our shields in our defence,
or whether it was locusts or arrows which flew about us, they were so
mixed together.

After staying four days in _Champoton_, we pursued our voyage to what
appeared the entrance of a large river; but Alaminos insisted that it was
the termination of a large island, on which account this inlet was called
_Boca de Terminos_. Grijalva went on shore with several officers and a
party of soldiers, to examine the bay and the adjacent country, where they
found several temples containing idols of clay and wood, some like women,
and others like serpents. As the country was quite uninhabited, and we
found many horns of deer at the temples, it was concluded they had been
built for the accommodation of hunters, when they frequented this part of
the country, which abounded in deer and rabbits. We killed ten of the
former, and many rabbits, by means of a dog we had with us, which we left
behind us by accident when we reimbarked; but we found him afterwards on
the shore, fat and sleek, when we returned on the expedition with Cortes.
Continuing along the coast to the westwards from _Boca de Terminos_, we
arrived in three days at another inlet called the river of _Tabasco_, from
a cacique in the neighbourhood, but which we named Rio de Grijalva, in
honour of our captain. Finding this inlet shallow, we entered with the
vessels of lightest draught of water, in which and our boats we embarked
our whole force; as from seeing numbers of armed Indians in canoes, we
concluded there was a populous town or district hard by, especially as we
found nets with fish in the track by which we entered. On approaching the
shore, we heard the noise of felling trees, which we concluded to be
preparations for defence, and we learnt afterwards that the natives were
acquainted with our transactions at Pontonchan. We landed at a point about
half a league from the town, close by a grove of palm trees, to which
place the natives advanced against us in martial order in about fifty
canoes, all painted and prepared for battle. We fortunately addressed them
by means of our interpreters, declaring that our intentions were pacific,
and invited their chiefs to a conference. On this about thirty Indians
landed, who were presented with beads of coloured glass, and our captain
made the interpreters explain to them, that we came from a distant country,
being the servants of a great prince, to whom he advised them to become
subjects, and besides,