The reports of opulent Mexican empires brought back by explorers on Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba's and Juan de Grijalba's coastal journeys caused the Spanish government to look inland. ... Cortes's ship was the last to arrive and he found upon landing that one of his commanders, Pedro de Alvarado, had rashly removed the ornaments from the local temples and forced the Cozumelans to flee to the center of the small island. ...

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