Muy Buenos (phrase, suitable for morning, afternoon, evening), my beloved family and friends. ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?). Right now I’m sitting on our ship’s deck and writing this letter to you. I’m writing to you not only because I want to share my thought, but also because this letter can be the last one for you will be able to receive from me. Pedro Arias de Avila wants to send me to Nicaragua to claim the land, and I can’t be sure that I come back from this place – the trip is going to be dangerous even for me, experienced explored. Also I want to share some stories of my travel, experience and other things you’d probably like to know.
I want to start from the eighth of February, 1517 when we sailed to Axaruco. In about two weeks from our leaving we steered at a venture towards the west. We didn’t know how deep there, or our location; we couldn’t even calculate the winds, distinctive for these places. As a result – we paid for our nonchalance by surviving during storm for two days and two nights. It was that powerful so we nearly wrecked in that hell. It was a great hazard to our lives, but thanks to God we survive it. After the twenty-two days from leaving we’ve sighted the land, which was undiscovered and we had no reports about it. We could barely see some large town from our ships, it appeared something like six to seven miles back from the coast. We called this town the Great Cairo because we had never seen cities like this before.
Our decision was to find anchorage any close to the shore. On the morning of 4th March we saw about ten large canoes, full of citizens from that town. We were a bit scared that they would misunderstand our intentions and consider it as some hostile actions; so we made signs of peace by waving our hands and cloaks as the invitation gestures. Unfortunately, we had no interpreters who could know the languages of Yutacan and Mexico. People in canoes approached to us fearlessly and about thirty men of them came to our flagship to have some talk. They spent some time by examining our ships, we gave to each of men a string of green beads and after this their principal man, named Cacique, told us that they want to go back to town and return to us the next day.
The Indians who visited us wore their cotton shirts, in a shape of jackets; they had narrow clothes, “masteles” with which they covered their private parts. They were more civilized people than Cubans, and when Cacique returned to us next day he invited us to their town, where they would give us everything we need. We saw the full coast of Indians, absolutely crowded. They came from their town and were waiting for us to land to the coast. Cacique showed only peaceful intentions, but still soldiers took fifteen crossbows and ten muskets in case of self-defense.
Thanks God their sixth sense didn’t betray them – we were going to their town while we came to some hillocks. Then Cacique shouted and we’ve got attacked by dozens of Indians. Responding to the Cacique’s call they quickly fell on us, furiously fighting against our soldiers. They were carrying their lances with both hands, attacking our squad with a great damage. But then, after they felt our sharp swords, deadly muskets and crossbows they ran away, leaving their dead soldiers on the battleground.
After this events we engaged in battles with local Indians for about three times. It was hard for us, because it wasn’t our territory, it was unknown for us and known for locals, thus – they’ve got their tactical advantage. After this massacre we’ve decided to sail out of this place. We were sailing for six days and nights in good weather. Then the norther (a cross-wind on this coast) came – we lasted for four days and nights, but still survived. We sailed to another place, and after midday we landed three miles from the town of Champoton. Here we saw many bands of this places: they were wearing cotton armor to their knees, they’ve got bows and arrows, lances and shields, two-handed swords and slings with stones. Their faces were painted in black paint, they approached to our place silently. After they acknowledged the that we came from east Indians went off to some nearby village.
While we were debating about what to do with them I’ve noticed that a great band of warriors was approaching from the farm. We were absolutely outnumbered: for each man of ours they’ve got two hundred. The battle was full of fierce, even more warriors approached to those, who were gathering around us during the night. They assailed us with a shower of arrows, and darts, and stones from their slings. In first seconds of the battle we’ve got eight of ours wounded. After the arrow preparations they attacked us hand to hand, but we fought them back with our own steel.
The feeling of sword-play was amazing, they drew back a little, but not to step back, but to shoot us from their ranged weapons again. During the fight they were shouting “Al calachuni, calachuni” which probably meant “kill the captain”. I’ve got a really dangerous wound in the left side, right between my ribs, while our captain was hit by ten arrows. We broke through their battalions and got into our boats. We swam as fast as we could, seeking shelter in water. But as you see – I’m still alive, so we got through that situation.
This event was one of most sudden and frightening in my life – I didn’t expect this sort of behavior after such friendly gestures. But I don’t regret about my trip. We liked the risk we took during our expeditions, we liked the experience we’ve earned and we also hope that we did good to our country with these explorations. The motivation almost of every explorer of today are adventures. We’re tired of our lives that’s why we want something new, and our expeditions are the way of getting our new feelings and impressions.
I wish good luck to all my friends and I wish to see my beloved Mamma and brother alive – I have too many words to say, which I can’t contain in this puny and small letter. I want to share all my experience I got during my trip with Maria and my children.
Hasta pronto, my family, hope to see you again. –
Diego Valasquez
