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and married at a place called Santa Fe. After ftaying here fix days we 

 now re-embarked and failed along the coaft, paiTmg a low Ifland diftant 

 three leagues from the main, called by us Ifla Blanca. Farther on 

 we came to a" large one, diflant about a league and a half therefrom, 

 where a party commanded by our captain went on fliore. Our people 

 found on this laft mentioned Ifland two buildings of lime and ftone, well 

 confiiruded, each with -fteps, and an altar placed before certain hideous 

 figures, the reprefentations of the Gods of thcfe Indians. They found 

 alfo here the bodies of five unfortunate perfons who had been facrificed on 

 the preceding night, their hearts cut out, their limbs feparated from the 

 bodies, and the walls and altars ftained with their blood. This Ifland 

 was named Ifla dc Los Sacrificios. Oppoflte to it on the continent we 

 landed, and conftrudling huts, remained fome time time in expedlation 

 of trading with the natives for gold. Many Indians came thither, but 

 brought very little of that metal, and appeared fliy and timorous; in 

 confequence of which we re-embarked, and proceeded. 



On our arrival at that part of the coaft where the town of St. Juan 

 de Ulua is now built, we lodged ourfelves in huts which we conflmded 

 upon the fand hills, and having founded the harbour we found good 

 anchorage, and it was fccure to the North. A party of thirty of us 

 commanded by our captain then proceeded to examine the Ifland, where 

 we found a temple containing a very large and hideous image intended 

 to reprefent a God, the name given to which was Tezcatepuca. Here 

 were four Indians in long black mantles refembling the habit of the Do- 

 minicans ; thefe were priefts, and they had that day facrificed two boys, 

 and offered their hearts to that curfed idol. On our entering they came 

 to us with their pots of incenfe, but we could not endure it, being dif- 

 gufted and grieved at the flght, and the horrid cruelty of their facrifices. 

 Our interpreter who fliewed fome marks of intelligence being queftioned 

 as to the caufe of thofe vi(itims being put to death in that manner, made 

 anfwer as well as he covild, that it was done by the Indians of Culva or 

 Culchua, meaning the Mexicans ; but he pronounced this word, Ulua, 

 a name which ever after diftinguiflied the place. It was called St. John, 



s partly 



