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.
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