It seemed that it was upon a
considerable voyage, and wanting water, put in here. The
Guanaja Indians cried, "Yucatan! Yucatan!"
The Admiral stepped down to meet these strangers. His
face glowed. Here at last was difference beyond the difference
of the Paria folk!
We found that they were armed,--the newcomers.
Strangely made swords of wood and flint, lances, light
bucklers and _hatchets of true copper_. They were strong
and fearless, and they seemed to say, "Here before us is
great wonder, but wonder does not subdue our minds!"
Their language had, it is true, the flow and clink of Indian
tongues, yet was greatly different. We had work to
understand. But they were past masters of gesture.
The Admiral sent for presents. Again, these did not
ravish, though the cacique and his family and the rowers
regarded with interest such strange matters. But they
seemed to say, "You yourselves and your fantastic high
canoes made, it is evident, of many trees, are the wonder!"
But we, the Spaniards, searching now through ten years
--long as the War of Troy--for Asia in which that Troy
and all wealth beside had been placed, thought that at last
we had come upon traces. In that canoe were many articles
of copper, well enough wrought; a great copper bell, a
mortar and pestle, hatchets and knives. Moreover in Yucatan
were potters! In place of the eternal calabash here were
jars and bowls of baked clay, well-made, well-shaped, marked
with strange painted figures.
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