Part 4
_Calachuni_ and all his subiectes were full of heauinesse (as it semed) with the departure of the Christians, bycause they were wel vsed at their handes. From _Acusamil_ the fleete sayled to get the coast of _Yucatan_ to the cape called Womens point, with prosperous weather, & there _Cortez_ came to an Anker, desirous to sée the disposition of the lande, and the manner of the people: but it liked him not, so that y^e next day folowing being shrouetuisday, he departed, meaning to double the sayde cape, and so to passe to _Cotoche_ and to viewe it. But before they hadde doubled the poynte, _Peter de Aluarado_ shotte off a piece, in token that hee was in great peril, wherevppon the other shippes drewe neare to knowe what hadde happened: And when _Cortez_ vnderstoode that _Aluarados_ shippe was in so great a leake that with two pumpes they mighte not emptie the water, he found no other remedy but to returne backe again to _Acusamil_ with al his fléet. The _Indians_ of y^t Ilande came incontinent to y^e water side very ioyfull, and to knowe whether they had left any thing behind thë. The Christiäs enformed thë of their mishap, and came a shore, & in short time found the leake & amended it. The Saterday following they toke shipping again, al the army excepte _Hernando Cortez_, and fiftie of his company, then the wind arose contrary, and so much, that they could not departe that day: & the furie of the winde endured al that night, but in the morning it waxed calme, so that they myghte proceede on their voyage. But for as much as that was the Sabboth daye, they determined to heare diuine seruice, and after dinner to make saile. When their seruice was ended, and _Cortez_ sitting at his meate, there was newes brought him that a little vessell called a _Canoa_, came vnder saile toward the shippes, whiche seemed to come from _Yucatan_: with that newes _Cortez_ arose from his meate, to behold whether the _Canoa_ went, and perceiuyng that she left the way toward the shippes, he sente _Andrew de Tapia_ with certaine others, as secrete & closely as might be deuised, to lye in ambushe for their comming a shoare. The _Canoa_ arriued in a calme place, out of the which came foure men all naked, except their priuie members, and the heare of their heades platted and bound aboute their foreheades like vnto women, with bowes and arrowes in their hands: three of them which were _Indians_, wer afraide when they saw the Spaniards with their drawen swordes, and would haue fled againe to their _Canoa_, but the Christian feared not, and desired his fellowes in the _Indian_ tong to abide with hym. And then he began to speake in the Spanish tongue in thys wise: Maisters are ye Christians, yea (quoth they) and of the Spanish nation. Then he reioyced so much, that the teares fell from his eyes, and demaunded of them what day it was, although he had a Primer wherein he dayly prayed.
[Sidenote: The cöming of Aguilar to Cortez.]
He then besought them earnestlye to assist him with their prayers & thanksgiuing vnto god for his deliuery, & kneling deuoutly downe vppon his knees, holding vp his handes, his eyes toward heauen, and his face bathed with teares, made his humble prayer vnto God, giuing most hartie thankes, that it hadde pleased hym to deliuer him out of the power of Infidels and infernal creatures, and to place hym among Christians and men of his owne nation. _Andrew de Tapia_ holpe hym vppe, and toke hym in hys armes, and so did al y^e others embrace & louingly salute him. Then he commaunded the other thrée _Indians_ to follow him, and went talking wyth hys friendes, where _Cortez_ aboade, who receyued him ioyfully, and gaue vnto hym such apparel as he néeded, and wyth great pleasure hauing him in his companye, hee demaunded the estate of his misfortune, and what was hys name, who aunswered before them al, saying, Sir my name is _Geronimo de Aguilar_, I was borne in the Cittie of _Esija_ in the _Andolozia_, and by misfortune I was loste after this sorte. In the warres of _Darien_ and in the time of the contentions and passions of _Iames de Nicuessa_, and _Vasco Nonez Balboa_, I came with Captaine _Valdinia_ in a little Caruell, toward _Santo Domingo_, to giue aduice to the Admirall and gouernour, of the troubles which had happned, and my comming was for men and victuals: and likewise we brought twentye thousand Duckettes of the kings in _Anno .1511._ And whë we apported at _Iamayca_, our Caruel was lost on the shallowes whiche were called the Vipars, and with greate pain we entred (about twenty persons) into the boate, w^t out sayle, water or bread, and weake prouision of oares: we thus wander thirtéene or fourtéene dayes, and then the currant, whiche is there very great & runneth alway weastward, cast vs a shoare in a prouince called _Maija_, & traueling on our way, seauen of our fellowes died wyth hunger & famin. And captain _Valdinia_ & other 4. were sacrifised to the ydols by a cruel and cursed _Cacike_, that is to say, a Lord in whose power we fell .&c.
