_How Diego Velasquez, governor of Cuba, sent out another armament to
the country we had discovered._
It was in the year of our Lord 1518, after Diego Velasquez had learnt
the good account we gave of the newly-discovered country, called
Yucatan, that he determined to send thither another expedition. For this
purpose he selected four vessels, among which were the two in which we
warriors had accompanied Cordoba on our recent voyage to Yucatan,
purchased at our own expense. At the time this squadron was fitting out
there were staying at Santiago de Cuba, Juan de Grijalva, Pedro de
Alvarado, Francisco de Montejo, and Alonso de Avila; who had
commendaries of Indians in these islands, and had come to transact
business with the governor. As these were all men of courage and energy,
Velasquez soon made arrangements with them to take part in this
expedition, on the following terms: that Juan de Grijalva, who was
related to him, should have the chief command of the whole expedition as
captain-general, while Pedro de Alvarado, Francisco de Montejo, and
Alonso de Avila, should be appointed to the command of the three other
ships. They had also to furnish the vessels with provisions of cassave
bread and pickled meat; Diego Velasquez had, on the other hand, to
procure the four vessels, furnish the necessary crossbows, muskets,
goods for barter, and other matters of less importance. Our account that
the houses in the newly-discovered country were built of stone and lime,
had spread a vast idea of its riches, added to which the Indian
Melchorejo had given to understand by signs that it abounded in gold
mines. All this created a great desire among the inhabitants and
soldiers throughout the island, who possessed no commendaries of
Indians, to go in quest of such a rich country; consequently, in a very
short time, we mustered 220. Each person, moreover, furnished himself
with additional provisions, arms, and other matters which might be
useful.
Thus I again took my departure for that country, under the same
commanders I subsequently once more visited it. The instructions which
our commanders received from Diego Velasquez, were to this effect, that
they should barter for as much gold and silver as they could get, and if
they deemed it advisable settle colonies, but left this entirely to
their own judgment. A person of the name of Penolosa accompanied us in
the capacity of comptroller; for priest we had a certain Juan Diaz. We
had also the same three pilots who accompanied us on our former voyage;
and a fourth, whose name I do not remember. Each had charge of one of
the vessels; but the first in command, as chief pilot, was Anton de
Alaminos.
But before I proceed with my narrative, I must here remark, that it is
not for want of deference on my part, that I barely give the names of
the noblemen who were our commanding officers, without adding their
titles and describing their several escutcheons, but shall simply call
them thus, Pedro de Alvarado, Francisco de Montejo, and Alonso de Avila.
I therefore now take this opportunity of saying, that Pedro de Alvarado
was a bold cavalier, who, subsequent to the conquest of New Spain,
became governor and chief justice of the provinces of Guatimala,
Honduras, and Chaopo, and comptoir of Santiago. In like manner Francisco
de Montejo, a man of great courage, subsequently was governor and chief
justice of Yucatan. I shall merely call them by their proper names, up
to that time when his majesty conferred on them honorary titles and
sovereign authority.
But to return to my subject, our four vessels lay in the harbour of
Matanza on the north coast, not far from the old Havannah, which at that
time was not built where it now stands. In this harbour, or at least in
its neighbourhood, most of the inhabitants had their stores of cassave
bread and pickled meat. Here consequently our vessels were provided with
everything they further required. This place moreover had been appointed
the rendezvous for all the officers and men.
But, before I continue my narrative, I will explain how this harbour
obtained the name of Matanza,[4] though it may seem rather out of place
here; yet, as so many persons have asked me how it originated, there is
some excuse.
Some time ago, when Cuba was not quite subdued, it happened that a
vessel, bound from the island of St. Domingo to the Luccas, during a
heavy storm, was wrecked off the coast. This took place near the river
and harbour of Matanza; there were thirty Spaniards and two Spanish
ladies on board. In order to convey them across the river, numbers of
Indians had collected together from the Havannah and other districts.
