C H R I S T O jp H E R C O t- U M B U S. 
Chap. III. 
upon the biggeft only, called Guanaia.^ (whence thofe 
that made Sea-Charts took occafion to call all the 
IJlands of Guanata ) which are almoft twelve Leagues from 
the Continent, near the Province now called Hofiduras^ 
though then the Admiral called it Cape Gafinas. Being 
come to the IQand of Guanaia^ the Admiral ordered liis 
.Brother Bartholomew to go afliore with two Boats •, vdiere 
he found the People like thofe of the other Iflands, ex- 
cept their not having fuch high Foreheads •, they alfo faw 
abundance of Pine-trees, and Pieces of Lapis Calaminaris., 
ufed to mix with Copper, wFuch fome Seamen, taking for 
Gold, kept Parcels of it privately a long time. 
The Admiral’s Brother being alhore at that Bland, and 
very defirous to know fomething of it, it fo fell out that 
a Canoe as long as a Galley, eight Foot wide, all of one 
Tree, and like the others in Shape, put in there, being 
loaded with Commodities brought from the Weft ward, 
and bound towards New Spain •, in the midft of it was 
a Covering like an Awning, made of Palm-tree Leaves, 
not unlike thofe of the Venetian Gondolas, which kept all 
under it fo clofe, that neither Rain nor Sea-water could 
Wet the Goods j under this Awning were the Children, 
the Women, and all the Goods j and though there were 
twenty-five Men on board this Canoe, they had not the 
Courage to defend themfelves againft the Boats that pur- 
fued them. The Canoe being thus taken, without any 
Oppofition v/as carried to the Admiral, who bleffed 
God that it had pleafed him at once to give him Samples 
of the Commodities of that Country, without expofmg 
his Men to any Danger : He therefore ordered fuch things 
to be taken as he judged moft valuable, fuch as fome 
Quilts, and Shirts of Cotton without Sleeves, very ciiri- 
oufly wrought, and dyed of feveral Colours, with fome 
fmall Cloths of the fame Sort, and large Sheets in which 
the Indian Women on board the Canoe wrapped them- 
felves, as the Moorijh Women at Granada ufed to do, 
and Ions; wooden Swords with a Channel on each Side 
where the Edge fhould be, in which there were fharp 
Edges of Flint, fixed with Thread and a bituminous 
Sort of Matter, which cut naked Men as if they were of 
Steel ; and Flatchets to cleave Wood, like thofe of Stone 
the other Indians ufe, but that thefe were made of good 
Copper ; alfo Bells of the fame Metal, Plates, and Cru- 
cibles to melt the Metal. 
For their Provifion, they had fuch Roots and Grain 
as in Hifpaniola^ and a fort of Liquor, made of Maize, 
like Englijh B eer, and abundance of Cacoa Nuts, which 
in Neiv Spain paffed for Money, and which they feemed 
to value very much, for when they were brought on board 
among their other Goods, if any of thofe Nuts fell, they 
all ftooped to take them up, as if they had been Things 
of great Confequence. Yet at that time they feemed to be 
in a manner befides themfelves, being brought Prifoners 
from their Canoe aboard the Ship, among fuch ftrange 
and fierce People, and difeovered nothing extraordinary, 
except their Modefty, which among Men and Women 
was highly remarkable. This moved the Admiral to ufe 
them well, and reftore their Canoe, and give them fome 
things in exchange for thofe that had been taken from 
them. Nor did he keep any one of them but an old 
Man whofe Name was Giumhe., that feemed to be the 
Chief of them, to learn fomething of him concerning 
their Country, and that he might draw others to converfe 
with the Cliriftians •, which he did very readily and faith- 
fidly all the while they failed wFere his Language was 
iinderftood •, therefore, as a Reward for this his Service, 
when they came Vv^here he was not iinderftood, the Ad- 
miral gave him a Prefent, and fent him home very well 
pleafed, which was before he came to Cape (Gracias de Dios. 
4. Notwithftanding the Admiral had heard fo much 
from thofe in the Canoes concerning the great Wealth, 
Politenefs, ancF Ingenuity of the People Weftward to- 
wards New Spain •, yet thinking that thofe Countries ly- 
ing to the Leeward, he could fail thither when he thought 
fit from Cuba., he would not go at this time, but held on 
his Defign of difeovering the Streight in the Continent, to 
clear a way into the South Sea j which was what he aimed 
at, in order to come at the Countries that produce Spice, 
and therefore refolved to fail Eaftwards towards Veragua. 
