Chap. Ill- AMERICA 



Thither Kigno next directed his courfe, and came to an Anchor thereon 

 the firft of OBober, Atmoij oo. The Inhabitants entred aboard without the leaft 

 fhinefs, or fear of danger, and brought with them to barter, Gold, Civet* 

 Cats, Parrots, and Cotton. 



Thefe People, though fo civil, are extreamly jealous of their Wives : for 

 when a Spaniard made^addrefs to one of them, and coming fomethincr dofe, 

 her Husband ftept in fuddenly between, and feem'd to forbid the Bannt But 

 coafting onward along the Shore from thence to another Iile, he found Na- 

 tives far more wild and falvage: for two thoufand in a Body well Arm'd, 

 flood ready to intercept their Landing . wherefore he thought it his fafeft 

 courfe to Tack about, and return to Curiana whence he came. 



In his Way not far from thence, he fell amongft eighteen of the Cannibals 

 Boats, which according to their cuftom had been a Man-ftealing, and now 

 were fo hardy, that fetting upon the Spanifh Ship, they fuddenly clapt him 

 aboard with their Canoos on all fides ; but being beaten back by the terror of 

 their Guns, they foon retired : yet the Spaniards took one of the Boats with 

 two Men, all the reft faving themfelves by fwimming. One of the two Men 

 lay bound Hand and Foot, who told them, that he was to have been kill'd the 

 next day and eaten, as he faw his Companions, with whofe Flefh they ban- 

 quetting kept a jovial Feaft. Nigno unbinding the Prifoner, gave him leave 

 to do what he pleas'd with the taken Cannibal,who falling upon him, cudgeled 

 and whipped him to death. 



Then I^igno in his Way to Curiana touch'd upon the Coaft of <Paria, where 

 he found a ftrange kind of Salt, which the Sea in tempeftuous Weather cafts on 

 the Shore, which afterwards hardens by the Sun. This Salt muft be taken up 

 before any Rain fall, elfe it melts and fcaks away into the Ground • yet fome- 

 times grows fo hard as a Stone, infomuch that they make Pots and other Vef- 

 fels of it j which the farians barter for foreign Commodities. 



2{ig?io not making here any ftay, retum'd a fecond time to Curiana, where 

 he fpenc twenty days in pleafant Paftimes, being Lodg'd in a Noble-mans^ 

 Houfe, at whofe Door was fix'd a Cannibals Head, as a Trophy of his Vi* 

 ttory. He faw there alfo the dead Bodies of divers eminent Perfons fet drying 

 at a Fire, fo hardned to be fet amongft their Idols. 



At length Nigno fet Sail homewards, and carried with him an invaluable 

 Treafure in Pearls to Spain : but by the way fell out with his Sea-men, 

 becaufe he kept raoft of the Purchafe to himfelf, and would not give them 

 their fhares, nay more than that, kept back the fifth part from the King : 

 whereupon being complain'd of by Ferdinando de Vega, Governor of Galhcta, 

 he was put in*Prifon, and at laft lent to the Court, where the Pearls were 

 declared free Prize, becaufe Nig?io had bartered for them at Curiana, contrary 

 to the Kings Orders, not to touch at any Coaft, within fifty Leagues of what 

 Columbus had difcover'd. But fince he had no way regarded thofe Commands 

 toprefervethat Pearl-Trade, King Ferdinand fent Governors to Qmana, who 

 in his Name mould look after, and employ Men for the catching the Pearl, 

 Oyfters. Thefe, accompanied with a confiderable number of Soldiers, befides 

 fix Monks, forced the Inhabitants tp furnifh them with abundance of Pearl : 

 which oppreiTion grew to fucha heighth, that one Morning a great Party of 

 them confpiring together, fell fuddenly upon them, moft of diem being maiTa- 

 cred :^ after they had a while infukingly triumphed over the dead Bodies, and 

 finifh' d, as they thought, their good work (feafting on their Flefli at a joyful 



I Baticjuet) 



57 



IZ'igm Fights with the 



Cannibals. 



Strange Salt. 



Strange Corps. 



■N/ftfsput in Prifon. 



Cruel dealings in fflkri- 

 ana. ' 



