valiant manne of stoute courage, doth procure by déedes to make him
selfe equall with the excellente men of his time, yea and with those
that were before his time. So it is, that I do now take in häd such an
enterprise, as godwilling shall be héereafter of greate fame, for myne
heart doth pronosticate vnto mée, that we shall winne greate and rich
Countreys, and manye people, as yet neuer séene to anye of oure nation,
yea and (I beléeue) greater Kingdomes than those of oure Kinges. And
I assure you, that the desire of glory dothe further extend, than
treasure, the whiche in sorte, mortall life doth obtayne. I haue now
prepared Shippes, Armor, Horses, and other furniture for the warres,
with victuall sufficient, and all things that are vsed as necessary
in Conquestes. I haue bin at greate costes and charges, wherein I
haue not onely employed myne owne goodes, but also the goodes of my
friendes, yet me thinketh that the employmente thereof dothe encrease
my treasure and honor. We ought (louing fellowes) to leaue off small
things, when great matters doe offer themselues. And euen as my trust
is in God, euen so greater profite shall come to our kings, and a
nation of this oure enterprise, than hath héeretofore of any other. I
doe not speake how acceptable it will be to God our sauiour, for whose
loue I do chiefly and willingly hazard my goods and trauel. I will not
nowe treat of the perils and danger of life that I haue passed since I
began this voyage. This I say, that good men doe rather expect renoune,
than treasure. We doe now attempt and begin warre that is both good and
iust, and the almighty God in whose name and holy faith this voyage is
begonne, will assuredly graunte vnto vs victory, and the time will shew
the end of things well begonne. Therefore we will now haue an other
manner in our procéedings, than eyther _Cordoua_ or _Grijalua_ hadde,
whereof I meane not nowe to dispute, for the presente time doth hasten
vs away, but at our arriuall, we will do what shall séeme vnto vs
conuenient. Héere déere friends do I lay before you great gaynes, but
wrapped in greate trauell, yet _Vertue_ is an enimie to idlenesse .&c.
Therefore if you will accept hope for _Vertue_, or _Vertue_ for hope,
and also if ye forsake me not, as I will not forsake you, I will with
Gods help make you in shorte time the richest men that euer passed this
way. I doe sée you are but fewe in number, but yet such men of haughtie
courage, that no force or strength of _Indians_ can offende. Likewise
wée haue experience, that Christ our sauiour hathe alwayes fauoured
our nation in these parties. Therfore my déere friendes, let vs now in
Gods name depart ioyfull, exspecting good successe, according to our
beginning .&c.
The entrance of Cortez into the
_Iland of Acusamill_.
[Sidenote: The feare of the Indians of Acusamil.]
[Sidenote: Hovv the people vver found]
[Sidenote: A facte vvorthy of prayse.]
VVith the aforesayd communication, _Cortez_ gaue great hope to his
cöpany of waightie matters, yea and great admiration of his person,
so that all his company had an earnest desire to procéede on that
iorney. And _Cortez_ likewise reioyced, to sée his men so willing:
and incontinente, they embarqued themselues, and after their prayers
made vnto God, hoysed vp their sayles, and with faire winde departed
the eighttenth day of Februarie Anno 1519. And beyng at Sea, he willed
all his nauie (as the vse is) to haue S. Peter for their patrone,
warning them alwayes to follow the Admirall (wherin he went) bycause
he carried a light for the night season to guide them the way, whiche
was almost East and West from _S. Anthonies_ point, being the nerest
part of _Cuba_ to _Cape de Cotoche_, which is the first läd point of
_Yucatan_, whither they were bounde, so y^t being there, they might run
alög the coast, betwene the North point and the West. The firste night
y^t _Hernando Cortez_ begä to passe ouer the gulfe betweene _Cuba_
& _Yucatan_, being little aboue lx. leagues, the winde rose vp at
Northeast with much force, so y^t all the Fléete were separated without
sight y^e one of the other: yet by the accompt that their Pilots kept,
they arriued all sauing one at the Ilande of _Acusamil_, although not
at one time, and those that last ariued, wer the Admirall, and Captayne
_Morla_ his Ship, who had lost his Ruther, but by shoting off a pece,
_Cortez_ vnderstood his necessitie, and came vering to him, and amayned
his sailes to succour him, being in y^e night season. Yet when the day
appeared, it pleased God y^t the rage of the tempest ceassed, & being
cléere day, they found agayne their Ruther, and trimmed the Ship, and
