es had
covered our feet with wounds: we managed, however, with considerable
trouble to reach a more elevated spot. None of us having his sword left,
we contrived by means of sharp stones to loosen the bark of some trees
and bind it as well as we could under the soles of our feet, with the
tendrils of climbers, which grew among the wood. And in this way, after
suffering great fatigues we reached a sandy district on the coast,
whence in a couple of days we arrived in the Indian village Yeguarama,
at that time the property of Bartholomeus de las Casas,[3] who was a
priest. I knew him afterwards when he belonged to the order of the
Dominicans, and became bishop of Chiopia. Here the Indians gave us to
eat, and on the following day we arrived at another village, called
Chipiona, which was the joint property of Alonso de Avila, and of
Sandoval, but this was not the captain of the same name who gained such
vast renown in New Spain. From this place we at last came to Trinidad,
where I had an acquaintance, by name Antonio de Medina, who provided me
with a suit of clothes as they were worn in that town; my comrades were
similarly provided by other of the inhabitants. Quite worn out by
fatigue and miserably poor, I set off for Santiago de Cuba, where the
governor Diego Velasquez resided. He was just then busily engaged
fitting out another squadron, and was highly delighted at seeing me
again when I called upon him, for we were related to each other: and as
one word led to another, he asked me if my wounds were sufficiently
healed to make another trip to Yucatan? I could not help smiling at this
and said, who gave the country that name? for the natives do not call it
so. "So Melchior, whom you brought with you, calls it," resumed he.
"Call it rather, (said I,) the land where they killed one half of our
men and wounded the other." "Well, (said he,) if you have undergone many
fatigues, you have only shared the same fate with all others who have
ventured out on the discovery of new countries. But, on the other hand,
you will not fail to be highly honoured and rewarded by his majesty the
king, to whom I will transmit a faithful account of all this.
Therefore, my friend, you may in all safety join yourself to the
squadron I am now fitting out, and I will take care that you shall have
an honorable post." What further happened I will next relate.

[3] This is the celebrated Las Casas, the protector of the rights of the
Indians. (p. 18.)