they arrived at a wood, the cazique cried out, and a number of men, with defensive coats of cotton, round shields, swords with sharp flint stones, lances and slings, and their faces painted of various colours, attacked them desperately; but finding the effect of the Spaniards' swords, they fled leaving seventeen killed: the Spaniards had fifteen wounded. There were three places of worship here, built with stone and lime; and Alonzo Gonzalez took some small boxes filled with clay and wooden idols, with jewels and crowns of base gold: the other idols in the houses were of clay, with hideous faces of women and devils, and some of them in beastly attitudes. The Spaniards brought off with them two boys, who were afterwards converted, and called Julian and Melchor.

The discovery of a race so far civilized, delighted the Spaniards, who until now had not found any houses built with stone and lime. They continued standing along the coast, lying to every night, for fifteen days-when they discovered a large town, and near it a great bay. Domingo de Laçaro jumped on shore, and for this reason they gave his name to the town: the Indians called it Quimpech, and from thence the Spaniards Campeche. They found a pond of good water, of which the Indians drank, because there are no rivers in Jucatan. The Spaniards having taken what they wanted, were returning on board, when fifty Indians, dressed in jackets and cotton mantles, by signs asked what they wanted-if they came from where the sun rises, and invited them to the town. The Spaniards recollecting what had happened at Cotoche, prepared themselves and went into some well-built places of worship, similar to those they had before seen, in which were fresh signs of blood and crosses painted, at which they were much surprised. Out of one of the temples came ten men, with large white mantles, and long black hair flowing behind, matted together; they held small earthen pans, into which they threw gum, called by them copal; and, fumigating the Spaniards, told them they were of the earth, because they killed men; and then the warriors began to sound sea shells, whistles, little trumpets ("Trompetillas"), and kettle-drums. The Spaniards retreated in good order, followed by two squadrons of warriors, and embarked without loss: and having sailed on for six days, they had a gale from the north, and for four days gave themselves up for lost. When the gale abated, they stood for the land: their vessels were disabled and leaky, and they had only a few days' water on board. They anchored after noon, one league from a town called Potonchan, and completed their water from pools, which they found near some temples, built like those they had seen before. When they were about to return, a number of men, in good order, and armed as the others had been, came from the town, and asked if they came from where the sun rose. The Spaniards answered yes, and the natives retired to some houses because it was almost dark;

Herrera, 2. 2. 17.

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and the Spaniards, for the same reason, determined to remain where they were. Some hours afterwards, they heard warlike shouts, and deliberated what to do; some were for embarking, others thought it dangerous as there were more than 300 Indians to one Spaniard. Day broke, and they saw that the squadrons of the preceding day had been joined by others, who, having surrounded the Spaniards, attacked them with a great volley of arrows, stones from slings, and darts thrown with a line: this wounded eighty of the Spaniards, with whom the Indians closed, fighting with swords and lances; and although the Spaniards plied well their cross-bows, muskets, and swords, they were in great danger, until the Indians, beginning to feel the effect of the swords, separated to discharge their arrows better, crying out every time, " Calachuni! Calachuni!” meaning that they were aiming at the, captain Hernandez, whom they succeeded in piercing with twelve arrows. Finding himself thus wounded, and seeing that many of his men were wounded also, and that two, Alonso Bote and an old Portuguese, were taken prisoners, he made a desperate push, and opened a road through his enemies, who followed him with frightful cries. When they got to their boats, the men rushed into and sunk them: it was with great difficulty they were got off. The Indians following into the water with their lances, forty-seven Spaniards were killed and five died on board; the others, whose wounds were made more painful by the water, abused the pilot Alaminos and his discovery: he always persisted that that land was an island. They named the bay, " Baia de Mala Pelea," Bad Battle Bay.

