TO:    Fr. Diego de Sandoval

The Monastery of St. John of the Rock

Santa Cruz de la Seros, Jaca

Province of Huesca, Aragon

Kingdom of Spain

My dear brother,                                                          23 April, Anno Domini 1519

Let us give thanks to the Virgin Mary that our ship, the San Lazaro, has come safely to shore on the peninsula that is called Yucatan. Oh, mi hermano, if only you could see this New World for yourself, then you and the other monks would no longer doubt the extraordinary tales you have heard; rather, you would read them as pale reflections of a land stranger than any fantasy.  If only you were here by my side, you would no longer regret that our older brother Bernal – arrogant drunk that he is – inherited all the old hidalgo’s lands and our family home. Here there is opportunity for us, too, to become wealthy.

Yours,

Gonzalo de Sandoval