226 Pearls, 



the former, in the Gulph of Mexico, it is in ten 

 degrees-and-a-half of northern latitude, an hundred 

 and threescore leagues from St. Domingo in 

 Hispaniola, and an hundred from Santa Cruz, one 

 of the Careeby islands, and four leagues from the 

 Province of Aria, which is part of the continent ; 

 it is much less than Margarita, without cattle, or 

 any other thing which may serve for the sustenance 

 of man, particularly it wanteth water, but the 

 inhabitants are furnished from the continent, from 

 a river called Comana, ^seven leagues from New 

 Cadis. This island Cubagua was discovered by 

 that famous Genoese, Christopher Columbus, who 

 having perceived a small boat with some fishers 

 in it and a woman who had three rows of fair 

 Pearls about her neck, said to his companions 

 that he thanked God he had now discovered the 

 most rich country in the world. He broke an 

 earthenware plate of divers colours, and for a piece 

 or two of it this woman gave him very willingly 

 a row of these Pearls, and for another plate he 

 received many others, and learned of the Indians 

 the place and manner of their fishing for Pearls. 



"The third is at Comana, near the continent. 

 *'The fourth is called Comangote, twelve leagues 

 from the former. 



