6o 
DifcGveries of the Spaniards^ from the Death of Book L 
trefli Water, like a River, but it was not •, Antony de 
Alaminos faicl .it was an Ifland, and that theWater parted it 
troni another Country, for which reafon he called it Boca 
de B'erminos^ that is, the Mouth of the Boundaries. They 
landed, flayed three Days, and found it was no Ifland, 
but a Bay, and good Harbour. There were Temples, 
with Idols of Clay and of Wood, reprefenting Men, Wo- 
men, and Serpents •, but no Town could be feen, and it 
appeared that thofe were Chapels for People that went a 
trading and hunting. During thofe three Days they took 
feveral Deer and Rabbits with a Grey-hound Bitch they 
had, v/Iiich, the Spaniards not minding her, they left 
there j holding on the fame Way, always by Day, to 
avoid falling in among Flats or Rocks, they difcovered a 
very large Mouth of a River, which feemed to be a good 
Harbour ; but founding it, they perceived that the two 
largefl Ships could not go in, as the two fmaller did. 
The Boats went up the River very cautioufly, becaufe 
they faw many armed Indians^ like thofe at Potonchany in 
Canoes along the Shore. 
This River, by the Natives called T ahafco., being the 
Name of the Lord of the adjacent Town, the Spaniards 
named Rio de Grijalva^ from their Commander in chief 
who found it. As they advanced higher, they heard the 
_ Noife of hewing Wood, becaufe the Inhabitants, having 
been informed of what had happened at Potonchan., con- 
cluded there mull be War. 
The Spaniards landed at a Grove of Palm-trees, about 
half a League from the Town. The Indians feeing them 
land, about fifty Canoes full of armed Men, with Plumes 
of Feathers, and very fine, moved, flopped again at a 
fmall Diflance from the Spaniards., in a warlike Poflure ; 
and when the Spaniards were ready to fire their Falconets 
upon them, they firfl fent Melchior 2L]idi Julian to fpeak 
to them. Thefe Interpreters told them, that they came 
only to treat about fome Affairs that would pleafe them. 
Four Canoes drew nearer, and being fhewn little Glaffes 
on Strings, and thinking they had been the Sort of Stones 
called Chalchihites., much valued among them, they were 
pacified. Then Grijalva ordered, the Interpreters to tell 
them, that thefe Men were Subjedls of a great King, to 
whom mighty Princes paid Obedience, and it was rea- 
fonable they alfo fhould fubmit to him, becaufe it would 
be much to their Advantage ; and that till they could 
explain thefe Affairs to them they fhould furnifli Provi- 
fions. The Indians anfwered, that they would give Pro- 
vifions, but that they had a Lord of their own, and did 
not know why they who were jufl; come fhould offer to 
impofe a new Lord upon them •, that they fhould take 
heed how they made war on them, as they had done at 
Potonchan, for that they had provided above three Xi- 
qtiiples (each Xiquiple being eight thoufand) of Men 
againft them ; that they knew they had killed and wound- 
ed above two hundred at Potonchan \ but that they were 
not fo weak as thofe People ; and, to conclude, that 
they were come thither to know their Will, and would 
go and make a very jufi; Report of what they faid to a 
Number of very great Men, that were affembled either 
to treat of Peace or renew the War. Grijalva gave them 
Strings of Beads, Looking-glaffes, and other things, 
charging them not to fail to bring back an Anfwer, 
becaufe if they did not, he muft needs go to the -Town, 
though not to do any harm. 
He then returned to the Ships. The Meffengers deli- 
vered the Meffage, and all the prime Men, who were 
wont to be confulted in martial Affairs, thought Peace 
was preferable to War. They immediately fent their Az- 
dians loaded with roafled Fifh, Hens, feveral Sorts of 
Fruit, and Bread •, then laying fome Mats on the Ground, 
they placed a Prefent on them, being a handfom.e Mafk 
of Wood, and feveral Sorts of Feather- work, very beau- 
tiful ; and an Indian faid the Lord would come the next 
Day to fee the Spaniards : Accordingly, taking along 
with him many Men unarmed, he without any Jealoufy 
went aboard John de GrijahAs, Ship, who was a genteel 
Man, about twenty-eight, and had on a loofe Coat of 
Crimfon Velvet, a Cap of the fame, with other rich Or- 
naments fuitable to the Coat. The Cazique was received 
with much Honour ; fitting down they began their Dif- 
I 
courfe, of vdiich both Parties underftood very little, iin- 
lefs it was by Signs, and fome W ords the two Indians^ 
Julian and Melchior^ interpreted. After fom.e time, the 
Cazique ordered one to take out of a Petaca., which is 
in the Nature of a Trunk, the tilings he had carried. 
