d, nor was any landing made.

The first actual exploration was made by Francisco Hernandez de Cordova
in 1517, who landed on the Island Las Mugeres. Here he found stone
towers, and chapels thatched with straw, in which were arranged in order
several idols resembling women--whence the name which the Island
received. The Spaniards were astonished to see, for the first time in
the new world, stone edifices of architectural beauty, and also to
perceive the dress of the natives, who wore shirts and cloaks of white
and colored cotton, with head-dresses of feathers, and were ornamented
with ear drops and jewels of gold and silver. From this island,
Hernandez went to Cape Catoche, which he named from the answer given
him by some of the natives, who, when asked what town it was, answered,
"Cotohe," that is, a house. A little farther on the Spaniards asked the
name of a large town near by. The natives answered "Tectatan,"
"Tectatan," which means "I do not understand," and the Spaniards thought
that this was the name, and have ever since given to the country the
corrupted name Yucatan. Hernandez then went to Campeachy, called Kimpech
by the natives. He landed, and the chief of the town and himself
embraced each other, and he received as presents cloaks, feathers, large
shells, and sea crayfish set in gold and silver, together with
partridges, turtle doves, goslings, cocks, hares, stags and other
animals, which were good to eat, and bread made from Indian corn, and an
abundance of tropical fruits. There was in this place a square stone
tower with steps, on the top of which there was an idol, which had at
its side two cruel animals, represented as if they were desirous of
devouring it. There was also a great serpent forty-seven feet long, cut
in stone, devouring a lion as broad as an ox. This idol was besmeared
with human blood. Champoton was next visited, where the Spaniards were
received in a hostile manner, and were defeated by the natives, who
killed twenty, wounded fifty, and made two prisoners, whom they
afterwards sacrificed. Cordova then returned to Cuba, and reported the
discovery of Yucatan, showed the various utensils in gold and silver
which he had taken from the temple at Kimpech, and declared the wonders
of a country whose culture, edifices and inhabitants, were so different
from all he had previously seen; but he stated that it was necessary to
conquer the natives in order to obtain gold, and the riches which were
in