8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 92 



and Herrera give very complete accounts.' Of these the first two are 

 especially valuable. While Las Casas was writing his great work 

 at Valladolid, between 1552 and 1561, he had access to all the 

 invaluable letters and papers collected by Ferdinand Columbus, and 

 in addition he was intimately acquainted with the family of the great 

 explorer. Peter Martyr was also a personal friend of many of the 

 explorers, and owing to his high position in the Council of the Indies, 

 he had ample opportunity to satisfy his intense personal interest in 

 the new lands of which Europe was then just becoming fully aware. 

 Herrera compiled his material at a later date. 



Columbus himself, merely mentions Bonacca, which he called the 

 " Isle of Pines ". In regard to the mainland to the south and east 

 he mentions that the natives used sails, had elaborate cotton textiles, 

 worked copper with crucibles and forges, and that in Cariay (the 

 Mosquito Coast) he saw an elaborately sculptured sepulcher and 

 heard of others. The people, he says, were fishermen and barbarians 

 speaking many languages and adds that he saw more gold in Veragua 

 (northern Panama) in 2 days than he had seen in the Antilles in 

 4 years. This letter in its totality is one of the most tragic documents 

 in history. 



De Porras says that Bonacca would measure 20 leagues around 

 but that it contained nothing of benefit, presumably gold or treasure. 

 He describes its inhabitants as a warlike people of good stature, who 

 were archers. From Bonacca he states that the adjacent mainland 

 appeared high and near, being only 10 leagues distant. From this 

 island they took an Indian to translate for them, who gave them the 

 names of some of the mainland provinces. De Porras stresses the 

 savage nature of the peoples to the south, who were so cautious that 

 groups living only 20 leagues apart did not understand each other. 

 The testament of Diego Mendez does not mention the Bay Islands. 



In the Probanzas of Diego Columbus is the testimony of Pedro 

 de Ledesma, pilot and captain of the warship Viscaino. Ledesma 

 states that "12 leagues before the mainland they found an island that 

 the Indians called Guanaja and the Admiral called ' of Pines ' where 



Society, 1848, pp. 204-234; the Probanzas of Diego Columbus, in 1515, Navarette. 

 1825-1829, III, p. 556; the letter written by Bartholomew Columbus, in 1505 or 

 1506, Harrisse, 1866, p. 473; and the " Historie del S. D. Fernando Colombo; 

 Nelle quali s' ha particolare, & vera relatione della vita, & de' fatti dell' Am- 

 miraglio D. Christoforo Colombo, suo padre .... etc. In Venetia, MDLXXI. 

 Appresso Francesco de' Franceschi Sanese." The edition here cited is the reprint 

 of London, 1867, Cap. 88, pp. 288-296. See Columbus, Ferdinand. 



'Las Casas, 1875, II, chap. 20; Herrera, 1726-1730, Dec. i. Lib. V, Cap. V; 

 and Peter Martyr, 1812, 4th chap, of 3rd decade, pp. 481-482. 



