Chap- III. sA M ETt^I C A. 



remony of Religion, not much unlike to our Baptifm, and.which they call'd by 

 a Name that in their Language fignifi'd %™aar/o,/, or A SecondSirth . that they 

 obfery'd it Co diligently, that few or none amongft them omitted to initiate them- 

 selves by it, believing, that thereby the Seeds and Ground- work of all Goodnefs 

 was laid in them, and that they were fortifi'd by it againft the aiTauhs and tempta- 

 tions of evil Spirits . that after they were three or four years old, till they came to 

 twelve, they ufually thus Wafh'd and Baptiz'd themfelves ; and that none were 

 permitted amongft them to Marry, that were not firft initiated after this manner . 

 that they chofe likewife a folemn Day upon which to do this • and that the Friends 

 and Relations (efpecially the Father and Mother) of the Parties to be initiated, as 

 well as the Parties themfelves, always Faded three days before the faid Initiation ; 

 and that a great many of the Natives had a Tradition, or general Report amongft 

 them, that of ancient time this Province of Jucatan was poffefs'd and cultivated by 

 a certain People which came thither from the Eaft, after a tedious long wander- 

 ring, and many hardfliips endur'd at Sea, having efcap'd the Hands of their Ene- 

 mies onely through the power of the Deity they worfhipp'd. who help'd them, 

 and made them topafs fecurely, even through the Waves of the Sea. All which, if 

 true, feems not a little to confirm the Report which goeth for currant in the WelJI? 

 Chronicles, of one Madoc ap Oven, the Son of Guineth, a Prince of that Countrey, 

 who is faid to have fall'n upon a far Countrey this way in his Travels . which he 

 lik'dfo well, that having fecur'd to his Companions their fafe abode there during 

 his abfence, he returned himfelf into Wales for more Men j and that he tranfported 

 thither as many as he could carry in ten Barques full fraught.This he is faid to have 

 done about the Year of our Lord 1170. but neither he nor any of his Men were 

 ever heard of fince ; and the fuccefs of the Expedition, it feems, little enquired after 

 by the Weljh. However, the Relation feems not altogether incredible. 



The chief Towns of the Province are, 1. SMerida, in the Navel of the Countrey, 

 and the Seat of the Governor, twelve Leagues diftant from the Sea on either fide. 

 2. Valladolidt, thirty Leagues diftant from Nerida. 3. Campeche, a great Town, con- 

 firming of about three thoufand Houfes or more, when firft conquer'd by the Spani- 

 ards j who found fuch Monuments of Art and Induftry in it, as did clearly argue, 

 that the Place had been once poffefs'd by fome People that were not barbarous. It 

 is now call'd St. Francifco, and was furpriz'd in the Year 1596. by Captain Parker , 

 an EngliJh-aiAn, who took the Governor himfelf and fome other Perfons of Quality 

 with him, together with a Ship richly laden with Gold and Silver, befides other 

 Commodities of good value. 4. Tabafco, by the Spaniard now call'd Villa de Kueftra 

 Sennora de Vifloria, and commonly Victoria onely, in memory, as 'tis thought, of the 

 firft great Victory which Corte^ obtained over thefe People at the Battel of Totoncban, 

 as hath been faid. 5. Cintla. 6. Totoncban. 7. Salamanca. 



All along the Coaft of this Countrey there lie certain Illands, fome within the 

 Bay or Gulph call'd Honduras, pertaining to the next Province, as 1. La Zar^a. 

 i. LaDefconefcida. 3. Fermeia. 4. Los Negrillos . and fome without it, as i.Zaratan. 

 2. Tantoia. 3. De Mngeres, or The Ijland of Women - fo nam'd by the Spaniards, who at 

 their firft Difcovery of thefe Parts, for a long time together could meet with none 

 but Women. The chief of them is call'd Jcufamtl, commonly Co^amul, and is fifteen 

 Leagues in length, and about five in brtadth, and was as it were the Thoro-wfare, 

 or Common Road of the Spaniards, when they firft difcover'd the Countreys of 

 Nelb Spain : For firft here Landed Ferdinajido de Corduba ; after him John de Grialva, 

 and others ; and laft of all the fortunate Corte^. It is now call'd St. Crux. 



22J 



CHAP. 



