An eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico (1519 1522); in this volume foot soldier D az joins Cort s' army.

Extracts from Introduction Señor Don Genaro García; Bernal Díaz del Castillo - his life; Introduction by the translator; Note on spelling, etc.; Itinerary; Preface by the author; Book I. The Discovery: 1. The beginning of the story; 2. How we discovered the province of Yutacan; 3. How we coasted along towards the west; 4. Concerning the attack made on us; 5. How we agreed to return to the Island of Cuba; 6. How twenty of us soldiers went ashore in the Bay of Florida; 7. About the hardships which I endured on the way to a town called Trinidad; 8. How Diego Velásquez, Governor of the Island of Cuba, ordered another fleet; 9. How we followed the same course; 10. How we went on our way and entered a large and broad river; 11. How we arrived at the Rio de Tabasco; 12. How we followed along the coast; 13. How we arrived at the Rio de Banderas; 14. How we arrived at the Island now called San Juan de Ulúa; 15. How Diego Velásquez, the Governor of Cuba, sent a ship in search of us; 16. How we went on exploring the coast; Book II. The Expedition under Hernando Cortés. The Voyage: 17. How Diego Velásquez sent to Spain; 18. Concerning some errors and other things written by the historians Gomara and Yllescas; 19. How we came again with another fleet; 20. How Cortés prepared and continued the arrangements necessary; 21. What Cortés did when he arrived at the town of Trinidad; 22. How the Governor Diego Velásquez sent two of his servants post haste to the Town of Trinidad; 23. How the Captain Hernando Cortés with all the sailors sailed along the south coast to the Port of Havana; 24. How Diego Velásquez sent a servant with orders that Cortés should be arrested; 25. How Cortés set sail for the Island of Cuba; 26. How Cortés reviewed all his army; 27. How Cortés came to know that the Indians of Cape Catoche held two Spaniards in captivity; 28. How Cortés allotted the ships and appointed captains; 29. How the Spaniard named Jerónimo de Aguilar, heard that we had returned to Cozumel; 30. How we again embarked and made sail for the Rio de Grijalva; 31. How we arrived at the Rio de Grijalva; 32. How Cortés ordered two of his captains to examine the country further inland; 33. How Cortés told us all to get ready by the next day to go in search of the Indian host; 34. How all the Caciques of Tabasco and its dependencies attacked us; 35. How Cortés sent to summon all the Caciques of those Provinces; 36. How all the Caciques and Calchonis from the Rio de Grijalva came and brought a present; 37. Showing that Doña Marina was a Cacica; Book III. The March Inland: 38. How we arrived with all the ships at San Juan de Ulúa; 39. How Tendile went to report to his Prince Montezuma; 40. How Cortés sent to look for another harbour and site; 41. What was done about the bartering for gold; 42. How we raised Hernando Cortés to the post of Captain General and Chief Justice; 43. How the party of Diego Velásquez tried to upset the powers we had given to Cortés; 44. How it was arranged to send Pedro de Alvarado inland to look for maize; 45. How we entered Cempoala; 46. How we entered Quiahuitztlan; 47. How Cortés ordered the five tax gatherers of Montezuma to be taken prisoners; 48. How we determined to found "La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz"; 49. How the fat cacique and other chieftains came to complain to Cortés; 50. How certain soldiers wished to return to the Island of Cuba; 51. What happened to us at Cingapacinga; 52. How Cortés had an altar made and eight Indian damsels were baptized; 53. How we returned to Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz; 54. The narrative and letter which we sent to His Majesty by our proctors; 55. How Diego Velásquez learned that we were sending proctors with an embassy and presents to our King; 56. How our proctors passed through the Bahama Channel; 57. What was done in camp and the judgment which Cortés delivered; 58. How we settled go go