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.
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