After Sailing Six Days Longer,
The Wind Came Round To The North, Blowing With Such Violence On The Coast
That They Thought To Have Been Cast Away.
When the storm abated, they
endeavoured to approach the shore for water, as the casks had become leaky,
and soon ran out.
They landed accordingly in a bay near an Indian town,
and about a league from the town of Pontonchan, and filled their casks at
a well near certain places of worship, which were built of stone and lime
like those they had seen formerly. When ready to return to the ships, they
perceived a party of armed men advancing towards them, who asked whether
they had come from where the sun rises? On being answered in the
affirmative, the Indians drew back to some houses not far off, and the
Spaniards, because night was coming on, resolved to remain on shore. A
great noise was heard soon afterwards among the Indians, and the Spaniards
became divided in opinion; some being clear for getting on board
immediately, while others thought it would be dangerous to retreat in the
dark, as there seemed 300 Indians to every one of their small party.
When day broke next morning, it appeared that the Indians had been joined
by many others during the night, and they all surrounded the Spaniards,
pouring in a great shower of arrows, stones, and darts, by which eighty of
the Spaniards were wounded at the first onset. After this they closed in
with the Christians, using their swords and spears; and though the
Spaniards were not idle with their fire-arms, cross-bows, and swords, the
Indians distressed them greatly. On experiencing the sharpness of the
Spanish swords, the Indians drew farther off, continuing to ply their
arrows with a good aim, crying out calachani! calachani! which in the
language of Yucutan, signifies cacique or captain, meaning that they
should aim especially at the commander Cordova. In this they succeeded, as
he received twelve arrow wounds, as he exposed himself foremost in every
encounter, when he ought rather to have directed his men than fought
personally. Finding himself sorely wounded, and that the courage of his
men was unable to overcome so great a multitude, which was continually
increasing, he made a furious onset, and broke through the Indians, who
still pursued the Spaniards on their way to the boats. On getting to the
boats, they had nearly sunk them all by the hurry of so many men crowding
to embark; but they at length put off from the shore, the Indians still
plying them with missile weapons, and many of them advancing into the
water to wound the Spaniards with their spears.
In this unfortunate rencontre, forty-seven Spaniards were killed, and many
wounded, five of whom died on board. The wounded men endured excruciating
pain while in the boats, in consequence of their wounds being wet with sea
water, which caused them to swell much. All the people cursed the pilot
Alaminos for bringing them to this place, who still persisted that this
country was an island.
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