“Back on board, we set course along the coast. After two days we came in sight of a town and district named Ayagualulco, where many Indians marched along the sands of the beach armed with turtle-shell shields that sparkled when the sun struck them, and which our soldiers swore were of low grade gold.[1] The Indians who bore the shields were dancing in a mocking way at the ships, for they knew they were at a safe distance, being up the cost some way. We called this place The Ravine, [2] and so it is named on the charts.

"Sailing further up the coast, we sighted a bay into which flows the river Tonala, which we entered on our way back and named the Rio de San Antonio [3], as it is now marked on the charts.

"Continuing on course, we noted the position of the major river Coatzacoalcos, and decided to enter the bay, not to explore it, but for shelter from bad weather. Soon we came in sight of the great mountains, which are snow covered all the year round, and we saw other mountains, nearer the sea, which are called the San Martin range. We gave them this name because the first to spot them was a Soldier of Havana of that name who was one of us.[4]

"As we followed the coastline, Captain Pedro de Alvarado went ahead with his ship and entered a river which is called by the Indians Papaloapan, but which we named the Rio de Alvarado, since he was the first to enter it. Here some Indian fishermen of a town named Tacotalpa, gave him fish. We were waiting with the three ships at the mouth of the river for him to sail down, and the general was very angry with him for going without permission. He ordered him never again to go ahead of the other ships, in the event he met with some accident in which we could not come to his assistance.

"We then sailed on, all four ships together, till we came to the mouth of another river, which we named the River of Banners, because we saw a great number of Indians with long lances, from each of which hung a great cloth."

1. That these men were primarily on a gold hunt is never better illustrated, save by the words of Cortez.

2. La Rambla

3. Places named for militarily significant features are transliterated. However, Indian names and the renaming of native rivers in honor of Spanish saints and sailors will remain in their original form in this text.

4. Note, if aliens land on earth, and begin naming our mountains and rivers after themselves, do not make any long term financial arrangements.