ACCOUNT OF BERNAL DIAS. 



417 



almost inaccessible on account of the thickets of 

 cactus and thorn bushes growing around it. 



In the account given by Bernal Dias of the ex- 

 pedition of Cortez, he says that, after leaving the 

 island of Cozumel, the fleet w^as separated by a gale 

 of wind, but the next day all the ships joined com- 

 pany except one, which, according to the surmise 

 of the pilot, was found in a certain bay on the coast 

 wind bound. " Here," says Bernal Dias, " several of 

 our companions went on shore, and found in the 

 town hard by, four temples, the idols in which rep- 

 resented human female figures of large size, for which 

 reason we named this place Punta de las Mugeres," 

 or the Point of the Women. Gomarra speaks of a 

 Cape Mugeres, and says, " At this place there were 

 towers covered with wood and straw, in which, in 

 the best order, were put many idols, that appeared to 

 be representations of women." No mention is made 

 by any of the old historians of the island of Muge- 

 res, but there is no point or cape on the mainland ; 

 and, considering the ignorance of the coast which 

 must have existed in the early voyages, it is not im- 

 possible to beheve that the Spaniards gave to the 

 promontory on which these buildings stand the name 

 of point or cape, in which case the building pre- 

 sented in the engraving may be one of the temples 

 or towers referred to by Bernal Dias and Gomarra. 



We returned to the hut ready to embark, and at 

 twelve o'clock we took leave of the fishermen, and 

 were again on board our canoa. 



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