And after the sacrifice, they were eaten among the _Indians_ for a solemne banket: and I, and other sixe wer put into a Cage or coupe, to be fatned for an other sacrifice. And for to escape suche abhominable death, we brake the prison and fledde through certaine mountaines: So that it pleased God that wee mette with another _Cazike_ who was enimy to him that first toke vs, his name was _Quinqus_, a man of more reason and better condition, hee was Lord of _Xamansana_: he accepted vs for his captiues, but shortly after he dyed, and then I aboad with _Taxmar_ his heire. Then deceased other fiue of our fellowes, so that there remayned but onely I and one _Gonsalo Guerrer_, a maryner, who now abydeth with _Nachancan_ the Lorde of _Chetemal_, and he married with a rich gentlewoman of that countrey, by whom he hath children, and is made a Captaine, and wel estéemed with the _Cazike_ for the victories y^t he hath had in the wars against the other Lords. I sent vnto him your worships letter, desiring him that he would come with me hauing so fit a passage, but he refused my request, I belieue for verye shame, bycause hee had his nose ful boared of holes, & his eares iagged, hys face & handes painted according to the vse of y^t countrey, or else he abode there for the loue he bare to his wife and children. All those whiche stoode by & hard this Historie, were amased, to heare _Geronimo de Aguilar_ report howe those _Indians_ did sacrifise & eate mans flesh. They also lamented the miserie & death of his fellowes, and highly praysed God, to sée him frée frö his bondage & from such cruel & barbarous people, & to haue likewise so good an enterpreter with thë, for vndoubtedly it semed a miracle y^t _Aluarados_ ship fel into a leak, for with y^t extremity they returned back again to that Iland, wheras with contrarie winde they were constrayned to abide y^e cöming of _Aguilar_. And certainly he was y^e mean & spéech of al their procéedings. And therfore haue I bin so prolixious in y^e rehearsal of this matter, as a notable point of this historie. Also I wil not let to tell how the mother of _Geronimo de Aguilar_, became mad .&c.
When she hard y^t hir son was captiue among people y^t vsed to eate mäs flesh, & euer after whë she saw any flesh spitted or roasted, she would make an open outcrie, saying, oh I miserable woman, behold this is the flesh of my dearebeloued sonne who was all my comfort.
The Iland of Acusamil.
