WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — ^VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 121 



Tayzar (which lies toward the Provinces of Chiapas) from the 

 Provinces of Lacandon and Manche, which Dr, Alonso Criado de 

 Castilla, while President of Guatemala, began converting by excel- 

 lent methods to acquaintance with our Holy Faith in the year 1600, 

 and 1,400 Indians were baptized; but with the death of this Presi- 

 dent that great evangelization ceased. 



339. The Province or Kingdom of Yucatan has a hot climate and 

 is thickly settled, healthful, and prolific. The Indians in this country 

 have increased in numbers ; they live to a hale old age ; in fact, when 

 the Spaniards discovered it they found many old men there and 

 among them one 300 years old, as was attested in those Indians' 

 annals, and another of 140, who was very active and had children 

 and grandchildren already old and white-haired. He was baptized 

 and named Juan Na ; he was a native of the village of Humun, which 

 lies on the range separating the Provinces of Lacandon and Manche 

 and the Rio Tayza, which are S. and SW. of the Provinces of 

 Chiapas, and they have Tabasco and Xicalango of the same Province 

 of Yucatan to the W. On this quarter the sea forms a great bay full 

 of islands ; and when the Tabasco Indians sail across this bay, in 

 order not to get lost they put up signals on the trees on them. This is 

 where the country is narrowest, over to the Province of Chetemal, 

 where Salamanca was located ; its chief was a doughty Indian named 

 Nachacan, who had in company with him a sailor named Gonzalo 

 Guerrero, whom he gave in marriage to a lady related to himself, and 

 made him General in his wars with neighboring enemies ; he lived 

 and dressed like an Indian. 



340. This Kingdom of Yucatan comprises 18 provinces; that of 

 the Yzaes who founded and settled the great city of Chichen Itza; 

 the Province of Mayapan ; that of the Tutuxius ; that of Tapaen, 

 Sotuta, to which tribe belonged the warlike Cocomes ; that of the 

 Cheles, who founded the city of Tirroh ; the Province of Cozumel on 

 an island 5 leagues from the mainland; this is 15 leagues long and 5 

 broad, below Cape Catoche ; between the island and the continent is 

 formed a channel with a strong current. The island lies in 20° N. ; 

 there used to be a temple in it which was the sanctuary for all that 

 country, and in it was the well of Chilen, where the heathen savages 

 offered their sacrifices by throwing into it the slaves captured in war. 



341. The Province of the Xiues ; that of Cochuaque ; that of 

 Chetemal and Bacalar, where, as already related, Salamanca was 

 founded ; that of Manaho ; Chuaca ; the Covohes of Champoton ; the 

 Province of Arrinchel ; that of Xicalango, and Tabasco, to the W. 

 of that of Campeche, in which is located the city of Campeche, on 



