The Mastering of Mexico/Chapter 1
THE MASTERING OF MEXICO
CHAPTER I
How we discovered Yucatan
When we, who were at Nombre de Dios in the province of Tierra-firme,[1] learned that the island of Cuba had just been conquered, and Diego Velasquez appointed governor there, some of us gentlemen and soldiers, all persons of quality, met together and asked of Pedro Arias de Avila, governor of Tierra-firme, permission to go to Cuba. He readily gave us leave, since his son-in-law, Balboa, had so far subdued the people and successfully administered the colony that Avila himself found no employment for so many men as he had brought from Spain.
We forthwith embarked in a good ship and with fair weather landed in Cuba, where we went at once to pay our respects to the governor, Diego Velasquez. He received us kindly and promised us the first Indians available. For months we waited and idled with this promise in mind. But finally one hundred and ten of us, those who had come to Cuba together, and also others, sought to gain employment fitting for ourselves, and so we met and chose for our captain, Francisco Hernandez de Cordova, a rich man and one owning numbers of Indians in Cuba. He was to lead us on voyages of discovery.
To this purpose we bought two ships of good size. The third was a bark, a gift of Diego Velasquez—if we would go to the Guanajes Islands off the coast of Honduras, make war on the people there, and bring him three cargoes of Indians to pay him for his bark. We knew, however, that what Diego Velasquez asked of us was an act of injustice, and gave answer that neither the law of God nor of the king bid us to turn free people into slaves. When he learned our will, he confessed that our plan to go for the discovery of new countries was more praiseworthy, and he helped us find provision for the voyage.
We now had three ships and a supply of bread, called cassava, made from the yucca root. We also bought some pigs, which cost us three dollars apiece; for at that time there were neither cows nor sheep in Cuba. Then we had also a scant supply of other provisions, while every soldier took some green glass beads for bartering. We hired three pilots and some sailors, and supplied ourselves, all at our own cost and risk, with ropes and anchors, casks for water, and other needs.
That we might not want for anything right and useful, by fair words and promises we persuaded a priest to join us, and also a treasurer appointed In the name of the king, so that, if we should discover new lands where gold, silver, and pearls were to be had, there might be among us a person to take charge of our king's fifth. [2]
After we had met together, the one hundred and ten of us, and when everything had been properly ordered, we commended ourselves to God, and set out on our voyage from a harbor on the north coast of Cuba, on the 8th day of February, in the year 1517. [3]
For a twelve days' sail we hovered near the coast, but afterwards we doubled Cape San Antonio and made for the open sea, steering toward the setting sun, wholly ignorant of the depth and currents of the water. We knew nothing, moreover, of what winds might prevail, until a terrible storm came down upon us and blew two days and nights. The sea lashed us boisterously, and every moment we expected shipwreck. But finally the wind ceased, and twenty-one days after we had left harbor in Cuba we came in sight of land. Every heart, filled with gratitude towards God, rejoiced greatly.
It was a new country to us, no report of it had ever reached our ears, and the morning of the 5th of March Indians came toward us in ten large canoes as swift as their paddles and sails could bring them. Many of the canoes, large enough to hold forty or fifty Indians, were hollowed out of the trunks of trees like our kneading troughs.
As the canoes approached we made signs of friendship to the Indians, beckoning them to come on with our hands and waving our cloaks; for no one among us could speak the language of Yucatan. Without showing the least fear they did paddle alongside, and more than thirty clambered aboard our main ship. They were dressed in cotton jackets, or cuirasses, and small aprons which hung from their hips half
. 
Early next day twelve canoes did come to us. By every suggestion of friendliness the chief signified to our captain that we should go ashore, and should come to his town, where he would give us plenty of whatever we wanted to eat. The town, we could see, was a sizable place about six miles inland, and when our captain consulted us about this friendly invitation, we resolved to lower our boats, take with us our smallest ship, and so proceed in company with the twelve canoes.