They appeared most friendly inclined, and offered to carry the
shipwrecked across in their canoes and take them to their habitations,
where they would give them to eat. The Spaniards accepted this offer;
when the Indians, however, had arrived in the midst of the stream, they
upset their canoes and drowned them all, save three of the men and one
of the females. The men were allotted to the other Indians, but the
female, a very beautiful woman, was given to the most powerful of the
caziques, the person who had concocted this piece of treachery. From
this circumstance it was that the harbour got the name of Matanza.
I was personally acquainted with the female whose misfortune I have just
related. After the total conquest of Cuba, she left the cazique in whose
power she then was, and married a citizen of Trinidad, by name Pedro
Sanchez Farsan.
I was also acquainted with the three Spaniards whose lives had been
spared. One was Gonzalo Mexia, an old man, and native of Xeres; the
other, Juan de Santiste-ban, from Madrigal; and the third was Cascorro,
a sailor and fisherman, of Huelva. The cazique in whose power he was,
had given him his daughter in marriage, and bored holes through his ears
and nose, after the Indian fashion.
Having thus detained the reader for a while with these old stories, it
is time I return to the thread of my narrative.
On the 5th of April, 1518, all of us having met together, the officers
and soldiers, the pilots made acquainted with the signals, and the hour
of departure fixed, we attended mass with fervent devotion, and weighed
anchor. After ten days' sail, we passed the cape of Guaniguanico, called
by the sailors San Anton. Eight days after, we came in sight of the
island of Cozumel; it happened to be the feast of the Holy Cross. This
time our ships were carried further off by the currents than the time
before under Cordoba; the consequence was that we now landed on the
south coast of the island. We here espied a village, and found a
good anchorage near it, perfectly free from all rocks. Our
commander-in-chief, therefore, went on shore here with a good body of
soldiers. The inhabitants, who had never witnessed such a sight before,
immediately took to flight when they saw our vessels approaching, so
that not a single one of them had remained in the village. At length we
discovered two Indians among the recently cut maise plants, who had not
been able to get off quick enough. We brought them into the presence of
our captain, who spoke to them with the help of Julianillo and
Melchorejo, whom we had captured at the Punta de Cotoche, and who
understood their language. The distance between their countries was only
four hours' sail, which accounts for the inhabitants of Cozumel
speaking the same language. Our commander was very kind to them, gave
each some green glass beads, and sent them away to bring the Calachoni
of the district, (so the caziques are termed here;) they, however, never
returned. While we were still waiting for them, an Indian woman came
towards us, comely in appearance, and who spoke the language of Jamaica.
She told us that the Indians had fled, out of fear, to the mountains. As
I myself and many others among us understood her language, which is the
same as that of the island of Cuba, we were quite astonished at the
circumstance, and inquired of her how she had got here.
She told us that, two years ago, she had left Jamaica with ten Indians,
in a large canoe, in order to go fishing among the islands in this
neighbourhood, but had been driven on shore by the currents, when the
inhabitants killed her husband with most of her companions, and
sacrificed them to their gods.
It struck our commander, as soon as he had learnt this, that the woman
might be employed as a negotiator. He therefore desired her to go and
fetch the inhabitants and cazique of the district, and gave her two days
to return in. We durst not send Melchorejo and Julianillo with her, lest
they should run away and return to their own country.
The day following, the Indian woman returned, but informed us that,
notwithstanding all her representations, she could neither persuade the
Indians nor their wives to accompany her. We called this place Santa
Cruz, because we had discovered it four or five days before the feast of
the Holy Cross. In this neighbourhood there was plenty of honey, manioc,
patates, and large herds of musk swine, which have their navels on their
backs.[5] This island contains three poor villages, of which the one I
am now speaking of is the largest; the two smaller ones were both
situated on a promontory at about six miles distance from each other.
Our commander Grijalva, perceiving that it was mere loss of time to make
any further stay here, gave orders for re-embarking. The Indian woman of
Jamaica went along with us, and we continued our voyage.
[4] Puerto de Matanza, the harbour of the massacre. (p. 20.)
[5] The sus tajassu, pecary, or Mexican musk hog; but what our old
soldier, with other writers, mistook for a navel, is an open gland on
the lower part of the back, which discharges a fetid ichorous liquor.
(p. 22.)