made sayle, and sayled that day and the next following, without sighte
of land, or any of the Fléete. But the third day they arriued at a cape
or point of land, called Womens cape. _Cortez_ cömanded _Morla_ to
follow him, directing his course to séeke the residue of his Fléete,
and arriued in this sorte at the Iland of _Acusamil_, and there found
all his nauie excepte one, whereof they hearde no newes in many dayes
after. The people of that Ilande beholding suche a straunge sight, were
in great feare and admiratiö, so that they gathered their stuffe and
wente vp into the Mountaynes. _Cortez_ caused a certayne number of his
më to goe a land to a Towne which was néere the place where they were
arriued, and they foüd the towne wrought with Masons worke, and good
building, but they founde no creature therein, yet in some houses
they foüd cloth made of cottë woll, and certaine Iewels of gold. Also
they entred into a high tower made of stoneworke, néere the sea side,
and there they founde nothing but Idols of earth and stone. With this
newes they returned to _Cortez_, and enformed him what they had séene,
and also many faire sowë fields of _Maiz_, and great store of hiues of
Bées, and many trées of fruites, and also presented vnto him the gold
and other things that they had foüd. _Cortez_ reioyced with y^e newes
but yet maruelled that the people were fledde, considering that when
_Grijalua_ was there, they had not so done, wherby he iudged, that his
nauie béeyng greater, caused them to feare and flie, and likewise he
feared least a snare were prepared for him. Then he cömanded to vnship
his Horses for thrée causes: the one to discouer the Countrey: and
the other to fight if néede were: and also to grase thë, hauing there
abüdance. Also he vnshipped his më of warre, and sent them to discouer
the land. And in the thickest of the Mountaynes, they found four
women, and thrée childrë, whome they brought to _Cortez_, so that not
vnderstanding their language, by signes & tokens they ymagined that one
of thë was the mother to the children, & mistresse to the other women.
The pore creatures bewayled theyr captiuitie. _Cortez_ made muche of
them, & apparrelled the mistresse as wel as he might with Spanish
attire: and to hir seruants he gaue loking glasses and sissers: and to
the little children other toyes to play withall, vsing no dishonestie
towards thë. And thë he determined to send one of the wenches to
call hir maister, and to enforme him how well they were intreated.
In this meane season came certaine spies lurking a farre off, by the
cömandement of their Lord, who was called _Calachuni_, to bring newes
of his wife, & what else passed. _Cortez_ receyued them gëtly, & gaue
vnto them certayne trifles, and sent others to their Lord, and returned
thë w^t embassage on his behalfe & his wiues, to desire hym to come
vnto him, and to sée those folke from whome he had fledde, promising,
that neyther his person, nor none of his countrey should receyue anye
molestation of him, nor of any of his company. _Calachuni_ vnderstäding
this friendshippe, and also with the loue hée bare to his wife and
childrë, came the next day following with all the Townesmen, in whose
houses y^e Spanyards were lodged, who woulde not permitte that their
guestes should giue place. And the Lorde commaunded, that they should
be wel entertayned, and frö that day forward prouided them of bread,
fishe, honey, & fruite. _Calachuni_ spake and saluted _Cortez_ with
greate humilitie and ceremonie, and euen so was he louingly receyued,
& wel entertained. _Cortez_ did then declare vnto him the commoditie
that would ensue vnto him by that nation. And also presented vnto him
& his cöpany many toyes, which were vnto thë of small valewe, but
muche estéemed among them, yea more than golde. And moreouer _Cortez_
cömaunded, that all the golde and other things that his men had taken
in the Towne, shoulde be broughte before him, and placed it so, that
euery _Indian_ knewe his owne, and was restored vnto them, whereat
they were not a little ioyfull, wondering at the liberalitie of the
straungers, and departed both merrie and riche with their straunge
giftes, and went throughout al the Iland, shewing to their fellowes
their presentes, commaunding them in the name of _Calachuni_ their
Lord, to returne euery man to his house, with ther wiues and children,
commending highly the honest and gentle nature of the straungers. With
this newes and commaundemente, euery man returned to his house and
Towne from whence he had fledde. And after thys sort their feare was
past, and they prouided the Camp abundantly of honey, bread, waxe,
fishe, and frute, all the time that they abode in that Iland.
