THE FIRST AND UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT MADE BY
FRAY ANDRES DE AVENDANO Y LOYOLA TO REACH
THE ITZAS OF TAYASAL, 1695-1696
It has been pointed out in the Introduction that Avendano's Relacion is
of very great value as a first-hand account of the conquest of the
Itzas. But we must not lose sight of the fact that that same Relacion
is also a wonderful, though unconscious, testimony to the piety,
unselfishness, and bravery of him who wrote it. Undoubtedly the priests
of the Roman Catholic Church did many unjust things during the period
of Spanish domination in the New World, but the number of good and
noble deeds done by them (deeds the bulk of which is unrecorded)
completely dwarfs the evil. Avendano was a type of the best sort of
priest in the New World. Impelled by no other motive than sheer faith
and an ardent desire to do the duty of his office, he went through the
events which we will leave him to relate.
Preamble. "I, Fray Andres de Avendano y Loyola, ... accompanied by my
Padres and Preachers Fray Antonio Perez de San Roman, Apostolic notary
of the first trip; Fray Joseph de Jesus Maria, Apostolic notary of the
second trip, and Fray Diego de Echebarria, ... made this first trip
[beginning] on the 3d of June of the past year of 1695, and the second,
on which we entered the nation of the Ytzaex, began on the 13th of
December of the said year, and we returned to this city of Merida on
the 6th of April of this year of 1696...."
Preparations for the Journey. "... Here begins the historical account,
which, with the divine aid, I am attempting to tell of the casualties
and events which happened in this journey for the conversion of souls,
while opening a road from this Province to that of Guatemala, taking as
my sure loadstar the honor and glory of God and the well-being of
souls, which, at the cost of unextinguishable fervor, Senor Don Martin
de Urssua y Arismendi[8.1] Provisional Governor and Captain-General of
these provinces for his Majesty, is attempting to bring about; with
none the less support of the Senor Oidor Don Francisco de Saraza, who
at the present time resides in the city of Merida de Yucatan. Today,
the 2d of June of this present year 1695 ... I, then, armed with so
strong an armor of faith, say that God, our Lord, having moved the
hearts of these two above-mentioned gentlemen, so that, besides their
undertaking other enterprises of his Majesty (whom may God guard), the
fervent zeal of the said Don Martin de Urssua y Arismendi found an
opportunity, the Senor Oidor (as has been said) favoring it, for
carrying out a journey,--two messengers these, both as acceptable to
God as deserving in the service of the royal crown, since in fulfilling
the duty of his office of Provisional Governor, [Ursua] did not waste
at all the precious jewel of time, but put into execution, in addition
to the difficult work of government, this most difficult and special
work which his Majesty granted to him of opening the wild road from
this province to that of Guatemala, without satisfying the eagerness of
his zeal, in spite of the excessive cost of the undertaking; for he
gave all the supplies necessary for one hundred and fifteen Spaniards
and one hundred and fifty-six Indian musketeers, for which he, jointly
with the Municipality of Campeche and other special friends, paid,
joining mutually not only in the payment of wages, but also sharing the
expense of provisions.... Among those who joined in this mission were
the Padre Preacher, Fray Juan de San Buena Ventura, and the Padre
Preacher, Fray Joseph de Jesus Maria, both living in the convent of the
Santa Recoleccion of this city of Merida, and Brother Fray Tomas de
Alcoser, lay friar, and Brother Lucas, lay Brother of the said convent.
All of these composed or established one mission. And the Padre
Preacher, Fray Antonio Perez de San Roman, holding the office of
apostolic notary, with the lay Brother, Alonso de Vargas, and I, the
most unworthy of all, who went as their delegate apostolic
missionary....
"The aforesaid Provisional Governor [Ursua] was not satisfied with this
enterprise alone, and, without considering the greatness of the cost,
as his fidelity to His Majesty developed, he disposed of his services
so that at one and the same time to drive out some Englishmen (as he
did with glory enough of his own) who inhabited the lands of Zacatone,
adjoining this province, and who lived there on account of their large
profits in logwood. He gave the assistance needed for this duty to
Captain Bernardo de Lizarraga, and he executed it with double
victories; and then, not sparing the ploughing of the foaming waves, he
made four captures in his first victory, in order to gain his second.
As a skillful man he went with all his men into the wild woods of
pathless thickets, where, though with great risk, falling upon the
enemy in the rear, he made his second attack, again gaining as spoils
of his second victory, other prizes, and driving out from there the
said English enemies. I speak no more of this, as it does not belong in
this place."
