52 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



the rest had two, three, or four, and the captain, 

 Hernandez de Cordova, had twelve arrow wounds. 

 In the old Spanish charts this place is called the 

 Bay " de Mala Pelea," or " of the bad fight." 



This great disaster determined them to return to 

 Cuba. So many sailors were wounded that they 

 could not man the three vessels, in consequence of 

 which they burned the smaller one, and, dividing the 

 crew between the other two, set sail. To add to 

 their calamity, they had been obliged to leave behind 

 their water-casks, and they came to such extremities 

 ^ith thirst, that their tongues and lips cracked open. 

 On the coast of Florida they procured water, and 

 when it was brought alongside one soldier threw him- 

 self from the ship into the boat, and, seizing an earth- 

 en jar, drank till he swelled and died. 



Aiter this the vessel of the captain sprung a leak, 

 but by great exertions at the pumps they kept her 

 from sinking, and brought her into Puerto C arenas, 

 which is now the port of Havana. Three more sol- 

 diers died of their wounds ; the rest dispersed, and 

 the captain, Hernandez de Cordova, died ten days 

 after his arrival. Such was the disastrous end of 

 the first expedition to Yucatan. 



In the same year, 1517, another expedition was 

 set on foot. Four vessels were fitted out, two hun- 

 dred and forty companions enrolled themselves, and 

 Juan de Grijalva, " a hopeful young man and well- 

 behaved," was named captain-in-chief 



On the sixth of April, 1518, the armament sailed 



