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Transcriber's Note

A number of typographical errors have been maintained in this version of
this book. They have been marked with a [TN-#], which refers to a
description in the complete list found at the end of the text.
Inconsistent spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization have been
maintained. A list of inconsistently spelled words is found at the end
of the text.



  THE
  BATTLE AND THE RUINS
  OF CINTLA


  BY
  DANIEL G. BRINTON, M. D., LL. D., D. Sc.

  PROFESSOR OF
  AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND LINGUISTICS IN THE UNIVERSITY
  OF PENNSYLVANIA


  [REPRINTED FROM THE _AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN_, SEPTEMBER, 1896]

  CHICAGO
  1896




THE BATTLE AND THE RUINS OF CINTLA.

BY DANIEL G. BRINTON, M. D.


The first battle on the American continent in which horses were used was
that of Cintla in Tabasco, March, 1519, the European troops being under
the leadership of Hernando Cortes.

This fact attaches something more than an ordinary historic interest to
the engagement, at least enough to make it desirable to ascertain its
precise locality and its proper name. Both of these are in doubt, as
well as the ethnic stock to which the native tribe belonged which
opposed the Spanish soldiery on the occasion. I propose to submit these
questions to a re-examination, and also to describe from unpublished
material the ruins which,--as I believe--, mark the spot of this first
important encounter of the two races on American soil.

The engagement itself has been described by all the historians of
Cortes' famous conquest of Mexico, as it was the first brilliant
incident of that adventure.