Velasquez speedily subjugated the whole island and at once actively busied himself with the adoption of measures for its welfare. He established many settlements, secured farmers by free grants of land and slaves, devoted special attention to the raising of sugar-cane, such a valuable article of commerce in later times, and, above all, to the development of gold mines, which promised better returns than those of Hispaniola. But the subjugation of Cuba was too small a matter to satisfy his ambition, as he would remain subject to the higher authority of Diego Columbus, from which he wished to free himself. The best means for accomplishing this seemed to him the making of important discoveries which would secure him an independent sovereignty. With this end in view, he turned his attention to the westward, in which direction he had every reason to believe he should find a great mainland region which no European had ever reached. Chance favored his plans. Hernandez de Cordova, a Spaniard,[2] undertook an expedition from Cuba in 1517, with three vessels, to a neighboring island for the capture of slaves. Storms drove him upon the coast. In reply to his question as to the name of the country the natives said, “Tektetan,” meaning in their language, “I do not understand you.” The Spaniards thought this was the name of the place and distorted it into “Yucatan.” Thus the peninsula of the mainland, which lies opposite Cuba and divides the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, came by its present name. Cordova first landed at the northeastern end of the peninsula, at Cape Catoche, then sailed along the peninsula, stopping at various places, and at last came to the region of the Campeche of to-day, where the sea forms the Bay of Campeche. The daring Spaniards had many fierce encounters with the natives, whom they found far more civilized and at the same time more warlike than the other islanders. They were clad in garments of a woven woollen material. Their weapons were wooden swords, tipped with flint, spears, bows, arrows, and shields. Their faces were painted in different colors, and their heads adorned with tufts of feathers. They were the first Americans who constructed dwellings of stone and cement.