The Start. "Therefore in prosecution of the aforesaid trip, I started
with the Padres as my companions on the second day of June of the year
'95, with a very broad mandate which the aforesaid Provisional Governor
gave me, so that I could take the singers and sacristans, who of their
free will wished to follow me; exempting, as a privilege, from taxes,
those who followed me, and their wives and children...."[8.2]
Indian Singers. "On my showing the above mandate to the magistrates of
the towns through which I passed, there were at once Indians provided
to accompany me besides those who went with me, who were the
following:--
Marcos Canul, Master of the Chapel of the town of Calkini.
Lorenzo Yah, servant of Captain Belasco.
Nicolas Mas, singer of Mascanu.
Diego Mo, sacristan of Mascanu.
Diego Cen, collector of alms of San Christobal.
Diego Pol, singer of Telchao.
Francisco Ku, son of Max Chuz, my servant.
Nicolas Mai, singer of Bolonchen, and he died there.
Manuel Piste, singer of Bolonchen de Cauich.
Luis Ci, sacristan of Tepakam."
Arrival at Cauich. "With them I went to the last pueblo of this
province through that part called Cauich, where I found Captain Don
Juan del Castillo, placed there by the Governor, in charge, not only of
the soldiers, but also of their arms, ammunition, and supplies; and he
showed himself singularly kind to us. On the second day, having reached
the said town, we found an Indian named Juan Ake, a native of the
pueblo of Hoppelchen, who made many trips in the forests to trade with
the heathen Indians. From him, with some finesse and gentle
persuasions, I extracted the information of three pueblos of heathen
Indians, which were found fifty leagues from there, with the names and
descriptions, which we verified afterwards."
Departure from Cauich. "We started from this pueblo of Cauich well
content with this good news in the afternoon of the day of Saint John
the Baptist, after having celebrated his festival with all the
spiritual rejoicings which the starting on such a difficult enterprise
demanded, beginning from this afternoon to reap some fruits of our
journey, since we took this journey in retribution of our sins. In a
little while a heavy rain-storm caught us, which lasted from the
evening till the dawn of the next day, with such a tempest of
lightnings and thunders that the mechanism of the celestial orbs seemed
to dissolve. The place where we slept this night is called Hobonmo, two
long leagues distant from the said town of Cauich. Here God worked a
manifest miracle with my boy, for a viper of the most poisonous kind
which are found in this province, called in this idiom _Kancnah_, came
to repose on the mat on which my boy slept, and stayed there resting by
the side of his face, until he moved and gave an opportunity to the
frightened boy to rise; and when we lighted a light, we saw it and the
Indians killed it without it doing any harm."
Aguada of Hobon Ox; Chunzalam, Vecanxan. "We proceeded in the morning
of the next day from the said place, a distance of one league, where we
found a _haltun_, that is, a hollowed stone, which usually contains
water. It is called Hobon Ox. At the distance of two leagues from this
_haltun_ is found another place called Chunzalam, with an _aguada_
called Kalceh. One league from this place is found another _aguada_ on
the right hand. It is called Vecanxan. A little after this we found a
small plain on the left hand."
'Nohhalali Th[=a] Ayn, Sucte. "At the distance of three-fourths of a
league is found another _aguada_ called Nohhalal, and after this is
found another _aguada_ called Th[=a] Ayn, and a little further on,
something like half a league, are found some columns of round stone,
which the natives say have served as an altar for the chaplain of the
Spaniards, whose Captain is called Mirones. At the side of the said
columns is found a well, narrow and round and somewhat deep, although
the mystery of what its purpose is, is never revealed. At a distance of
half a league from this place is found another _haltun_ with very good
water, and a league from this is found the place called Sucte, worthy
of memory on account of the things which it contains. First, this place
is a plain or meadow, the largest which I have seen up to this time,
and it extends on all sides out of sight. The whole covered with trees
with a small fruit called _Nanren_, and other trees called _Guazes_, so
that all of them make a design, by their standing in such order that
they appear to have been planted for the purpose. So that this _savana_
is very beautiful on all sides. In the middle of it is found an
_aguada_, well provided, although in the dry season it is apt to be
dried up. To the South of the said _savana_, at a distance of a quarter
of a league, within a thicket is found another _aguada_ with better and
more water, from its being spring water. It rises and falls like the
sea, although the sea is distant, from it, in its nearest parts,
twenty-six leagues. It breeds in it very good fish and very large
_caimans_."
