CORTES having divided his men into eleven companies, and placed captains over them,[1] they all embarked, and on the 10th of February set sail from Havana. Ere long they came near the island Cozumel. The frightened inhabitants, seeing the approach of the fleet, fled from the shores. Nor were they idly frightened, for they soon felt the hands of the plunderers. Pedro de Alvarado’s company was the first to land, and seeing in one of the temples an idol, beautifully adorned with gold, they instantly stripped it, and seized two or three of the natives Cortes, seeing that such rashness would at once ruin his prospects, immediately rebuked Alvarado, and caused him to release the prisoners and deliver up the ornaments. Upon this the natives lost some of their fears, and mingled freely with the new-comers. Cortes now observed that the natives frequently used the word _Castillano_, and this led to an important discovery. He knew that the word must have been learned of some Spaniard, and therefore supposed that one or more of his countrymen might be on the island. After a long search, he succeeded in finding one man, and the poor fellow was happy indeed when they discovered him, for he had gone through many sorrows. He was completely black, was covered only with a few rags thrown loosely over his shoulders and around his waist, and had grown to be, in his manners, almost an Indian. Upon his back he carried a small bundle, in which, among other trifles that he had, were some pieces of a prayer-book. It was with great difficulty that he told his story to his countrymen, for he had almost lost the use of his native tongue. His name (he said) was Geronimo de Aguilar. He was a native of Ecija, and had received holy orders. Eight years before, he had been wrecked on a voyage from Darien to Hispaniola. He and his companions tried to save themselves in a boat, but storms had driven them upon the coast of Cozumel, where they were seized by the natives and reduced to slavery. Some of them had at length been sacrificed, and many had died of hard labor. He had at last, by the providence of God, found a friend in one of the Caciques, who took care of him and treated him with kindness. Of all his companions, one only remained beside himself, and he had joined the Indians and become one of their tribe. Cortes immediately took this poor fellow into his service, and, as it turned out, he proved a great help in acting as an interpreter between his countrymen and the Indians.