VoL. II. Numb. 72. 2 
41 
and N ombre de Dios.^ where he ima 
tne 
Streighi 
lie was deceived in the 
to bcj as in effeft it was ; yet 
Matter, for 'he did not conceit it to be an Ifthmus or nar- 
row Neck of Land, but a Imall Giilpli, running from 
Sea to Sea, from whence his Miftake might proceed ; for 
when they faid the Streight was at Veragua and Nombre di 
Dios^ it might be iinderftood either of the Land or Wa- 
ter ; and he took it in the moft iifual Senfe, and for 
what he moft earneftly defired ; And yet^ though that 
Streight is Land, it was, and is, the way to both Seasj 
and by which ftich immenfe Riches have been difeovered 
and conveyed ; for (fays the Admiral’s Journal) it was 
God’s Will a Matter of fuch vaft Concern ftioiild not be 
otherwife found out, that Canoe having given the firft 
Information concerning New Spain. 
There being nothing therefore in the Bland of: Guanaid 
worth taking notice of, he without farther Delay failed j 
in order to feek out the Streight towards the Continent to 
a Point he CdSltdCafinas, becaufe there were abundance of 
Trees that bear a fort of Fruit that is rough, have a Stonej 
and is good to eat, efpedally boiled, which Fruit the 
Indians in Hifipaniola call Cajinas. There appearing no- 
thing worth taking notice of in that Country, the Ad- 
miral would not lofe time to go into a great Bay the Land 
makes there, but held on his Courfe Eaftv/ards along 
that Coaft which runs along the fame way towards Cape 
Gracias a Dios, and is very low and open. The People 
neareft to Cape Cajinas wear thofe painted Shirts or Jer- 
kins, before mentioned, and which were like Coats of 
Mail, made of Cotton, ftrong enough to defend them 
againft their Weapons, and even to bear off the Stroke of 
fome of ours. But the People higher Eaftwards towards 
Cape Gracias a Dios were almoft black, of a fierce Afpect, 
go ftark naked, are very favage, and, as the Indian that 
was taken faid, eat Man’s Flefh, and alfo Fifti juft as it 
was taken. They have their Ears bored with fuch large 
Holes, that they may put a Hen’s Egg into them ^ v/hich 
made the Admiral call that Coaft de las Orejas, or, Of the 
Ears. 
There, on the 14th of Augufl, 1502, Don Bartholo- 
mew went afhore in the Morning, with the Colours, the 
Captains, and many of the Men to hear Mafs. And 
when the Boats went aftiore to take Pofteflion of the 
Country for their Catholic Majefties, above one hundred 
Men ran dovm to the Shore loaded with Provifions, who, 
as foon as the Boats came afhore with the Lieutenant, oil 
a hidden retired back without fpeaking a Word. He or- 
dered they ftiould give them Hawks-Bells, Beads, and 
other things ; and, by means of the beforementioned In- 
terpreter, inquired concerning the Country ; tho’, he hav- 
ing been but a fhort time with him, did not underftand 
the Chriftians, by reafon of the Diftance of this Country 
from Ilifpaniola, where feveral Perfons aboard the Ships 
had learned the Indian Language •, nor did he underftand 
thofe Indians *, who being pleafed with the things which 
had been given them, came the next Day to the fame 
Place loaded with feveral forts of Provifions, as Hens of 
that Country, which are better than ours, Geefe, roafted 
Fifti, red and white Beans like Kidney Beans, and other 
things like thofe in Hifpanicla. The Country was green 
and beautiful, tho’ low, and producing abundance of 
Pines, Oaks, Palm Trees of feveral forts, and Mirabolans, 
and almoft all forts of Provifions which Hifpaniola affords 
were there to be found •, abundance of Leopards, Deer, 
and other Beafts, as alfo all forts of Fifti that there are 
in the Iflands, and in Spain. 
The People in this Country are much like thofe of the 
Blands, but that their Foreheads are not fo high, nor do 
they feem to have any Religion. They ufe feveral Lan- 
guages among them, and for the moft part they go na^ 
ked, but cover their Privities •, yet fome wear fhort Jumps 
dov/n to their Navels without Sleeves •, their Arms and 
Bodies have Figures wrought upon them with Fire, 
which m.ake them look odly ^ and fome, have Lions, 
others Deer, and others Caftles, with Towers or other 
things, painted on their Bodies : Inftead of Caps the 
better fort of them wear red and white Cloths of Cot- 
ton ; and fome have Locks of Hair hanging on their 
Forehead •, but when they are to be fine on a Feftival 
M Day, 
N 
t 