Ix Kata-Kal. "At a distance of a league from this place there is
another, Ix Kata-Kal, though it does not always contain water. The said
_aguada_ is found on the Eastern side of the road. On the remainder of
this road at a distance of three leagues, there are only found some
_haltuns_ or hollowed stones, which relieve the necessities of many
thirsty people, but not in the dry season. As we passed by them, all
the path was rough and stony, so that from the fatigue of going over it
on foot, we had great trouble from the want of water until we reached a
place called Nohku, to which from the aforesaid _savana_ is four very
long leagues."
Nohku. "In this place we experienced comfort enough, since God had
provided us with food and drink enough to aid us in passing the day of
the glorious Apostles, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, so that in that
place we said mass. And in it we found a house of idols, so that,
although the Spaniards who passed first had broken many, we broke more
than fifty others, putting in their place a cross, in order to give to
God the reverence and worship which the idolaters of the place usurped
for themselves. From this report which we heard there grew in us all a
Christian curiosity to see the said place in order to exorcise the
devil on account of his frauds and to glorify and praise him who is
powerful everywhere. We came back from seeing the said place about the
hour of vespers, which were celebrated with as much outward and inward
rejoicing as was possible in that place. We arranged the altar as
decently as we could, through the influence of which and our own
Christian character, the Indians, without being forced to, also
resolved to confess and to receive the sacraments (for the example of
the chiefs is a great thing), so that, without forcing them by words,
their subjects silently followed them...."
Nohvecan. "We left this place well contented, although with our feet
wearied and wounded by the roughness of the road and we walked a
distance of four leagues to another place called Nohvecan, which place,
for a league before and a league after, consists of great overflowed
stretches which in this language are called _Akalchees_. It can be well
understood what pain we endured with our sore legs and feet passing
through this two leagues of water and mud, which at the least came up
over our knees, leaving us almost crippled; another great hardship
being added, as soon as we came to an end of this trip, which is the
abundance of mosquitoes, which did not allow us rest by day or night.
There is in this place an _aguada_ which is very large and deep and
which in the rainy season becomes a river full of water. There are
found in the said place some trees, the bark of which is in smell and
taste the same as the cinnamon. It is called in this idiom,
_Ppelizkuch_; also on the paths is found a vine, which, on touching it,
smells of garlic. The odor reaches a distance of a quarter of a league."
Hardships Suffered by the Padres. "This torment was followed by another
very heavy storm of wind which seemed to tear up the trees by the
roots, with a great fall of rain, thunder and lightning, which
afflicted our hearts. So that imitating in our weakness the Apostle
Saint Peter in another similar storm, which befell him on the sea, we
had recourse to God with 'Lord, save us, we perish'; though by
imitating him in every thing, we deserved the reproval of our weakness,
by the answer which Christ gave to his Apostles, when he calmed the
storm by his power; for there he reproved them with these words, 'Why
are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Wherefore do you doubt?', his
most holy Majesty showing his pity at once."
Oppol; a Bridge Built across a River. "On the next day early, warned by
what had happened in that place, at the first steps which we took in
the prosecution of our trip, we passed another league of swamp with the
same misery as we had the preceding one, as far as a place called
Oppol, which is three leagues from this place. In it to the Northwest,
at a distance of a quarter of a league, is found a deep _aguada_, from
which our company provided itself with water needed for consumption.
Two leagues from this place, beyond a deserted old town, there is found
a running stream (although accidental) so that, to pass over it, we
made a bridge. The water is very good, though in the rainy season it
will be difficult to pass, like many others which we have found dry,
through our not having come in the rainy season; for when the force of
the river comes through the said places, the roads would be impassable."
Tanche. "Two leagues beyond this river is found a place called Tanche,
which is found on the brow of a lofty hill-top and in sight of another
very high ridge in a westerly direction from this rancho. At more than
half a league off is found the _aguada_ from which the thirsty satisfy
their need. A league and a half from this _rancho_ towards the South
(we follow this direction) is found another permanent river with an
artificial bridge, which cannot be passed in any other way. All the
roads are very much overflowed on account of the many ridges which
surround them. They call this river Yochalek."
