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and from there explored the coast of the Gulf of Mexico as far as present day Veracruz. After a few encounters in which the superiority of the martial equipment of the Spaniards was demonstrated, the Indians, convinced of the ability of these soldiers to defend themselves, consented to trade. By the time Grijalva reached the two small islands opposite Veracruz, the spoils of gold, silver, and precious stones had grown to such an extent that he thought it advisable to send a ship back, under the command of Alvarado, to report to Velazquez the success thus far attained. In the meantime he continued along the coast towards P a nuco, but the strong arguments of Alaminos, who declared it was madness to go farther in the direction of Florida, caused Grijalva to turn to Cuba from a point somewhere between Veracruz and Panuco R iver.11 When Alvarado arrived in Cuba, almost a month in advance of Grijalva, Governor Velazquez could hardly believe his eyes. He upbraided Grijalva for not having established a settlement and taken possession of the rich lands visited. His avarice and ambition could brook no delay. Before the return of the main body of the expedition, he had already begun active preparations for the organization of a new fleet, designed to take pos- session of the new country. It was this expedition which he placed under the command of Cortes, who was destined to become the conqueror of the rich empire of the Aztecs. Upon the return of Grijalva, in October, 1518, it seems that the adventurous pilot Anton de Alaminos, who had sailed with Ponce de Leon in 1513 to the coast of Florida and had later accompanied both Cordova and Grijalva in their explorations of the coast of the Peninsula of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, made his way to Jamaica. Francisco Garay, a former companion of Columbus on his second voyage, now wealthy and desirous to become the conqueror of a new province, listened with undisguised interest to the tales of the great wealth and the impressive civilization of the natives of the lands visited by Alaminos in recent years. Disappointed, perhaps, by not having been allowed to join the expedition of Cortes, which set sail on November 18, 1518, Alaminos must have pointed out to Garay that there was still time to occupy the new land or a portion of it before Cortes arrived there. If Garay would fit out an expedition, he could establish a claim to a share Garay becomes interested in exploration. 11 Diaz del Castillo, op. cit., 27-48 ; Oviedo, op. cit., I, 502-517; II, 139-143 ; Herrera, Descripcion de las Indios Occidentales, I, 58-62 ; 7 3-7 5 ; Navarrete, Colec- cion de /os Viages y Descubrimimtos, s 5-74.
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