HISTORY OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF YUCATAN AND OF THE ITZAS

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The Landing at Tayasal; the Idol. "With this we continued our way to
Peten Ytza, which is situated in the middle of the said lake, as well
as in the midst also of other islands or _Petens_. On the shore of the
landing place is situated the house of the said petty King at the
distance of half a quarter of a league, in the middle of which, open to
the street, stands the fragment of a column, of round stone, the
circumference of each part of which is about three quarters of a yard
across and one quarter high. It is made of stones placed on top of each
other with mortar of lime and _cah cab_, which is usually used for that
purpose; and the middle is filled in with bitumen, so that it is like a
table, with a round pedestal, upon which and set in the foundation of
the said stone column, there stands out toward the West a stone mask,
very ill-formed, which, together with the stone column, the petty King
and the rest of his family and followers worship. The said column is
called, in the name by which they worship it, Yax cheel cab, which
means in their language, 'the first tree in the world,' and, as is
understood in their old songs (which few people understand) they wish