AN OLD FRIEND. 



47 



CHAPTER III 



An old Friend. — Brief Account of Yucatan. — Early Voyages of 

 Discovery. — Columbus. — De Solis and Pinzon. — Expedition of 

 Cordova. — Voyages of Grijalva. — Expedition of Cortez. — Mis- 

 sion of Montejo, who receives a Grant from Charles V. — Dis- 

 coveries, Conquests, and Sufferings of Montejo and his Com- 

 panions. — Efforts to convert the Natives. — Contreras. — Farther 

 Particulars relating to the Conquest of Yucatan. 



I TRUST the reader has not forgotten our old friend 

 Don Simon Peon, to whom, of course, our first visit 

 was made. We were received by himself and his 

 mother, the Dona Joaquina, with the same kind- 

 ness as on the former occasion, and in a greater de- 

 gree. They immediately offered all in their power 

 to further the objects of our visit, and to the last 

 day of our residence in the country we continued 

 to feel the benefit of their friendly assistance. For 

 the present, the sala of the Dona Joaquina was ev- 

 ery evening the rendezvous of her large and respect- 

 able family connexion ; there we were in the habit 

 of visiting at all times, and had reason to believe 

 that we were always welcome guests. 



Among the first of Don Simon's good offices was 

 a presentation to the governor of the state. This 

 gentleman, by reason of the peculiar political posi- 

 tion of Yucatan, occupied at that time a prominent 

 and important position ; but, before introducing him 

 to the reader, it may not be amiss to give a brief ac- 



