muche estéemed among them, yea more than golde. And moreouer _Cortez_ cömaunded, that all the golde and other things that his men had taken in the Towne, shoulde be broughte before him, and placed it so, that euery _Indian_ knewe his owne, and was restored vnto them, whereat they were not a little ioyfull, wondering at the liberalitie of the straungers, and departed both merrie and riche with their straunge giftes, and went throughout al the Iland, shewing to their fellowes their presentes, commaunding them in the name of _Calachuni_ their Lord, to returne euery man to his house, with ther wiues and children, commending highly the honest and gentle nature of the straungers. With this newes and commaundemente, euery man returned to his house and Towne from whence he had fledde. And after thys sort their feare was past, and they prouided the Camp abundantly of honey, bread, waxe, fishe, and frute, all the time that they abode in that Iland. The Indians of Acusamil gaue nevves _to Cortez of certaine bearded men_. [Sidenote: Nevves of bearded men.] Now _Cortez_ seeing these _Indians_ quiet and wel pleased, and also very seruiceable, he did determyne to take away theyr Idols, and to giue them a remembraunce of Iesu Christ borne of the Virgin Mary, by one _Melchior_ a fisher man and very rustical, who had bin ther before with _Francisco Hernandez de Cordoua_, who declared vnto them, that _Cortez_ his Lord and captaine would enforme them of a better god, and better lawes, than those which they maintained. The _Indians_ answered, that they were contented therewith, and went with them vnto their temples, and there brake downe their Idols, and celebrated diuine seruice, teaching them to adore and worshippe Christ crucifyed, so that they were verye attentiue to the doctrine, and ceased sacrifise of men which they were wöt to vse. These _Indians_ did wonder much at the shippes and horses, yea and marueyled as muche at our colour and beardes, so that many times they would come and féele them, and signifyed vnto them by signes and tokens towardes _Yucatan_, that there were fiue or sixe bearded men. Then _Cortez_ considering how profitable it wold be to haue an interpreter to vnderstand and to be vnderstood, he besought _Calachuni_ that he would appoint a messenger to carrye a letter to the bearded men, who were in the power of a great Lord and Tyrant, and _Calachuni_ found none that durst take that iourney in hand, fearing that they should be slaine and eaten. _Cortez_ seing this, entreated with faire words, thrée of the _Indians_ that serued him to accept the iourney, and gaue thë rewards for theyr labour: yet the _Indians_ excused them, saying that they should be slayne, notwithstanding with faire promises and rewardes, they accepted the voyage, so that _Cortez_ wrote with them this letter following.