Captain De Ordaz accompanied
Hernán Cortés on his expedition of conquest to the Mexican mainland. He was recognized for his contribution to the victory over the
Aztecs obtained at the Battle of Centla near
Río Grijalva in
Tabasco on March 25, 1519. Together with two comrades, he was the first European to climb to the top of the volcano
Popocatépetl - a feat which made a great impression on the indigenous allies accompanying Cortés. In recognition of De Ordaz's military deeds, on October 22, 1525, the emperor
Charles V issued a decree permitting him to use a coat-of-arms featuring a view of the volcano. For his work against Aztec abuse on the people of
Coatzacoalcos, Ordaz received one of their indigenous princesses as a wife. Captain De Ordaz participated in the Spanish conquest of
Tenochtitlán, the
Aztec capital. When - prior to the final conquest - the Spaniards were forced to flee from the capital in a nocturnal action known as
La Noche Triste ("the sad night"), De Ordaz was wounded. Following the conquest of Mexico, De Ordaz explored the areas of
Oaxaca and
Veracruz, and navigated the
Río Coatzacoalos. In 1521 he was sent back to Spain in order to present the story of the conquest of Mexico to the Spanish court and in order to obtain for Cortés the title of Governor and General Captain of
New Spain. ==Search for El Dorado==