A Botanical and Economic Study. 137 



ishment."' They, however, made some show ol resistant e 



to the invaders, in their approach to their towns, but the 

 Spaniards charged upon them with vigor; many were killed, 

 when the remainder fled to the houses, sued for peace, offer- 

 ing as an inducement, presents of cotton stuff, tanned hides, 

 Hour, pine nuts, maize, native fowls and some turquoises." 



Ferdinand Alarcon discovered and entered the Colorado 

 River in the year 1542. 1 le states "that he went up the river 

 eighty-five leagues, when his pirogue was arrested by lofty 

 mountains, through which the river ran, where it was impos- 

 sible to draw their boats ; and as far as they went they found 

 the Indians cultivating maize." 



Columbus,' in his letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, dated 

 May 30, 1498, writes, "the most remarkable inference is that 

 they used maize, which is a plant that bears a spine (or awn) 

 [silk] like an ear of wheat, some of which [wheat] I took with 

 me from Spain, where it grows abundantly ; this they regard 

 as most excellent, and set a great value upon it." Columbus 

 saw the bread of the plant called mahiz. 4 In one of his letters, 

 he speaks of his brother: "During a journey in the interior 

 he found a dense population entirely agricultural, and at one 

 place passed through eighteen miles of corn fields." 



When the eastern coast of Yucatan was discovered maize 

 was found cultivated. Cordova, in 15 17, sailed from Cuba,' 1 

 and explored the north coast of Yucatan, where "the Indians 

 sowed maize, and were in possession of gold." The Spanish 

 Governor of Cuba later sent out an expedition (15 18), in the 

 same direction under the command of Grijalva, He explored 

 Yucatan and the southern shore of Mexico, and verified the 

 belief that there was a rich empire in the interior. The 

 Indians presented Grijalva with the bread of maize/. Cortez 

 landed in Mexico, and at Cempaolla ate bread of maize. He 



1 Castaneda's Relations. Ternaux Compans. 59 



- Smithsonian Report, 1S69. 316. 



: Ford, Paul L., Writing of Christopher Columbus. 1S92. 125. 



4 Bailey. J. M., Ensilage, 77. 



' Aborigines of the Isthmus of Panama: Popular Science Monthly, xxn 427. 



Bailey. J- M , Ensilage. 77. 

 7 Agricultural Production, U. S- Census. 1880. Maize. 

 " Agricultural Production, Tenth Census, 18S0, Maize. 



