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Updated: May 20, 2025
These he sent out under the command of Fernando de Grijalva and Diego Bezerra de Mendoça, the former having a Portuguese pilot, named Acosta, and the pilot to the latter being Fortunio Ximenez, a Biscayan. On the first night after leaving Tecoantepec, the two ships separated. Ximenez raised a mutiny against his captain, in which Bezerra was slain, and many of the crew wounded.
In 1518, Juan de Grijalva had been placed in command of a flotilla, consisting of four vessels, armed by Diego Velasquez, the conqueror of Cuba, which were destined to collect information upon Yucatan, sighted the year before by Hernandez de Cordova.
They sailed from Cuba on the 8th of May 1518; and having visited the coast of Florida, they doubled Cape St Anthony, and discovered the island of Cozumel, to which Grijalva gave the name of Santa Cruz, because discovered on the day of the invention of the Holy Cross, yet it has always retained its Indian name of Cozumel, by which it is still known.
Grijalva gave them several strings of beads, looking-glasses, and other such trifles, and charged them to bring him an answer without delay, as otherwise he would be obliged to go to their town, but not to do any harm.
But as soon as the Spaniards landed, they compelled the natives to give way; for, being taught by experience, the Spaniards now used the same sort of defensive armour with the Indians, being stuffed with cotton, so that they received less harm from the arrows than on former occasions; yet three of the soldiers were killed, and sixty wounded: Grijalva, the commander, was shot with three arrows, one of which broke several of his teeth.
He delivered all these things to Grijalva, having first taken off the ear-rings, pendants, plates, and crowns of gold with which the idols were adorned, worth about ninety pieces of eight, which he endeavoured to conceal; but not being able to dissemble his joy for the booty he had obtained, Grijalva had notice of it; yet, being of a generous temper, he restored all to Prado, reserving only the fifth for the king.
A great floating castle, filled with white men, had arrived at the mouth of the river; and had opened a trade with the natives, exchanging glass beads, looking glasses, and trinkets, for gold ornaments and articles of Mexican workmanship. Their leader, he heard, was called Grijalva.
Leaving this for the present, we proceed to give an account of the farther operations of Grijalva in obtaining a clear account of this part of the continent he was sent to discover.
Grijalva treated these people well, after which he gave them some presents and dismissed them, being in hopes to induce the natives of the town to return. Some time afterwards, an Indian woman of a good person and handsome countenance joined us, who spoke the language of Jamaica, which is the same with that spoken in Cuba.
Hitherto all things had succeeded so as to do great credit to Grijalva and his companions, yet nothing had been done to satisfy the high expectation which had been formed in Cuba of this expedition.
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