s 
✓ 
Expedition of H 
from that time continued a friendly Correfpondeiice^ 
without fhewing any Signs either of Terror or Surprize j 
the Reafon of this was, That having in their Ifland an 
Idol univerfally reverenced by all the neighbouring Na- 
tions, they Were accuftomed to fee People of different 
Countries, Habits, and Languages, which either hinder- 
ed them fi'om being fo much aftonifhed, as other Indians 
were, or elfe taught them better to conceal their Fear. 
At Night they all retired to their Houfes, and the 
next Day the principal Cazique of the Ifland came to 
viflt Cortes with a numerous Equipage, delivering his 
Embalfy and Prefent himfelf. The General received 
him with great Courtefy, and by his Interpreter re- 
turned Thanks for the Vifit, with an Offer of his Friend- 
Ihip and that of his Followers. To which the Cazique 
replied. That he accepted the Friendfhip offered, as a 
Man who knew how to preferve it. One among the 
Indians who accompanied him v/as heard to repeat, after 
a bad manner, the Name of Cajiillay and Cortes, whofe 
Attention nothing could divert froni his Point, obferved 
the Word, and commanded the Interpreter to inquire 
into the Meaning of it. The Indians faid, that his Men 
very much refembled certain Perfons who were in Yucatan, 
Natives of a Country called Caftilla *, which Cortes no 
fooner heard than he refolved to fet them at Liberty, 
and engage them in his Service. 
Upon informing himfelf more particularly, he found 
that they were in the Power of fome Indians of the high- 
cfl: Rank redding two Days Journey within the Province 
of Yucatan, Cortes communicated his Intention to the 
Cazique, and afked him, whether thefe were warlike In- 
dians, and what Force would be neceffary to refcue the 
Chriftians from Slavery The Cazique gave him a very 
reafonable Anfwer, telling him, the fecurefl: Way would 
be to ranfom them ; for that endeavouring to releafe 
them by Force of Arms, would expofe them to the 
Hazard of being maffacred by their Mailers. Cortes 
embraced his Advice, with Admiration to find fo much 
good Senfe and Policy in the Cazique, whofe Rank 
among Princes, though inconfiderable, had taught him 
fome Principles of what they call Reafon of State. 
He immediately gave Orders to Biego de Ordaz, to 
fail with his Veffel and Company to the Coaftof Yuca- 
tan by the (horttik Cut from the Ifle of Cozumel, where 
he was to land the Indians appointed by the Cazique for 
this Purpofe. They carried a Letter from Cortes to the 
Prifoners, together with fome Trifles for their Ranfom, 
and Ordaz was commanded to ftay eight Days for them, 
in which time the Indians undertook to return with an 
Anfwer. The two Veflels came upon the Coaft of Yuca- 
tan, and landed the Indians. They, within, two Days, 
delivered the Letters to a Spaniard whofe Name was 
Jerom de Aguilar, who was pleafed with it and the 
Toys. Some fay, the Indians, for Fear, delivered the 
Letter to Aguilar‘s Mafter, who feeing him read it, 
wondered that Perfons at fuch a Diflance fliould under- 
ftand each other by that Method. Aguila referring 
himfelf to his Mafter, as fearing he would caufe him 
to be killed if he attempted to go away privately, ob- 
tained Leave of him to go, defiring that he would make 
them his Friends. This Lord fent fome Indians with 
him, and when he came to the Coaft, he perceived 
they had waited thereabouts, finding feveral Crofles made 
of Canes. Being much grieved for want of fome Con- 
veniency to proceed any farther, and going along the 
Coaft, he found a Canoe half funk, which, with the 
Help of his Companions, he cleared of the Sand ; and, 
though half rotten, got into it, rowing with a Pipe-ftave 
he alfo found by chance, and fo went down the Coaft, 
crofllng in the narroweft Part over to the Ifland, being at 
leaft four Leagues. The Currents carrying him near to 
the Fleet. 
In the , mean time Cortes marched, with all his Troops 
in a Body, to take of the Ifland ; not that hefaw any 
Necefllty for being on his Guard, but to keep the Soldiers 
together, and to preferve the Inhabitants frombeing infult- 
ed. He told his Men, that they were an indigent People 
imableto defend themfeves j that the Sincerity they Ihewed 
entitled them to good Treatment in return ^ and that their 
E R U A N Cortes,. Book I. 
