Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/57

Rh Alvarado, who knew how to gain over Diego Velasquez, afterwards said that the governor could do nothing but embrace him, and that he ordered festivities and sports for eight days. Rumor of riches in these lands had already gone about, but now that gold had really come, fanciful reports spread through all the islands and the whole of Spain.

After Alvarado had set sail for Cuba our officers held our course along the coast, and we saw numbers of towns lying from six to nine miles inland. From one of these a troop of Indians in twenty large canoes came out and attacked us. We continued our course, however, until we neared a wide cape, where on account of strong currents we could make no headway, and it was finally agreed that we should return to Cuba.

We therefore turned our ships about, hoisted all sails, and, aided by the currents, came in a few days to the waters of the broad Coatzacoalcos. Here boisterous weather forced us onward to the smaller river Tonala, where we careened one of our ships, for she had struck three several times on entering the river and was fast making water.

While we were busy at this work many Indians came from the town of Tonala, about four miles away, and with great good will brought us maize bread, fish and fruits. Our commander paid them