NO. 14 ARCHEOLOGY OF BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS STRONG II 



as presents. Having delivered their presents they fell back without 

 saying a word. 



Of the people to the east, as far as Cape Gracias a Dios, he says 

 that they were black, of ugly appearance, and very savage. They 

 had nothing of copper and, according to the nearby Indians, they 

 ate human flesh and fish raw as they killed them. Their ears were 

 pierced with so large a hole that one could easily pass a hen's egg 

 through, hence Columbus called that region Orecchia (the coast 

 of ears). 



The account of Las Casas is as follows: 



Finally, with great difficnlties. dangers and indescribable labor, they arrived 

 and discovered a small island that the Indians called Guanaja, and it had for 

 neighbors three or four other islands, smaller than this one, that the Spanish 

 afterwards called Guanajas, all were well populated. At this island the Admiral 

 commanded his brother Don Bartolome Colon, Governor of this island, that he 

 go ashore as captain of a boat and get news ; he went, taking two boats full of 

 people, found the natives very peaceful and of the type of those of the other 

 islands [i. e., the Antilles], except that they did not have broad foreheads, and, 

 because there were many pines there, the Admiral named it Isle of Pines. This 

 island is a matter of 12 leagues distant from the cape that they now call Cape 

 of Honduras, where there is or was the Spanish city that they called Trujillo, 

 and which now has five or six residents ; .... As soon as the Governor had 

 gone ashore at this island of Guanajes or Guanaja, a canoe full of Indians 

 arrived, as long as a galley and 8 feet broad ; it came loaded with goods from 

 the west, and must be certainly from the land of Yucatan, because it is near here, 

 a matter of 30 leagues or so [sic] ; in the middle of the canoe they had an awn- 

 ing of matting made of palm which they call pctatcs in New Spain, inside 

 and under which were their women, children and property and goods, so that 

 neither the water of the sea or of the sky could wet anything. The goods and 

 things that they brought were, many cotton blankets, very gay with many colors 

 and designs, and sleeveless shirts, also colored and designed, and some of the 

 sashes with which the men cover their private parts, of the same colors and 

 designs. Item, wooden swords with some grooves in the blades and there were 

 attached with pitch and fibres certain flint knives, small copper hatchets to cut 

 wood, and bells (cascabeles) and some medals, crucibles to melt the copper; 

 many cacao nuts which they use for money in New Spain, and in Yucatan, and 

 in other parts. Their supply of provisions was corn bread and some edible roots, 

 which must have been those which in this Espaiiola we call ajes and bafates 

 (sweet potatoes), and in New Spain camotcs (sweet potatoes). Up to 25 men 

 came in the canoe and they did not dare defend themselves nor flee seeing the 

 ships of the Christians, and soi they took them in their canoe to the Admiral's 

 ship ; and those from the canoe climbing onto the ship, if it happened that their 

 underclothing was caught, then they put their hands in front of them, and the 

 women covered their faces and bodies with shawls as the Moors of Granada 

 used to do with their scarfs. 



The account of Herrera is practically identical, except that he 

 mentions that the sleeveless shirts were without collars and reached 



