TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



57 



(which I wished to avoid because it was winter, and 

 it was my intention to move southwards ; and be- 

 cause moreover the winds were contrary) , I resolved 

 not to attempt any further progress, but rather to 

 turn back and retrace my course to a certain bay 

 that I had observed, and from which I afterwards 

 despatched two of our men to ascertain whether 

 there was a king or any cities in that province. 

 These men reconnoitered the country for three days, 

 and found a most numerous population, and great 

 numbers of houses though small and built without 

 any regard to order, and with which information 

 they returned to us. 



' * In the meantime I had learned from some In- 

 dians whom I had seized, that the country was cer- 

 tainly an island ; and therefore I sailed towards the 

 east, coasting to the distance of three hundred and 

 twenty-two miles and brought us to the extremity of 

 it ; from this point I saw lying eastward another 

 island, fifty-four miles distant from Juana, to which 

 I gave the name Hispaniola : I went thither, and 

 steered my course eastward as I had done at Juana, 

 even to the distance of five hundred and sixty-four 

 miles along the north coast. 



" This island of Juana is exceedingly fertile as 

 indeed are all the others ; it lis surrounded with many 

 bays, spacious, very secure, and surpassing any that 

 I have ever seen ; numerous large and healthful 

 rivers intersect it, and it also contains many very 

 lofty mountains. 



