This Disappointment Added Greatly To The Anxiety Of
Velasquez, From Which He Was Relieved By The Arrival Of Alvarado.
The
display of gold which he produced astonished the governor and all who saw
it; and Alvarado was feasted and honoured above measure, as the bearer of
such agreeable tidings.
The fame of the new and wealthy country which we
had discovered was soon spread abroad and blazoned among the islands, and
even reached to Castile.
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.
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