nt of Fray Andres de
Avendano y Loyola all that occurred in the year 1695-1696.

CHAPTER VIII

THE FIRST AND UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT MADE BY
FRAY ANDRES DE AVENDANO Y LOYOLA TO REACH
THE ITZAS OF TAYASAL, 1695-1696

It has been pointed out in the Introduction that Avendano's Relacion is
of very great value as a first-hand account of the conquest of the
Itzas. But we must not lose sight of the fact that that same Relacion
is also a wonderful, though unconscious, testimony to the piety,
unselfishness, and bravery of him who wrote it. Undoubtedly the priests
of the Roman Catholic Church did many unjust things during the period
of Spanish domination in the New World, but the number of good and
noble deeds done by them (deeds the bulk of which is unrecorded)
completely dwarfs the evil. Avendano was a type of the best sort of
priest in the New World. Impelled by no other motive than sheer faith
and an ardent desire to do the duty of his office, he went through the
events which we will leave him to relate.

Preamble. "I, Fray Andres de Avendano y Loyola, ... accompanied by my
Padres and Preachers Fray Antonio Perez de San Roman, Apostolic notary
of the first trip; Fray Joseph de Jesus Maria, Apostolic notary of the
second trip, and Fray Diego de Echebarria, ... made this first trip
[beginning] on the 3d of June of the past year of 1695, and the second,
on which we entered the nation of the Ytzaex, began on the 13th of
December of the said year, and we returned to this city of Merida on
the 6th of April of this year of 1696...."

Preparations for the Journey. "... Here begins the historical account,
which, with the divine aid, I am attempting to tell of the casualties
and events which happened in this journey for the conversion of souls,
while opening a road from this Province to that of Guatemala, taking as
my sure loadstar the honor and glory of God and the well-being of
souls, which, at the cost of unextinguishable fervor, Senor Don Martin
de Urssua y Arismendi[8.1] Provisional Governor and Captain-General of
these provinces for his Majesty, is attempting to bring about; with
none the less support of the Senor Oidor Don Francisco de Saraza, who
at the present time resides in the city of Merida de Yucatan. Today,
the 2d of June of this present year 1695 ... I, then, armed with so
strong an armor of faith, say that God, our Lord, having