Chapter I
Velasquez in Cuba—Hernandez de Cordova Discovers Yucatan—The Natives on the Mainland are Hostile—Grijalva Advances from Yucatan Farther Northward—He is the First European to Step upon Mexican Soil
In the year 1511 Diego, Columbus’ son, finding that the gold mines of Hispaniola were nearly exhausted, decided to take possession of the neighboring island of Cuba, or Fernandina, as it was called, in honor of the King of Spain. The force which he sent for the capture of the island was placed under the command of Velasquez,[1] a man described by his contemporaries as possessing extraordinary experience as a soldier, having served seventeen years in European campaigns, also of a renowned family and name, eager for glory and yet ambitious for wealth.
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.
In their various encounters with these people the Spaniards sometimes came off losers. In one of them two Indian boys having the Christian names of Julian and Melchior fell into their hands. They proved of great advantage, for they served the Spaniards as interpreters in subsequent communications with the Mexicans. One day, when they had landed to fill their casks with fresh water, fifty Indians approached and inquired if they had come from the place where the sun rises. When the Spaniards answered in the affirmative, they were conducted to a temple, constructed of stone, in which they beheld various ugly images of deities sprinkled with fresh blood. Suddenly two men in white mantles, with long, flowing, black hair, stepped forward, holding small earthen braziers, into which they threw a kind of resin. They directed the smoke toward the Spaniards and ordered them upon pain of death to leave the country. Finding it dangerous to remain there, they obeyed and returned to their vessels. At another spot, where they had landed, they were surrounded by so large a multitude of hostile Indians that forty-seven were killed and many wounded in their efforts to get back to their vessels. Among the seventy wounded was Cordova himself. After this disaster they hurried back to Cuba as rapidly as they could, where their leader died after making a report to Velasquez of all that had happened.
Velasquez was delighted at the discoveries made in his name, and decided to continue them. Four vessels were fitted out, and Grijalva,[3] a man of great ability and courage, upon whose uprightness and good judgment Velasquez believed he could depend, was given command of them. He was specially instructed to confine himself to making discoveries without establishing colonies in the new regions. Grijalva left Cuba May 1, 1518, and directed his course toward Yucatan, but the ocean currents drove him southerly, so that he first made land at Cape Catoche. Subsequently he discovered the island of Cozumel, off the Yucatan coast. From there he sailed along the coast to Potonchan, where Hernandez had been so foully dealt with. The Spaniards were eager to land and avenge the disaster, and Grijalva consented. The Indians, full of pride and defiance, and delighted with this fresh opportunity, attacked the Spaniards courageously, but they were driven back. Two hundred paid the penalty with their lives for their rashness, and the rest fled panic-stricken all over the country.
Grijalva resumed cruising along the coast. He was astonished everywhere at the sight of villages or towns with houses made of stone and cement, which in passing appeared to the Spaniards finer and better built then they really were. The resemblance between this region and Spain seemed so close to them that they gave it the name of New Spain—a name which it retains to this day. Next they came to the mouth of a river, called by the natives Tabasco, but the Spaniards named it Grijalva, in honor of their leader. The whole region roundabout had such a flourishing appearance and seemed to be populated so densely that Grijalva could not resist the desire to obtain accurate information about it. So he went ashore with his entire armed force. There he encountered a multitude of armed Indians, who with terrible outcries sought to prevent their further advance. But he paid no attention to their menaces, marched up to a bowshot’s distance from them, then halted, drew his men up in battle order, and sent the two Americans, Julian and Melchior, who had been taken by Hernandez, to inform them that he had not come there to injure them, but to do them good, and that he was anxious to make a peaceful agreement with them.
The Indians, who had been gazing in astonishment at the closed ranks, the costumes, and weapons of the Europeans, were still more astonished at this declaration. Some of their leaders ventured to advance. Grijalva cordially welcomed them and told them through the interpreters that he and his followers were subjects of a great King who was the absolute ruler of all the countries where the sun rises. This King had sent him to demand their submission to his authority, and he awaited their answer. Thereupon a low murmuring ensued among the Indians, which was stilled by one of their leaders, who replied courageously in the name of his people that it seemed strange to them that the Spaniards should speak of peace and at the same time demand submission. It seemed strange to them also that they should be offered a new ruler without ascertaining whether they were dissatisfied with their present one. As far as the question of war or peace was concerned he was not authorized to give a decisive answer. He must submit that question to his superiors. With these words he retired, leaving the Spaniards not a little astonished at this sensible reply. After a short time he returned and told Grijalva that his superiors did not fear war with the Spaniards, if it must be, for they had not forgotten what happened at Potonchan. But they considered peace better than war, and, as a token of this, he had brought many necessaries of life for gifts.
Shortly after this, the cacique himself appeared, unarmed and with a small retinue. After friendly greetings on each side he took from a basket golden articles of various kinds set with jewels, and fabrics decorated with beautifully colored feathers, and said to Grijalva that he loved peace and had brought these gifts in confirmation of his words, but, that there might be no opportunity for misunderstanding, he begged him to leave the country as soon as possible. The Spanish leader acknowledged the politeness of the cacique by making gifts in return, and promised to conform to his wishes as soon as he could get under sail.