As Soon As Montejo
Landed, The Indians Presented Him With Fowls, Bread, And Fruit, And
Perfumed Him And His Men By Burning Copal In Fire-Pans.
Julian was not
able to understand the language of these people, which was Mexican, and
Montejo sent advice to Grijalva of the friendly behaviour of the Indians,
on which he brought his ships to anchor, and landed himself.
He was
received with great respect by the Mexican governor and other men of note,
to whom he presented some glass beads and necklaces of several colours.
The governor ordered the Indians to bring gold to barter with the
Spaniards, and in the course of six days stay at this place, they got to
the value of 15,000 pieces of eight in gold baubles and toys of various
shapes. Hitherto all things had succeeded so as to do great credit to
Grijalva and his companions, yet nothing had been done to satisfy the high
expectation which had been formed in Cuba of this expedition. This
prompted Grijalva to lose as little time as possible in proceeding to
explore the country; and, having presented the cacique with such things as
he had to give, he took formal possession of the country for the king, and
for James Velasquez in the king's name, and embarked to go elsewhere,
because the north winds blew upon the land, and rendered his farther stay
unsafe. Proceeding on the voyage, he found an island near the continent
having whitish sands, which therefore he called Isla Blancha, or the
White Island, and not far off another, four leagues from the continent,
which he called Isla Verde, or the Green Island. Farther on they came to
another, a league and a half from the land, and there being a good
road-stead opposite, Grijalva brought the ships to anchor, and went on
shore in his boat at a place where some smoke was seen. He there found two
houses well built with stone and lime, having many steps which led up to
altars, on which there were idols; and they perceived that five men had
been sacrificed there that night, their breasts being ripped open, their
legs and thighs cut off, and the walls all bloody. This sight greatly
astonished the Christians, who called this place the Island of Sacrifices.
They landed afterwards on the coast opposite that island, making
themselves huts of boughs covered with sails, to which some natives
resorted to barter gold in small figures; but the natives being shy, and
the gold in small quantity, the Spaniards removed to another island only
half a league from the coast. Landing on the shore, they built barracks on
the highest part of the strand, to avoid the plague of mosquitos or gnats;
and having sounded the harbour, they found sufficient water for the ships,
which were sheltered from the north wind by the small island. Grijalva
went over to the small island with thirty soldiers in two boats, where he
found an idol temple and four priests clad in very long black mantles with
hoods. That very day they had sacrificed two boys, whom they found ripped
open and their hearts taken out, which moved the Spaniards to compassion.
Grijalva asked an Indian who had come with him from the Rio de Banderas,
who seemed a good rational person, what was the reason of this barbarous
practice, to which he answered, that the people of Ulua would have it so.
On this account, and because Grijalvas name was Juan, this island has
always been called since St Juan de Ulua, to distinguish it from St Juan
de Puerto Rico. Grijalva staid here seven days, bartering for some small
quantity of gold. At length, the people being quite tired of the trouble
they received from prodigious swarms of gnats, and being quite certain the
country they had visited was the continent, having many large towns, which
justified the name of New Spain which they had given it; the cazibi bread
they had on board becoming mouldy, and the men being too few to settle a
colony in so populous a country, ten having died of their wounds, and many
of the rest being sick; it was judged proper to return to Cuba to give an
account to Velasquez of all their proceedings and discoveries, more
especially as he had expressly prohibited the making of any settlement,
that he might hereafter send a greater number for that purpose if he
judged right. Yet Grijalva was much inclined to remain and build a town,
and made choice of Alvaredo to carry a message to that effect to Velasquez,
sending by him all the gold and other curiosities which had been procured,
and all the sick.
After the departure of Grijalva from Cuba, Velasquez became very anxious
about his ships, which were navigating upon an unknown coast, and sent
therefore Christopher de Olido, a commander of good character, in a ship
with seventy soldiers, to endeavour to procure intelligence. While Olido
was at anchor on the coast of Yucutan, there arose so violent a storm that
he was forced to cut his cables, and run back to St Jago. Much about this
time Alvaredo arrived with the gold, cotton cloth, and other things from
Grijalva, and a relation of all that had been done during the expedition.
This was very satisfactory to Velasquez, who conceived great hopes of
brilliant consequences from the discoveries, and the news spread about the
island of Cuba, to the great astonishment and admiration of all men.
Velasquez was a severe master to those who served him, over credulous, and
easily provoked by misrepresentations. And Alvaredo having been of opinion
for settling a colony in New Spain, represented the affair to him in any
way he thought proper, and gave him very bad impressions of the man who
had served him so very successfully and faithfully, with such strict
regard to the orders he had given. Leaving this for the present, we
proceed to give an account of the farther operations of Grijalva in
obtaining a clear account of this part of the continent he was sent to
discover.
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