Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/155

Rh said Indians, and without having learned anything which they could truly relate to Your Majesties.

From there they went along the said coast until they came to a river, which they named Grijalba, and which they ascended about the hour of vespers. Early the following morning, they found on both sides of the river a great number of Indians and warriors, with their bows and arrows, and lances, and rodelas, to defend the entrance to their country; and to some, it seemed there were about five thousand Indians.

The Captain seeing this, no one landed, but he spoke to them from the ship through his interpreters, praying them to approach nearer so that he might explain to them the motives of his coming, and twenty Indians entered a canoe, and cautiously approached the ships. The Captain Grijalba then told them, and made them understand through his interpreter, that he had come only to barter, and that he wished to be their friend, and that they should bring their gold for which he would give them many valuables which he carried; and thus they did.

The next day, they brought certain jewels of thin gold, for which the said Captain gave them in return such valuables as he thought proper, and they returned to their town; and the said Captain remained there that day.

The next day he set sail, without learning anything else about the country, and continued until he arrived at the Bay, to which they gave the name of San Juan.

The Captain went ashore there with some of his people to some desolate sand-hills, and as, when the natives had seen the ships coming along the coast, they had assembled, he spoke to them, through his interpreter, and had a table brought on which he spread out some of his valuables, making them understand that he had come to trade with them and to be their friend. When the Indians saw and understood this, they brought some stuffs, and ornaments of gold, which they traded with the