Deserted Village of Temchay. "From this place to an old deserted town
called Temchay is three leagues. It has its _aguada_, but it does not
contain water except in the rainy season. We suffered great thirst,
because we had come with the hope that we should satisfy our needs
there, and we did not find anything but hard work enough, in repeating
our day's march, and in the fact that the hills were rough with many
ups and downs, and with more footprints of mountain Indians, who passed
by there, although these footprints were not recent."
Nohpek. "Suffering from the scarcity of water, we continued our way for
the space of three leagues farther, to a great _haltun_, or hollowed
stone, which held a great deal of water and which God willed that we
should find full. This place is called Nohpek. At the side of this
_haltun_ we found a _milpa_ well sown and provided with _chiles_, which
in the midst of our work served our hunger, so that, with a little
maize which we cooked, we had that day a cheerful meal; although to the
cheer there did not fail to be added a little bitterness; since in one
of the _ranchos_ where we lodged we found a tree which in that language
is called _Pomolche_. This produced a fruit of the same form as the
hazel nuts of Spain, as well in the shell as in the kernel, color,
smell, and taste. Curiosity led us to see if they were really hazel
nuts. We ate some of the kernels for some time, without finding any
difference. Therefore as quite a time passed in which there was no
effect other than what we expected, the Indians ate also, so as to
imitate us in everything. Eating the said kernels caused us some
thirst, giving us occasion to drink water, and we had scarcely drunk
it, when we all burst out with vomitings and violent diarrhoeas. Two
leagues on from this place, a part of the army of Spaniards was found,
and knowing that I was on the way, there came to receive me two priests
who were of those who had preceded me, with two soldiers; and one of
them, having had the same thing happen to him with the said fruit, said
that their remedy was a draught of wine. We took the remedy and after
we had purged ourselves thoroughly, we were, of a sudden, well."
Nohthub. "From this place it is two long leagues to an old deserted
place called Nohthub; all the way is overflowed or _akalchex_. In the
rainy season the road is very heavy. In this place we found the camp of
the Captain Don Joseph de Estenos, with all his people. It is a
pleasant place and has many orange and lemon trees. In it we saw a
large enclosure which the Indians made to keep off the Spaniards, when
the latter went to despoil them fifteen years before. It has two large
_aguadas_, one at the entrance of the said place, which in the dry
season is exhausted; with another large and round basin which God made
in a living rock. Another _aguada_ lies in an easterly direction, a
distance of half a league, and the water here is permanent and deep. It
breeds very good fish of large size and tame, so that, although the
soldiers went in swimming, the fish did not flee away, so that they
gave an opportunity to any one who had a _machete_ in his hand to kill
them. They call these fish crocodiles, because they are of the same
shape and with the same scales as crocodiles, and they are very good
eating, according to the statement of all who eat them."
Bacechac. "From this Nohthub we went five good leagues to a place which
they call Bacechac. In its center are three _aguadas_, but all were
dry. There is much overflowed land or _akalchex_. There are very large
forests with many copal and balsam trees, and many hills, on account of
which the paths are impassable in the rainy season. This place has its
_aguada_ in a westerly direction, and although it too held no water,
necessity made us experts, making deep holes in some parts of it, in
order that the land should distil its moisture. So it happened, God
giving us sufficient water from night to morning in the said wells
which we opened to relieve our need.
"We left this place the next day and traveled about two leagues by some
places which are very much submerged and not the less dangerous, as
much on account of the hills which surround them as from the chance
streams which are met there, until at last we reached a summit which
forms on the top a great plain, in which is found an _aguada_ called
Celmet."
Buete. "In this place the same thing happened to us (as far as water is
concerned) as in the preceding _aguada_. We left this place and
traveled some two leagues and a half to a place called Buete. In this
place we found twelve or thirteen houses of the heathen Indians, who
had just surrendered to the Indian soldiers of Sahcabchen, without any
violence, as I shall explain hereafter. This place has a very large
_aguada_ with much eel-grass and very many _caimans_. In this town and
two others near by we found ample supplies of maize, beans and the rest
of the fruits on which all live in this land; and it came very
opportunely, since already the army had no other recourse, after the
hunger which they had endured for three days past...."
Lack of Supplies. "It happened then that the captains found themselves
in want of supplies, and that they wrote several letters to Captain Don
Juan del Castillo about the transportation of some supplies which some
muleteers of the town of Teabo left in one of the aforementioned places
called Tzucte, at a distance of eight leagues from Cauich, which
supplies I saw when I passed through it, as well as the letters which
were written about the despatch of provisions, and in spite of these
letters or other special exertions in sending soldiers with mules from
the camp for the supplies, they effected nothing...."
