Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/161

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obey Your Royal Highnesses, and that in so doing they would be much favoured, and no one would ever molest them. The Cacique answered that he would be glad to do this, and he immediately sent to call all the principal people of the Island, who came and were much pleased with all that the said Captain Fernando Cortes had told the chief cacique of the Island. Thus he ordered them to come back, which they joyfully did, becoming reassured to such an extent that, within a few days, the towns were as full of people as before, and all the Indians went about amongst us with as little fear as if they had already had a long period of intercourse with us.

In the meantime, the Captain learned that there were in the power of certain caciques in Yucatan, some Spaniards who had been made captives as long since as seven years, when, having
Spanish Prisoners in Yucatan
been lost in a certain caravel^[1] which was wrecked on the reefs of Jamaica,^[2] while coming from Tierra Firma, they had escaped in one of the boats of the caravel, and reached that coast. From that time they had been held captives and prisoners by the Indians, Since the said Captain Fernando Cortes had left the Island of Fernandina to seek for these Spaniards, and as he here received information about them, and about the country where they were, it seemed to him that he was

↑ The caravel of Valdi via, sent from Darien and wrecked (1511) on the reefs called las Viboras, situated fifteen leagues to the south of Jamaica, and which extend for a distance of forty-five leagues, from 27° 10' longitude, and 17° north latitude (Alcedo, Diccionario Geogr. Hist, de las Indias Occid.). Twenty were saved in an open boat without sails, food, or water, and, after thirteen days' drifting, reached the Maya coast. Seven or eight had died in the meantime from exhaustion, and Valdivia and five others were fattened and sacrificed by the Mayas, who captured them on their landing, and were afterwards eaten. Notice of those who escaped is given in a later note.
↑ Discovered by Columbus on his second voyage, in 1494, and named Santiago. His son Diego effected its conquest, and governed it from San Domingo, through his captains, of whom the best known was Francisco de Garay.

[1] The caravel of Valdi via, sent from Darien and wrecked (1511) on the reefs called las Viboras, situated fifteen leagues to the south of Jamaica, and which extend for a distance of forty-five leagues, from 27° 10' longitude, and 17° north latitude (Alcedo, Diccionario Geogr. Hist, de las Indias Occid.). Twenty were saved in an open boat without sails, food, or water, and, after thirteen days' drifting, reached the Maya coast. Seven or eight had died in the meantime from exhaustion, and Valdivia and five others were fattened and sacrificed by the Mayas, who captured them on their landing, and were afterwards eaten. Notice of those who escaped is given in a later note.

[2] Discovered by Columbus on his second voyage, in 1494, and named Santiago. His son Diego effected its conquest, and governed it from San Domingo, through his captains, of whom the best known was Francisco de Garay.

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