There was only one Spaniard unwounded, they therefore resolved to destroy their smallest vessel, as they could not work them all; and because the others were leaky, and they could not work the pumps, they kept close to the shore. Three days afterwards, eighteen of the best able landed, in hopes of getting water, of which they were in dreadful want: they found the water in the creek salt, and therefore dug in the sand for some, which was brackish, and made them very ill. They named it Alligator Creek, from the number of those animals there. While they were getting the water, a gale came on from the N.E.: the vessels drove; but letting go more anchors, brought up, and held on for two days — when the gale abating, they made sail for the coast of Florida, by Alaminos' advice, as the best course for Cuba. In four days' time they made the land, and Alaminos landed with twenty soldiersHernandez requesting them to make all possible haste in getting the water, as he was dying. They landed near a creek: Alaminos said he had been there with Juan Ponce, and knew the place; and that they must be on their guard, and place centinels. They dug wells, found good water, and were drinking and washing the linen for the sick, for near an hour, in high spirits. When they were about

to embark, one of their centinels came running to them, crying out, "To the sea! To the sea! a multitude of armed Indians are coming!" At the same time, several canoes came down the creek, and arrived simultaneously with the warriors, who were large men, dressed in deer-skins, and armed with very long bows and arrows, lances and swords. Their first volley wounded six Spaniards, but feeling the superiority of their arms, the Indians soon gave way, and fled to those in the canoes, who had taken one of the boats, and wounded Alaminos in the throat. The Spaniards followed them up to their waists in the water, drove them from the boat they had taken, and took three of their wounded, who died on board the ships. When the Spaniards were going off, they enquired of the sentry for his companion" Berrio;" who said that he was cutting down a palm-tree in the direction from whence the Indians came, and that he had heard him cry out, which was the reason of his coming to them with the alarm. Berrio, at Potonchan, was the only one who escaped unwounded. They looked for him for more than an hour-found the tree which he had begun to cut-and observed that near it there were more marks of feet than elsewhere, but no signs of blood: from which they concluded that the Indians had taken him alive. They returned on board; where one of the men was so thirsty, that he threw himself into the boat, caught up a jar, and drank to that excess, that he swelled and died two days afterwards.

They made sail, and in two days and nights got into four fathoms water, among some small islands which they called the Martyrs. One of their vessels struck on the rocks and made a good deal of water; but they got to Puerto de Carenas (the Havaña), from whence Francisco Hernandez de Cordova wrote to Velazquez an account of his discoveries - went home to his house at Sancti Espiritus, and died in ten days. Three of the soldiers died at the Havaña - which made fifty-six that were killed this voyage.

When Velazquez saw the Indians, Julian and Melchor, and the boxes, with the idols and jewels, and pieces of plate and golden crowns, which Gonzalez had taken from the temples, he was greatly rejoiced. He asked the Indians if they found the gold in grains: they told him yes; which increased his desire to prosecute the discovery. But this was not true: there were no mines in Jucatan.

66

Bernal Diaz, who was in this expedition, and in those that were made afterwards, says that he asked the Indians if they had any of the roots called "Yuca," of which the " caçabi," bread, was made in their country. To which they replied, "ilatli;" for the land where it was planted. Yuca joined with ilatli makes yucatla, and from thence comes Yucatan. Others say, that the Indians said toloquitan to the first discoverers; thinking that they asked for some town. The Spaniards understood they said lucatan, and from this named

Herrera, 2. 2. 18.

the province Yucatan-which had no general name; because, until the arrival of the Spaniards, it was divided among several caziques, who were independent sovereigns.

Pedrarias having executed Vasco Nunez and four others, the Geronimites forbid him to act in any case by himself as a judge, and ordered, all the gold he got from the cazique Paris, to be sent to Española. The details of Pedrarias' actions do not belong to this work.