The _Indians_ naturall of that countrey do cal their Ilande _Acusamil_, & corruptlye _Cosumel_. _Iohn de Grijalua_ was y^e first Spaniard that apported there, and named it the holy Roode, bycause hee fell in sighte therof on holy roade daye. It cötayneth ten leagues in length & thrée leagues in breadth, although some say more, some lesse: it standeth twentye degrées on this side the equator, and fiue leagues from the womës cape: it hath thrée villages, in y^e which liueth nere 3 thousand më. The houses are of stone and brick, and couered with straw & bowes, & some with tile. Their temples and towers are made of lime & stone very wel built: thei haue no other fresh water but out of welles and raine water. _Calachuni_ is their chiefe Lord: they are browne people & goe naked: & if any weare cloth, it is made of cotten wool only to couer their priuie mëbers: they vse lög hear platted & bound about their foreheads: they are great fishermë, so y^t fish is their chiefest foode & sustenance, they haue also _Maiz_ which is for bread: also good fruites: & hony, but somewhat soure: and plots for bées, which contayn .1000 hiues. They knew not to what vse wax serued, but whë they saw our më make cädels therof, they wödred therat. Their dogges haue Foxe faces and barke not, these they gelde and fatten to eate. This Iland is ful of high moütaines, & at the feete of them, good pastures, many Deare, and wilde Boares, Connyes and Hares, but they are not great. The Spaniardes with their handguns and crossebowes prouide them of that victual, fresh salt and dried. The people of this _Iland_ are Idolaters, they doe sacrifice children, but not manye. And many times in stead of children they sacrifice dogges. They are poore people, but very charitable and louing in their false religion and beliefe.
The religion of the people of _Acusamil_.
[Sidenote: A straunge Idol.]
[Sidenote: The God of rayne.]
The temple is like vnto a square Toure broad at the foote, & steps round about it, & from y^e middest vpward very straight: the top is hollow & couered with straw: it hath foure windowes with frontals and galleries. In y^t holow place is their chappel, wheras their Idols do stand. The temple that stoode by the sea side was such a one, in the which was a maruellous straunge Idol, and differed muche from all the rest, although they haue manye and of diuerse fashions. The body of this Idol was great and hollow, and was fastened in that wall with lime: hee was of earth. And behinde this Idols backe was the Vesterie, where was kept ornaments & other things of seruice for y^e temple. The priests had a little secret dore hard adioyning to y^e Idol, by which dore they crept into y^e hollow Idol, and answered the people y^t came with prayers & peticiös. And w^t this deceit y^e simple soules beleued al y^t the Idol spake, & honored y^e god more thä al the rest w^t many perfumes & swéete smelles, and offered bread and fruite, with sacrifice of Quayles bloud, and other birds, and dogges, and sometime mans bloud. And through the fame of this Idoll and Oracle, many Pilgrimes came to _Acusamil_ from many places. At the foote of this Temple was a plotte like a Churchyard, well walled and garnished with proper pinnacles, in the middest whereof stoode a Crosse of ten foote long, the which they adored for God of the rayne, for at all times whë they wanted rayne, they would goe thither on Procession deuoutely, and offered to the Crosse Quayles sacrificed, for to appease the wrath that the God séemed to haue agaynste them: and none was so acceptable a sacrifice, as the bloud of that little birde. They vsed to burne certaine swéete güme, to perfume that God withall, and to besprinckle it with water, and this done, they beléeued assuredly to haue rayne. Suche is the Religiö of those _Indians_ of _Acusamil_. They could neuer know the original how that God of Crosse came amögst them, for in all those parties of _India_, there is no memorie of anye Preaching of the Gospell that had bin at any time, as shall be shewed in another place.
The Battell and vvinning of _Potonchan_.
[Sidenote: Policie.]