Parades Seizes Some Farms. "Seeing then such a clear and extreme need.
Captain Alonso Garcia de Paredes, the head and leader of the other
captains, determined to send Captain Pedro de Zubiaur, with some
Spanish armed soldiers, following some confused rumors which an Indian
named Juan Ake, who had guided them, had spoken of. He it is who
mentioned these three _ranchos_ in my presence in the town of Cauich.
And although it is true, that there he mentioned these _ranchos_, here
he appeared in doubt in speaking with the captains, showing himself to
be totally ignorant of such towns, he being the cause that these
Spaniards lost themselves in those forests. But the soldiers, availing
themselves of their agility, climbed the trees and the hill-tops, from
which they discovered a great smoke, and they went on in that
direction; and having come up to it, they saw that there were the
soldiers of the town of Zahcabchen, who, by order of Captain Alonso
Garcia de Paredes, came out from another direction to the abandoned
town of Tzucthok, which the said Captain with these soldiers had
destroyed fifteen years since. Therefore he knowing beforehand of the
said farms, gave orders that they should proceed to take possession of
them before the Spaniards whom he had brought with him should come up.
The Indians obeyed the orders of their Captain, and entered upon the
farms with great imprudence, shooting without any cause, and killing
till they had killed five Indians, without more reason than that of the
avarice which led them to inspire the owners with fear, so that they
should flee, as many did, in order to rob them safely of as much as
they possessed; as they did. And to me it is evident that they made a
very imprudent entry on to these farms."
Fifty-one Indians of Buete Surrender. "Notwithstanding this imprudence,
fifty-one Indians delivered themselves up, with their wives and
children. These were from the said town of Buete, besides those who had
fled from Kantemo, and from the town of Yames, now today called the
town of the dead, from the five aforesaid having died there. Of these
Indians who gave themselves up, two were left as guides and the rest,
with their wives and children, they took as prisoners to the said
abandoned town of Tzucthok. The two guides who remained I treated
kindly and with special attention, as the first fruit of our love, I
mean, of our labors, and this they surely recognized, for from the love
they felt for me, they embraced me and asked me that I should be a
petitioner for them to the Captain Alonso Garcia, so that he should
tell his soldiers that they should return all the clothing and wax
which they had collected; since they themselves had neither resisted
nor defended themselves, but had on the other hand surrendered
voluntarily, when they might have run away and did not do so; but
calling out to the soldiers, they not only surrendered themselves, but
acted as guides to the other towns, at the convenient hour of dawn, so
that they gathered them all in without any noise;--they call all these
Indians who voluntarily surrendered, the Mayas."
Avendano Argues with Paredes about his Plundering. "In compliance with
the request which the two pagan Indians made me, and having placed It
before the Captain, I gained my point by giving him advice; telling him
in my remarks that he should consider that in that first public act lay
the success of the rest, so that it was of great importance for him to
carry into effect the justice which the two pagan Indians asked for;
and I asked this for many reasons, the first;--because it was the
service of God, law and reason and in conformity with the charity which
we ought to show towards our neighbors and with the good example which
in the present case we ought to set.... The next reason is, if we show
them justice, it would follow, that, even if some of them fled, they
would proclaim the good deeds of the Spaniards, and the rest of the
people of the towns which we should come to in the future, would not
run away; and if they did not flee, they would serve with me as
messengers, so that through spreading the report of the good treatment
which had been shown them, the other townspeoples would not refuse to
surrender."
The Royal Decrees are Mentioned by Avendano. "The last thing which I
placed before him was the large number of decrees which His Majesty
(may God guard him) had despatched, and those which his predecessors of
eternal memory had despatched, which affirm the same thing which I
asked him, as in the case of the first instructions, which were given
(by the mandate of our Catholic King) to the Admiral Christopher
Colon....
"The same thing was urged afterwards by the same Catholic Kings,
in the year 1501, upon the Commander, Nicolas de Ovando, when he went
to govern the island of Santo Domingo, and this decree reads as
follows:--that he should arrange with great vigilance and care that all
the Indians of Espanola should be free from slavery, and that they
should not be molested by any one, but that they should live as free
vassals, governed and guarded in justice and that they should arrange
so that they be instructed in the holy Catholic faith; since his
intention was that they should be treated with love and kindness,
without permitting that any one should do them harm; so that they
should not be hindered in receiving our holy faith and so that they
should not hate the Christians for their deeds, etc.'
