▁of ▁dise ases , ▁sometimes ▁the ▁Spanish ▁pur p ously ▁res orted ▁to ▁spread ing ▁dise ases ▁such ▁as ▁small po x , ▁meas les , ▁and ▁ch ol era . ▁Small po x ▁was ▁only ▁the ▁first ▁ep ide mic . ▁Ty ph us ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 6 , ▁influen za ▁and ▁small po x ▁together ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 8 , ▁small po x ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 9 , ▁di ph ther ia ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 4 , ▁meas les ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 8 — all ▁rav aged ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁any ▁ind igen ous ▁force . ▁ ▁P ip il ▁resistance ▁battle ▁ ▁The ▁Spanish ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Central ▁America ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁to ▁discover ▁a ▁l ush ▁world , ▁which ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁many ▁Native ▁American ▁ind igen ous ▁civil izations . ▁To ▁the ▁cult ures ▁of ▁Europe , ▁Central ▁America ▁was ▁myster ious , ▁prim al ▁and ▁ter r ifying . ▁El ▁Salvador ▁has ▁l ush , ▁tropical ▁rain for ests ▁that ▁cover ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁vol can ic ▁surface ▁and ▁the ▁ge ology ▁of ▁El ▁Salvador ▁is ▁strongly ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁vol cano es , ▁elle cu ent ▁with ▁highly ▁nut rit ious ▁soil ▁full ▁of ▁min eral , ▁excellent ▁for ▁agricult ure . ▁These ▁properties ▁made ▁it ▁highly ▁val ued ▁by ▁Europe ans , ▁who ▁explo ited ▁it ▁for ▁transport ▁back ▁to ▁Spain . ▁When ▁the ▁Europe ans