o be repaired, begging of them to assist us
with their canoes in unloading our cassave-bread. This they most readily
complied with, and it took us four more days to repair the vessel.

CHAPTER XXIX.

_How the Spaniard Geronimo de Aguilar, who was in the power of the
Indians, came to us when he learnt that we had again returned to the
island of Cozumel, and what further happened._

When the Spaniard, who was in the power of the Indians got certain
information that we had again returned to the island Cozumel, he
rejoiced exceedingly and thanked God with all his heart.

He immediately hired a canoe, with six capital rowers, for himself and
the Indians who had brought him the glass beads. The former being richly
remunerated with these, so valuable in their estimation: they performed
their work so well, that the channel between the island and mainland, a
distance of about twelve miles, was soon crossed. After they had arrived
off the island and stepped on shore, some soldiers who were returning
from the chase of musk swine, informed Cortes that a large canoe had
just arrived from the promontory of Cotoche. Cortes immediately
despatched Andreas de Tapia with a few men to learn what news they had
brought. As Tapia with his men approached the shore, the Indians, who
had arrived with Geronimo, evinced great fear and ran back to their
canoe in order to put off to sea again. Aguilar, however, told him in
their language they need have no fear; for we were their brothers.
Andreas de Tapia, who took Aguilar also for an Indian, for he had every
appearance of one, sent to inform Cortes that the seven Indians who had
arrived were inhabitants of Cozumel. It was not until they had come up
to them and heard the Spaniard pronounce the words--God, holy Virgin,
Sevilla, in broken Spanish, and ran up to Tapia to embrace him, that
they recognized this strange-looking fellow. One of Tapia's men
immediately ran off to inform Cortes that a Spaniard had arrived in the
canoe, for which news he expected a handsome reward.

We all greatly rejoiced at this information, and it was not long before
Tapia himself arrived with the strange-looking Spaniard. As they passed
by us many of our men still kept inquiring of Tapia which among them was
the Spaniard? although he was walking at his very side, so much did his
countenance resemble that of an Indian. His complexion was naturally of
a brownish cast, added to which his hair had been