The Indians of Acusamil gaue nevves
_to Cortez of certaine bearded men_.
[Sidenote: Nevves of bearded men.]
Now _Cortez_ seeing these _Indians_ quiet and wel pleased, and also
very seruiceable, he did determyne to take away theyr Idols, and to
giue them a remembraunce of Iesu Christ borne of the Virgin Mary, by
one _Melchior_ a fisher man and very rustical, who had bin ther before
with _Francisco Hernandez de Cordoua_, who declared vnto them, that
_Cortez_ his Lord and captaine would enforme them of a better god,
and better lawes, than those which they maintained. The _Indians_
answered, that they were contented therewith, and went with them vnto
their temples, and there brake downe their Idols, and celebrated diuine
seruice, teaching them to adore and worshippe Christ crucifyed, so
that they were verye attentiue to the doctrine, and ceased sacrifise
of men which they were wöt to vse. These _Indians_ did wonder much
at the shippes and horses, yea and marueyled as muche at our colour
and beardes, so that many times they would come and féele them, and
signifyed vnto them by signes and tokens towardes _Yucatan_, that there
were fiue or sixe bearded men. Then _Cortez_ considering how profitable
it wold be to haue an interpreter to vnderstand and to be vnderstood,
he besought _Calachuni_ that he would appoint a messenger to carrye
a letter to the bearded men, who were in the power of a great Lord
and Tyrant, and _Calachuni_ found none that durst take that iourney
in hand, fearing that they should be slaine and eaten. _Cortez_ seing
this, entreated with faire words, thrée of the _Indians_ that serued
him to accept the iourney, and gaue thë rewards for theyr labour:
yet the _Indians_ excused them, saying that they should be slayne,
notwithstanding with faire promises and rewardes, they accepted the
voyage, so that _Cortez_ wrote with them this letter following.
Worshipful sirs, I departed from _Cuba_ with eleuen saile in my
fléete, furnished with fiue hundred and fiftie Spaniardes, and I
arriued here at _Acusamil_ from whence I write you this letter.
The people of this Iläd haue certifyed me, that there is in that
countrey fiue or sixe bearded men, and in al pointes like vnto
vs: they can not here enforme me of anye other signes or tokens,
but hereby I do coniecture, and certainely beleue that ye be
Spaniards. Both I and these gentlemen of my company do come to
discouer and inhabit this land, we hartily pray you y^t within
sixe days after the receite hereof, ye come vnto vs, w^tout
any excuse or delay, and if ye so doe, al we of this nauie wil
gratifye your gentlenesse & good seruice y^t ye shal do vnto vs.
I do send you a Vergantyn wherin you may come, & two shippes for
your safeconduct.
_Hernando Cortez._
This letter being written, there was found an inconuenience, which
was, they knew not how to carrye the letter so secretly y^t it might
not be séene, & they taken for espies, wherof the saide _Indians_
stoode in great feare. Thë _Cortez_ bethought him, y^t the letter wold
passe wrapped in y^e haire of the head of one of thë, for ordinarily
the _Indians_ wear lög heare, & on their solemn feasts & in wars
they vse their haire platted & boüd about their forheads. And he
appointed captaine of the Vergantine wherin y^e messëgers wët, _Iohn
de Escalante_, & _Iames de Ordas_ for captaine of the other two ships,
with fiftie men if any nede should happen. So shortly after the ships
arriued at the place appointed, _Escalante_ set a land his messengers,
and abode there eight days they returne, although he promised thë to
abide there but sixe dayes. And thë séeing that they came not, he
surmysed y^t they were either slaine or taken captiues: & so returned
backe againe to _Acusamill_ without his messëgers, wherof al the army
were sorowful, & chiefly _Cortez_, thinking that the _Indians_ had wrög
enformed him. Nowe in this meane season they trymmed their shippes of
the hurte receiued by the late tempest, & at the returne of the two
ships and Vergantyne, they hoysed vp sailes and departed.
A miraculous chaunce hovv Geronimo de
_Aguilao came to Cortez_.
