land, and about two hours before dawn he reached the town and went straightway to the church, the door of which was open, and entered it with all his company.

It was very early in the morning when the Sacristan, who was a man newly come from Castile, arrived and saw the church full of men, and, as he did not know Cortes nor those who were with him, he ran out to the street shouting and calling to the Alguacils that the church was full of strange men, so that they should order them out.