CHAPTER II.

_Of the Discovery of Yucatan, and the battle we fought there with

the Natives._

We sailed in the year 1517 from the harbour of Jaruco and left the

Havannah. This harbour lies on the north coast of Cuba, and is so called

by the natives. After twelve days' sail we had passed the coast of Saint

Antonius, which in Cuba is called the country of the Guanatavies, a wild

tribe of Indians. We now made for the wide ocean, steering continually

towards the west, totally ignorant of the shoals and currents or of the

winds which predominate in this latitude. Certainly most hazardous on

our part, and indeed we were very soon visited by a terrible storm,

which continued two days and two nights, in which the whole of us had

nigh perished.

After the storm had abated and we had changed our course, we came in

sight of land on the twenty-first day after our departure from Cuba,

which filled every heart with joy and thanks towards God. This country

had never been discovered before, nor had any one ever heard of it. From

our ships we could perceive a considerable sized town, which lay about

six miles from the sea shore. On account of its magnitude, and because

it was larger than any town in Cuba, we gave it the name of _Grand

Cairo_.

We resolved that our smallest vessel should near the shore as much as

possible, to learn the nature of the spot and look out for a good

anchorage. One morning, the 5th of March, we perceived five large canoes

full of men coming towards us as swift as their paddles and sails could

bring them from the town just mentioned. These canoes were hollowed out

of the trunks of large trees, after the manner of our kneading troughs.

Many of them were big enough to hold from forty to fifty Indians.

As these Indians approached us in their canoes, we made signs of peace

and friendship, beckoning at the same time to them with our hands and

cloaks to come up to us that we might speak with them; for at that time

there was nobody amongst us who understood the language of Yucatan or

Mexico. They now came along side of us without evincing the least fear,

and more than thirty of them climbed on board of our principal ship. We

gave them bacon and cassave bread to eat, and presented each with a

necklace of green glass beads. After they had for some time minutely

examined the ship, the chief, who was a cazique, gave us to understand,

by signs, that he wished to get down again into his canoe and return

home, but that he would come the next day with many more canoes in order

to take us on shore. These Indians wore a kind of cloak made of cotton,

and a small sort of apron which hung from their hips half-way down to

the knee, which they termed a maltates. We found them more intelligent

than the Indians of Cuba, where only the women wear a similar species of

apron made of cotton, which hangs down over their thighs, and is called

by them a nagua.

But to continue my narrative. Very early the morning following, our

cazique again called upon us: this time he brought with him twelve large

canoes and a number of rowers. He made known to our captain, by signs,

that we were good friends and might come to his town: he would give us

plenty to eat with everything we wanted, and could go on shore in his

twelve canoes. I shall never forget how he said, in his language, _con

escotoch_, _con escotoch_, which means, come with me to my houses yonder.

We therefore called the spot Punta de Cotoche, under which name it

stands on the sea charts.

In consideration of all these friendly invitations from the cazique to

accompany him to his village, our captain held a short consultation with

us, when we came to the resolution to lower our boats, take the smallest

of our vessels with us, and so proceed together with the twelve canoes

all at once on shore, as the coast was crowded with Indians from the

above-mentioned village. This was accordingly done, and we all arrived

there at the same time. The cazique seeing us now landed, but that we

made no signs of going to his village, again gave our captain to

understand, by signs, that we should follow him to his habitation,

making at the same time so many demonstrations of friendship, that a

second consultation was held as to whether we should accompany him or

not. This was carried in the affirmative, but we took every precaution

to be upon our guard, marching in close order with our arms ready for

action. We took fifteen crossbows with a like number of matchlocks, and

followed the cazique, who was accompanied by a great number of Indians.

As we were thus marching along, and had arrived in the vicinity of

several rocky mountains, the cazique all at once raised his voice,

calling aloud to his warriors, who it seemed were lying wait in ambush,

to fall upon us and destroy us all. The cazique had no sooner given the

signal, than out rushed with terrible fury great numbers of armed

warriors, greeting us with such a shower of arrows, that fifteen of our

men were immediately wounded. These Indians were clad in a kind of

cuirass made of cotton, and armed with lances, shields, bows, and

slings; with each a tuft of feathers stuck on his head. As soon as they

had let fly their arrows, they rushed forward and attacked us man to

man, setting furiously to with their lances, which they held in both

hands. When, however, they began to feel the sharp edge of our swords,

and saw what destruction our crossbows and matchlocks made among them,

they speedily began to give way. Fifteen of their number lay dead on the

field.

At some distance from the spot where they had so furiously attacked us

was a small place in which stood three houses built of stone and lime.

These were temples in which were found many idols made of clay which

were of a pretty good size; some had the countenances of devils, others

those of females: some again had even more horrible shapes, and appeared

to represent Indians committing horrible offences. In these temples we

also found small wooden boxes containing other of their gods with

hellish faces, several small shells, some ornaments, three crowns, and

other trinkets, some in the shape of fish, others in the shape of ducks,

all worked out of an inferior kind of gold. Seeing all this, the gold,

and the good architectural style of the temples, we felt overjoyed at

the discovery of this country; for Peru was not discovered till sixteen

years after. While we were fighting with the Indians, the priest

Gonzalez ordered the gold and small idols to be removed to our ships by

two Indians whom we had brought with us from Cuba. During the skirmish

we took two of the natives prisoners, who subsequently allowed

themselves to be baptised and became Christians. One was named Melchior

and the other Julian; both were tattooed about the eyes. The combat

with the natives now being at an end, we resolved to re-embark, and

prosecute our voyage of discovery further along the coast towards the

west. Having dressed the wounds of our men we again set sail.