Eight Days After Leaving Cozumel, They Came To Anchor Off The Town
Of Pontonchan, And Landed All The Soldiers Near Some Houses.
The Indians,
vain of having driven Hernandez and his men from their country, drew up in
martial array to hinder the Spaniards from landing, shouting and making a
great noise with their trumpets and kettle-drums.
Though some falconets
which were in the boats put the natives into great terror, having never
experienced any such before, yet they shot their arrows when the boats
came near, and cast darts and stones from their slings, running even into
the water to attack the Spaniards with their spears. But as soon as the
Spaniards landed, they compelled the natives to give way; for, being
taught by experience, the Spaniards now used the same sort of defensive
armour with the Indians, being stuffed with cotton, so that they received
less harm from the arrows than on former occasions; yet three of the
soldiers were killed, and sixty wounded: Grijalva, the commander, was shot
with three arrows, one of which broke several of his teeth.
On the boats returning from the ships with a reinforcement of soldiers,
the Indians quitted the field, and the Spaniards went to town, where they
dressed their wounded men, buried the dead, and found only three of the
natives. Grijalva used these men kindly, giving them some toys, and sent
them to recal the inhabitants, engaging not to hurt any of them; but they
never returned, and Grijalva did not venture to send Julian or Melchior,
as he suspected they might run away.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 667 of 789
Words from 185437 to 185702
of 219607