The Indian took out Plates of Gold, and thin Boards 
covered with Gold, for Armour, as fit as if they had 
been made for Grijalva., and the Cazique himlelf put them 
upon him, and took them off, applying thofe that fuited 
beft ; and in this manner he put him on a complete Suit 
of Gold Armour, as if it had been of Steel. He alfo 
prefented him various Works in Gold and Feathers, a 
thing much valued ^ among them ; and it was wonderful 
to fee how beautiful Grijalva looked ; who gave the Ca- 
zique all the Signs of Gratitude that could be thought of. 
He called for a very fine Shirt, and v/ith his own Hands 
put it upon the Cazique ; took, off his great Coat of 
Crimfon Velvet, and put that on him, as alfo a Pair of 
nev/ Shoes. In fliort, he cloathed and adorned him the 
bell he could, gave him fom.e of the beft Strings of 
Beads, and Looking-glaffes, Sciffars, Knives, and feve- 
rall things of Tin ; and the like to all that were with the 
Cazique. What the Cazique gave to Grijalva was com- 
puted to be worth three thoufand Pieces of Eight ; and 
among the reft there was a v/ooden Head-piece covered 
with thin Plates of Gold, three or four Maftcs, fome of 
them covered with a fort of Stones like Emeralds, ipc. and 
the Sight of thefe things made the Spaniards very eager to 
fettle in a Country which produced fo much Wealth. 
As for John Grijalva., having received this great Prefent 
at Pahafco, and being fenfible that the Indians were not 
willing that their Guefts fhould flay long, and in regard 
that the Spaniards afking for more Gold, the Indians an- 
fwered Culua, Culua, he proceeded farther, and in two 
Days came to a Town called Aqualunco, which the Spa- 
niards named la Ramhla, the Inhabitants whereof appear- 
ing at a diftance, and having Targets of Tortoife-fhells, 
which glittered in the Sun, made fome of the Spani- 
ards fancy that they were of pale Gold they difcovered 
a Bay in which the River Ponala falls, where they entered 
at their Return, and called it St. Anthony^ s River : At a 
diftance again they faw the great River Guazacoallo, but 
could not go up it, becaufe of the foul Weather : Next 
they had a Sight of the fnowy Hands of New Spain., and 
St. Martin, which Name was given them by the Soldiers 
who firft difcovered them. Holding on their Courfe, 
Captain Alverado went ahead with his Ship, and entered 
a River the Indians call Papaloava, but the Spaniards gave 
it the Name of Alverado"^ River, where the Indians of 
the Town of T avotulpale brought Fifh, and the other 
Ships ftaid till he came out again : They then advanced 
to the Mouth of another River, which they called de Ban- 
deras, or of Colours, becaufe the Indians having large 
white Cloths on long Poles, like Colours, waved them for 
the Spaniards to come to them. 
It is neceffary to inform the Reader of the Reafons 
which occafioned this, and which, in few Words, were 
thefe: The Country, on the Coaft of which they now 
were, vcas a Province of the great Empire of Meuico, 
over v/hich Montezuma reigned, a Prince of great Wif- 
dom and Penetration, who, having heard both of the for- 
mer and of the latter Exploit of the Spaniards, and of the 
Pains they took to be acquainted with the maritime Parts 
of his Empire, began to grow jealous thereat, and was 
uneafy in his turn to know who and what thefe People 
were, and why they took fo much Pains to be inftrudled 
as to the State of (Countries that did not belong to them : 
To anfwer this Pulpofe effedlually, he gave Direhlions to 
the Governors of thefe Provinces to entertain thefe Stran- 
gers civilly, to take every Opportunity that offered of 
trading with them, and to fend him, from time to time, 
fuch an Account of their Motions, as might enable him 
clearly ,to difcern what Opinion he ought to entertain 
of them. It was in Confequence of thefe Inftruhlions, 
that the Indians fet up thefe Colours, to invite the Stran- 
gers on Shore. 
On the other hand, the Spaniards feeing themfelves in- 
vited by the Signals of the Colours, Grijalva ordered two 
Boats to go afhore, and in them Captain Francis de Mon- 
tejo^ 
