In the memoirs of Bernal Diaz Del Castillo, there were already several Spanish people living in the Yucatan when Cortez first landed in Veracruz. He documented

In the memoirs of Bernal Diaz Del Castillo, there were already several Spanish people living in the Yucatan when Cortez first landed in Veracruz. He documented evidence that some of these diseases had already made their rounds around the Americas before Cortez ever stepped foot on the continent: "Xicotencatl made various other offers of his services in the name of his country. This Xicotencatl was a tall man, broad shouldered, and well built, with a large fresh coloured face, full of scars, as if pitted with the smallpox." A specific case of smallpox did arrive later, according to the conquistador, on one of the ships sent by Governor Velázquez to capture Cortez (the ships were captured instead by Cortez, and their supplies used to take the Mexican capital): "But to return to Narvaez. He happened to have a negro servant with him ill with the smallpox, through whom this terrific disease, which, according to the accounts of the inhabitants, was previously unknown in the country, spread itself through New Spain, where it created the greater devastation, from the poor Indians, in their ignorance, solely applying cold water as a remedy, with which they constantly bathed themselves; so that vast numbers were cut off before they had the blessing of being received into the bosom of the Christian church." He goes on to document several contact dying from Smallpox afterwards. It does seem highly likely however though, that the moment Columbus made his expedition around the Caribbean, the introduction of these novel diseases already had likely begun spreading in waves through the Americas.