Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/166

146 de Tabasco), which, according to the account given to Your Royal Highnesses, is where Captain de Grijalba, relative to Diego Velasquez, had been. The mouth of that river is so shallow, that none of the larger ships could enter, but, as the said Captain Fernando Cortes is so devoted to the service of Your Majesties, and has the best intention to relate truthfully everything about that country, he determined not to go further until he had learned the mystery of that river, and because of their great reputation for wealth, of the towns which people its banks.

He therefore embarked all the people of his armada in his small brigantines and boats, and ascended the  Cortes at Rio de Tabasco said river, observing the country and the towns along it; and when we came to the first town we found the Indians drawn up on the banks, to whom the said Captain spoke through the interpreter, and through the said Geronimo de Aguilar, who having, as we have heretofore stated, been a captive in Yucatan, understood and spoke the language of that country very well. He made them understand how he had not come to do them any harm or evil, but only to speak to them on the part of Your Majesties; and that he, therefore, prayed that they would allow and approve of his landing, because we had no place to sleep that night in the brigantines and barques, in which we could not even stand on our feet; and as for returning to our ships, it was already very late and they were on the high sea. The Indians answered to this that he could say all he wished from where he was, but that he should not talk of landing, neither he nor his people, for they would dispute his entrance; and, saying this, they menaced us with their arrows, bidding us to go away from there. So as it was late in the afternoon (it being already the hour of sundown), the Captain ordered us to go to some sand-hills which were opposite the town, and there we slept that night.