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league from the town, where was a grove of palm trees, and the na- 

 tives advanced againft us here, painted and prepared for battle, in about 

 fifty canoes; but fortunately it was determined on our part, to addrefs 

 them through our interpreters, who declared to them our pacific inten- 

 tions, and invited their chiefs to an interview. Upon this, about 

 thirty Indians landed, to whom we prefented beads and coloured glafs. 

 Our captain then caufed to be explained to them how we had come from 

 a diftant country, and were the vaffals of a great prince to whom we re- 

 commended them to fubmit, and further, that in exchange for thofe 

 beads and glaffes, we expected that they fhould give us a fupply of pro- 

 vifions. Two of them, a chief and prieft made anfwer to us by faying 

 that they would barter, and give us provifion^: that as to a fovereign, 

 they already had one, and that our demand was" fo unfeafonable that 

 they advifed us to be cautious how we repeated that, or any iimilar one, 

 left they fhould attack us as in Pontonchan, they having two xiquipils 

 (eight thoufand men each,) of warriors ready for the purpofe, adding, 

 that though confident of their force, they had come to treat with us 

 amicably, and would repeat to their chiefs our propofal, and return to 

 us with their decifion for peace or war. Grijalva embraced them in 

 token of peace, and prefenting them with firings of beads, required 

 their fpeedy return with an anfwer, which they promifed and fulfilled, 

 affuring us on the part of their chiefs, of the moft pacific condu6l; 

 and as it is the cuflom of that country in amicable treaties to make 

 prefents, thirty Indians fliortly afterwards came to us loaded with broiled 

 fifh, fowls, fruit, bread of maize, and vefTels with lighted coals to 

 fumigate us with incenfe, and fpreading a mat upon the ground and a 

 mantle over it, they laid thereon fome toys of gold made in the form 

 ofjtirds, and lizards, and three necklaces of gold cafl: like beads, with 

 fome other trifles not altogether Vv'orth two hundred crowns ; they alfo 

 produced fome cotton mantles and other articles of clothing ufed by them, 

 faying, that we fhould receive their prefent kindly, it being the whole 

 of the gold that they were able to colled. But they added, that more 

 to the Weft there was abundance thereof, repeating feveral times, 

 **Mexico,"and"Culua," words which we at that time did not underfland. 



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