Editing Spanish conquest of Yucatán (section)

==Juan de Grijalva, 1518==
[[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar]], the governor of [[Cuba]], was enthused by [[Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (Yucatán conquistador)|Hernández de Córdoba's]] report of gold in [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán]].<ref name="SharerTraxler06p759"/> He organised a new expedition consisting of four ships and 240 men.<ref name="Clendinned87,03p14"/> He placed his nephew [[Juan de Grijalva]] in command. [[Francisco de Montejo]], who would eventually conquer much of the peninsula, was captain of one of the ships;<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 759. Recinos 1986, p. 18.</ref> [[Pedro de Alvarado]] and Alonso d'Avila captained the other ships.<ref>Recinos 1986, p. 18.</ref> [[Bernal Díaz del Castillo]] served on the crew; he was able to secure a place on the expedition as a favour from the governor, who was his kinsman.<ref name="Clendinned87,03p15">Clendinnen 2003, p. 15.</ref> [[Antón de Alaminos]] once again served as pilot.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 760.</ref> Governor Velázquez provided all four ships, in an attempt to protect his claim over the peninsula.<ref name="Clendinned87,03p14"/> The small fleet was stocked with crossbows, muskets, barter goods, salted pork and [[cassava bread]].<ref>Clendinnen 2003, pp. 14–15.</ref> Grijalva also took one of the captured Indians from the Hernández expedition.<ref name="Clendinned87,03p15"/>

{{multiple image
| align = left
| image1 = Juan de Grijalva.jpg
| width1 = 140
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = Juan de Grijalva
| image2 = Cozumel beach from lighthouse.jpg
| width2 = 200
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = The coast of Cozumel was Grijalva's first sight of Yucatán.
| footer = 
}}
The fleet left Cuba in April 1518,<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760"/> and made its first landfall upon the island of [[Cozumel]],<ref name="Clendinned87,03p15"/> off the east coast of Yucatán.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760"/> The [[Maya peoples|Maya]] inhabitants of Cozumel fled the Spanish and would not respond to Grijalva's friendly overtures. The fleet sailed south from Cozumel, along the east coast of the peninsula.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760Clendinner87,03p15">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 760.<br>Clendinnen 2003, p. 15.</ref> The Spanish spotted three large Maya cities along the coast, one of which was probably [[Tulum]]. On [[Feast of the Ascension|Ascension Thursday]] the fleet discovered a large bay, which the Spanish named Bahía de la Ascensión.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760"/> Grijalva did not land at any of these cities and turned back north from Ascensión Bay. He looped around the north of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] to sail down the west coast.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760Clendinner87,03p15"/> At [[Campeche City|Campeche]] the Spanish tried to barter for water but the Maya refused, so Grijalva opened fire against the city with small cannon; the inhabitants fled, allowing the Spanish to take the abandoned city. Messages were sent with a few Maya who had been too slow to escape but the Maya remained hidden in the forest. The Spanish boarded their ships and continued along the coast.<ref name="Clendinned87,03p15"/>

At [[Champotón, Campeche|Champotón]], where the inhabitants had routed Hernández and his men, the fleet was approached by a small number of large war canoes, but the ships' cannon soon put them to flight.<ref name="Clendinned87,03p15"/> At the mouth of the [[Tabasco River]] the Spanish sighted massed warriors and canoes but the natives did not approach.<ref>Clendinnen 2003, pp. 15–16.</ref> By means of interpreters, Grijalva indicated that he wished to trade and bartered wine and beads in exchange for food and other supplies. From the natives they received a few gold trinkets and news of the riches of the [[Aztec Empire]] to the west. The expedition continued far enough to confirm the reality of the gold-rich empire,<ref name="Clendinned87,03p16">Clendinnen 2003, p. 16.</ref> sailing as far north as [[Pánuco River]]. As the fleet returned to [[Cuba]], the Spanish attacked Champotón to avenge the previous year's defeat of the Spanish expedition led by Hernández. One Spaniard was killed and fifty were wounded in the ensuing battle, including Grijalva. Grijalva put into the port of [[Havana]] five months after he had left.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p760"/>