The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2): Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain.Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
History
The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2): Written by Himself Containing a True and Full Account of the Discovery and Conquest of Mexico and New Spain.
Díaz del Castillo, Bernal
Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540
As we were coasting along, sometimes rowing, sometimes sailing, we
arrived after the eleventh day in sight of an Indian village, subject to
the Spaniards, and called Cannareon; there arose at night-time such a
terrible gale of wind, that, although we rowed with all our strength, we
could not keep the sea any longer. Notwithstanding every exertion of
Pedro d'Avila, of some Indians from the Havannah, and several other good
rowers we had with us, nothing at last remained but to run the canoe
aground between the steep rocks. The canoe was dashed to pieces, the
whole lading of Pedro d'Avila went to the bottom, and we made the best
of our way on shore, naked as the day we were born, our bodies cut and
bruised all over by clambering over the rocks, for we had stripped
ourselves of our clothes in order to be the better able to swim, and
also, if possible, to save the canoe. As we had only escaped with our
lives among these rocks, none other choice was left us than to continue
our road over them to Trinidad, which lay along the coast through a
barren country full of rugged rocks, where our feet soon became
blistered and wounded; as to think of getting anything to eat was quite
out of the question; while we had continually to struggle with a
terrific gale of wind and the sea breaking over the rocks. Although we
had not neglected to cover our bodies as much as possible with leaves
and herbs, we nevertheless got sore boils between our legs, which bled
very much. At last we could proceed no further; for the sharp stones had
covered our feet with wounds: we managed, however, with considerable
trouble to reach a more elevated spot. None of us having his sword left,
we contrived by means of sharp stones to loosen the bark of some trees
and bind it as well as we could under the soles of our feet, with the
tendrils of climbers, which grew among the wood. And in this way, after
suffering great fatigues we reached a sandy district on the coast,
whence in a couple of days we arrived in the Indian village Yeguarama,
at that time the property of Bartholomeus de las Casas,[3] who was a
priest. I knew him afterwards when he belonged to the order of the
Dominicans, and became bishop of Chiopia. Here the Indians gave us to
eat, and on the following day we arrived at another village, called
Chipiona, which was the joint property of Alonso de Avila, and of
Sandoval, but this was not the captain of the same name who gained such
vast renown in New Spain. From this place we at last came to Trinidad,
where I had an acquaintance, by name Antonio de Medina, who provided me
with a suit of clothes as they were worn in that town; my comrades were
similarly provided by other of the inhabitants. Quite worn out by
fatigue and miserably poor, I set off for Santiago de Cuba, where the
governor Diego Velasquez resided. He was just then busily engaged
fitting out another squadron, and was highly delighted at seeing me
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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