Transcriber's notes:
1. Page scan source: http://www.archive.org/details/historyspanishc01canogoog
2. [=a] represents a with a macron above it.
3. The "open o" symbol (reversed "c") is used here to represent the sound of [ts], (following Gates); this is the Arial Unicode MS "Ɔ"[large]; and "ɔ" [small].
4. ǎ represents "a" with an caron (Arial Unicode MS "ǎ"); i with caron "ǐ"; o caron is "ǒ"; in unicode.
5. Errata have been corrected in the text as indicated.
PAPERS
OF THE
PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND
ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Vol. VII
HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST
OF YUCATAN AND OF
THE ITZAS
BY
PHILIP AINSWORTH MEANS
Cambridge, Mass.
Published by the Museum
1917
Copyright, 1917,
By the Peabody Museum of American Archæology and
Ethnology, Harvard University
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
ERRATA
Substitute the accompanying page for the preliminary Note on Page iii. Page 25. For the last two lines read "Cozumel. They also visited las Mugers which takes its name from the female idols found there by the Spaniards. This." Page 58, note. For "may be" read "was." Page 104, line 2 and elsewhere. For "Arumendi" read "Arismendi." Page 180, line 30. For "was destroyed" read "were devastated."
NOTE
This Paper is the result of work carried on by Mr. Means as a graduate student in the Division of Anthropology during the years 1915-1917. It consists mainly of translations of early Spanish books and manuscripts.
It is gratifying to note that this is the first publication by the Museum based upon the large collection of photographic reproductions of early manuscripts from Mexico and Central America brought together by Professor W. E. Gates of Point Loma, California, and presented to the Museum by Mr. Charles P. Bowditch. Among these manuscripts is Avendaño's account of his journey to Peten, the greater part of which is included in the present paper. The original of this manuscript is in the British Museum. Cano's account of a trip to Guatemala is also given here. This manuscript is in the Brinton Collection at the University of Pennsylvania. It is through the kindness of Dr. George B. Gordon, Director of that Museum, and of Miss Adela C. Breton, who copied the manuscript, that it is possible to publish it at this time. The Avendaño and the Cano manuscripts were translated by Mr. Bowditch and Señor G. Rivera.
CHARLES C. WILLOUGHBY Director
INTRODUCTION
In the library of the Peabody Museum of Harvard University there is an invaluable collection of photographs of old manuscripts relating to Middle America. These photographs, made by Professor William E. Gates of Point Loma, California, were given to the Peabody Museum by Charles P. Bowditch, Esq., of Boston. One of the volumes contains a photographic reproduction of an original manuscript entitled Relación de las dos Entradas que hizé a Peten Ytza. The author, Fray Andrés de Avendaño y Loyola, of the Order of Saint Francis, will receive much of our attention later. Fortunately Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Guillermo Rivera have deciphered and translated the crabbed old text, so that we have at hand an account of the subjection of the Itzas of Tayasal, or Peten Itza, which is not only invaluable as being the work of an eyewitness of that subjection, but which also is filled with a rare charm. It was largely with a view to bringing this old manuscript to the attention of students that Mr. Bowditch and Dr. Tozzer asked me to work it up into a study of the Itzas of Tayasal. At the same time we must not neglect to notice here the translation, made by Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Rivera, of another inedited work on the same subject. I refer to the account by Fray Alonso Cano, which will be of great use to us later.
Though Avendaño and Cano are, so to speak, the prime reasons for the writing of this study, they have been supplemented in no inconsiderable degree by two other early Spanish writers on the history of Yucatan and its people, Diego Cogolludo and Juan de Villagutierre y Sotomayor. A few comments on the works of these two authors will later prove useful to the reader.
Though Villagutierre's Spanish style is far superior to that of such writers as Fernando Montesinos and Antonio de la Calancha, it is, nevertheless, atrocious. Although he wrote about 1700, Villagutierre's style is excessively archaic; his grammatical construction can hardly be called construction at all, so formless and ambiguous is it. Villagutierre never hesitates to write several long sentences without a single main verb between them, nor does he often refrain from going on and on for a page or so without using a period. In the use of capitals he is most whimsical; usually he has them when they are called for, but he has many that are out of place as well.
