The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-11-05

k-<--a..} from the ancient Mayan and means "Ti
iprG9 Va Isle of Swallows" II Is included in Ii
fTSGSI northern division of the territory
IVY r l Quintana Roo the capital OF which
IT, Santa Cruz de Bravo named for II
rugged old warrior who. during the Dis
regime. administered all that part of Mexico. mai
land AID island. which lies to the cast OF Yucata
The foreign port nearest to Cozumel is Belize Bri
ish Honduras. distant about l65 miles southwes
or 10 the northeast. some 30 miles away iit
CUBA From extreme points north to south Ii
island. which is rhomboidaI In form, measures
htic under 20 miles, and from east to west about
miles
Cczumei occupies a very prominent place In Me
'cen history. 1t was the first land sighted by He
nando Cortez when. in 1919 he sailed westwar
from Cuba on that famous voyage which had for #
object The quest of gold and for its result the
conquest of an empire Cortez. however, was not
the frst Spaniard to set foot on Cozumel's shores
The year before he landed It was visited by
Crllalva. the discovercr of Tabasco and Ban.
croft. the historian, mentions others who touched
there during the earlier cruises OF the Castilians
tmorg The Antilles
II Is q matter OF record that from the deck
Of his "1agshp'-a little vessel OF less than 100
tons tnrtbcn-Cortez counted l.. towers the
north and northwest coasts OF the island These
he found. when he landed, surmounted many
temples, erected for idolarous worship When
he discmbarked with half OF his followers (all
told the expedition numbered only Gil mem.
seaymg the others on board his small feet to
sepe possible attack. Cortez' first act was to dis.
mantle these temples. Fired with religious zeal.
he pushed his way through the crowd of In
dams who had come down to the beach to
ceiyc him. and, mounting the steps of the prin.
clpai place OF worship. where the high priest and
his attendants were grouped he harangued the
natives on the sinfu!ness OF their idolatry using
Indian who had been captured off the coast
of Yueatan by Grjalva and who had acquired
working knowledge of Spanish in Cuba,
Interpreter. After thus giving vent to his
tgious fcryor. and Cortez worst enemies could
mover truthfuliy assert that he not sincere
In his faith, he ordered his soldiers to tear down
the affairs dedicated to the false gods and in
their place set up a cross No arguing.
eoning Prompt. aggressive action, without re-
card to odds. and such action Cortez main
Characteristic at all times when dealing with the
natives wherever he went. Doubtless much of
his remarkable success with them due to
It. Although the Indians obviously dccile,
the invaders were taking big chances in thus
desccratng the sacred groves, But nothing hap
pened The audacy of the proceeding was sub
lime and great that 1t simply dazed the ma
lives and left them incapable OF protest
When Cortez was at Cozumel the island hah
apparently several thousand inhabitants: but
when Stevens, prominent American areheoio'
eist and traveller went there i'll the early fortles
of the last century he found not single soul
The crowds seen by the Spaniards wore prob.
ably transicnts, for, as matter OF fact, Cozumei
never had a large resident population 1t was
.acred place to the Mayas Of fucalan and Cen.
tre America their Mecca, and vast number OF
uiierims went periodically to worship at ITS
shrines During the intervals between pill
grimagcs the priests. with their servants and re-
taincrs were doubtless The Only residents
When the Spauiari5 became firmly established
In Yucatan they forbade the pilgrimage to Cozu'
mel their reasons for this course bet>, that theT
needed the unii terrupte+ services of the indians
"a Iahorers The church also took hand IN
nrobibitiue festivals on the island, lhey carr'eu
The mind away from the doctrine "hich 'i' h''
eion IA hers we're propagating, ard although the
Indian had without very great clhca'S oeeh III
tuced to accent the cross in place Of the craven
tmape ne .world when visiting TIE lahiii'df
,oorcs no sure to associate with them the tenets
of his old belief still strong within MN
notwithstanding that tie religious pereg.ina
tiops ceased Cozumel was not entirely deserted
,,,tu long after the in sascn OF course, 1t Is
n,ore than likely that those whose homes were
~ ,ha ;s,and continued to reside tn ere after the
r,o,r hodv stopped coming For the greater part
tbev were spirtLa councillors and mcdicint men
o,a n is very probable nat they were toro'ooeh
-. ,oaya II would decidedly to the interests
n, the con1uerors both lay and Clerical, 10 keep
thor away from the masses OF tho people. lhat
there was a Sc Element. and that ,o-niards h'ea