unks of large trees, after the manner of our kneading troughs.
Many of them were big enough to hold from forty to fifty Indians.

As these Indians approached us in their canoes, we made signs of peace
and friendship, beckoning at the same time to them with our hands and
cloaks to come up to us that we might speak with them; for at that time
there was nobody amongst us who understood the language of Yucatan or
Mexico. They now came along side of us without evincing the least fear,
and more than thirty of them climbed on board of our principal ship. We
gave them bacon and cassave bread to eat, and presented each with a
necklace of green glass beads. After they had for some time minutely
examined the ship, the chief, who was a cazique, gave us to understand,
by signs, that he wished to get down again into his canoe and return
home, but that he would come the next day with many more canoes in order
to take us on shore. These Indians wore a kind of cloak made of cotton,
and a small sort of apron which hung from their hips half-way down to
the knee, which they termed a maltates. We found them more intelligent
than the Indians of Cuba, where only the women wear a similar species of
apron made of cotton, which hangs down over their thighs, and is called
by them a nagua.

But to continue my narrative. Very early the morning following, our
cazique again called upon us: this time he brought with him twelve large
canoes and a number of rowers. He made known to our captain, by signs,
that we were good friends and might come to his town: he would give us
plenty to eat with everything we wanted, and could go on shore in his
twelve canoes. I shall never forget how he said, in his language, _con
escotoch_, _con escotoch_, which means, come with me to my houses yonder.
We therefore called the spot Punta de Cotoche, under which name it
stands on the sea charts.

In consideration of all these friendly invitations from the cazique to
accompany him to his village, our captain held a short consultation with
us, when we came to the resolution to lower our boats, take the smallest
of our vessels with us, and so proceed together with the twelve canoes
all at once on shore, as the coast was crowded with Indians from the
above-mentioned village. This was accordingly done, and we all arrived
there at the same time. The cazique seeing us now landed, but that we
made no signs of going to his village, again gave our captain to
understand, by signs,