American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1915-11-13
& coc0NZ G1ONE an me ISLAND

In II, Is proved by the ruined church an q burial
ground one secs q couple Of miles to the north
OF San Miguel. the principal town. Close by the
church ruins Is the site OF an ancient village. now
traceable only by its stone foundations.
Whatever the cause may have been. It came
about In the course OF time that the island Of
Cozumel was abandoned as a place OF residence.
II must have remained unoccupied for several
generations. for when Stevens touched there with
the object OF exploring It's ruined temples. OF
which many are known to exist. the entire sur
face. with the exception OF two clearings, was
covered with a dense growth Of dwarf but thick
timber. Stevens satisfied himself that this forest
covered the whole area.
One OF the open spaces referred to above was
a clearing made by a man named Molas. O no.
torious character, half political refugee. half
pirate. who had been exiled from Yucatan. Molas
lived for many years in Cozumel. and doubtless
would have died In his bed"-the end most de.
sired by all freebooters. we are told-had he
never returned TO the mainland, for his enemies
were afraid to attack him In his stronghold. One
fatal day. however. he sailed his schooner across
the channel and landed near to where the Valla.
doid trail comes down to ths beach. Molas'
two sons-who had voluntarily shared their ia
Tiers exile-accompanied him on this trip. hav'
ing In vain tried to dissuade him from making
II. Molas insisted that his sons should remain
aboard the schooner until he gave the signal
that all was clear. The signal never came. Wait.
ing 80 long for II that they felt sure all was not
we'll. the lads went ashore at last to investigate.
The ever-vigilant foe had seen Moas' boat max.
Ing for the mainland. A short distance from the
beach. yet hidden by the Jungle. they found their
fathers mutilated body.
The boys returned to the island only to remove
their personal belongings and what they could
carry away OF the family effects. and then went
to live In a remote part OF Yucatan. as far re-
moved from Cozumel and its sad associations
as they could get. Thus II came about that the
Isle OF Swallows" was again without human in.
habitants.
The other clearing mentioned was the deserted
ranch OF a certain Don Albino." as Stevens calls
him without revealing his surname. Stevens met
Don Albino In Valladolid, and heard from the
ranchman's own lips why he left Cozumel. In
Valladolid a cotton mill-famous In the annals
OF the town as the first 20 be erected In Mexico
had started operations, and the owner, an enter
prising Spaniard, was paying high prices for the
raw material and offering enticing premiums to
encourage more extensive cultivation OF the plant
Now, Don Albino possessed no land. nor had he
the means wherewith TO buy some; nevertheless
he yearned TO profit by the mill owners bounty.
So he conceived the idea OF going over to Cozu-
mel, which by that time was regarded as a sort
OF mo Mans Land" to raise cotton. He could
easily convey the lint across the channel In ca.
noes, and although from the coast to the mill
was a journey OF several days for pack mules
there would be sufficient margin in the price to
Justify the expense OF transportation. Full of
enthusiasm, Don Albino gathered around him as
many OF the more destitute natives as he could
induce by the lavish use Of glowing promises to
accompany him and set sail for Cozumel.
But the motley band soon tired OF the monoto-
nous life on the lonely island, They were restless
spirits, who had lived by what was really little
short Of brigandage, tilling the land only to the
extent OF being sure Of their staple food. maize
and "~fritoles' (beansl. Sullen under the crav.
ings for the comparative excitement obtainable
in their native pueblos, they before long picked
a quarrel with their patron" and. seizing the
only canoe. returned 10 Yucatan.