In this manner we came safely to shore, but when the cacique saw us landed, and showing no intention of going to his town, he again signed to our captain for us to follow him, making at the same time demonstrations of good-will. A second time we consulted whether we should follow or not, and most of us were of the opinion that we should, but should take every precaution.
In close order, with our arms ready for action, we began our march, the cacique coming on with crowds of Indians who had trooped down to the shore. But suddenly the chief raised his voice and called out. No sooner had he signaled than bands of warriors rushed with terrible fury from ambush, and after letting fly a shower of arrows, attacked us man for man. They felt the sharp edge of our swords, however, and saw what destruction our crossbows and matchlocks made, and they speedily gave way, but not before fifteen lay dead on the field. Their weapons were lances, bows and arrows, shields and slings, and they were clad in cuirasses of padded cotton. Each had a tuft of feathers on his head.
A little distance ahead of the place of their onset stood three stone houses, in which we found clay Idols, rather large and of horrible shape, some with demons' faces, and others with women's. We also found small idols in wooden chests, and necklaces and trinkets in the form of fish and ducks worked out in gold of low grade. When we saw all this gold, and the temples of masonry, we were overjoyed that we had come upon so rich a country.
After the combat was over, and our priest had carried the chests and small idols and gold to our ships, we dressed the wounds of our men and again set sail. Two of the natives we took prisoners and carried with us, and later they became Christians and were baptized with the names Melchior and Julian.
Continuing our course westward, we met many promontories, reefs and shallows, and therefore proceeded with caution, sailing only by day and lying to at night. After fourteen days we came upon another town the Indians call Campeche, and here there seemed to us to be an inner harbor fed by some stream from which we might take fresh water. Of water we stood in need. Our fleet had been manned by poor men, who had not money enough to buy watertight casks, and our supply of water was fast lessening.
When we had now brought our casks on shore, and had filled them, and were about to go back in our small boats, fifty Indians, or so, came up to us. They wore good mantles of cotton cloth, and asked us by friendly signs what our business was. We told them to take on water and then to embark. They signified that we should go with them to their town.
About accepting their invitation we held a consultation, but at length we all agreed to go and to keep well on the watch during our visit. They took us to some buildings of stone and lime, large and well put together, like those we had seen a fortnight before. When we had entered we saw they were temples, and that figures of serpents and evil-looking gods covered the walls; and that some of the idols bore symbols like crosses. At all this—the temples of good appearance, the crosses—we were greatly astonished. But we also saw spots of fresh blood about an altar, and it seemed as though they had just been sacrificing to their gods, perhaps to gain power to overcome us.
Many Indian women now came up to us with smiles, and while we were looking on, other natives clad in tattered cloaks approached, each carrying dried reeds, which they laid upon the ground. Behind them were troops of men, also in cotton armor, and bearing bows, shields, slings and stones.
At this moment there came running from another temple ten Indians, all dressed in long, white robes, the long hair of their heads so matted with blood that it could neither be combed nor put in order without cutting. These ten were priests, and in that country are called papas—I repeat it, they are in that country called papas. These papas carried clay pans filled with glowing coals and a substance that looked like resin, and they term copal. With this burning resin they began to incense us, and they signed that we should leave their country before the reeds, about to be lighted, should be consumed; otherwise they would attack us and kill us, every man.
After we had understood this determination of theirs, the papas ordered the reeds to be fired, and as soon as the wood began to burn they were silent. Those who had formed in line of battle, however, now set up a blowing of their pipes and twisted shells and beating of their drums.
When we saw what they really meant, and how confident they were, we naturally recalled the attack upon us a few days back, and our wounds which had not yet healed, and how two of our men had died of injuries. And as the number of Indians kept on increasing, we became alarmed and resolved to retreat in best possible order. In such form we marched along the coast to where our casks lay, and finally managed to get our water safe on board the ships and ourselves re-embarked.