_Calachuni_ and all his subiectes were full of heauinesse (as it semed)
with the departure of the Christians, bycause they were wel vsed at
their handes. From _Acusamil_ the fleete sayled to get the coast of
_Yucatan_ to the cape called Womens point, with prosperous weather,
& there _Cortez_ came to an Anker, desirous to sée the disposition
of the lande, and the manner of the people: but it liked him not, so
that y^e next day folowing being shrouetuisday, he departed, meaning
to double the sayde cape, and so to passe to _Cotoche_ and to viewe
it. But before they hadde doubled the poynte, _Peter de Aluarado_
shotte off a piece, in token that hee was in great peril, wherevppon
the other shippes drewe neare to knowe what hadde happened: And when
_Cortez_ vnderstoode that _Aluarados_ shippe was in so great a leake
that with two pumpes they mighte not emptie the water, he found no
other remedy but to returne backe again to _Acusamil_ with al his
fléet. The _Indians_ of y^t Ilande came incontinent to y^e water side
very ioyfull, and to knowe whether they had left any thing behind thë.
The Christiäs enformed thë of their mishap, and came a shore, & in
short time found the leake & amended it. The Saterday following they
toke shipping again, al the army excepte _Hernando Cortez_, and fiftie
of his company, then the wind arose contrary, and so much, that they
could not departe that day: & the furie of the winde endured al that
night, but in the morning it waxed calme, so that they myghte proceede
on their voyage. But for as much as that was the Sabboth daye, they
determined to heare diuine seruice, and after dinner to make saile.
When their seruice was ended, and _Cortez_ sitting at his meate, there
was newes brought him that a little vessell called a _Canoa_, came
vnder saile toward the shippes, whiche seemed to come from _Yucatan_:
with that newes _Cortez_ arose from his meate, to behold whether the
_Canoa_ went, and perceiuyng that she left the way toward the shippes,
he sente _Andrew de Tapia_ with certaine others, as secrete & closely
as might be deuised, to lye in ambushe for their comming a shoare.
The _Canoa_ arriued in a calme place, out of the which came foure men
all naked, except their priuie members, and the heare of their heades
platted and bound aboute their foreheades like vnto women, with bowes
and arrowes in their hands: three of them which were _Indians_, wer
afraide when they saw the Spaniards with their drawen swordes, and
would haue fled againe to their _Canoa_, but the Christian feared not,
and desired his fellowes in the _Indian_ tong to abide with hym. And
then he began to speake in the Spanish tongue in thys wise: Maisters
are ye Christians, yea (quoth they) and of the Spanish nation. Then he
reioyced so much, that the teares fell from his eyes, and demaunded of
them what day it was, although he had a Primer wherein he dayly prayed.
[Sidenote: The cöming of Aguilar to Cortez.]
He then besought them earnestlye to assist him with their prayers
& thanksgiuing vnto god for his deliuery, & kneling deuoutly downe
vppon his knees, holding vp his handes, his eyes toward heauen, and
his face bathed with teares, made his humble prayer vnto God, giuing
most hartie thankes, that it hadde pleased hym to deliuer him out of
the power of Infidels and infernal creatures, and to place hym among
Christians and men of his owne nation. _Andrew de Tapia_ holpe hym
vppe, and toke hym in hys armes, and so did al y^e others embrace &
louingly salute him. Then he commaunded the other thrée _Indians_ to
follow him, and went talking wyth hys friendes, where _Cortez_ aboade,
who receyued him ioyfully, and gaue vnto hym such apparel as he néeded,
and wyth great pleasure hauing him in his companye, hee demaunded the
estate of his misfortune, and what was hys name, who aunswered before
them al, saying, Sir my name is _Geronimo de Aguilar_, I was borne
in the Cittie of _Esija_ in the _Andolozia_, and by misfortune I was
loste after this sorte. In the warres of _Darien_ and in the time of
the contentions and passions of _Iames de Nicuessa_, and _Vasco Nonez
Balboa_, I came with Captaine _Valdinia_ in a little Caruell, toward
_Santo Domingo_, to giue aduice to the Admirall and gouernour, of the
troubles which had happned, and my comming was for men and victuals:
and likewise we brought twentye thousand Duckettes of the kings in
_Anno .1511._ And whë we apported at _Iamayca_, our Caruel was lost
on the shallowes whiche were called the Vipars, and with greate pain
we entred (about twenty persons) into the boate, w^t out sayle, water
or bread, and weake prouision of oares: we thus wander thirtéene or
fourtéene dayes, and then the currant, whiche is there very great &
runneth alway weastward, cast vs a shoare in a prouince called _Maija_,
& traueling on our way, seauen of our fellowes died wyth hunger &
famin. And captain _Valdinia_ & other 4. were sacrifised to the ydols
by a cruel and cursed _Cacike_, that is to say, a Lord in whose power
we fell .&c.
