The Raymer enterprise., 1915-11-04


name lies MeNicGs most aastcrly outpns
ES ! the island Of COzumel. The name come
b..s~a from the ancient Mayan and means I'll
IsarE "a Isle Of Swallows, II Is included IN tf
1%Sh8l northern division OF the territory
TI | QutHtaHa Roo, the capital of which
Santa Cruz de Bravo, named for III
rugged old warrior who, during the Dia
regime, administered all that part Of Mexico mali
land and island which lies to the east of YucataI
The foreign port nearest to Cozumel is Belize, Bfi
ish Honduras, distant about l65 miles southwes
on TO the northeast. some 2lO miles away lfe
Cuba From extreme points north to south th
island, which is rhombudal in form measures
little under 50 miles and from east TO west about
miles
tozumeI occupies a very prominent place In Me
lcan history. II was the first land sighted BY He
Hando Cortoz when, In 1919, he sailed westwar
from Cuba on that famous voyage which had for n
object the quest OF gold and for fta result the
conquest Of an empire Cortez however vas not
the first spanard to set foot on CozumeIs shores
The year before he landed 1t was visited by
rfijalVa the discOyereT of Tabasr0; and Ban
croft the historian mentions others who touched
there during the earlier cruises of the Castilians
among the Antilles.
II is matter Of record that from the deck
OF his 'tagship'-a little vessel Of less than 100
tons burthen-CoFez counted II towers on the
north and northwest coasts Of the island These
he found. when he landed, surmountrd as many
temples. erected for idoatrous worship When
he disembarked with half of his followers (al
told the expedition numbered only CIT menI
leaving the others on board his small aeet 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
ceiTe him. and, mounting the steps OF the priu
Cipal place Of worship where the high priest and
his attendants grouped. he haraugued the
natives on the Einiuluess OF their idolatry uEing
an Indian who had been captured oil the coast
OF Yucatan by Grialya and who had acquired a
working knowledge Of Spanish in Cuba. as an
interpreter After thus giving vent TO his re-
liglous feryor, and Cortez worst enemies could
never trnthfully 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 Cortez main
characteristic at all times when dealing with the
natives wherever he went. Doubtless much OF
his remarkable success with them was due TO
H. Although the Indians were obviously docilo,
the invaders were taking big chances in thus
desncratng the sacred groves But nothing hap
pened The audaeity of the proceeding was sub,
lime and so great that II simply dazed the ma
tfves and left them incapable OF protest
When Cortez was at Cozumel the island had
apparently several thousand inhabitants; but
when Stevens, prominent American archeoo'
gist and traveller went there In the early fortles
of the last century he found not single soul.
The crowds seen by the Spaniards wve prob
ably transients, for. as matter OF fact cozumel
never had large resident population, II was
sacred place TO the hayas of lucatan and Cen
trel America, their Mecca. and vast number OF
pilgrims went periodically to worship at its
shrines During the Intervals between pill.
grimages the priests with their servants and re-
tainers were doubtless The only residents
When the spanards became firmly established
in Yucatan they forbade the pilgrimage to Cozu'
mel their reasons for this course berN, that they
needed the unG terrupte' services Of the Indians
as lahorers The church also took hand in
prohibiting festivals the island, They carried
the mind away from the doctrine which tho mis-.
sion fathers pronagatns, and although the
Indian had without very great difficulty been in
duced to accept the cross In place Of the craven
image ne would, when visiting the familiar
scores be sure 10 associate with them the tenets
Of his old belief, still 4,rOng within him
Notwithslandnb that IT,. religious pereg.na.
lions ceased. Cezume was not entirely deserted
until long after the in 1asiCn OF course, II is
,,,nra than likely that tholl whose homes we're
,,, ,he ,sIand continued to reside there after the
,,,a,n body stopped coming For the greater part
,na, we're soritLaI. rouEcilors and medicint men
- :, 10 very , Iebab.e Iat they we're forbidden
- ,oav.5 1, would be decidedly to the interests
:, ,ha conouerors both Jay and clerical, to keep
-, avay from. the masses oil the people, That
,hor, was a Sc tlement. and that 7p"hiarus liSei