_Cortes receives information that two Spaniards are in the power of
the Indians at the promontory of Cotoche: the steps he took upon
this news._
As Cortes paid attention to every circumstance, he ordered myself and
Martin Camos of Biscay into his presence, and asked us what our opinion
was of the word _Castilan_, _Castilan_, which the Indians of Campeachy
had so often repeated when we landed there, under the command of
Hernandez de Cordoba.
We again informed him of every circumstance that had there taken place.
He said, he had often turned this matter over in his mind, and could not
help thinking but that the inhabitants must have some Spaniards among
them, and he thought it would not be amiss to question the caziques of
Cozumel upon this head. This Cortes accordingly did, and desired
Melchorejo, who by this time had gained some little knowledge of the
Spanish, and perfectly understood the language of Cozumel, to question
the chiefs about it. Their several accounts perfectly corresponded; and
they satisfactorily proved that there were several Spaniards in the
country, whom they had seen themselves; that they served the caziques,
who lived two days' march inland, as slaves, and that it was only a few
days ago some Indian merchants had spoken with them.
We all felt overjoyed at this news. Cortes told these chiefs that he
would send the Spaniards letters, which they call amales in their
language, in which he would desire them to come to us. The cazique and
other Indians who undertook to forward these letters were most kindly
treated by Cortes, who gave them all kinds of presents, and promised
them more on their return. Upon which the cazique remarked to Cortes,
that it would be necessary to send a ransom to the chiefs whom the
Spaniards served as slaves before they would let them go. Various kinds
of glass beads were therefore given to the messengers for this purpose,
and Cortes sent two of the smaller vessels, armed with twenty crossbow
men and a few musketeers, under command of Diego de Ordas, to the coast
of Cotoche, with orders to remain there for eight successive days with
the larger of the two vessels, and to send him information from time to
time by the other vessel, while the messengers brought letters to and
fro; for the distance to the promontory of Cotoche from this place was
only nine miles, the whole appearing, moreover, to form but one country.
The following were the contents of the letter which Cortes wrote to the
Spaniards:
"Dear Sirs and Brothers,--Here, on the island of Cozumel, I received
information that you are detained prisoners by a cazique. I beg of you
to come here to me on the island of Cozumel. To this end I have sent out
an armed ship, and ransom-money, should it be required by the Indians. I
have ordered the vessel to remain stationary off the promontory of
Cotoche for eight days, to wait for you. Come as speedily as possible;
you may depend upon being honorably treated by me. I am here with eleven
vessels armed with 500 soldiers, and intend, with the aid of the
Almighty and your assistance, to proceed to a place called Tabasco, or
Potonchon; etc."
With this letter the two Indian merchants embarked on board our vessel,
which passed this narrow gulf in three hours, when the messengers with
the ransom-money were put on shore.
After the lapse of a couple of days they actually handed over the letter
to one of the Spaniards in question, who, as we afterwards learnt, was
called Geronimo de Aguilar, and I shall therefore in future distinguish
him by that name. When he had read the letter and received the
ransom-money we had forwarded, he was exceedingly rejoiced, and took the
latter to the cazique his master to beg for his liberation. The moment
he had obtained this he went in quest of his comrade, Gonzalo Guerrero,
and made him acquainted with all the circumstances; when Guerrero made
the following reply:
"Brother Aguilar,--I have united myself here to one of the females of
this country, by whom I have three children; and am, during wartime, as
good as cazique or chief. Go! and may God be with you: for myself, I
could not appear again among my countrymen. My face has already been
disfigured, according to the Indian custom, and my ears have been
pierced: what would my countrymen say if they saw me in this attire?
Only look at my three children, what lovely little creatures they are;
pray give me some of your glass beads for them, which I shall say my
brethren sent them from my country."
Gonzalo's Indian wife followed in the same strain, and was quite
displeased with Aguilar's errand. "Only look at that slave there, (said
she,) he is come here to take away my husband from me! Mind your own
affairs, and do not trouble yourself about us."
