WHOLE VOL. TflE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 1 23 



from hives and hollow trees ; they make also quantities of deerskin 

 footwear, cotton cloth, candlewicks and other specialties. 



345. \alladolid is 30 leagues from Merida, near the island Cozu- 

 mel, and Salamanca 60 leagues to the S., likewise founded in the 

 year 1531 ; Tabasco is 30 leagues W. of Salamanca, founded by 

 Commander de Montejo at the same time. After subduing these 

 provinces and founding the cities and towns above mentioned, he 

 found himself in need of men after his losses in the fighting, and of 

 aid ; many of his force had left on learning of the riches of Peru ; 

 so he was obliged to abandon the country in the year 1535 to go and 

 see the Viceroy, Don Antonio de Mendoza, who had arrived from 

 Spain that same year of 1535, and ask him to give him some aid in 

 men and munitions to keep the proud Yucatan Indians in subjection 

 and obedience, or else to give over to him the governorship of Hon- 

 duras ; he had represented to His Majesty that if he would do him 

 the favor of turning over to him both provinces, it would be easier 

 to keep them under control. And so that same year the warrant 

 arrived naming him Governor of Honduras, on account of the dis- 

 sensions arising in those provinces because of the cruelties of the 

 Royal Paymaster Sereceda ; this warrant came into the hands of the 

 Viceroy Don Antonio de Mendoza, who at once turned it over to 

 Commander Montejo with certain favors and privileges which he 

 gave him. So he sent Captain Caceres on ahead with his authoriza- 

 tion to take charge of the administration, with such collaboration on 

 his part that at the present day the Province of Yucatan is one of 

 the best and most agreeable provinces in the Indies. 



346. The province is very thickly settled, and even though at the 

 beginning, when it was subdued, it had many inhabitants, at present 

 it contains 199 settlements, with 116,600 baptized persons, not count- 

 ing children of both sexes, and many others, with many convents 

 and curacies, as will be detailed in the following chapter. 



347. And although there is no gold or silver ore in this province, 

 it is very fertile, prolific, and delightful. Quantities of corn are har- 

 vested in it ; that is the chief crop. There is abundance of turkeys 

 and barnyard fowl, which sell for a real each. Much beeswax is 

 produced, and honey from the quantities of beehives to be found all 

 over the province, and from hollow trees in the woods ; cacao, cochi- 

 neal, annatto, indigo ; cotton, from which much cloth is woven ; and 

 other specialties which they export to other provinces. 



348. The country is very flat and low and heavily wooded, both 

 with valuable timber like brazilwood, ebony, and others, and with 

 fruit trees like mammees, Indian figs, aguacates, jocotes, bananas. 



