The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-11-06

5ESH42S northern DIVISION or the territory O
TETT i Quintana Roo, the capital of which
~ i Santa Cruz de Bravo, named for tn
rugged old warrior who, during the Dia
regime administered all that part Of Mexico, main
land and island which lies to the east of Yucatar
The foreign port nearest to Cozumel is Belize Brit
tsh Honduras distant about 165 miles southwest
On to the northeast, some 210 miles away, lie
Cuba. From extreme points north to south tn
island, which is rhomboidal in form, measures
little under SO miles, and from east to west about
miles
Cozumel occupies a very prominent place in Me1
lean history. 1t the first land sighted by Hel
nando Cortez when in 1919, he sailed westwar
from Cuba on that famous voyage which had for it
object the quest of gold and for its result the
conquest of an empire. COrtez, however, was not
the first Spanard to set foot on Cozumels shores.
The year before he landed it visited by
Gr1Jalva, 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 matter of record that from the deck
iof his hagship"-a little vessel of less than 100
tons burthen-Cortez counted IA towers the
north and northwest coasts of the island. These
he found, when he landed, surmounted as many
temples, erected for idolatrous worship. When
he dfsembarked with half Of his followers tall
told the expedition numbered only GIT mem,
leaving the others board his small feet to
repel possible attack. Cortez first act 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 re-
ceive him. and, mounting the steps of the prin-
cipal place of worship where the high priest and
his attendants grouped, he harangued the
natives the sinfulness of their idolatry, using
an Indian who had been captured off the coast
5 of Yucatan by Grijalva and who had acquired
working knowledge of Spanish in Cuba, as an
interpreter. After thus giving vent to his re-
siigious fervor, and Cortez worst enemies could
Enever truthfully assert that he was not sincere
in his faith ordered his soldiers to tear down
S the affairs dedicated to the false gods and in
their place set up No arguing, no rea-
fsoning Prompt, aggressive action, without re-
1gard to odds, and such action was Cortez main
at all times when dealing with the
5natives wherever he went Doubtless much OF
Ibis remarkable success with them was due to
lit Although the Indians were obviously docile.
the invaders taking big chances IN thus
sdesecrating the sacred groves But nothing nap
opened The audacty of the proceeding was sub
Slime, and so great that it simply dazed the ma
Stives and left them incapable of protest
When Cortez was at Cozumel the island had
IapparentIy several thousand inhabitants; but
when Stevens prominent American archeolo-
fgist and traveller went there in the early fortes
Iof the last century he found not single soul
THE crowds seen by the Spaniards were prob
sably transents, for, matter or fact' CoZumei
inever had a large resident population 1t was
sacred place to the Mayas Of Yucatan and Cen
trel America, their Mecca, and vast NUMBER Oh
pilgrims went periodically to worship at us
shrines During the intervals between pill
grimages the priests with their servants and re-
tainers were doubtless the only residents
When the Spaniards became firmly established
s in Yucatan they forbade the pilgrimage to Cozu-
mel their reasons for this course being that they
needed the uninterrupted services of the Indians
as laborers. The church also took hand In
prohibiting festivals on the island. They earned
the mind away from the doctrine which the mis-
sion fathers propagating and although the
Indian had without very great di1nculty Deen IN
duced to accept the cross in place OF the craven
image he would. when visiting the familiar
scenes, be sure to associate with them the tenets
of his old belief still strong within him
Notwithstanding that the religious peregTina-
tons ceased Cozumel not entirely deserted
until long after the invasion. OF course, it 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
tbav we're sniritral councillors and medicine men,
and it is very probable that they were forbidden
to leave 1t would be decidedly to the interests
of the conquerors, both lay and clerical, 10 Keep
them away from. the masses of the people. That
there was a settlement, and that Sp%niards lived