insay of Marco Polo. For
even while Magellan was fighting the gales of the Atlantic _en route_
for his long-sought strait, another strange and wonderful country was
being unveiled and its unsurpassed wealth laid at the feet of Spain.
The starting-place for further Spanish exploration had been, from the
days of Columbus, the West Indies. From this centre, the coast of
Florida had been discovered in 1513; from here, the same year, Balboa
had discovered the Pacific Ocean; from here in 1517 a little fleet
was fitted out under Francisco Hernando de Cordova, "a man very prudent
and courageous and strongly disposed to kill and kidnap Indians." As
pilot he had been with Columbus on his fourth voyage some fourteen
years before. He suggested that his master had heard rumours of land
to the West, and sure enough, after sailing past the peninsula of
Yucatan, they found signs of the Eastern civilisation so long sought
in vain.

"Strange-looking towers or pyramids, ascended by stone steps, greeted
their eyes, and the people who came out in canoes to watch the ships
were clad in quilted cotton doublets and wore cloaks and brilliant
plumes."

They had heard of the Spaniards. Indeed, only one hundred miles of
sea divided Yucatan from Cuba, and they were anything but pleased to
see these strangers off their coast.

"Couez cotoche" (Come to my house), they cried, for which reason
Cordova called the place Cape Catoche, as it is marked in our maps
to-day. Along the coast sailed the Spaniards to a place called by the
Indians Quimpeche, now known as Campechy Bay. They were astonished
to find how civilised were these natives, and how unlike any others
they had met in these parts. But the inhabitants resented the landing
of Cordova and his men, and with arrows and stones and darts they killed
or wounded a great number of Spaniards, including the commander
himself, who sent an account of his voyage to the Governor of Cuba
and died a few days later.

His information was interesting and inspiring, and soon young Juan
Grijalva was on his way to the same land, accompanied by "two hundred
and fifty stout soldiers" and the old pilot, Alvarado, who had led
both Columbus and Cordova. Grijalva explored for the first time the
coast of this great new country.

"Mexico, Mexico," repeated the Indians with whom they conversed. Gold,
too, was produced, gold ornaments, gold workmanship, until the young
and handsome Grijalva was fitted out completely with