indulged in much noisy mirth and laughter, playing jokes on each other,
without thinking of the passed disturbance, as if it had not
happened...."

Avendano Takes Steps to Protect the Itzas from Further Molestation.
"Suspecting that in my absence some Spaniards might come either from
this Province or that of Guatemala to make war on them, from their
being around there in opening the road, they therefore asked me, in
order to calm their hearts and as a token of peace, to give them some
sure signs or well understood token, so that (in case any Spaniards
should come to their lands from this Province of Yucathan or from the
other one of Guatemala) they should do them no harm nor make war on
them, when they showed them the said sign and well known token, which I
should leave them."

The Letter of Counsel. "Then I left them the following letter:--

"Captains of whichever of the two Poles, North or South. My dear Lords.
Our Lord was pleased to communicate to us his divine favor, in order to
succeed in obtaining that which for many ages no one has been able to
obtain. (But nothing is impossible to the divine power, to whom may the
glory be ascribed.) Because for his glory he has given opportunity to
humble the neck of this unconquerable Ytzalana nation, humbling itself
at the first suggestion of the ministers of the gospel, and sons of my
holy Padre, San Francisco, by promptly offering their children to the
most pure washing of baptism, I having baptized up to this time many of
them, with the sure hope of baptizing them all in a short time; though
the fathers and mothers, although gentle and peaceable with us, are
nevertheless slow in giving up their idolatry; and for this reason
especially it is necessary to show moderation with great patience, so
as to bear many such vexing acts as are due to the darkness in which
they have lived; on this account I beg your Graces to act with much
prudence (if by chance you should come to this nation of the Ytzaes,
whose patron is Saint Paul) so as not to lose in a short time what is
so much desired and has been attained, thanks be to God! They are
inclined to receive you in peace when your Graces appear and to give
you what supplies, etc., that may be needed by you, in barter for
hatchets, _machetes_ and other merchandise of Castile, which they wish
for exceedingly, but I do not know whether you will be well paid. This
is as much as occurs to me now. After expressing my joy for the goo