The boat now returned to the ship with the water which they had procured; and many of the people on board were so eager to drink, that one of the soldiers leaped into the boat immediately on its getting along-side, and drank so greedily that he swelled and died in two days after. Leaving this place, they came in two days sail to the Martyres, where the greatest depth of water is only two fathoms, interspersed with many rocks, on one of which the ships touched and became very leaky. Yet it pleased God, after so many sufferings, that they arrived at the port of Carenas, now called the Havanna; whence Hernandez de Cordova sent an account of his voyage to James Velasquez, the governor of Cuba, and died in ten days after. Three of his soldiers died also at the Havanna, making fifty-six in all lost during the expedition out of an hundred and ten men. The rest of the soldiers dispersed themselves over the island of Cuba, and the ships returned to the city of St Jago, by which the fame of this voyage spread over the whole island.

However unfortunate Cordova had been in his expedition, yet Velasquez considered the intelligence he had transmitted concerning his discoveries as of high importance, and he determined to pursue these discoveries on the first opportunity, chiefly because the people among whom Hernandez had been so roughly bandied seemed much more civilized than any Indians hitherto met with, and consequently were likely to prove proportionally richer. These sentiments were no sooner made public, than several of the principal inhabitants of the island offered their assistance, so that he was soon in a condition to send out a small squadron of three ships and a brigantine, having 250 men on board. These were commanded by the captains Alvaredo, Montejo, and de Avila, and under chief command of Juan Grijalva, who was ordered by Velasquez to make what discoveries he could, but to form no settlement. They sailed from Cuba on the 8th of May 1518; and having visited the coast of Florida, they doubled Cape St Anthony, and discovered the island of Cozumel, to which Grijalva gave the name of Santa Cruz, because discovered on the day of the invention of the Holy Cross, yet it has always retained its Indian name of Cozumel, by which it is still known. Grijalva landed with a competent number of soldiers, yet no person could be found; for the natives had fled on the first appearance of the ships. While some went to look out for the inhabitants, Grijalva caused mass to be celebrated on the shore. Two old men were found in a field of maize, who were brought to Grijalva; and as Julian and Melchior happened to understand their language, Grijalva made much of them, giving them some beads and looking-glasses, and sent them away to their chief and countrymen, in hopes of establishing an intercourse with the natives, but they never returned. While waiting for them, there came a handsome young woman, who told them in the language of Jamaica, that the people had all fled into the woods for fear, but that she had come to them, being acquainted with ships and Spaniards. Many of the people of the ships understood her language, and were astonished how she could have come to that island. She said that she had gone out to fish from the island of Jamaica about two years before, in a canoe with ten men, and had been driven by a storm and the currents to that island, where the natives had sacrificed her husband and all the rest of her countrymen to their idols. Grijalva, beleaving that this woman would be a faithful messenger, sent her to persuade the natives to come out of the woods, being afraid if he sent Julian and Melchior that they might not return. The woman came back in two days, saying that she had done all she could to prevail on the natives, but altogether without effect.

Finding that nothing could be accomplished at this place, Grijalva embarked his men, taking the Jamaica woman along with him, as she begged him not to leave her behind. In this island of Cozumel the Spaniards found many hives of excellent honey; they found likewise considerable quantities of batatas, and swine having navels on their backs203, by which articles of food they were much refreshed. They saw several temples, one of which was in form of a square tower, wide at bottom, and hollow at the top, having four large windows and galleries. In the hollow at the top, which was the chapel, there were several idols, behind which was a sort of vestry where the things used in the service of the temple were kept. At the foot of the temple there was an inclosure of stone and lime well plastered, having battlements; and in the middle of this was a cross of white lime three yards high. This was held to be the 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 were temples, having idols of clay and wood, representing men, women, and serpents; but no town could be seen, and it was conjectured that these served as chapels for people who went a-hunting. During the three days that the Spaniards remained here, they took several deer and rabbits by means of a greyhound bitch they had with them; but they negligently left her at this place. Going on their voyage from hence, and always laying to or coming to anchor at night, to avoid falling in with rocks or shoals, they discovered the mouth of a very large river, which promised to be a good harbour; but, on sounding it, they found that it had water enough for the two smaller ships only. The boats went up the river with great caution, as they saw many armed men in canoes along shore, resembling those of Pontonchan. This river was named Tabasco, from the cacique of a neighbouring town; but the Spaniards called it Rio de Grijalva, from the name of their commander. As the boats advanced they heard a noise made by the Indians who were felling trees, as, having heard of what had happened at Pontonchan, they concluded the Spaniards meant to make war upon them.