_Cortez_ procéeded with his Fléete very ioyfull, bycause he had found one of his Ships which hée thought had bin lost, & aported at the riuer _de Grijalua_, whiche in the _Indian_ tong is called _Tauasco_, and anckred at the riuers mouth, fearing to enter in with the bigger vessels ouer the barre: and incontinente came manye _Indians_ to gaze at them and theyr Shippes, who were armed with feathers, and suche lyke armour as they vse, séeming a farre off trimme fellowes. They wondered not muche to sée oure Shyppes and menne, bycause they hadde séene before _Iohn de Grijalua_ in the same Riuer. The behauiour of that people, and scituation of the Countrey, liked _Cortez_ verye well, so that leauyng sufficiente garde in hys Shyppes, he manned hys Vergantynes and Boates, and carried with hym certayne pieces of Ordinance, and with force of oares he entred the Riuer agaynste the streame, whiche was verye greate, and hauyng rowen little more than halfe a league, they espyed a greate Towne walled wyth Timber, and the houses made of mudwall, couered with strawe. The Towne wall was verye strong, with loope holes to offende withall. And before oure menne came néere the Towne, they mette with manye little Boates, whiche the _Indians_ call _Tahucup_, full of armed menne, shewyng themselues desirous of battayle. _Cortez_ procéeded forwardes, and made vnto them signes of peace, declaring vnto them by his interpreter, that hys commyng thither was not to molest or disquiet them, but onely to take freshe water, and to buy victuals, as menne that trauelled by Sea, and stoode in néede thereof, promising good paymente for anye thing that they shoulde take. The _Indians_ hearyng theyr request, promised to shewe theyr message to the Townesmen, and woulde also returne with theyr aunswere and vittayles, and so departed. In shorte space they returned againe, and broughte bread and fruite, and eyght Turkie Cockes, and presented it franckely vnto them. _Cortez_ gaue them thankes, but (quoth he) the prouision that ye haue brought, is very little, for the néede that I and so manye persons which I haue within yonder greate vessels locked and shutte vp, therefore I pray you to bryng me more vittayles, or else to permitte and suffer mée and my folkes to come vnto youre Towne to séeke oure remedie.
[Sidenote: Diligence of a good Captayne.]
The _Indians_ demaunded one nyghtes space to doe the one and the other, and departed towarde the towne. _Cortez_ also went to a little Iland that standeth in the riuer, to abide their aunswere, so that eache pretended to deceyue the other, for the _Indians_ demaunded that time, to the intent to carrie that night away theyr goodes, and to put in safetie their wiues and children in the Mountaynes, and likewise to gather their men of warre to defende theyr Towne. _Cortez_ also commaunded his Hargabushiers and Crossebowmen to goe a lande vppon the Ilande, and caused the Riuer vpwardes to bée soughte for way, to wade ouer, so that these thyngs were done that nyghte without anye knowledge to the contrarye syde. And all those whyche abode aboorde the Shyppes, came vnto _Cortez_, and those who wente to séeke the passage, founde within lesse than halfe a league vpwardes, a place that was of depth to the girdle of a manne. And likewise founde suche couerte of wooddes, that they myghte come néere vnto the Towne, and not to bée séene.
Thys newes lyked well _Cortez_, wherevppon he appoynted two Captaynes, whose names were _Alonso de Auila_, and _Peter de Aluarado_, and to eache of them fiftie menne. The same nyghte hée sente certayne Souldyers wyth a sea compasse, to lye in ambushe in the woodde whyche stoode betwéene the riuer and the towne, for two considerations. The one, bycause the _Indians_ shoulde sée, that there were no moe Spanyardes in the Ilande, than were the daye before. And the other was, that hys menne hearing their watchword, shoulde assaulte the towne on the land side. And as soone as the day appeared, came eight boates of _Indians_ armed, wheras oure Campe was pitched, who broughte a little victuall, saying they could get no more, bycause that the inhabitantes of the Towne were fledde, with feare of them, and their deformed vessels, desiring them to returne aboorde their Shippes, and not to disquiet the people of that Countrey. The interpreter aunswered, that it was against humanitie to suffer them to perishe wyth hunger, yea and if they woulde heare the cause of theyr comming, they should shortly sée what profite would rebound vnto them. The _Indians_ replyed, that they woulde take no counsell of straungers and menne whome they knewe not. Lykewise, they thoughte not good to lodge suche guestes in their houses, for they séemed terrible, and such as would be commaunders. But if they woulde néedes haue water, they mighte take riuer water, or else make welles on the shore, for so dyd they at theyr néede.
