10 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 92 



time. While his half brother, Bartholomew, was ashore, a canoe 

 laden with merchandise arrived from the western parts toward New 

 Spain. Of the flint-edged, wooden swords in the cargo Ferdinand 

 says that they cut naked men like steel, and he remarks on their copper 

 axes which were similar to the stone axes of other Indians. He 

 mentions their maize drink " similar to English beer " and says of 

 the cacao nuts that they were so highly valued that if one fell " every- 

 one bent to seize it, as if it had been their eye ". Columbus released 

 all but " one old man called Giumbe, of good authority and prudence " 

 who served faithfully as guide and interpreter " wherever his language 

 was understood ". When they reached an area where it was not under- 

 stood, " which was before we arrived at Cape Gracias a Dios on 

 the coast of Orecchia ", he was given presents and sent back to his 

 own country " very contented ". 



Columbus, according to Ferdinand, proceeded to Casine from 

 Guanara. Here the people were of the same disposition as those of the 

 other island (Bonacca), who did not have such broad foreheads. 

 There were many languages among them, and the Spaniards had to 

 talk by signs since their interpreter had been with them too short a 

 time to know their language, nor did he know the Indian language 

 of Hispaniola, which many of the sailors had learned." The people 

 Avho lived near Casine wore the same sort of painted shirts and small 

 squares over their loins as those who were in the trading canoe. 

 Some wore shirts like those of the Spaniards, reaching to the navel 

 and without sleeves. They made breastplates of cotton which turned 

 the blows of their own weapons and even those from some of the 

 Spanish arms. Their arms and bodies were decorated with burned or 

 painted designs of lions, deer, turreted castles, and other diverse 

 figures. The more noble wore small squares of white and red cotton 

 instead of caps, and some had tassels of hair hanging on the fore- 

 head. The faces of some were dyed black, others red, and some 

 streaked, while still others blackened their eyes or wore bird beaks, 

 all of which they believed made them beautiful, but to the Spaniards 

 they appeared as devils. They brought several hundred loads of 

 provisions, including excellent chickens of their country, roasted 

 fish, red and white beans similar to kidney beans, and other things 



^"This is a somewhat obscure passage: "II prefetto allor comando che fossero 

 lor donati sonagli, e Ave Marie, e altre cosette : e dimando lore per segni delle 

 cose della regione per lo interprete sopraddetto : ancorche, per esser poco tempo, 

 che era con noi, non intendeva i cristiani, per la distanza, come che poca, della 

 sua terra della Spagnuola, ove molti de'navigli aveano appreso il parlare indiano : 

 ne meno intendeva gl'istessi Indiani ;...." 



