34 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 48 



and with good chimneys ..." A stone pendant that was uncovered, 

 shaped like a hut, documents Columbus's statement. 



While Columbus explored, he noted beautiful groves of green 

 trees. He could have seen groves of lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale 

 or G. sanctum), which grow to 20 feet on the island. Although tons 

 were shipped from this harbor in 1831, this tree continues to have 

 many uses here today. The Sabal palmetto groves near the "piece of 

 land" may have been those that Columbus admired. He could have 

 had his choice. On the peninsula alone, there are over 26 varieties. 

 The trees on San Salvador are too numerous to itemize in this study. 



Columbus returned to his ships late in the afternoon of the 14th 

 and then set sail. During these 4 days around San Salvador, he 

 described only the one island 47 that he saw. But it was a New World 

 he found ! 



On a clear day it is possible to see the next island, Columbus's 

 Santa Maria de Conception, now called Rum Cay, from the Sandy 

 Point Plantation House on the southwest hill of Guanahani-San 

 Salvador. Not too far from this southwest point out to sea, Columbus, 

 in his excitement, thought he saw so many islands that he could not 

 decide where to go first and looked for the biggest. The writer has 

 explored these parts often in the M. V . Drake; the next island does 

 look like 21 islands because of its topography, consisting of hills and 

 bays (fig. 11a). 



Monday, 15 October 



I had lain to this night for fear of approaching the shore and anchoring 

 before morning, not knowing whether the coast was clear of reefs, and at dawn 

 the current detained me, it was about midday when I arrived at the said island, 

 made sail. And as the island was more than 5 leagues distant and nearer 7, and 

 and I found that the coast which lies over against the island of San Salvador 

 ran N and S and for 5 leagues; and that the other which I followed ran E and 

 W for more than 10 leagues. And when from this island I saw another bigger 

 one to the W, I made sail to navigate all that day until nightfall, because 

 otherwise I would not have been able to reach the western cape [fig. lib], to 

 which I gave the name, The Island of Santa Maria de la Concepcion, and just 

 about sunset I anchored near the said cape . . . and I anchored and remained 

 until today Tuesday, when at break of day I went ashore in the armed boats, 

 and landed, and the people who were numerous and also naked and of the same 

 condition as they of the other island of San Salvador, let us go over the island 

 and gave us what we asked . . . And I made sail to go to the other big island 

 which I saw to the westward . . . And so I departed . . . Standing in mid- 



47 If Columbus had landed at the Caicos islands, he probably would have 

 described the group of islands earlier and nut have waited until after he left 

 San Salvador. 