Aguilar, however, afterwards made another attempt to induce Gonzalo to
leave, telling him to consider that he was a Christian, and that he
ought not to risk the salvation of his soul for the sake of an Indian
woman. Moreover, he might take her and the children with him if he could
not make up his mind to separate himself from them. Aguilar, however,
might say what he liked, it was all to no purpose; he could not persuade
Gonzalo to accompany his heretofore companion in good and ill fortune.
This Guerrero was most probably a sailor, and a native of Palos.[10] He
remained among the Indians, while Geronimo de Aguilar alone took his
departure with the Indian messengers, and marched towards the coast
where our ship was to have waited for them: but she had left; for De
Ordas, after staying there the eight days, and another in addition,
finding that no one appeared, again set sail for Cozumel. Aguilar was
quite downcast when he found the ship was gone, and he again returned to
his Indian master.
Ordas, however, did not meet with the best of reception when he returned
without the ransom-money or any information respecting the Spaniards,
and even without the Indian messengers. Cortes said to him, with great
vehemence, he expected he would have fulfilled his commission better
than to return without the Spaniards, and even without bringing him any
information respecting them, although well aware they were staying in
that country. Cortes had, moreover, just that moment been greatly put
out by another circumstance. A soldier, called Berrio, had accused some
sailors of Gibraleon of having stolen from him a couple of sides of
bacon, which they would not return. They positively denied that they had
committed the robbery, and even took an oath to that effect; however,
after a good search, the bacon was found among their clothes. There were
seven sailors who had been concerned in the robbery, and Cortes,
notwithstanding their officers interceded in their behalf, ordered them
to be severely whipped.
The island of Cozumel, it seems, was a place to which the Indians made
pilgrimages; for the neighbouring tribes of the promontory of Cotoche
and other districts of Yucatan, came thither in great numbers to
sacrifice to some abominable idols, which stood in a temple there. One
morning we perceived that the place where these horrible images stood
was crowded with Indians and their wives. They burnt a species of resin,
which very much resembled our incense, and as such a sight was so novel
to us we paid particular attention to all that went forward. Upon this
an old man, who had on a wide cloak and was a priest, mounted to the
very top of the temple, and began preaching something to the Indians. We
were all very curious to know what the purport of this sermon was, and
Cortes desired Melchorejo to interpret it to him. Finding that all he
had been saying tended to ungodliness, Cortes ordered the caziques, with
the principal men among them and the priest, into his presence, giving
them to understand, as well as he could by means of our interpreter,
that if they were desirous of becoming our brethren they must give up
sacrificing to these idols, which were no gods but evil beings, by which
they were led into error and their souls sent to hell. He then presented
them with the image of the Virgin Mary and a cross, which he desired
them to put up instead. These would prove a blessing to them at all
times, make their seeds grow and preserve their souls from eternal
perdition. This and many other things respecting our holy religion,
Cortes explained to them in a very excellent manner. The caziques and
priests answered, that their forefathers had prayed to their idols
before them, because they were good gods, and that they were determined
to follow their example. Adding, that we should experience what power
they possessed; as soon as we had left them, we should certainly all of
us go to the bottom of the sea.
Cortes, however, took very little heed of their threats, but commanded
the idols to be pulled down, and broken to pieces; which was accordingly
done without any further ceremony. He then ordered a quantity of lime to
be collected, which is here in abundance, and with the assistance of the
Indian masons a very pretty altar was constructed, on which we placed
the image of the holy Virgin. At the same time two of our carpenters,
Alonso Yanez and Alvaro Lopez made a cross of new wood which lay at
hand, this was set up in a kind of chapel, which we built behind the
altar. After all this was completed, father Juan Diaz said mass in front
of the new altar, the caziques and priests looking on with the greatest
attention.
Before I close this chapter, I have to remark that the caziques on the
island of Cozumel, like those on the land of Potonchan, are likewise
termed Calachionies.
[10] Palos, a small town of Spain, lying on the river Tinto. This port
produced the best Spanish sailors during the early voyages of discovery,
and here also the expedition under Columbus was fitted out. (p. 60.)