COOK—THE COCONUT PALM IN AMERICA. 281 
Markham’s translation of the clause relating to the coconuts in 
Cuba is not altogether satisfactory. The Spanish version says that 
large nuts (nueces grandes) were found, rather than a single nut. 
The statement that the nuts were of the kind belonging to India 
(nueces grandes de las de India) is followed by a parenthetical idio- 
matic expression (creo que dice), as though to remind the reader that 
this was the opinion of Columbus, for which the editor of the journal, 
Las Casas, did not wish to be considered responsible. Las Casas added 
a footnote (Hutias debian de ser, “They must have been agoutis’’) to 
indicate that the animals taken for rats by Columbus were agoutis, 
the large tailless rodents of Cuba. Having learned that the agoutis 
were not rats, the identity of the nuts might also be questioned, but 
no other nut has been found in Cuba large enough to be mistaken 
for a coconut. Knowing that Columbus had not in reality reached 
the East Indies, Las Casas was inclined to pass lightly over the 
evidences that had deceived the Admiral. 
We are left with no positive assurance that the large nuts came 
from the very tall palms, but botanical science affords us no ground 
for refusing to believe that the statement relates to the coconut, as 
Colmeiro has declared in opposition to a Spanish historian who con- 
sidered the large nuts as walnuts. ¢ 
Markham’s translation also omits a statement regarding the palms, 
that they were taller than any that Columbus had seen thus far, 
which may have reference to a previous mention of great numbers 
of palms (infinitas palmas) three days before at a location identified 
by Markham as Puerto de Taxamo, Cuba. If we include these 
emendations, the reference to the large nuts and its immediate con- 
text may be translated as follows: 
There was a very beautiful meadow, and many very tall palms, taller than those 
seen before; he found large Indian nuts, as he would say, and large rats, also like 
those of India, and very large crabs.? 
Though the presence of natives is not stated, the mention of the 
meadow indicates that the place had been cleared by human inhabi- 
tants. It appears unlikely that the native palms, even if they had 
@ Vid Colén ‘muchas y altisimas palmas,’’ asi como algunos pinos (Pinus occiden- 
talis Sw. et. P. cubensis Griseb.), y después deaquéllas mencioné las ‘‘ nueces grandes 
de las de India,’’ que no es admisible perteneciesen 4 un nogal, como presumi6 el 
historiador Mufioz, siendo lo creible que fuesen cocos, porque no es improbable que 
el cocotero (Cocos nucifera L.) existiese en las regiones intertropicales del Nuevo 
Mundo antes de su descubrimiento, y asi parece demostrarlo tan significativa indi- 
cacién.—Colmeiro, Miguel, Primeras Noticias acerca de la Vegetacion Americana, 
p. 18. (Madrid, 1892.) 
6 The Spanish text of Navarrete is as follows: 
“*... habia un prado muy lindo y palmas muchas y altfsimas mas que las que 
habia visto: hallé nueces grandes de las de India, creo que dice, y ratones grandes 
de los de India tambien, y cangrejos grandfsimos. (Navarrete, Coleccion de los 
Viages y Descubrimientos, etc., p. 60, Madrid, 1825.) 
’ 
