ttlum&m builds a City. 



4,8 AMERICA. CKap.lil; 



Birds, and diCemboguing his Waters, enlarged by two other Rivers, into the 

 Sea, fo making a convenient Harbor for Ships. Here a hundred of the Ifland* 

 cirs, well Arm'd after their manner, met them, crying aloud, We are no Canni- 

 bals, but Taynos, that is, a People more ciYil than they are cruel. The Spaniards ma- 

 king Signs of Peace, the Tdjwojapproach'd, and joyn'd their Forces in a friend- 

 ly manner. Near the place of this Meeting appear'd a Houfe built in an Ovai 

 fafhion, being thirty tw6 Paces in the Circumference, the Roof curioufly 

 pleited of divers colour'd Ruflies,round about which flood thirty lefler Dwel* 

 lings. Mean while, in his March Hoieda difcover'd a River that defcended 

 frfcma high Mountain, where the Inhabitants gather'd much Gold after this 

 strange gathering of Gold, manner: They dig a Hole about two Foot deep ; then taking up their left 

 Hand full of Sand, with their right Hand they cull out the precious Ingots, 

 which little accounting of, as they gather'd, they dealt away to the Spaniards. 

 Moft of the Pieces were as big as Peafe, yet fome fo large, that they weighed 

 DnMs i.D*orhmv 9 s n i ne Ounces. Peter Martyr, Councellor to the Emperor Charles , tells us, That 

 he hath feen of them in the Spanijl? Court, that were brought over thither by 

 Columbus. Moreover, Hoieda was inform'd here, That this Gold-River took 

 its Original in the Province belonging to Qacicus Caunaboa, fignifying, The^ing 

 of the Golden Palace. 



Mean time Columbus feledred a pidce of Ground on a riling Hill, on the 

 North part of the Ifle, where he intended to build a City, becaufe clofe by 

 the Hill on one fide rifes a Mountain, pregnant with Stone and Chalk 5 on the 

 other, a Plain, fo exceeding fruitful and pleafant, that the Sun fcarce fhinei 

 upon a more delightful and fertile Soil, which they found afterwards by ex- 

 perience. Here Melons are fet and ripe in thirty fix days 5 Corn, in two 

 strange fruitfoinefi there. Montns . tw i ce a Year the Trees and Plants bring forth their feveral Pro- 

 duels • the Vines come to maturity, and are loaden with Clutters of Grapes, in 

 two Years, and Sugar.Canes grow as thick as a Mans Arm in fifteen days. On 

 this pleafant Soil, accommodated with a convenient Haven, Columbus after- 

 awards built the City Ifabella, fortified with Walls and Trenches againft all In- 

 vafions, over which he. made his Brother {Bartholomew Columbus firft Governor. 



Mean while the Admiral Columbus himfclf march'd up into the Countrey 

 with three hundred Men, in queft of the Gold Mines. Seventy two Leagues 

 - the Valley CibaVa lies diftant from IfabeUa, to which Columbus pafs'd over iwift 

 Currents and high Mountains, where he built a Fort, which he call'd St. Tbo* 

 mas . and exchang'd with the Inhabitants Toys and Trifles, for Pieces and In- 

 gots of Gold, which the Inhabitants, as before-merition'd, found in the Sand 

 of their Rivers: And befides, they informed him, That about half a days 

 Journey further, greater Quantities of Gold were to be found, in a browner 

 colour'd Soil : Whereupon Luxanus, one of his Officers, was fent with a fuf- 

 ficient Party thither, who march'd through a delightful way, cool with fhady 

 Boughs, and pleafant with the profpecT: of ipacious Meadows, where they 

 mow'd Grafs for their Horles, which in four days time grew up again higher 

 than our talleft Wheat. 



Mean time Co/«wi^#being return'd with great Riches to his new City IfabeU 

 la, went foon after by Sea , with three Vetfels , to difcover new Countreys 

 more remote ; which his Defign fell out alfo fuccefsfully ; for he fell firft up- 

 on Jamaica, where he found more ftout Oppofition than elfewhere, by the Na« 

 tives, at his Landing; but finding themfelves over-power'd , they came to 

 Agreement, and accepting an amicable Compofure, prefehtly ftruck up a 



Peace. 



Goes to Sea to difcover 

 new Coutttre/s. 



