The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne. López de Gómara Francisco
next day folowing being shrouetuisday, he departed, meaning to double the sayde cape, and so to passe to Cotoche and to viewe it. But before they hadde doubled the poynte, Peter de Aluarado shotte off a piece, in token that hee was in great peril, wherevppon the other shippes drewe neare to knowe what hadde happened: And when Cortez vnderstoode that Aluarados shippe was in so great a leake that with two pumpes they mighte not emptie the water, he found no other remedy but to returne backe again to Acusamil with al his fléet. The Indians of yt Ilande came incontinent to ye water side very ioyfull, and to knowe whether they had left any thing behind thē. The Christiās enformed thē of their mishap, and came a shore, & in short time found the leake & amended it. The Saterday following they toke shipping again, al the army excepte Hernando Cortez, and fiftie of his company, then the wind arose contrary, and so much, that they could not departe that day: & the furie of the winde endured al that night, but in the morning it waxed calme, so that they myghte proceede on their voyage. But for as much as that was the Sabboth daye, they determined to heare diuine seruice, and after dinner to make saile. When their seruice was ended, and Cortez sitting at his meate, there was newes brought him that a little vessell called a Canoa, came vnder saile toward the shippes, whiche seemed to come from Yucatan: with that newes Cortez arose from his meate, to behold whether the Canoa went, and perceiuyng that she left the way toward the shippes, he sente Andrew de Tapia with certaine others, as secrete & closely as might be deuised, to lye in ambushe for their comming a shoare. The Canoa arriued in a calme place, out of the which came foure men all naked, except their priuie members, and the heare of their heades platted and bound aboute their foreheades like vnto women, with bowes and arrowes in their hands: three of them which were Indians, wer afraide when they saw the Spaniards with their drawen swordes, and would haue fled againe to their Canoa, but the Christian feared not, and desired his fellowes in the Indian tong to abide with hym. And then he began to speake in the Spanish tongue in thys wise: Maisters are ye Christians, yea (quoth they) and of the Spanish nation. Then he reioyced so much, that the teares fell from his eyes, and demaunded of them what day it was, although he had a Primer wherein he dayly prayed.
He then besought them earnestlye to assist him with their prayers & thanksgiuing vnto god for his deliuery, & kneling deuoutly downe vppon his knees, holding vp his handes, his eyes toward heauen, and his face bathed with teares, made his humble prayer vnto God, giuing most hartie thankes, that it hadde pleased hym to deliuer him out of the power of Infidels and infernal creatures, and to place hym among Christians and men of his owne nation. Andrew de Tapia holpe hym vppe, and toke hym in hys armes, and so did al ye others embrace & louingly salute him. Then he commaunded the other thrée Indians to follow him, and went talking wyth hys friendes, where Cortez aboade, who receyued him ioyfully, and gaue vnto hym such apparel as he néeded, and wyth great pleasure hauing him in his companye, hee demaunded the estate of his misfortune, and what was hys name, who aunswered before them al, saying, Sir my name is Geronimo de Aguilar, I was borne in the Cittie of Esija in the Andolozia, and by misfortune I was loste after this sorte. In the warres of Darien and in the time of the contentions and passions of Iames de Nicuessa, and Vasco Nonez Balboa, I came with Captaine Valdinia in a little Caruell, toward Santo Domingo, to giue aduice to the Admirall and gouernour, of the troubles which had happned, and my comming was for men and victuals: and likewise we brought twentye thousand Duckettes of the kings in Anno .1511. And whē we apported at Iamayca, our Caruel was lost on the shallowes whiche were called the Vipars, and with greate pain we entred (about twenty persons) into the boate, wt out sayle, water or bread, and weake prouision of oares: we thus wander thirtéene or fourtéene dayes, and then the currant, whiche is there very great & runneth alway weastward, cast vs a shoare in a prouince called Maija, & traueling on our way, seauen of our fellowes died wyth hunger & famin. And captain Valdinia & other 4. were sacrifised to the ydols by a cruel and cursed Cacike, that is to say, a Lord in whose power we fell .&c.
