122 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



the road to Vera Cruz ; that of Chable ; the Province of Quay mil — 

 all of it fertile country, very rich in foodstuffs, corn, honey, deer, 

 swine, turkeys, and much game, both wild and feathered, for which 

 reason the natives call it Yetelzeh and Ununuyz, which means coun- 

 try of game and of turkeys ; likewise they called it Peten, which 

 means island, thinking it was one. 



Chapter II 



Of the Founding of the City of Merida, and Other Matters Con- 

 cerning That Country. 



342. The Province of Yucatan was discovered by Capt. Francisco 

 Hernandez de Cordoba, and later by Juan de Grijalba, and in the 

 year 1527 Commander Francisco de Montejo started its conquest; 

 he was a gentleman native of Salamanca; with 500 Spaniards he 

 entered Yucatan by the village of Xamanzal, and in a period of 8 

 years he subdued and pacified it. In this he suffered great hardships, 

 for the Indians were brave and warlike. He founded the first city 

 in the year 1528, one year after coming in, on the site of the great 

 city of Chichen Itza ; and since there were large and handsome build- 

 ings there with human figures admirably wrought, with their ear- 

 caps (orejeras) and earrings, as well as figures of lions and other 

 animals, such as to arouse admiration at seeing similar buildings 

 and sculpture, very much like the superb remains at Merida in Spain, 

 he called it Merida. 



343. The city is built on a marvelous site, with bright skies and 

 wholesome air ; it covers the area of a very large city. It is very well 

 laid out with straight streets and fine buildings ; it will number over 

 600 Spanish residents. It is the residence of the Governor of those 

 provinces. It contains the Cathedral, very quaint and elaborately 

 wrought, with a Bishop and Prebendaries who reside there and serve 

 it ; there is a Franciscan convent, with other churches and shrines. 

 The city is well supplied and admirably provisioned with meat, fish, 

 and fruit, at very low prices. It lies in 20° N. and has a springlike 

 climate all the year, with many sorts of native fruit, as well as those 

 of Spain. 



344. Thirty leagues W. lies the town and harbor of San Francisco 

 de Campeche, with a parish church and Franciscan convent. This 

 city was founded by the Commander in the year 1531. There is 

 excellent timber there, for which reason stout ships are built in its 

 harbor. From here it is 130 leagues to Vera Cruz, to which they ex- 

 port the local products like wax and honey, which the Indians gather 



