his took place in the same way as before, and similar
instructions were issued with regard to the night signals with the
lanterns. For some time we had the most favorable weather imaginable;
when, towards evening, it suddenly changed, the wind blowing most
violently against us, so that all our vessels were in danger of being
cast on shore. Towards midnight, it pleased God the wind should abate,
and, when daylight broke forth, our vessels again joined each other; one
only was missing, that namely of Velasquez de Leon, which occasioned a
good deal of anxiety, for we concluded she had been wrecked off some of
the shallows. We did not discover her loss until midday; and as night
was now fast approaching, and the vessel still nowhere to be seen,
Cortes told our principal pilot Alaminos that we ought not to continue
our course without gaining some certain knowledge as to her fate:
signals were, therefore, made for all the vessels to drop anchor, to
give the missing ship time to come up with us, on the supposition it had
been driven into some harbour and there retained by contrary winds.
Alaminos, still finding she did not make her appearance, said to Cortes,
"You may be sure, sir, that she has run into some harbour or inlet along
this coast, where she is now wind-bound; for her pilot Manquillo has
twice before visited these seas, once with Hernandez de Cordoba, the
second time under Grijalva, and is acquainted with this bay." Upon this
it was resolved that the whole squadron should return to the bay which
Alaminos was speaking of, in search of the vessel: to our great joy we
indeed found her riding there at anchor, and we all remained here for
one day. During this time, Alaminos, with one of our principal officers
named Francisco de Lugo, went on shore in two boats; they found the
country inhabited, and saw several regular maise-plantations: they
likewise met with places where salt was manufactured, and saw four cues,
or large temples, with numerous figures, mostly in the shape of women,
and of considerable height; whence this promontory was called _la punta
de las Mujeres_, (the promontory of women.) Aguilar observed that this
was the spot where he was once a slave among the Indians; here his
master had found him sunk beneath the weight of the heavy burden which
he had forced him to carry: neither was the township far off where
Alonso Guerrero had settled himself. Every inhabitant possessed gold,
but in small quantities; he wo