Las Casas finding his plans for benefitting the Indians met with difficulties from all parts, adopted other expedients. He proposed that the Spaniards might have Negroes, and that labourers with certain privileges might be sent them. Adrian, the Cardinal of Toledo, approved of these expedients, and the officers of the Indiahouse at Seville were applied to, to say how many Negroes would suffice for the four islands, Española, Cuba, San Juan, and Jamaica : they replied, 4000. The traffic in slaves was known to be a lucrative concern (see 1516), and a Fleming who was major domo to the King, begged and obtained a licence to supply the islands: he sold it to some Genoese, for 25,000 ducats, for eight years. The King was not to grant any other licence. The Genoese afterwards sold it for a great deal more.

Francisco de San Roman, a Franciscan, stated so powerfully the evils that Pedrarias' captains occasioned, that the King determined to deprive him of his command: and as the Geronimites had been sent to Española by Cardinal Ximenes, against the consent of Hernando de Vega, Bishop of Burgos, who now presided at the council of the Indies, they were recalled. He was also against Las Casas' plan of sending out labourers to the islands, who, in consequence, was only able to raise 200 men, and those were from Antequera.

The Fathers adopted Las Casas' plans, and recommended labourers to be sent from Spain, and that Negro slaves might be imported, to ease the labour of the Indians. They examined the accounts of the judges and royal officers, and thereby made them all their enemies, especially the treasurer Passamonte. They ordered all miners to be paid salaries instead of sharing the produce-to prevent their overworking the Indians. They removed the prohibition to traffic on the Pearl Coast; but only persons of good character were to have licences, who were allowed to receive slaves from the Indians, but not to seize any themselves—and those were to be treated well. The duties upon melting gold were moderated. No traders were to interfere with the Caribs, who had not studied the laws of the Audience, to know what was legal. Two vessels were fitted at the public expence, which returned with cargoes of slaves and pearls.

The population of Española was estimated at 18,410 souls,

1518.

The mission of Dominicans and Franciscans, with some religious men from Picardy, was sent to the Pearl Coast on Tierra Firma, where they built a monastery, and with a holy and exemplary life attended and preached to the Indians. The Geronimites carefully supplied all their wants from Española: they also ordered that great care might be taken to find out the cazique and the "cacica," who, with seventeen other persons, had been betrayed and robbed in Cumana, and sent to Española, from which had resulted the death of the Fathers Francisco de Cordova and Juan Garces-that they might be returned to their lands: and a royal order was sent to Zuaço to find out the offenders, that they might be punished. And the officers at Seville also ordered that every year six Dominicans should be sent out, provided with every thing.

When it was known at Española that the King had arrived in Castile, meetings were held to appoint a deputy to kiss his hand, and in the name of the island tender their obedience. Upon this occasion party disputes ran high; and the Geronimites thinking themselves treated with disrespect, ordered the licenciate Zuaço to take the warrant from the licenciate Ayllon, who had been voted to go, and to prevent his embarkation. This act of authority occasioned several letters to be written to the King, which were so far successful that a reprimand was sent out to the Fathers and Zuaço, and orders that neither he or the licenciate Ayllon should be sent, but an account of what had passed, and that the licenciate Rodrigo de Figueroa, who was appointed " Juez de Residencia," should make haste out to supersede Zuaço. The young King also made other grants to export slaves, in addition to that of the 4000. He gave permission to the Marquis of Astorga for 400-to Francisco de los Cobos, and the Secretary Villegas fifty each-to others for twenty, and some for ten. To Carlos Puper, Lord of Laxao, he granted three parts of the royal fifth of the spoils taken by Vasco Nunez in Tierra Firma; and he ordered the officers of the Seville house to give Madame de Xebres 274 marks of pearls and seed pearls. He also ordered the Geronimite Fathers to allow captain Diego de Albitez to raise 200 men in Española, to colonize Nombre de Dios and Panama: thus diminishing the number of Spaniards in Española.

The small-pox, which had broken out among the Indians last year, continued its ravages, and occasioned a great mortality.

Rodrigo de Figueroa had orders to suffer the Indians to live by themselves in their own villages, and that all who requested it should be set at liberty. Each that was married was to pay for fifteen

Herrera, 2. 3. 7.