Then _Cortez_ séeyng that wordes preuayled not, hée signifyed vnto them that he woulde enter their Towne by force, to sée it and their Countrey, for to giue thereof relation to the greatest Prince in the worlde, who hadde sent them thither: requesting them to be therewith contented, considering he meante not to disquiet them: and if they would not permitte the same, he would commend himselfe to his God, and to the strength and force of hys men. The _Indians_ aunswered agayne, that they shoulde depart, and not thus bragge in other mens land, for in no wise they woulde permitte them to enter their Towne. And if with this warning they would not departe, they meante to kyl both him and as many as were with him. Yet _Cortez_ ceassed not to vse all humanitie with those barbarous people, according to the commaundemente and instructions giuen vnto him by the King of _Castill_, whiche was, to require those people oftentimes with peace, before the attempting of warre, or entring perforce into their Townes and Countrey, so that yet agayne he conuited them with peace, promising them libertie with good entertainement, assuring them of things profitable both for body and soule, and that they myghte accompt themselues happie with the knowledge thereof: but if now they would refuse his offer, he did then warne them to make them ready for the euening, for before the going downe of the Sunne, he did hope with the help of his God, to rest and take vp his lodging in the Towne, in despite of all the inhabitants thereof, who had refused his offer.
The _Indians_ laughed at his talke, and skorning at him, they returned to the Towne, to enforme their fellowes of the pride and madnesse that they thought they hadde hearde. Then the Spanyardes wente to dinner, and hauing well refreshed themselues, they putte on their Armour, and went aboorde their Boates and Vergantines, looking for some aunswere from the _Indians_, and séeyng the Sunne decline apace, and no aunswere, _Cortez_ aduised the Spanyardes that lay in ambushe in the woodde, to giue assault, and he embarqued himselfe with his rapier and Targette, gyuyng likewise assaulte with néere two hundred men, who comming néere the Towne walles, discharged his Ordinance, and lept into the water to the knées, and began valiantly to assault the walles and bulwarkes. The _Indians_ séeyng their enimies so nigh vnto them, beganne to fighte with courage, shooting arrowes, throwing of dartes and stones, wherewith they hurte about twenty Spanyardes: yea, and though the fearefull noyse of the Ordinance did many times so annoy them, being things so straunge, and neuer before séene of them, yet they fledde not from the walles, but resisted the Christians valiantlye, and suffered them not to enter the Towne that way, if they had not bin assaulted in another place. But when the Company that lay in ambush hearde the shooting of their fellowes, they began likewyse theyr onsette. The _Indians_ knowyng nothyng what was prepared behynde theyr backes, and hauing also theyr handes full in defending the entrance by the Riuer: and the Christians fyndyng that parte of the Towne without resistance, entred in wyth a terrible noyse, killing as many as they mette. Then the Townesmen vnderstoode theyr oversyghte, and woulde haue remedyed it, and fledde from the place where _Cortez_ was gyuing combat, whereby _Cortez_ and hys Company entred the Towne at ease, without contradiction, so that hée and the other Companye of his Souldyers mette togither at the Markette place, and expulsed all the _Indians_ out of the Towne, excepte those that were taken prisoners, and the carkases of the deade. Then the Chrystians soughte the spoyle, and founde nothyng but Turkie Hennes, and some thyngs wrought of Cotten wooll, but verye little Golde.
There was that daye aboue foure thousande _Indians_ in fyghte and defence of the Towne: There was much _Indian_ bloud shedde, bycause they fought naked, manye were wounded, and fewe Captiue. _Cortez_ lodged himselfe wyth hys armie in the chiefest Temple of the Idolles, where was roome sufficiente. They kepte that nyghte good watche, as in a house of enimies, but the poore _Indians_ durst not once interrupte them. After thys forte was _Potonchan_ taken, béeyng the fyrste Cytie that _Cortez_ wanne by force in all hys Conquest.
The Battell of Cintla.
[Sidenote: Care of a good Captayne.]
[Sidenote: Fortye thousande Indians.]
[Sidenote: Perill of the Christians.]
[Sidenote: A miracle.]