EARLY VOYAGES. 



. C ORDOVA. 



49 



Guanaja, and then, steering to the west, discovered 

 the east coast of the province now known by the 

 name of Yucatan, and sailed along it some distance, 

 without, however, prosecuting the discovery. 



On the eighth of February, 1517, Francisco Her- 

 nandez de Cordova, a rich hidalgo of Cuba, with 

 three vessels of good burden and one hundred and 

 ten soldiers, set sail from the port now known as 

 St. Jago de Cuba, on a voyage of discovery. Doub- 

 ling St. Anton, now called Cape St. Antonio, and 

 sailing at hazard toward the west, at the end of 

 twenty-one days they saw land which had never 

 been seen before by Europeans. 



On the fourth of March, while making arrange- 

 ments to land, they saw coming to the ships five 

 large canoes, with oars and sails, some of them con- 

 taining fifty Indians ; and on signals of invitation be- 

 ing made, above thirty came on board the captain's 

 vessel. The next day the chief returned with twelve 

 large canoes and numerous Indians, and invited the 

 Spaniards to his town, promising them food, and 

 whatever was necessary. The words he used were 

 Conex cotoch, which, in the language of the Indians 

 of the present day, means, " Come to our town." 

 Not understanding the meaning, and supposing it 

 was the name of the place, the Spaniards called it 

 Point or Cape Cotoche, which name it still bears. 



The Spaniards accepted the invitation, but, see- 

 ing the shore lined with Indians, landed in their 



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