In 1519 Hernán Cortés prepared to leave Cuba for Mexico with 11 ships carrying about 550 Spanish soldiers and 16 horses. Before setting off, Cortés said to his men:

"I know in my heart that we shall take vast and wealthy lands, people such as have never before been seen. . . . If you do not abandon me, as I shall not abandon you, I shall make you in a very short time the richest of all men who have crossed the seas."
—from The Life of the Conqueror by His Secretary, trans. Lesley Byrd Simpson

Based on this quote, what inspired the conquistadors?