_We come in sight of the town of Aguajaluco, and give it the name of
La Rambla._
Having again re-embarked we continued our course along the coast, and
perceived on the second day a town close to the sea shore, called
Aguajaluco. We could discern numbers of Indians hurrying to and fro with
huge shields made out of large tortoise-shells, which glittered so
beautifully in the sun, that some of our men believed they were made of
an inferior species of gold. The inhabitants appeared to be walking up
and down the shore in great consternation, which induced us to call the
village La Rambla, under which name it stands on the sea charts.
As we proceeded further along the coast we came to a bay, into which the
river Tonola empties itself: it was this same river we entered on our
subsequent voyage. We gave it the name of Sant Antonio, which it still
retains on the maps. We next passed the mouth of the great river
Guacasualco, and would gladly have run into the bay which it forms if
contrary winds had not prevented us. We now came in sight of the great
Snow Mountains--Sierras Nevadas. These are covered the whole year round
with snow. There were also other mountains, nearer the coast, to which
we gave the name of _Holy Martin_, because a soldier of the name of San
Martino, a native of the Havannah, first descried them. One of the
commanders, Pedro de Alvarado, whose vessel was the fastest sailer of
the whole, being a great way ahead of the others, ran his ship up a
river called by the natives Papalohuna: this we termed the Alvarado,
after the name of the discoverer. Some Indian fishermen of the village
Tlacotalpa gave him fish: we could perceive this, though at a great
distance from him. Alvarado was followed by two more of our ships; we
were therefore obliged to wait until they returned. This digression
without the general's leave occasioned ill blood; and Grijalva forbade
Alvarado in future to sail in advance of the squadron, fearing he might
meet with some accident or other before the rest could possibly come up
to his assistance. From this time the four vessels kept close together.
We soon after arrived at the mouth of another river, which we termed the
Bandera's Stream, (Flag Stream,) from the circumstance that the banks of
the river were crowded with Indians bearing small flags of white cloth
attached to their lances. They called out and invited us to come on
shore: but I will relate in the next chapter what further took place
here.