Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 2.djvu/197

 towns along the road, and reached the said province, finding, at the place where the other captain had been routed, many warriors, who were expecting him, confident that they could treat him as they had done the other. Our Lord was pleased that the victory in this encounter should be for us, none of ours being killed, although many men and horses were wounded; the enemy paid dearly for the mischief they had done, and this punishment was sufficient, without further fighting to bring the whole country suing immediately for peace; not merely that province, but many other neighbouring ones, which came and offered themselves as vassals of Your Cæsarian Majesty, namely: Aliman, Colimante, and Ceguatan. He wrote me from there all that had happened, and I ordered him to seek a good site to found a town, which he should call Coliman like the province, and I sent him the nominations for alcaldes and municipal officers, directing him to visit the towns and peoples of those provinces and bring me the fullest reports of the secrets of the country. When he returned, he brought this report, as well as certain samples of pearls; and, in the name of Your Majesty, I divided the towns and those provinces amongst the settlers who remained there, who numbered twenty-five horsemen and one hundred and twenty foot soldiers. In his description of these provinces, there was news of a very good port on that coast, which greatly pleased me because they are few: he likewise brought me an account of the chiefs of the province of Ceguatan, who affirm that there is an island inhabited only by women without any men, and that, at given times, men from the mainland visit them; if they conceive, they keep the female children to which they give birth, but the males they throw away. This island is ten days' journey from the province, and many of them went thither and saw it, and told me also that it is very rich in pearls and gold. I shall strive to ascertain