diers, who, with Francisco de Montejo in command, should go to enquire. I was of the number. It pleased God that the weather should be calm, which is rare enough on these coasts, and we all got safely ashore, where three caciques, one of them a governor under Montezuma, met us. They were attended by many Indians, who brought fowls, maize bread, pineapples and other food, and they spread mats in the shade of trees and invited us to sit down, all by signs, for Julian from Yucatan did not understand their Mexican language. Then they brought clay pans filled with live coals, on which they strewed a resin and incensed us.
As soon as Francisco de Montejo sent word of what had taken place, our captain determined to anchor the ships and go ashore with all our men. When he landed the cacique paid him most marked respect and incensed him with great zeal. He in return gave them beads and treated them in every friendly way, and after he signified that they should bring gold to barter, the governor sent orders to neighboring towns to fetch every trinket they had in the shape of gold for exchange with us. Thus it happened that during the six days we stayed there they brought more than sixteen thousand dollars' worth of jewelry of low grade gold and various workmanship.
In the name of his majesty, the king of Spain, we