Six days and six nights we continued our course with fair weather. But suddenly the wind veered to the north, and during a storm which lasted four days and nights we nearly found a sea-grave. To save ourselves we cast anchor near the shore. Our ropes were old, for in our fitting out we had not money enough to buy new, strong cables. Two of them gave way, and our ship began to drag her anchor. If the last rope were to yield, we should be cast away! Oh, how perilously were we placed! But Providence willed that our aged and worn cable should hold, and when the storm abated we were able to proceed on our voyage.
As we coasted along we espied a village, and beyond it an inner harbor. We now saw that again we needed a fresh supply of water, for our casks were old, as I said, and wasted in leakage. We resolved to land, hoping to find at the head of the harbor a brook, or river, or fresh water. We did find wells, and also maize fields and stone buildings, and while we were busy filling our casks, numbers of Indians came over towards us from the village. Their bodies were painted white, brown and black, they had on cotton cuirasses which came to the knee, and they bore such arms as lances, bows, swords and slings. They advanced in profound silence, as if with peaceful mind, and by signs asked us if we came from the rising of the sun. In return we signed that we had indeed come from the rising of the sun.
Besides our water casks we had also carried with us our crossbows and muskets. And now we had closed our ranks and taken every precaution, when we heard the cries and yells of many natives advancing from various quarters. We could no longer doubt the warriors meant to attack us. We therefore consulted with our captain what course we should adopt. Many of us believed that our best plan was to re-embark in all haste. But, as is always the case in critical moments, one advised this, another that, and the proposal to return was lost on the ground that the Indians would fall on us while we were getting into the boats and kill us, every one.
After a time we perceived more troops moving towards the coast, and with flying colors. They had on their feather knots and bore all their different kinds of arms. Dividing into several bands, they filed round us on all sides and then began pouring on us such a shower of arrows, lances and stones that they wounded more than eighty of our men at the first onset. But when they rushed furiously forward and attacked us man for man, we dealt many a good blow, keeping up at the same time an incessant fire with our muskets and crossbows, for while some loaded others fired. At last by dint of heavy thrusts we forced them to give way, and then we made for our boats.
But serious misfortunes still awaited us, for our boats sank, or capsized, in our rush to get into them, and we were forced to cling to them as well as we could, and so, partly by swimming, to make our way to our small ship, which was now hastening to our aid. Our assailants wounded many of us even while we were climbing into the ship.
The battle had lasted little longer than half an hour, but more than fifty of us were killed, and two the Indians had carried off alive. We who survived returned thanks to Almighty God for the preservation of our lives as soon as we found ourselves in safety. When we began dressing our wounds we found that none of us had escaped without two or three, save one soldier; and our captain had as many as twelve. Those of the sailors who had accompanied us to shore were also hurt, and since we had now not hands enough to work the sails, we determined to return to Cuba. But we still had to struggle with a greater evil—want of fresh water—for although we had filled our leaky barrels and casks, because of the furious attack of the natives and our haste to get on board, we had not been able to bring them off. Our thirst was intense. The only way we could in some measure refresh our parched tongues was to hold the edge of our axes between our lips. Oh, what a fearful undertaking it is to venture out on the discovery of new countries! Those alone can form idea of it who have gone through its hard school.
- ↑ Tierra-firme extended along the north coast of South America from Cape Vela westward to Darien, and northward to Cape Gracias-a-Dios in Honduras. The spelling of names in this book, and statements of numbers, are for the most part taken from "The True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo," translated into English by Alfred Percival Maudslay.
- ↑ The young grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles, was now king of Spain. In the many and significant years in which he served, he was known as Don Carlos I of Spain, and Emperor Carlos V.
- ↑ At the opening of our story the energy of Europe had already sought out the coast of America from the bay of Honduras to the Rio de la Plata. Sebastian Cabot had followed the northern coast from Labrador to Florida. Balboa had
"with eagle eyes
stared at the Pacific—and all his men
Looked at each other with a wild surmise—
Silent upon a peak in Darien."Spaniards had formed settlements in Cuba. But the circuitous, sweeping Gulf of Mexico had successfully withdrawn its riches.How they were soon to be bared by these adventurous men, this book tells.