and feathers, which are much valued among
these people; and it was wonderful how splendid Grijalva appeared in all
these fine ornaments, for which he made every sign of gratitude to the
cacique. He called for a shirt of fine linen, which with his own hands he
put upon the cacique; then took off his coat of crimson velvet, with which
he clothed him, and put a pair of new shoes on his feet, and gave him some
of the finest strings of beads and looking-glasses, with scissars, knives,
and several articles of tin; and distributed many such among the caciques
attendants. What the cacique had given to Grijalva was computed to be
worth 3000 pieces of eight; among which was a wooden helmet covered with
thin plates of gold, and three or four masks, some of which were studded
with a sort of stones resembling emeralds. The sight of all these things
made the Spaniards eager to settle in a country which produced so much
wealth. Grijalva, after receiving this great present at Tabasco, was
sensible that the Indians were not willing he should prolong his stay; and
on asking for more gold, the Indians answered _Culua_, _culua_.

He now proceeded farther along the coast, and in two days came to a town
called _Aqualunco_, which the Spaniards called _la Rambla_. The
inhabitants of this place were seen at a distance, armed with targets of
tortoiseshell, which glittered so in the sun that the Spaniards believed
they had been of pale gold. They discovered a bay into which the river
Tonala discharges itself, which they visited on their return, and called
it the river of St Anthony. At some distance farther on they saw the great
river of _Guazacoallo_, which they could not enter on account of bad
weather. After this they had a view of the _Snowy Islands_[2] of New Spain,
which the soldiers named St Martin. Holding on their course, Alvaredo,
having the headmost ship, entered a river called _Papaloava_, but which
the Spaniards named Alvaredos river. Here the natives of a town, called
_Tavotulpale_ brought fish, and the other ships waited till Alvaredo came
out. Beyond this they came to the mouth of another river, which they named
Rio de las Banderas, or Flag-river, because the Indians waved large white
cloths on long poles, like colours, as if inviting the Spaniards to land.
The country, on the coast of which the Spaniards now were, was a province
of the great empire of Mexico, over which Montezuma then reigned, a prince
of great wisdom and penetrat