The style of Cogolludo, on the other hand, is very good, and that, be it noted, despite the fact that Cogolludo wrote prior to 1688. One remarks with considerable surprise that in several cases Villagutierre and Cogolludo use almost the same words. For example, in speaking of the visit which Cortes made to the island of Tayasal, Cogolludo says: "... y aun la ida de Cortes se tuvo por ossadia, y demasiada confianza...." Villagutierre, in the same connection says: "... que lo tenian a grandissima temeridad, y ossadia, y por demasiada confianza...." This is an interesting point, and perhaps it is significant that Cogolludo's book was published in 1688, whereas that of Villagutierre was not brought out until 1701. It is to be noted that Cogolludo, the earlier writer, uses only two epithets, and that Villagutierre, the later writer, uses the same two, plus a new one of his own. I know of two other cases where equally close and significant similarity exists between the two. It is possible, then, that Villagutierre copied (not to say plagiarized) the work of Cogolludo without giving credit for it. But the important point for us in this matter does not concern the personal integrity of Villagutierre. Rather does the importance of the matter lie in this: if Villagutierre was acquainted with the history of Yucatan by Cogolludo to such a degree that he frequently borrowed whole phrases from it, he must have had a very good reason for diverging widely now and again from the version of events given by Cogolludo. Such a reason could only be supplied by the fact that Villagutierre possessed information which he regarded as superior to and more official than that of Cogolludo. Therefore, since in several instances (as in his account of the events leading up to the visit of Cortes to Tayasal) Villagutierre occasionally departs from the footsteps of Cogolludo, we may safely assume that he was at once more critical and better informed than the latter, whom, however, he valued enough to be willing to draw from his work much of his information and even some of his phraseology.
The virtues and defects of Avendaño and of Cano are less subtle; so much so, indeed, that it would be absurd to attempt a criticism of them here. The reader will have ample opportunity to see their qualities for himself in the body of the book.
A word as to the method adopted in translating is in order. In the various passages taken from Cogolludo and Villagutierre I have preserved the spelling and capitalization of proper names that appear in the text. All passages from Avendaño and Cano are from the translations made by Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Rivera.
All the other works used are so well known that comment on them is superfluous.
Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to Mr. Bowditch and to Dr. Tozzer, both of whom have spent much time and thought in going over the manuscript of this work. Among the others who have shown me kindness and courtesy during the preparation of this study are Mr. Putnam of the Library of Congress; Dr. George Byron Gordon of the University Museum, Philadelphia; Professor Holmes of the United States National Museum; Dr. Edward Luther Stevenson of the Hispanic Society of America, New York; and, lastly, my mother, Mrs. James Means. These and others have generously given me much of their time and information.
PHILIP AINSWORTH MEANS
February 23, 1917
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[CHAPTER I]
THE PRE-COLUMBIAN HISTORY OF THE MAYAS
AND OF THE ITZAS, 1445
Migratory period
The Golden Age or Old Empire of the Maya
The Colonization period
Transitional period
Renaissance or League period
The period of the Toltec mercenaries
Disintegration
Note: Cogolludo's account of the early history of the Mayas and of some of their customs
[CHAPTER II]
THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF
THE ITZA STATE DURING THE PERIOD OF 1445-1697
The significance of the Itzas
The location of Peten or Tayasal
Description of Peten and its surroundings
The lake neither rises nor falls
The temples of Tayasal described by Avendaño
The palace of Canek, Chief of the Itzas
The districts of Peten Itza
Extent of the Itza dominion under the Chief Canek
Quincanek
Further information about the region
The Itzas described
[CHAPTER III]
THE FIRST SPANISH ENTRADAS INTO YUCATAN, 1517-1526
The first Spaniards in Yucatan
Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, 1517
