The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-11-05

rugged old warrior who. during the Di
regime, administered all that part Of Mexico, mai
land and island, which lies to the east of Yucata
The foreign port nearest to Cozumel is Belize, Br
1sh Honduras, distant about 165 miles southwes
on to the northeast, 210 miles away, lii
CUBA. From extreme points north to south Il
island which is rhomboidal in form, measures
little under so miles, and from east to west about
miles
Cozumel occupies very prominent place in Me
lean history. 1t was the first land sighted by He
nando Cortez when, In 1919, he sailed westwal
from Cuba on that famous voyage which had for 1
object the quest of gold and for its result the
conquest of an empire. Cortez, however, was not
the first Spaniard to set foot on CoZumels shores.
The year before he landed 1t was visited by
Grijalva, the discoverer of Tabasco; and Ban
croft. the historian, mentions others who touched
there during the earlier cruises OF the Castilians
among the Antilles.
1t Is a matter OF record that from the deck
of his "iagship"-a little vessel of less than 100
tons burthen-Cortez counted Ia towers on the
north and northwest coasts of the island. These
he found, when he landed, surmounted many
temples. erected for idoatrous worship. When
he disembarked with half of his followers (all
told the expedition numbered only GIT mem,
leaving the others on board his small Heet to
repel possible attack. Cortez first act was to dis
mantle these temples. Fired with religious zeal.
he pushed his way through the crowd OF In.
dians who had come down to the beach to re-
Ceve him, and, mounting the steps or the pr1n-
cipal place OF worship, where the high priest and
his attendants were grouped, he harangued the
natives the snfuness Of their idoatry using
Indian who had been captured of the coast
of Yucatan by Grijalva and who had acquired
working knowledge of Spanish in Cuba, as an
interpreter After thus giving vent to his re-
ligious fervor, and Cortez' worst enemies could
never truthfully 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 cross. No arguing no rea-
soning. Prompt, aggressive action without re-
gard to odds, and such action was CorteZ main
characteristic at all times when dealing with the
natives wherever he went. Doubtless much or
his remarkable success with them was que 10
It, Although the Indians were obviously dociie'
the invaders were taking big chances In thus
Decorating the sacred groves. But nothing hap
pened The audacity of the proceeding was SUD
lime and so great that II simply dazed the ma
tives and left them incapable OF protest.
When Cortez was at Cozumel the island had
apparently several thousand inhabitants; out
when Stevens, a prominent American archeolo-
gist and traveller, went there In the early tortles
of the last century he found not single soul.
The crowds seen by the Spanards were prop
ably rtransients for as a matter of fact, CoZumel
never had large resident population II was
sacred place to the Mayas of fucatan ana Cen
trel America their Mecca. and vast NUMBER OF
pilgrims went periodically to worship at It's
grtmages the priests with their servants and re-
tainers were doubtless the only residents
When the Spaniards became firmly established
in Yucatan they forbade the pilgrimage to Cozu-
mel their reasons for this course being that theV
needed the unir terrupte| services Of the Indians
as laborers. The church also took hand In
prohibiting festivals on the island. They carried
the mind away from the doctrine which the mis-
sion fathers were propagating. and although the
Indian had without very great difficulty been In
duced to accept the cross in place OF the craven
image. he would. when visiting the familiar
acenes be sure to associate with them the tenets
of his old belief still slrong within him
Notwithstanding that the religious peregrina-
t,ons ceased Cozumel was not entirely deserted
until long after the invasion. or course. II is
more than likely that those whose homes were
on the island continued to reside there after the
main body stopped coming. For the greater part
they were spiritual councillors and medicint men.
and Il is very IIobabe that they were forbidden
,o leave. II would be decidedly TO the interests
of the conquerors, both lay and clerical. to Keep
them away from the masses oil the people. That
there was a 50 tlement. and that spsniards lived