"And many other decrees were issued thereafter for the same purpose,
the same thing being repeated and urged by an infinite number of
decrees and ordinances of the Emperors, Charles V, Philip II and III
and up to Philip IV...."
Paredes Promises to Return the Plunder. "All these reasons which I gave
to the said Captain, Alonso Garcia de Paredes, struck him favorably and
he gave me his word to cooperate in my request, causing their clothes
and the rest of the things which had been taken from them to be
returned to the Indian prisoners, promising at the same time to punish
the transgressors, as soon as he reached the said abandoned Tzucthok."
Paredes Fails to Keep his Word. "And when he reached there, I reminded
him of the said promise, but as avarice drew him more than charity, he
answered me with scorn, saying, 'God be with you. Padre, how can you
expect me to know now who was the man who robbed the prisoners?' At
this time there came one of the offending soldiers to speak to him. He
was wearing loose breeches made of the clothing which they had stolen
from the aforesaid Indians; and I, answering his rough suggestion, said
to him:--'See, Senor Captain, that there is standing near you one who
knows of or is the doer of the theft, since the breeches of this
soldier of yours show it.' He replied:--Padre, those are his
perquisites, which I cannot take away.' And at the same time, turning
his back to me, he said to him:--'Take notice, man, that I hold you
responsible for paying for all the wax which you and the rest of you
hold.' So that the special result of this trip can well be understood
to be quite contrary to the service of God and of the King, and very
useful only to the special ends of the avarice of the soldiers.
"I, seeing this coldness, in the beginning, never supposed that the
results would be happy, so that I felt sad enough; since it would have
been better not to have started out on such an enterprise, if I was to
see such inhumanities...."
Tzucthok, once before Reduced, had Rebelled. "By our lengthened stay in
this aforesaid abandoned town of Tzucthok, we had an opportunity of
gaining a better understanding of its ruins. This is a town,--one of
those which our Padre, Fray Christoval Sanchez, brought into obedience,
though afterwards the people became rebellious. Today the forked poles
which his holiness placed in the church he built are still standing. It
is a very pleasant place, although unhealthful on account of the
lightness of the winds. The water is pure, but also of a hardness which
makes it excessively harmful. There are many cocoa-nut palm trees, many
fruit trees, particularly lemons. Before reaching this place there is a
large spring or river beneath the ground, so that for the distance of a
league, the path goes following its banks and the bed of the said
river. It is to be understood that in the rainy season it is full of
water. There is good hunting in the woods, especially peacocks and
pheasants. The most common animal in these woods is a leopard or false
lion, with a red skin and with spots of various colors. The natives
call it _Chacekel_. Among the birds are some which are very different
from those of the Province. I heard a little bird warble, which I knew
at once was a linnet like those of Spain; it imitated it much in its
song as in its size, though not in its plumage. There is another bird
with a body of a hen of Castile, called _Pan_. Its beak is very long
and thick; up to the middle it is yellow and the other half green; its
feathers correspond, being very yellow from below the beak to its
belly. The rest of the body is black, except under the tail, which has
a red plumage; the legs are green and in spite of so much beauty, it
utters only shrieks...."
The Padres Endeavor to Instruct the Indians. "In these affairs, besides
educating those who had been lately gathered together, although they
might never be freed from slavery, we passed our time till the 24th of
July, when we heard news that the road openers would shortly come to a
certain town of the nation of the Cehaches; and in order not to fail as
in the previous case, we priests planned to speak plainly with the
captains and to find out what their plan was to be on entering it; for
if it was not more decent and Christian than in the past, we had
determined to avoid the occasion of disturbance, by returning to the
Province, rather than see cruel deeds performed...."
The Captains Promise to Give Warning before Fighting. "The captains
... promised their assent to the advice which we might give them
hereafter, adding that, when an opportunity offered to enter any town,
a proclamation should be issued, with a penalty of death on any one who
should dare to go against it...."
