bold and brave, and the women well-formed and modest, with head and breast covered. Most wonderful of all, however, were some great towers, built of stone and lime, with steps leading to the top; and chapels covered with wood and straw, within which were found arranged, in artistic order, many idols apparently representing women, and that led the Spaniards to name the place De Las Mugeres.[1] Proceeding northward, they came to a larger point, of island or mainland; and presently they descried, two leagues from the shore, a large town, which was called El Gran Cairo.
While looking for an anchorage, on the morning of the 4th of March, five canoes approached the commander's vessel, and thirty men stepped fearlessly on board. The canoes were large, some of them capable of holding fifty persons; the men were intelligent, and wore a sleeveless cloak and apron of cotton.[2] The Spaniards gave them bacon and bread to eat, and to each a necklace of green glass beads. After closely scrutinizing the ship and its belongings, the natives put off for the shore. Early next day appeared the cacique with many men in twelve canoes, making signs of friendship, and crying, Conex cotoch! that is to say, Come to our houses; whence the place was called Punta de Catoche,[3] which name it bears to-day.
- ↑ Following Gomara and Torquemada, Galvano mentions the name of no other place in this voyage than that of Punta de las Dueñas, which he places in latitude 20°. He further remarks, Descobrimentos, 131, 'He gēte milhor atauiada que ha em neuhūa outra terra, & cruzes em q' os Indios adorauam, & os punham sobre seus defuntos quando faleciam, donde parecia que em algum tēpo se sentio aly a fe de Christo.' The anonymous author of De Rebus Gestis and all the best authorities recognize this as the first discovery. 'Sicque non ad Guanaxos, quos petebant, appulerunt, sed ad Mulierum promontorium.' Fernando Colon places on his map, 1527, y: de mujeres; Diego de Ribero, 1529, d' mugeres, the next name north being amazonas. Vaz Dourado, 1571, lays down three islands which he calls p:. de magreles; Hood, 1592, Y. de mueres; Laet, 1633, Yᵃˢ de mucheres; Ogilby, 1671, yᵃˢ desconocida; Dampier, 1699, I. mugeras; Jefferys, 1776, Iᵃ de Mujeres, or Woman's I. It was this name that led certain of the chroniclers to speak of islands off the coast of Yucatan inhabited by Amazons. 'Sirvió de asilo en nuestros dias al célebre pirata Lafitte.' Boletin de la Sociedad Mex. de Geog., iii. 224.
- ↑ For a description of these people see Bancroft's Native Races, i. 645-747.
- ↑ See Landa, Rel. de Yuc., 6. 'Domum Cotoche sonat: indicabant enim domus et oppidum haud longè abesse.' De Rebus Gestis Ferdinandi Cortesii, in
