t
instead of a peaceful Canek and Quincanek coming to have dinner with
them, the Spaniards saw a huge fleet of canoes all decked out in
warlike array approaching them. This, however, did not greatly dismay
the Spaniards, as they knew that their own galley and _pyraguas_, which
were all in readiness, would give them an immense advantage.

The Captains Urge Ursua to Fight; the Battle. Ursua called a council of
war in which Paredes, Estenoz, Zuviaur, and all the other captains
urged him to use force and thereby to conquer the Itzas finally. Ursua
was still determined, however, to maintain peace as long as possible,
being mindful of the King's wish.

On the following day, March 13, 1697, Ursua determined to go to the
Peten Grande, which lay two leagues from his camp. Leaving a good
garrison in the camp, he took two hundred men and Don Martin Can in the
boats and sailed for Peten. Before long the Spaniards, who were under
the strictest orders not to fire, were surrounded by a large fleet of
canoes filled with Itzas, who shot arrows at the invaders. As one would
naturally expect, all attempts to reason with the outraged Itzas proved
futile. Finally one Bartolome Duran, maddened by an arrow wound, fired
off his gun. This precipitated a hot skirmish in which everyone took
part. At the end of it the Spaniards got upon the shore, and by means
of the artillery at length put the Itzas to flight. The latter fled
away as fast as they could by swimming, and when in due time Ursua and
his men got to Peten Grande, they found nothing but old women and
little children there. All who could had fled into and across the lake
rather than face the vengeance of the Spaniards.

Tayasal Becomes a Spanish Possession. The battle was over by eight in
the morning. The standard of Jesus Christ was set up; the royal arms
were engraved over the door of what had been the principal temple; and
thanks were given to God for the victory. A church was founded and the
houses of the idols were cleaned out. Oddly enough the temple where
Canek and his idolatrous priests had once torn out human hearts was
chosen as the Christians' place of worship.

Thus ends the history of the long, brave but fruitless struggle of the
Itzas against the Spanish conquerors. After so many romantic interests
it is but natural that any account of subsequent events should be an
anti-climax. The later history of the Itza country can be dismissed in
a word.

Later History of