Juan de Grijalva and others, 1518
Cortes in Mexico, 1519
Villagutierre's account of the entrada of Cortes, 1524-1525
Cortes starts for Honduras
Cortes arrives at Izancanac
Description of a large town
The Spaniards suspect treachery
The Indians explain why their town was deserted
Cortes takes leave of them in a friendly spirit
The deer hunt
The army of Cortes proceeds on its way
The lake
They capture an Indian
The Indian is sent to Tayasal
Some Indians come to Cortes from Tayasal
Canek himself comes and is courteously received
Canek hears Mass and promises to put away his idols
Cortes goes to Tayasal with Canek
The Itzas give Cortes news of Olid
Cortes takes leave of Canek, leaving Morzillo
Idols not burnt
Cortes arrives in Honduras
Comparison of Villagutierre with other authorities
Canek's attitude toward Cortes
[CHAPTER IV]
THE ENTRADA OF FRANCISCO DE MONTEJO AND HIS SON,
AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE FRANCISCANS, 1526-1542
Francisco de Montejo and his son
Montejo's preparations and sacrifices
He sets out
Montejo and his men go along the shore of Yucatan
Description of the campaign
Dávila and Vazquez search vainly for gold in the region of Chetemal
Foundation of Villa Real de Chetemal
Hardships of those who were at Chichen
Continual misfortunes
Chichen Itza and Villa Real both deserted
Dávila goes to Honduras
The Elder Montejo goes to Tabasco in 1535
The Franciscans enter Yucatan, 1535
Renewal of the subjection of Yucatan by Montejo, 1537
Hostility of the Indians
The Elder Montejo's instructions to his son
The Younger Montejo founds Campeche, 1540-1541
Tutul Xiu of Mani offers his aid
Foundation of Merida and of Valladolid, 1542-1543
Bishop Bartolomé de las Casas arrives in Yucatan
[CHAPTER V]
THE ENTRADA OF PADRES FUENSALIDA AND ORBITA, 1618
The name Canek
Increased power of the Itzas
The mock embassy from Tayasal
The mock embassy considered to be a rebellion
A new period in the history of the Itzas
Fuensalida and Orbita
Preliminaries to the departure of the Padres
Briceño's opposition
The Padres set out
Their route
The journey up the river from Tipu
Arrival at Tipu
Events at the village of Tipu
The friendliness of Carrillo and the Indians
Don Christoval Na, Cacique of the Indians of Tipu
Francisco Cumux goes with an embassy to Canek
Cumux returns from Canek with two chiefs of Tayasal
The two chiefs are cordially received
The Padres prepare to travel to Tayasal
Delays; the Padres' anger
The return to Tipu
All precautions taken, they set out once more
Lake Yaxha is crossed; arrival at Lake Zacpeten
The Padres camp beside Lake Peten
The Padres arrive at Tayasal and are well received
Mass is said
Fuensalida preaches; Orbita destroys an idol
The Padres urge the Itzas to be Christians
They refuse because the appointed time has not come
After a few days the Padres leave Tayasal
[CHAPTER VI]
THE ENTRADA OF PADRE FRAY DIEGO DELGADO AND THE
EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED, 1621-1624
Padre Fray Diego Delgado's offer to christianize the Itzas
Delgado travels to the convent of Xecchacan
He is well provided with guides and other Indians
Zaclun
The proposal of Mirones
Mirones and the Governor make an agreement
Mirones raises an army for his entrada
Mirones arrives at Zaclun
The wanton and foolish oppression caused by Mirones
Delgado opposes Mirones
Delgado determines to anticipate Mirones
Delgado's message to Canek
Delgado receives permission from Canek to come to Tayasal
The treachery of the Itzas
Delgado and others are put to death
Mirones sends Ek after Delgado
Revolt of the Indians
An epidemic of apostasy; the third phase of the conquest of the Itzas begins
[CHAPTER VII]
THE EARLY HISTORY OF GUATEMALA AND THE ENTRADA
FROM THAT COUNTRY, 1694-1695
The Indian tribes of Guatemala
Account of the Cakchiquel and of the Quiché
The government and the cities of the Cakchiquel and of the Quiché
Spanish conquest
Gallegos and Delgado
The Indians are friendly to them
The route taken by the two Padres
Several villages founded
The Dominicans and the Franciscans
Struggles between the Dominicans and the Indians
The inception of the plan to subdue the Itzas, 1689
Soberanis ordered to coöperate
Ursua to succeed Soberanis in office
A letter from Ursua y Arizmendi to the King of the Spains
The King grants all that Ursua asks
President Barrios aids in the undertaking
Arrangements for the entrada; supplies, etc.
