ng, words meaning "welcome to our home." All thoughts of
seizing slaves were quickly abandoned when they found the natives a well
clad, armed and civilized people, living in large cities, with houses
and temples built of fine masonry, comparable with those of the cities
of Spain. Hostilities, however, speedily arose. It does not appear
whether the Spanish or the natives of Yucatan were the aggressors, but
the upshot of it was that the Spanish were ambuscaded and several of
them were badly wounded. The explorers persisted in their enterprise,
however, and made their way along the northern coast and thence
southward along the shore of the Gulf of Campeche, as far as Champoton.
Hostilities with the natives increased, and nearly a third of the party
perished from wounds or thirst and fever before they got back to
Havana. Moreover, one ship was lost, and the other two were in so bad
condition that they with difficulty were beached for repairs at Havana,
while the survivors marched afoot across the island to Santiago, there
to report to Velasquez the results of their expedition. It is believed
that on their way back they were driven by a "norther" far out of their
course, and touched the southern extremity of Florida, or at least some
of its islands. Cordova himself had been so badly wounded that he was
unable to go to Santiago, but made his way to his home at Sancti
Spiritus, where he soon afterward died.

Immense interest was aroused in Cuba by the tales of Cordova's men, and
by the appearance of the two captive Mayas of Yucatan whom they brought
with them. The reports of large cities, built of stone dressed and
carved and laid in mortar,--reports which were, of course, entirely
true,--piqued curiosity as to the identity of the people who had built
them, and the belief became widespread that they were some of the Ten
Lost Tribes of Israel, or at least descendants of the Jews who were
driven into exile after Vespasian's conquest of Jerusalem. Velasquez
himself was foremost in interesting himself in the matter, perhaps
partly with a desire to recoup the loss of his ship; and he accordingly
sent his nephew Gonzalez de Guzman, of Santiago, as a messenger to the
King in Spain, to tell him of these discoveries and to ask that he,
Velasquez, be commissioned Adelantado of Yucatan and all other lands
which he might discover.

Now we have seen how high an opinion King Ferdinand had of Velasquez;
regarding him as the best possible Go