In 1519, under the emperor's orders Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo returned to America to take part in the confiscations of the property of Vasco Nuñez, which amounted to a large sum. He arrived the 24th of June 1520, at the port of Darien. After losing here his wife and a son, he went to Panama to join Pedrarias, who afterwards made him governor of Darien. He returned to Spain in 1523. It was about this time that he published the first edition of his History of Nicaragua. In 1526, Oviedo set out again for America. He joined at Nicaragua Pedro Lopes de Salcedo, and became governor of Carthagena. In 1535, he was alcaid of Saint Domingo, and historiographer of the Indias. He died in 1557 at Valladolid, at the age of 69 years.

This chapter is taken from the preface to his History of Nicaragua, and from the preface to a volume entitled "Belle et agréable narration du premier voyage de Nicolas Federmann le Jeune, d' Ulm aux indes de la mer Oceane et de tont cequi lui est arrivé dans a pays jusqu'a son retour en espagne écrite brièvement, et divertissante a lire." Both volumes have been republished at Paris, by Henri Ternaux, in his collection of voyages, relations and memoirs; the prefaces of the French editor are those from which this chapter is taken.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Of the discovery of Yucatan by Francisco Hernandez de Cordova in 1517; the voyage thither of Juan de Grijalva in 1518; the rescue there in 1519, by Hernando Cortez of Jeronimo de Aguilar, one of the companions of Valdivia, whose vessel was stranded on that coast several years before; and the famous voyage of Magellan.

Several years had elapsed in the manner mentioned in chapter twenty-fourth, when in 1517 intelligence was brought to the province where Aguilar was, of the arrival on the neighbouring coast of great vessels of wonderful construction, filled with white and bearded men. It was in fact the squadron of Francisco Hernandez de Cordova. Yucatan was discovered this year by him, and by the pilot Juan Alaminos, a native of Palos, who had accompanied Columbus in his fourth voyage. Cordova was for some time along the coast of Yucatan, and lost many men in his different rencontres with the natives. The heart of Jeronimo de Aguilar beat quick with hope when he heard of European ships at hand. He was distant from the coast however, and was too closely watched by the Indians to have any chance of escape. After Cordova left this coast, he was driven by a storm upon the shore of Florida: thence he returned to Cuba, where he died ten days after his arrival.*

*Voyages of Companions of Columbus, p. 283. "Recueil de pièces relatives a la conquête du Mexique." See note at the end of next paragraph.

A new expedition was determined on. Diego Velasquez chose to command it Juan de Grijalva, a native of Cuellar, who had distinguished himself in several expeditions against the Indians of Cuba. On the first of March 1518,* his fleet set out from Cuba. He saw on the 4th houses on a promontory, and gave to this land the name of Saint Croix. The next day he reconnoitered the coast of Yucatan and the isle of Cuzamil. In the account of this voyage it is mentioned that some Indians, among whom was the chief of their village, approaching the vessels, the Spaniards asked news of the christians whom Francisco Hernandez had left in Yucatan, and was told in reply that one of them was dead and the other still alive; that they followed the coast to find the survivor, and on the 6th, went on land, but at first saw no one; that they mounted upon a tower there with a circumference of one hundred and eighty feet, planted the standard upon one of the fronts, and took possession in the name of the king; that afterwards they saw some Indians and went into their village; that amongst the houses were five well constructed, with a base very large and massive, and surmounted by turrets; that the village was paved with hollow stones, the streets rising at the sides and descending in the middle, which was paved entirely with large stones; that the sides were occupied by the houses of the inhabitants, constructed of stones from the foundation to half the height of the walls, and covered with straw ; and that judging by the buildings, these Indians were very ingenious. Other villages are described on the

* The date given by some others is April, and by one January 1518.

coast; one so large that Seville would not have appeared more considerable nor better. And mention is made of a very beautiful tower on a point of land which they were told was inhabited by women who lived without men. They went to see the cacique Lazaro, who had given an honourable reception to Francisco Hernandez. The Indians seem however not to have desired their company; they told them to quit the country, and this not being done quick enough there was a passage of arms, in which forty of the Spaniards were wounded and one killed. The Spaniards re-embarked and quitted the country of this cacique the 29th of March. The last day of May they discovered a very good port, to which they gave the name of Port Désiré. Here they made some cabins of boughs, and remained twelve days. After which they went to reconnoiter another country named Mulua, which having done they proceeded on their route the first day of July. They saw a large river, from which sweet water goes into the sea for six miles they gave to it the name of the river of Grijalva: the province was named Protontà. They saw a river having two mouths, out of which came sweet water; and they gave to it the name of Saint Barnabas, because they arrived the day of the feast of this saint. Near the mountains they anchored at a little isle, to which they gave the name of the Isle of Sacrafices. They saw some very high edifices built with lime, and a monument like a round tower, fifteen steps broad; at its summit was a block of marble, such as is found in Castile, surmounted by an animal like a lion, sculptured in marble, in whose

head there was a hole wherein to put perfumes. The natives in different parts of Yucatan wore cotton cloth. They gave to the Spaniards vases of gold and mantles or coverings of cotton, so woven as to represent figures of birds and animals of different kinds. They are described as being very civilized, and as having laws, and public edifices dedicated to the administration of justice. This account is stated to have been published in Italian at Venice in 1522.*

The hopes of Jeronimo de Aguilar had been revived by the arrival of the ships just mentioned, but the watchfulness of the Indians prevented him from attempting to escape.†

Velasquez, dissatisfied with Grijalva for not having. founded any establishment in so rich a country, gave him a bad reception, and refused him the command of a new expedition. He made Hernando Cortez the commander of it. Grijalva, after this, was at Saint Domingo in 1523, living in a miserable manner. He went then to Terra Firma to join Pedrarias Davila, and was sent by him to Nicaragua, where he was killed, as well as many others, in a revolt of the Indians of the valley of Ulanchos.‡

"Seven years had gone by since Aguilar's capture, and he had given up all hopes of being restored to his country and

*The title of the publication is, "Itineraire du voyage de la flotte du roi catholique L'ile de Yucatan Dans L'Inde. Fait en l'an 1518, sous les ordres du capitaine général Juan de Grijalva, Rédigé et dédié à S. A., par le chapelain en chef de ladite flotte." It forms a part of "Recueil de pièces relatives a la conquête du Mexique;" in which volume there are nine other pieces, for the most part not edited before.

This volume is one of the "Voyages, relations et mémoires originaux pour servir a l'histoire de la découverte de L'Amérique, publiés pour la première fois en Français, par H. Ternaux-Compans," at Paris in 1838.

Voyages of Companions of Columbus,

p. 283.

Preface to "Recueil de pièces relatives a la conquête du Mexique."