Editing Spanish conquest of Yucatán (section)

== Francisco de Montejo, 1527–1528 ==
[[File:Monumento a los Montejo.jpg|thumb|upright|Monument in [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]] to [[Francisco de Montejo|Montejo the Elder]] and his son, [[Francisco de Montejo the Younger|Montejo the Younger]]]]
The richer lands of [[Mexico]] engaged the main attention of the conquistadors for some years, then in 1526 [[Francisco de Montejo]] (a veteran of the [[Juan de Grijalva|Grijalva]] and [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]] expeditions)<ref name="Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 766"/> successfully petitioned the King of Spain for the right to conquer [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán]]. On 8 December of that year he was issued with the hereditary military title of ''[[adelantado]]'' and permission to colonise the Yucatán Peninsula.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, pp. 766–767.</ref> In 1527, he left Spain with 400 men in four ships, with horses, small arms, cannon and provisions.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 767. Clendinnen 2003, p. 20.</ref> He set sail for [[Santo Domingo]], where more supplies and horses were collected,<ref name="SharerTraxler06p767"/> allowing Montejo to increase his cavalry to fifty.<ref name="Clendinnen87,03p20">Clendinnen 2003, p. 20.</ref> One of the ships was left at Santo Domingo as a supply ship to provide later support; the other ships set sail and reached [[Cozumel]] in the second half of September 1527. Montejo was received in peace by the lord of Cozumel, Aj Naum Pat, but the ships only stopped briefly before making for the Yucatán coast. The expedition made landfall somewhere near [[Xelha]] in the [[Maya peoples|Maya]] province of [[Ekab]],<ref name="SharerTraxler06p767">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 767.</ref> in what is now Mexico's [[Quintana Roo]] state.<ref name="ITMB2000">ITMB 2000.</ref>

Montejo garrisoned Xelha with 40 soldiers under his second-in-command, Alonso d'Avila, and posted 20 more at nearby Pole.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p767"/> Xelha was renamed [[Salamanca de Xelha]] and became the first Spanish settlement on the peninsula. The provisions were soon exhausted and additional food was seized from the local Maya villagers; this too was soon consumed. Many local Maya fled into the forest and Spanish raiding parties scoured the surrounding area for food, finding little.<ref name="Clendinnen87,03p21">Clendinnen 2003, p. 21.</ref> With discontent growing among his men, Montejo took the drastic step of burning his ships; this strengthened the resolve of his troops, who gradually acclimatised to the harsh conditions of Yucatán.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 767. Clendinnen 1989, 2003, p. 21.</ref> Montejo was able to get more food from the still-friendly Aj Nuam Pat, when the latter made a visit to the mainland.<ref name="Clendinnen87,03p21"/> Montejo took 125 men and set out on an expedition to explore the north-eastern portion of the Yucatán peninsula. His expedition passed through the towns of Xamanha, Mochis and Belma, none of which survives today.{{refn|group=nb|Belma has been tentatively identified with the modern settlement and Maya archaeological site of El Meco.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 767.<br>INAH 2010.</ref>}} At Belma, Montejo gathered the leaders of the nearby Maya towns and ordered them to swear loyalty to the Spanish Crown. After this, Montejo led his men to Conil, a town in [[Ekab]] that was described as having 5,000 houses, where the Spanish party halted for two months.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p767"/>

In the spring of 1528, Montejo left Conil for the city of Chauaca, which was abandoned by its [[Maya peoples|Maya]] inhabitants under cover of darkness. The following morning, the inhabitants attacked the Spanish party but were defeated. The Spanish then continued to [[Ake]], some {{convert|16|km|mi}} north of [[Tizimín]], where they engaged in a major battle against the Maya, killing more than 1,200 of them. After this Spanish victory, the neighbouring Maya leaders all surrendered. Montejo's party then continued to Sisia and Loche before heading back to [[Xelha]].<ref name="SharerTraxler06p767"/> Montejo arrived at Xelha with only 60 of his party, and found that only 12 of his 40-man garrison survived, while the garrison at Pole had been entirely wiped out.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, pp. 767–768.</ref>

The support ship eventually arrived from [[Santo Domingo]], and Montejo used it to sail south along the coast, while he sent Ávila over land. Montejo discovered the thriving port city of Chaktumal (capital of the [[Chetumal Province]]).<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 768. Clendinnen 2003, p. 21.</ref> At Chaktumal, Montejo learnt that shipwrecked Spanish sailor [[Gonzalo Guerrero]] was in the region, and Montejo sent messages to him, inviting him to return to join his compatriots, but the Mayanised Guerrero declined.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p768">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 768.</ref>

The Maya at Chaktumal fed false information to the Spanish, and Montejo was unable to find Ávila and link up with him. Ávila returned overland to [[Xelha]], and transferred the fledgling Spanish colony to nearby Xamanha,<ref name="SharerTraxler06p768"/> modern [[Playa del Carmen]], which Montejo considered to be a better port.<ref name="Quezada11p37"/> After waiting for Ávila without result, Montejo sailed south as far as the [[Ulúa River]] in [[Honduras]] before turning around and heading back up the coast to finally meet up with his lieutenant at Xamanha. Late in 1528, Montejo left Ávila to oversee Xamanha and sailed north to loop around the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] and head for the Spanish colony of [[New Spain]] in central [[Mexico]].<ref name="SharerTraxler06p768"/>