KNOWING THE OTHER: Reading Avendaño’s Map of the Laguna del Ytza

In December 1695, Fray Andrés de Avendaño y Loyola began the second of twoentradas(entries, trips) from the city of Mérida in northern Yucatán to Lake Petén Itzá in an effort to convert the heathen Itza Mayas to Christianity (chapter 9; Jones 1998: 187–219; Means 1974: 123–74). Upon his return to Mérida in late February or early March 1696, Avendaño wrote hisRelación de las dos entradas que hize a la conversión de los gentiles ytzáex, y cehaches, an account of his journeys to Itza territory (Comparato 1987). Accompanying theRelaciónwas a sketch map of Lake