found there by the
Spaniards. This."

Page 58, note. For "may be" read "was."

Page 104, line 2 and elsewhere. For "Arumendi" read "Arismendi."

Page 180, line 30. For "was destroyed" read "were devastated."

NOTE

This Paper is the result of work carried on by Mr. Means as a graduate
student in the Division of Anthropology during the years 1915-1917. It
consists mainly of translations of early Spanish books and manuscripts.

It is gratifying to note that this is the first publication by the
Museum based upon the large collection of photographic reproductions of
early manuscripts from Mexico and Central America brought together by
Professor W. E. Gates of Point Loma, California, and presented to the
Museum by Mr. Charles P. Bowditch. Among these manuscripts is
Avendano's account of his journey to Peten, the greater part of which
is included in the present paper. The original of this manuscript is in
the British Museum. Cano's account of a trip to Guatemala is also given
here. This manuscript is in the Brinton Collection at the University of
Pennsylvania. It is through the kindness of Dr. George B. Gordon,
Director of that Museum, and of Miss Adela C. Breton, who copied the
manuscript, that it is possible to publish it at this time. The
Avendano and the Cano manuscripts were translated by Mr. Bowditch and
Senor G. Rivera.

CHARLES C. WILLOUGHBY
_Director_

INTRODUCTION

In the library of the Peabody Museum of Harvard University there is an
invaluable collection of photographs of old manuscripts relating to
Middle America. These photographs, made by Professor William E. Gates
of Point Loma, California, were given to the Peabody Museum by Charles
P. Bowditch, Esq., of Boston. One of the volumes contains a
photographic reproduction of an original manuscript entitled _Relacion
de las dos Entradas que hize a Peten Ytza_. The author, Fray Andres de
Avendano y Loyola, of the Order of Saint Francis, will receive much of
our attention later. Fortunately Mr. Bowditch and Sr. Guillermo Rivera
have deciphered and translated the crabbed old text, so that we have at
hand an account of the subjection of the Itzas of Tayasal, or Peten
Itza, which is not only invaluable as being the work of an eyewitness
of that subjection, but which also is filled with a r