e god of rain, which
they affirmed they always procured on praying devoutly to this image.
While sailing along the coast of this island, the Spaniards were greatly
surprised to see large and beautiful buildings of stone, having several
high towers, which had a fine appearance from a distance. No such things
having ever been seen before in the West Indies, and likewise on account
of the cross which they had seen, Grijalva said they had discovered a NEW
SPAIN. Eight days after leaving Cozumel, they came to anchor off the town
of Pontonchan, and landed all the soldiers near some houses. The Indians,
vain of having driven Hernandez and his men from their country, drew up in
martial array to hinder the Spaniards from landing, shouting and making a
great noise with their trumpets and kettle-drums. Though some falconets
which were in the boats put the natives into great terror, having never
experienced any such before, yet they shot their arrows when the boats
came near, and cast darts and stones from their slings, running even into
the water to attack the Spaniards with their spears. But as soon as the
Spaniards landed, they compelled the natives to give way; for, being
taught by experience, the Spaniards now used the same sort of defensive
armour with the Indians, being stuffed with cotton, so that they received
less harm from the arrows than on former occasions; yet three of the
soldiers were killed, and sixty wounded: Grijalva, the commander, was shot
with three arrows, one of which broke several of his teeth.

On the boats returning from the ships with a reinforcement of soldiers,
the Indians quitted the field, and the Spaniards went to town, where they
dressed their wounded men, buried the dead, and found only three of the
natives. Grijalva used these men kindly, giving them some toys, and sent
them to recal the inhabitants, engaging not to hurt any of them; but they
never returned, and Grijalva did not venture to send Julian or Melchior,
as he suspected they might run away. Grijalva embarked again, and came to
a large wide gulf of fresh water, which resembled a river, which however
it was not. Alaminos the pilot alleged that the land in which this gulf
was situated was an island, and that the water parted it from another
country, on which account it was called _Boca de Terminos_, or the Mouth
of Boundaries. They landed here, and remained three days, and found that
it was no island, but a bay forming a good harbour. There