After The Departure Of Alvarado, We Continued Our Progress Of Discovery
Along The Coast, And Passing The Mountains Of Tusta And Tuspa, We
Approached The Province Of Panuco, Which Is Full Of Populous Towns Three
Or Four Leagues From The Coast.
Farther on, we arrived at the River of
Canoes, so named from the following incident.
While at anchor off its
mouth, ten canoes full of Indians made a sudden attack on our smallest
ship, which Alonzo de Avila commanded, and cut her cable for the purpose
of carrying her off, although the people in that ship made a very gallant
defence. But on receiving assistance from the other ships, the enemy was
beat off with considerable loss. Proceeding farther along the coast, we
came to a very bold cape, which our pilot believed we were unable to
weather, on account of a violent adverse current. It was then determined
in a council of the officers to return to the island of Cuba, though
Grijalva earnestly wished to have established a colony in some eligible
situation of the coast which we had explored. But in this proposal he was
opposed by the majority, on account of the lateness of the season, the
scarcity of provisions, and the hardships we had already undergone. We
therefore began our voyage back to Cuba, in which we made rapid progress,
as we were much assisted by the current; but had to stop at the river
Tonala, on purpose to repair one of our ships, which struck the ground
three times in going over the bar at the mouth of that river. While we
remained here, the natives came to us in a very friendly manner, bringing
bread, fish, and fruit, for which we gave them beads and cut glass. On our
desire of procuring gold being made known in the neighbouring country, the
inhabitants of Guacacualco and other places brought us all they had.
The Indians in this part of the country were all in use to carry small
hatchets of very bright copper, with highly painted handles, intended both
for ornament and defence. These were mistaken by us for gold, and we were
consequently eager to purchase them, so that in the course of three days
we procured about six hundred of them in exchange for green beads. One of
our seamen having procured seven of these, thought he had made his fortune.
While at this place, a soldier named Bartholomew Pardo, happened to go
into a temple on the top of a hill, where he found in a chest some
coronets and collars of gold, along with two idols. He secreted the gold
for his own use, but gave the idols to Grijalva; who afterwards learnt the
circumstances of the gold, which he ordered Pardo to surrender, but gave
it back to the poor man, only reserving the fifth for the king, the whole
not exceeding the value of eighty crowns. Being much infested with
mosquitos, I used to sleep while here in a temple to avoid these
intolerable insects, near which I sowed seven or eight seeds of oranges
which I had brought from Cuba.
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