The best of the three vessels lying in the harbour was fitted out for this purpose, and after Orantes, with all the crew had attended mass, he set sail with a favorable wind. The Almighty prospered this voyage so greatly that the vessel arrived in the bay determined upon, and Orantes, according to his instructions, immediately disembarked. After he had offered up his prayers to Heaven for his safe arrival, he disguised himself in the dress of a labourer, and so set out on foot for Mexico. He had taken the great precaution to conceal his papers next to his skin, and as he was an excellent pedestrian he soon reached some Indian townships, where also a few Spaniards were staying, whom he avoided as much as he possibly could, that he might not be recognized by them. Now and then, indeed, he could not help coming up with a Spaniard, yet they did not recognize him, as he had been absent for two years and three months, in which time he had allowed his beard to grow. If any one asked him who he was and whence he came, he told them, that his name was Juan de Flechilla, and that he was a poor labourer. By this means he passed through the country without being recognized, and he made so much haste that he arrived in Mexico on the fourth day after landing. It was in the night-time he entered the town, and he instantly repaired to the cloister of the Franciscans, where he found a considerable number of Cortes' friends, who had sought refuge there from the factor's persecutions. Of these the principal personages were Jorge de Alvarado, Andreas de Tapia, Juan Nuñez de Mercado, Pedro Moreno Medrano, and several other of the veteran Conquistadores.
As soon as these men recognized Orantes, and learnt from him that Cortes was alive and had despatched him with letters to them, they were almost overcome with joy, and jumped about the room as if they had been out of their senses. Even the Franciscan monks themselves, with brother Toribio Motolinia, and brother Domingo Altamirano, danced about the room with delight, and offered up fervent thanks to God for this good news. All the doors of the cloister were immediately fastened and no one allowed egress, as there were several persons among them