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HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



these innumerable benefits, which shall last as long as the world 

 subsists, and then be eternal." 



Quiros then enters into a detailed description of the islands 

 and the continent he had seen. Their extent, he said, was as 

 much as that of Europe, Asia Minor, England, and Ireland. 

 They had no such turbulent neighbors as the Turks or the 

 Moors. The people were intelligent and capable of civilization. 

 Bread grew upon the trees. The palm yielded spirits, vinegar, 

 honey, whey, and toddy. The green cocoanut served instead 

 of artichoke ; when ripe, for meat and cream ; and, when old, 

 for oil, wax, and balsams. The shells furnished cups and bottles. 

 The fibres afforded oakum, cordage, and the best slow match. 

 The leaves furnished sails, matting, and thatch. The garden- 

 stuffs of the country were pumpkins, parsley, "with intimation of 

 beans." The flesh was hogs, fowls, capons, partridges, geese, 

 turkeys, ringdoves, and goats, "with intimation of cows and 

 buffaloes." The riches were silver, pearls, and gold. The 

 spices were nutmegs, mace, pepper, and ginger, "with intimation 

 of cinnamon and cloves." There was ebony, and infinite woods 

 for ship-building. At daybreak the harmony of thousands of 

 birds trembled upon the air, — nightingales, blackbirds, larks, gold- 

 finches, and swallows, — besides the chirping of grasshoppers and 

 crickets. Every morning and evening the breeze was laden 

 with fragrant scents wafted from orange-flowers and sweet 

 basil. This enthusiastic document concludes thus: — "I can 

 show this in a company of mathematicians, that this land will 

 presently accommodate and sustain two hundred thousand Spa- 

 niards. None of our men fell sick from over-work, or sweating, 

 or getting wet. Fish and flesh kept sound two or more days. 

 I saw neither sandy ground, nor thistles, nor prickly trees, nor 

 mangrovy swamps, nor snow on the mountains, nor crocodiles in 

 the rivers, nor ants in the dust, nor mosquitos in the night. 



"Acquire, sire, since you can with a little money, which will 

 be required but once, — acquire heaven, eternal fame, and that 



