SPANIARDS ABANDON YUCATAN. 



63 



The vessels sailed from Vera Cruz, and, stopping at 

 Tobasco with a portion of his recruits, he sent on 

 the vessels with the rest, under the command of his 

 son, to prosecute the conquest in Yucatan. 



But the adelantado found it much more difficult 

 than he expected to reduce the Indians of Tobasco ; 

 and while he was engaged in it, the Spaniards in 

 Campeachj, instead of being able to penetrate into 

 the country, were undergoing great sufferings. The 

 Indians cut off their supplies of provisions, and, 

 being short of sustenance, nearly all became ill. 

 They were obliged to make constant sorties to pro- 

 cure food, and it was necessary to let the horses go 

 loose, though at the risk of their being killed. 

 They were reduced so low that but five soldiers 

 remained to watch over and provide for the rest. 

 Finding it impossible to hold out any longer, they 

 determined to abandon the place. Gonzales Nieto, 

 who first planted the royal standard on the shores 

 of Yucatan, was the last to leave it, and in the year 

 1535 not a single Spaniard remained in the country. 



It was now notorious that the adelantado had 

 not fulfilled the order to carry with him priests, and, 

 by many of the daring but devout spirits of that 

 day, his want of success in Yucatan was ascribed 

 to this cause. The viceroy of Mexico, in the ex- 

 ercise of the discretion allowed under a rescript 

 from the queen, determined forthwith to send 

 priests, who should conquer the country by con- 

 verting the Indians to Christianity. 



