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
On the 5th of April, 1518, all of us having met together, the officers
and soldiers, the pilots made acquainted with the signals, and the hour
of departure fixed, we attended mass with fervent devotion, and weighed
anchor. After ten days' sail, we passed the cape of Guaniguanico, called
by the sailors San Anton. Eight days after, we came in sight of the
island of Cozumel; it happened to be the feast of the Holy Cross. This
time our ships were carried further off by the currents than the time
before under Cordoba; the consequence was that we now landed on the
south coast of the island. We here espied a village, and found a
good anchorage near it, perfectly free from all rocks. Our
commander-in-chief, therefore, went on shore here with a good body of
soldiers. The inhabitants, who had never witnessed such a sight before,
immediately took to flight when they saw our vessels approaching, so
that not a single one of them had remained in the village. At length we
discovered two Indians among the recently cut maise plants, who had not
been able to get off quick enough. We brought them into the presence of
our captain, who spoke to them with the help of Julianillo and
Melchorejo, whom we had captured at the Punta de Cotoche, and who
understood their language. The distance between their countries was only
four hours' sail, which accounts for the inhabitants of Cozumel
speaking the same language. Our commander was very kind to them, gave
each some green glass beads, and sent them away to bring the Calachoni
of the district, (so the caziques are termed here;) they, however, never
returned. While we were still waiting for them, an Indian woman came
towards us, comely in appearance, and who spoke the language of Jamaica.
She told us that the Indians had fled, out of fear, to the mountains. As
I myself and many others among us understood her language, which is the
same as that of the island of Cuba, we were quite astonished at the
circumstance, and inquired of her how she had got here.
She told us that, two years ago, she had left Jamaica with ten Indians,
in a large canoe, in order to go fishing among the islands in this
neighbourhood, but had been driven on shore by the currents, when the
inhabitants killed her husband with most of her companions, and
sacrificed them to their gods.
It struck our commander, as soon as he had learnt this, that the woman
might be employed as a negotiator. He therefore desired her to go and
fetch the inhabitants and cazique of the district, and gave her two days
to return in. We durst not send Melchorejo and Julianillo with her, lest
they should run away and return to their own country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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