A Skirmish. "At this time the Indian road openers went on with their
work, bringing as their guard the Indian musketeers from Sahcabchen,
who never did anything well, owing to the said Captain Alonso, who, on
account of his interest in their spoils, sends them out by themselves,
without any Spanish people of intelligence to oversee that their duties
are performed in a proper way. While engaged in this, they discovered a
town of the Cehaches, Chunpich, already abandoned, as they had heard
the rumor of the Spaniards, on account of which they found in one house
only twenty-five loads of maize. Seeing many traces of people, they
entered in fear, and notifying the said captain of their having
discovered the said town, they all asked him for reinforcements, since
they feared a hard fight. He gave them the reinforcements they asked
for, together with their arms, though they did not arrive in time,
since before they arrived there came as many as twenty-five Indians
with their baskets for that maize which they had left. The soldiers,
well prepared, carried their arms for whatever might turn up, since
going prepared with arms was always the cause of many victories as
opposed to many defeats. On the other hand they do less harm, the
better provided they are. So it happened to these men; since having
posted six Indian musketeers as sentinels in the direction they
supposed the ruined town lay, so as to defend themselves and the
workmen on the road, until their reinforcements arrived, it happened
that the sentinels, seeing the said twenty-five Indians coming, they
seemed to them to be thousands, and with the fear which never
accomplished a good thing and with their evil disposition, which always
has done much harm, without letting them enter so as to direct their
fire well, our men broke ranks, which not only gave our opponents a
better chance to get ready for a battle, but also frightening more the
rest of our men who became aware of the retreat, made them hastily and
heedlessly attribute the victory to our enemies. At that time, the
reinforcement of our men coming up, the timid sentinels, deserting
their posts, came back to make part of the reinforcement which was
coming to them. When all were together they rushed to battle, which our
opponents, like brave men, won finely, wounding three of our men
without any of them being wounded. The remainder of our men fled and
our opponents, laughing, left them and took their way with cries to
those forests by the path on which they all lived. Our men returned to
follow that path about four leagues; in that district they found two
towns without inhabitants, though they were well provided with farms
with all their products. These they ate and carried off as a token of
their valor, giving as an excuse of their unfortunate fight, that their
opponents were not men but demons, not endowed with reason, but brutes,
since, without fear of death, they flung themselves savagely on the
guns."
The Avarice of Paredes. "All this happened to the Captain [Paredes]
through avarice, for, on account of avarice, he did not wish to send
respectable and honorable Spaniards, who might obtain with good
judgment victories in these engagements, but only his Indians from
Cahcabchen, so that by frightening the other Indians, they should enter
safely into the houses in order to steal as much as the poor Indians
have in their houses, as happened in the preceding case that I refer to
above. We all inferred that all this was with the permission of the
said Captain, since, seeing the feelings, which we showed at his not
having kept his promise to us, given at the conference which we had
had, not only did he not punish the transgressors, but neither did he
make amends for the casualties which might necessarily have happened,
it being the fact that we suggested the remedy in both cases, and he
appeased us with kind words...."
Chunpich is Reached. "After this unfortunate engagement the whole camp
went along to the said town of Chunpich, distant eight long leagues
from this town of Tzucthok, and the Captains, addressing me, asked me
to stay with my companions to look after those Indians and children,
besides some sick Indians, educating them and instructing them as I
ought; and if by chance they should find a town, they would notify me,
so that I could come to catechize them. I accepted this proposal for
the future, carrying out his orders at the present time, and having
known that the said captains had passed forwards from the said village
of Chunpich, I got ready to go alone with four Indian singers to the
said town, and by inspecting or cutting down all their thickets, to see
if I could meet with the Cehaches Indians who made war on the
Spaniards, in order to draw them to the bosom of our Holy Mother
Church. I went through the said forests to a great distance, and in all
directions and I did not meet any one. At this time I received
information (although it was confused) that, after the said town of
Chunpich was passed, on the road to the South which we were following
in a Southeast direction, an indistinct foot path had been discovered.
As I knew that on the said route lay the nation of the Ytzaes, for
meeting whom I have been preparing for some years, by having learned
their language, it was necessary to set about following the path which
the Spaniards were taking, in order to verify my suspicions; but it
verified nothing but constant misfortunes; since on the path I met four
Indian musketeers of the town of Sahcabchen, whom their captain was
sending as slaves to the quiet of his house. They brought me a letter
from the Captain, Don Joseph de Estenos, in which he told me that he
had found three other towns without inhabitants, though with some
little rotten corn; and that the third leader, Don Pedro de Suviaur by
name, had gone with his men to another town which they supposed
belonged to the Ytzaes. This letter reached me a league and a half from
Chunpich, at a very large _aguada_ which there is there, and at three
long leagues from there is another large abandoned town called Ixbam."