And after the sacrifice, they were eaten among the Indians for a solemne banket: and I, and other sixe wer put into a Cage or coupe, to be fatned for an other sacrifice. And for to escape suche abhominable death, we brake the prison and fledde through certaine mountaines: So that it pleased God that wee mette with another Cazike who was enimy to him that first toke vs, his name was Quinqus, a man of more reason and better condition, hee was Lord of Xamansana: he accepted vs for his captiues, but shortly after he dyed, and then I aboad with Taxmar his heire. Then deceased other fiue of our fellowes, so that there remayned but onely I and one Gonsalo Guerrer, a maryner, who now abydeth with Nachancan the Lorde of Chetemal, and he married with a rich gentlewoman of that countrey, by whom he hath children, and is made a Captaine, and wel estéemed with the Cazike for the victories yt he hath had in the wars against the other Lords. I sent vnto him your worships letter, desiring him that he would come with me hauing so fit a passage, but he refused my request, I belieue for verye shame, bycause hee had his nose ful boared of holes, & his eares iagged, hys face & handes painted according to the vse of yt countrey, or else he abode there for the loue he bare to his wife and children. All those whiche stoode by & hard this Historie, were amased, to heare Geronimo de Aguilar report howe those Indians did sacrifise & eate mans flesh. They also lamented the miserie & death of his fellowes, and highly praysed God, to sée him frée frō his bondage & from such cruel & barbarous people, & to haue likewise so good an enterpreter with thē, for vndoubtedly it semed a miracle yt Aluarados ship fel into a leak, for with yt extremity they returned back again to that Iland, wheras with contrarie winde they were constrayned to abide ye cōming of Aguilar. And certainly he was ye mean & spéech of al their procéedings. And therfore haue I bin so prolixious in ye rehearsal of this matter, as a notable point of this historie. Also I wil not let to tell how the mother of Geronimo de Aguilar, became mad .&c.
When she hard yt hir son was captiue among people yt vsed to eate mās flesh, & euer after whē she saw any flesh spitted or roasted, she would make an open outcrie, saying, oh I miserable woman, behold this is the flesh of my dearebeloued sonne who was all my comfort.
The Iland of Acusamil
The Indians naturall of that countrey do cal their Ilande Acusamil, & corruptlye Cosumel. Iohn de Grijalua was ye first Spaniard that apported there, and named it the holy Roode, bycause hee fell in sighte therof on holy roade daye. It cōtayneth ten leagues in length & thrée leagues in breadth, although some say more, some lesse: it standeth twentye degrées on this side the equator, and fiue leagues from the womēs cape: it hath thrée villages, in ye which liueth nere 3 thousand mē. The houses are of stone and brick, and couered with straw & bowes, & some with tile. Their temples and towers are made of lime & stone very wel built: thei haue no other fresh water but out of welles and raine water. Calachuni is their chiefe Lord: they are browne people & goe naked: & if any weare cloth, it is made of cotten wool only to couer their priuie mēbers: they vse lōg hear platted & bound about their foreheads: they are great fishermē, so yt fish is their chiefest foode & sustenance, they haue also Maiz which is for bread: also good fruites: & hony, but somewhat soure: and plots for bées, which contayn .1000 hiues. They knew not to what vse wax serued, but whē they saw our mē make cādels therof, they wōdred therat. Their dogges haue Foxe faces and barke not, these they gelde and fatten to eate. This Iland is ful of high moūtaines, & at the feete of them, good pastures, many Deare, and wilde Boares, Connyes and Hares, but they are not great. The Spaniardes with their handguns and crossebowes prouide them of that victual, fresh salt and dried. The people of this Iland are Idolaters, they doe sacrifice children, but not manye. And many times in stead of children they sacrifice dogges. They are poore people, but very charitable and louing in their false religion and beliefe.
The religion of the people of Acusamil
The temple is like vnto a square Toure