CONQUEST OF ITZA. 



197 



is on our side, and there is nothing to fear." The 

 Spaniards were enraged, but Don Martin still cried 

 out, " Let no one fire, on pain of death !" The ar- 

 rows from the shore were like thick rain. The 

 Spaniards could scarcely be restrained, and one sol- 

 dier, wounded in the arm, and enraged by the pain, 

 fired his musket; the rest followed; the general 

 could no longer control them, and, without waiting 

 till they reached the shore, as soon as the oars stop- 

 ped all threw themselves into the water, Don Mar- 

 tin de Ursua among them. The Indians were thick 

 as if collected at the mouth of a cannon ; but at the 

 horrible noise and destruction of the fire-arms they 

 broke and fled in terror. The vessel, with twenty 

 soldiers, attacked the canoes, and those both in the 

 canoes and on the land, from the king to the small- 

 est creature, all leaped into the water, and from the 

 island to the main nothing was to be seen but the 

 heads of Indians, men, women, and children, swim- 

 ming for life. The Spaniards entered the deserted 

 town, and hoisted the royal standard on the highest 

 point of Peten. With a loud voice they returned 

 thanks to God for his mercies, and Don Martin Ur- 

 sua took formal possession of the island and the ter- 

 ritory of Itza in the name of the king. The vicar 

 claimed it as belonging to the bishopric of Yucatan, 

 and in stole and bonnet blessed the lake. This took 

 place on the thirteenth of March, 1697, one hun- 

 dred and fifty-five years after the foundation of Mer- 

 ida, and but one hundred and forty-five years ago. 



