“The messengers who went out to speak with the Caciques and the papas—who also have a say in their decisions—decided in favor of peace and gifts of food. They also resolved that they and their neighbors would look for a present of gold for us, and so secure our friendship, so that they would not suffer the same treatment as the people of Champoton.

“From what I observed and later learned, it was the custom in that district and in other regions of New Spain to give presents when making peace, as shall be seen later.

“On the following day more than thirty Indians came to the headland of the palm trees where we were encamped, bringing roasted fish and fowls, sapota fruit and maize-cakes, also braziers and live coals, and incense, with which they perfumed us all.*

“They then spread on the ground mats which they call petates, and covered them with a cloth, and presented us with gold jewels ; some in the form of diadems, some shaped like our own Spanish ducks, and others like lizards. They also gifted us three necklaces of hollow beads, and other gold objects of little value. The lot was not worth more than 200 pesos. Also, they brought cloaks and skirts of the kind they wear, and begged us kindly to accept this, since they had no more gold to give, but that further on, in the direction of Sunset, there was plenty. They kept repeating: ‘Colua, Colua, and ‘Mexico, Mexico,’ but we did not know what Colua or Mexico meant.**

“Although the presents that they brought us were not worth much, we were satisfied, because we knew for certain that they had gold. Immediately after the gift-giving they asked us to go on our way; and when Grijalva had thanked them and given them some more beads, we decided to board immediately, since our ships were in danger. For if a northerly gale had blown it would have driven them on the lee shore. But we were also anxious to push on toward the places where they said there was gold.”

*The Spaniards must have stunk something fierce.

**A consistent aspect of native diplomacy was to indicate that an enemy tribe somewhere in the interior had the gold that was so coveted by the hard-driving invaders, who seemed to be possessed by an all-consuming desire to acquire it in great quantities.