And after the sacrifice, they were eaten among the _Indians_ for a
solemne banket: and I, and other sixe wer put into a Cage or coupe, to
be fatned for an other sacrifice. And for to escape suche abhominable
death, we brake the prison and fledde through certaine mountaines:
So that it pleased God that wee mette with another _Cazike_ who was
enimy to him that first toke vs, his name was _Quinqus_, a man of more
reason and better condition, hee was Lord of _Xamansana_: he accepted
vs for his captiues, but shortly after he dyed, and then I aboad with
_Taxmar_ his heire. Then deceased other fiue of our fellowes, so that
there remayned but onely I and one _Gonsalo Guerrer_, a maryner, who
now abydeth with _Nachancan_ the Lorde of _Chetemal_, and he married
with a rich gentlewoman of that countrey, by whom he hath children,
and is made a Captaine, and wel estéemed with the _Cazike_ for the
victories y^t he hath had in the wars against the other Lords. I sent
vnto him your worships letter, desiring him that he would come with
me hauing so fit a passage, but he refused my request, I belieue for
verye shame, bycause hee had his nose ful boared of holes, & his eares
iagged, hys face & handes painted according to the vse of y^t countrey,
or else he abode there for the loue he bare to his wife and children.
All those whiche stoode by & hard this Historie, were amased, to heare
_Geronimo de Aguilar_ report howe those _Indians_ did sacrifise & eate
mans flesh. They also lamented the miserie & death of his fellowes,
and highly praysed God, to sée him frée frö his bondage & from such
cruel & barbarous people, & to haue likewise so good an enterpreter
with thë, for vndoubtedly it semed a miracle y^t _Aluarados_ ship fel
into a leak, for with y^t extremity they returned back again to that
Iland, wheras with contrarie winde they were constrayned to abide y^e
cöming of _Aguilar_. And certainly he was y^e mean & spéech of al their
procéedings. And therfore haue I bin so prolixious in y^e rehearsal of
this matter, as a notable point of this historie. Also I wil not let to
tell how the mother of _Geronimo de Aguilar_, became mad .&c.
When she hard y^t hir son was captiue among people y^t vsed to eate mäs
flesh, & euer after whë she saw any flesh spitted or roasted, she would
make an open outcrie, saying, oh I miserable woman, behold this is the
flesh of my dearebeloued sonne who was all my comfort.
The Iland of Acusamil.
The _Indians_ naturall of that countrey do cal their Ilande _Acusamil_,
& corruptlye _Cosumel_. _Iohn de Grijalua_ was y^e first Spaniard that
apported there, and named it the holy Roode, bycause hee fell in sighte
therof on holy roade daye. It cötayneth ten leagues in length & thrée
leagues in breadth, although some say more, some lesse: it standeth
twentye degrées on this side the equator, and fiue leagues from the
womës cape: it hath thrée villages, in y^e which liueth nere 3 thousand
më. The houses are of stone and brick, and couered with straw & bowes,
& some with tile. Their temples and towers are made of lime & stone
very wel built: thei haue no other fresh water but out of welles and
raine water. _Calachuni_ is their chiefe Lord: they are browne people
& goe naked: & if any weare cloth, it is made of cotten wool only to
couer their priuie mëbers: they vse lög hear platted & bound about
their foreheads: they are great fishermë, so y^t fish is their chiefest
foode & sustenance, they haue also _Maiz_ which is for bread: also good
fruites: & hony, but somewhat soure: and plots for bées, which contayn
.1000 hiues. They knew not to what vse wax serued, but whë they saw
our më make cädels therof, they wödred therat. Their dogges haue Foxe
faces and barke not, these they gelde and fatten to eate. This Iland
is ful of high moütaines, & at the feete of them, good pastures, many
Deare, and wilde Boares, Connyes and Hares, but they are not great.
The Spaniardes with their handguns and crossebowes prouide them of
that victual, fresh salt and dried. The people of this _Iland_ are
Idolaters, they doe sacrifice children, but not manye. And many times
in stead of children they sacrifice dogges. They are poore people, but
very charitable and louing in their false religion and beliefe.
The religion of the people of
_Acusamil_.
[Sidenote: A straunge Idol.]
[Sidenote: The God of rayne.]