The voluntary contributions
Quarrels between Soberanis and the Bishop of Yucatan
President Barrios decides to join the entrada in person
The expedition sets out from Guatemala City
Events at Huehuetenango
Ursua's activities
An army sets out from Yucatan for the Montaña
Padres Cano and Avendaño y Loyola
Cano's account of the entrada from Guatemala
The route followed by Cano
The Chols and the Mopanes
From Mopan to the lake
Cano advises return
Explanations of their withdrawal sent to Guatemala
The decree of the General Assembly
Quarrels among the soldiers and the officials
The writers of the decree punished
[CHAPTER VIII]
THE FIRST AND UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT MADE BY FRAY ANDRÉS
DE AVENDAÑO Y LOYOLA TO REACH THE ITZAS
OF TAYASAL, 1695-1699
Preamble
Preparations for the journey
The start
Indian singers
Arrival at Cauich
Departure from Cauich
Aguada of Hobon Ox; Chunzalam, Vecanxan
Nohhalal, Th[=a] Ayn, Sucte
Ix Kata-Kal
Nohku
Nohvecan
Hardships suffered by the Padres
Oppol; a bridge built across a river
Tanche
Deserted village of Temchay
Nohpek
Nohthub
Bacechac
Buete
Lack of supplies
Paredes seizes some farms
Fifty-one Indians of Buete surrender
Avendaño argues with Paredes about his plundering
The royal decrees are mentioned by Avendaño
Paredes promises to return the plunder
Paredes fails to keep his word
Tzucthok, once before reduced, had rebelled
The Padres endeavor to instruct the Indians
The captains promise to give warning before fighting
A skirmish
The avarice of Paredes
Chunpich is reached
Zuviaur goes to the Itzas; the Padres return
Further troubles
The Padres determine to get to the Itzas some other way
Letter to the captains
Governor Ursua vexed by the captains' letter
Return to Merida
[CHAPTER IX]
THE SECOND ENTRADA OF PADRE AVENDAÑO
Orders of the Governor
Departure of Avendaño
The same route followed as before; Batcab is reached
Chuntucí
The hardships of the journey
Approaching the Itzas
Tan Xuluc Mul; temples on a great height
Chakan Itza
The Chakan Itzas
Treatment of the natives
The Padres please other Indians by means of little gifts
The Padres renew their march
Nich
Indians arrive from Tayasal
Bravery of Avendaño
The landing at Tayasal; the idol
At the temple
The Padres read the letters
The curiosity of the Itzas
A baptism performed
Other Caciques arrive
The Caciques in war paint
Avendaño makes inquiries as to their manner of reckoning time
Avendaño explains the prophecies
Objection of Covoh
Discussion with Canek and others
Friendliness of Canek
Demonstrations against Canek
Leniency promised by the Padres
Avendaño takes steps to protect the Itzas from further molestation
The letter of counsel
Before leaving Tayasal, Avendaño shames Covoh
The hatred of the Chakan Itzas for the Padres increases
Canek helps the Padres to escape
Paredes' stupidity; the plot of the Chakan Itzas
The Chakan Itzas are foiled by God
The departure of the Padres from Tayasal
Avendaño goes eastward to Yalain
Trouble with soldiers
The Padres suffer hardships and lose their way
Hard travel in the wilderness for fifteen days
Miracle of the bent branch
An uncomfortable night
Great want of food
The situation grows still worse
They find some miraculous honey
Two Padres go ahead
A desperate situation
They find some edible thistles
Some hills are reached
Deserted buildings
False hopes; further hardships
They face starvation
A sign from our Lady of the Apparition
They climb some high hills
Avendaño left alone
The miracle of the sapote
Rescued
What had happened to the Indians whom Avendaño sent off
The messenger from Tayasal
Reasons for Avendaño's distrust
[CHAPTER X]
THE CONSUMMATION OF THE CONQUEST OF TAYASAL
BY THE SPANIARDS, 1695-1696
The expedition from Guatemala reaches Cahabon
Preliminary movements and plans
The fate of Diaz de Velasco; Amezquita follows him