Poverty was fuch as gate no Tefilptation to Avarice j 
that they were not to expeft from that fmall Spot of 
Ground any otherWealth than Reputation. He was always 
accompanied by the Cazique and great Numbers of 
Indians, who fuppiied him with Provifions, and ex- 
changed Gold for Glaft Beads, believing that they over- 
reached the Spaniards, and could never purchafe thole 
Toys at too dear a Rate. 
At a little Diftance from the Coaft ftood the Temple 
of the Idol fo much revered by the hidians. It v/as a 
fquare Building of Stone, and of no contemptible 
Strudiure. The Idol bore the Figure of a Man, but of 
fuch an horrible Afpeft as plainly difeovered the Origi- 
nal it was defigned to reprefent. Tins Circumftance of 
Deformity was obferved in all the Idols worfliipped by 
thofe miferable People, however they differed in Make 
or Signification j whether it were that their Imaginations 
hit in this refpeeft, or that he who ftmek out the moft 
hideousFigure was accounted the beftWorkman.H'is faid, 
this Idol was called Cozumel, and gave to the Ifland the 
Name which it retains to this Day. The Spaniards found 
a very great Concourfe of Indians in the Temple, and irs 
the midft of them a Prieft, diftinguifiied from the reft: 
by a certain Ornament or Covering, which fcarcely hid his 
Nakednefs. He feemed to preach, and'perfuade them to 
fomething, by a Voice and Adlion extremely ridiculous. 
Cortes took this Opportunity to difeourfe the Indian 
Prince roundly on the Subjeft of his Idolatry, telling 
him, in the firft place, that it was impoflible for them 
to continue Friends if he did not quit it *, and next, that 
it was very unworthy of him, who was a Man of Senfe 
and good Underftanding, to pay Divine Honours to an 
ugly deformed Image, fitter to frighten Children than to 
be revered by Men. 
The Cazique did not know how to argue with him, 
but feemed rather willing to fhift the Difeourfe ; telling 
him, that he was much his Servant in what depended 
upon him ; but that, as for Religion, it was out of his 
way, and fo left it wholly to the Priefts, who Ihould, if he 
pleafed, difeourfe with him upon theSubjed.This was rea- 
dily accepted, and one of the Priefts fent for, who no fooner 
underftood the Bufmefs than he began to threaten the 
moft dreadful Penalties, in the Name of his Idol, againft 
any who ftiould prefume to diflionour him or his Plabi- 
tation. Upon which Cortes, to fliew them how much 
they were deceived and impofed upon by thefe Jugglers, 
cauied all the Idols to be broke to pieces, and moft of 
their Chapels to be demolifhed, only the largeft of them 
he'preferved entire •, and, having caufed a very neat Altar 
to be fet up there, he had Mafs faid thereon by the 
Chaplains and Priefts ; and, at his Departure, charged 
the Cazique to take care that every thing was kept in 
good Order, and that no Inftilt was offered to the Image , 
of the bleffed Virgin, or to the two Croffes which he 
eredled in that Chapel ; which the Indian Chief very rea- 
dily promifed. And thus ail Things being adj lifted, 
Cortes began to provide for his Departure, the Ship being 
returned with Advice, That they had waited the appointed 
Time without feeing any thing of the Perfons for whom 
they were fent, and therefore judged it their Duty to 
return. 
7. All Things being in order, Cortes put to Sea, with 
a Defign to follow the fame Courfe, which Juan ds 
Grijalva had done before,, and to difeover the Countries 
from which he had retired by too fcrupulons an Obedi- 
ence to the Orders he had received. The Fleet had the 
■Wind a-ftern, and all were overjoyed at the profperous 
Beginning of their Voyage, when an unexpefted Acci- 
dent gave them great Uneafmefs. Juan de Efculante 
fired a Gun, and the reft of the Commanders, cafting 
their Eyes towards him, obferved that he followed with 
great Difficulty, and foon after tacked about, and ftood 
for the Ifland. Cortes well underftood the Meaning of 
what he faw j and, without fraying to deliberate, im- 
mediately ordered the Fleet to follov/ him. Juan de 
Efculante ftood in need of ail his Diligence to fave his 
Veffel, for fhe had fprung a Leak, and took in fo muich 
Water that ffie was upon the point of finking when fhe 
reached the Shore?, notv^itiiftanding all poffibie Expe- 
ditio.ii 
V 
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