. Young folks' history of Mexico. t them sailing southward andeastward without making a landing. In 1511 Cuba, whichhad been discovered in 1492 by Columbus, was colonized,and in a few years her enterprising governor, Velasquez^aided in fitting out small expeditions for discovery in otherdirections. The first of these was that of Francisco He7-nandez de Cordova^ equipped mainly at his own expense,and consisting of one hundred and ten soldiers, in threesmall vessels. They were guided by the famous pilotAiaminos, who had sailed when a youth with the greatadmiral. After several days they descried
. Young folks' history of Mexico. t them sailing southward andeastward without making a landing. In 1511 Cuba, whichhad been discovered in 1492 by Columbus, was colonized,and in a few years her enterprising governor, Velasquez^aided in fitting out small expeditions for discovery in otherdirections. The first of these was that of Francisco He7-nandez de Cordova^ equipped mainly at his own expense,and consisting of one hundred and ten soldiers, in threesmall vessels. They were guided by the famous pilotAiaminos, who had sailed when a youth with the greatadmiral. After several days they descried land at thenorthernmost point of Yucatan, which they called PointCotoche. Drawing nearer shore they saw great buildingsof stone, whitened with lime, and shining in the of the natives came off to them, Indians far superiorto those of the West Indies, even excelling the intelligent1S6 First Voyage to Mexico. 187 inhabitants of Cuba in appearance. They were clothed incotton garments, possessed bows, arrows, shields, spears,. and darts of a superior quality, and approached the vesselsfearlessly in canoes large enough to contain fifty men each. 188 Mexico. Returning the next day the captain of the Indians invitedthe Spaniards on shore, and leading them into an ambus-cade wounded several of them. The Spaniards, however,gave them a taste of their sharp swords and killed , during the fight, a vagabond priest whom theyhad brought along with them sacked a temple, and broughtoif several wooden chests which contained stone idols,various vessels, three diadems, and some images of birdsand fishes in alloyed gold. This was their only consolationduring the entire trip, for after that they had nothing butfighting. They wondered at the great stone buildings, asthe first of the kind they had seen in America, and at thefierceness of the inhabitants of Yucatan, who resembled inthis respect the West Indian Caribs. Sailing southward,skirting the western coast of Yucatan, the
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Keywords: ., bookauthoroberfred, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookyear1883