Zuviaur Goes to the Itzas; the Padres Return. "I returned unhappy when
I thought of the little result which had come in the said town of
Chunpich, and I took pleasure in its suburbs to divert my sorrow, since
this place is very pleasant. A lake lies towards the West, so large
that it stretches out of sight. The water is very good, the two other
towns of which I spoke above being around the said lake. The Spaniards
found these at the time of the fight, all very full of fruits and
abundant corn-fields, which the captain wished to have trampled down
and destroyed so that their owners might come and give themselves up.
But we did not consent to this; I was taking great pleasure in looking
at the said lake, when an Indian came whom I had sent to camp, with
letters from the Governor, and besides confirming the news which the
said Captain, Don Joseph, had written me, he stated to me that he had
known how the third leader Don Pedro de Zuviaur had gone to one of the
towns of the Ytzaes. I regretted this last more than the rest, since I
was holding the said towns reserved for the purpose of going to them
without their hearing any rumors of soldiers.... I returned more sad
than I had been at first. I went to the town of Tzucthok, where my
companion Padres were, looking after the management of those Indians
who had been allotted to me.... As I considered our work useless, since
they had depopulated eight towns of the Cehaches, without any results,
to see also that they had reached the Ytzaes, whom also they were going
to spoil was the cause of the greatest sorrow."
Further Troubles. "I discussed with my companion Padres the troubles
which followed,--now on account of the Indians, who were fleeing every
day, now of the need which they had of supplies, now of the continual
rains which caused these places to be overflowed, by which speedy ruin
was threatened, now of the injustice which the said captains showed
us....
"Without giving me anything to do, nor allotting me Indians to
catechize and manage in the future, the said captain took away from me
those of whom I had charge, and whom I not only catechized but also
baptized and married, without paying attention to the despatch of his
Majesty, which prohibits the changing of the residence of the Indians
who had recently been converted, on account of the risk of their lives
which would follow; as Solorzano cites them and quotes them,--one of
which says 'that too hard work should not be given them and they should
not be taken to distant places, and that above all their health and
preservation should be looked after, without taking them to a sky,
climate or temperature which are different or contrary to those to
which they are accustomed.' ..."
The Padres Determine to Get to the Itzas Some Other Way. "We then,
seeing all these troubles and injustices, in order to avoid the contest
and disturbances which could not be remedied, together with all the
inconveniences, risks and dangers which in the time of so great rains,
each day brought to us, determined to return to the Province, with the
intention to send word about everything to our Very Reverend Padre
Provincial from the first town of the Province and to take from there
the road in a different direction, which I knew of, so as to go without
any noise of arms to the nation of the heathen Ytzaes, passing through
the nation of the Indians of Tipu. This is a direction opposite to that
which the Spaniards took; so that we could obtain in this way something
of our objects and end, which we always had before us, of going alone
without soldiers or armed men, for the conversion of the said heathen,
to which from the beginning we had dedicated ourselves...."
Letter to the Captains. "Agreeing then with my companions, the Padres,
in this good suggestion, I wrote a letter to the captains, taking leave
of them, without giving the reason why I returned, but stating that it
was on account of a slight accident that had happened to me; they, whom
their consciences must have accused, supposing that I should set forth
there in this Province before the Governor, who had sent me, their
improper methods of acting, determined maliciously, for their greater
satisfaction, to justify themselves by forestalling, me, with charges
against me, as if I should pay any attention to them...."
Governor Ursua Vexed by the Captains' Letter. "The Governor was vexed
with this letter which the Captain Alonso Garcia wrote to him, seeing
that he had chosen me to carry out his purpose, and then seeing that I
gave him a slap in the face by returning without any reason, as they
wrote him; for which reason he suspended judgment till he had news of
my coming to the Province, to inform himself of the truth. At this time
we arrived on our return, with hard work enough on account of so many
wild thickets, as I spoke of in the beginning, and of all the
overflowed lands, deep in water, since our return was made in the
season of heaviest rains, at the first town of the Province called
Hopelchen, whence I wrote to my Prelate of the resolution which we had
taken of returning to the Ytzaes by another route, since on the one we
had started on, our work was stopped. I received a reply from my
Prelate by which he said he expected me in the City, without informing
us that we should go back by the way we suggested."
Return to Merida. "We came to his presence and entered the City on
Saturday the 16th of September of the said year 1695...."