I 3 ay, they colour their Faces, fonie black, and fome red ^ 
others draw Streaks of feveral Colours •, others paint their 
Nofe j and others black their Eyes ; And thus adorn them- 
felves to appear beautiful, in a manner that to us would 
make them look like Devils. The Admiral failed along 
the faid Coaft de las Oi-ejas Eaftward to Ca-pe Gracias a 
^Dios^ which was fo called, becaufe tho’ there be but fixty 
Leagues to it from Gafinas^ they laboured feventy Days 
by reafon of the Current and contrary Winds upon a 
Tack to gain it, flianding out to Sea, and then making 
the Shore, fometimes gaining, and fometimes lofing. 
Ground, as' the Wind was fcant o-r large when it came 
about. And had not the Coaft afforded fuch good anchor- 
ing, they had been much longer upon it •, but being clear, 
and having two Fathom Water half a League from the 
Shore, and two more at every League’s Diftance, they 
had always the Conveniency of anchoring at Night, 
when there was but little Wind ; fo that the Courfe was 
navigable by reafon of the good anchoring, but how- 
ever with Difficulty. 
When, on the 14th of September^ they came up to 
the Cape, perceiving the Land turned off to the South, 
and that they could conveniently continue their Voyage 
Vvdth thofe Levant Winds that reigned there, and had 
been fo contrary, they gave Thanks to God ; for which 
Reafon the Admiral called this Cape Gracias a Dios. A 
little beyond it they paffed by fome dangerous Sands that 
ran out to Sea as far as the Eye could reach. It being 
requifite to take in Wood and Water, on the i6th of 
September the Admiral fent the Boats to the River, that 
feemed to be deep and have a good Entrance ; but the 
coming out proved otherwife, for the Winds blowing 
from Sea, and the Waves running high againft the Cur- 
rent of the River, fo diftreffed the Boats, that one of 
them was loft with all the Men in it ; and therefore the 
Admiral called it the River de la Difgratia., that is, of the 
Difajler. In this River,- and about it, there were Canes 
as thick as a Man’s Leg. And on the 25th of September^ 
ftill running Southward, they came to an Anchor near a 
' little Eland called ^liriviri., and a Town on the Conti- 
nent, the Name whereof was Cariarit where were the ci- 
vileft People, the ftneft Country, and beft Situation they 
had yet feen, as well becaufe it was high, full of Rivers, 
and abounding in Trees, as becaufe the Eland was thick 
wooded and fiill of Forefts of Palm, Mirabolan, and 
other forts of Trees : For this reafon the Admiral called 
it Hucite. It is a fmall League from the Town the In- 
dians call Cariari., which is near a great River •, whither 
reforted a great Multitude of People from the adjacent 
Parts, fome with Bows and Arrows, others with Staves 
of Palm Tree, black as a Coal, and hard as Horn, point- 
ed with the Bones of Fiffi *, others with Clubs, as if they 
intended to defend the Country. The Men had their 
Hair braided about their Heads, the Women ffiort, like 
ours^ but perceiving the Spaniards to be a peaceable People, 
they were very defirous to barter their Commodities, 
which were Arms, Cotton Jerkins, and Grnnins., which 
is pale Gold they wear about their Necks. 
Thefe things they fwam with to the Boats, for the 
Chriftians went not affiore that Day nor the next, nor 
would the Admiral allow any thing of theirs to be taken, 
that they might not be efteemed Men that valued their 
Goods ; but gave them fome Spanijh Baubles. The lefs 
they faw Strangers defired Exchange, the more eager 
they were, making abundance of Signs from Land ; at 
laft perceiving no body v/ent affiore, they took ail the 
things that had been given them, without referving any, 
' and tyfng them together, left them in the fame Place 
where the Boats firft went affiore, and where our Men 
found them when they landed. The Indians about this 
Place, believing that the Chriftians did not confide 
in them, fent an antient Man of an av/ful Prefence, 
■with a Flag upon a Staff, and two Girls, one about 
eight, the other of about fourteen Years of Age, who 
putting them into the Boat, made Signs that the Chrif- 
tians might fafely land. Upon their Requeft, they went 
affiore to take in Water, the Indians taking great care 
not to do any thing that might diftafte the Chriftians. 
And when they faw them return to tlieir Ships, they 
AGES of Book I. 
made Signs to them to take along, with them the young 
Girls, with their Guanins about their Necks .- And at 
the Requeft of the old Man that conduced them, they 
complied, and carried them aboard, wherein thofe People 
feemed more friendly than ethers had done j and in the 
Girls appeared a wonderful Spirit ; for though the 
Chriftians were Strangers to them, they expreffed no 
manner of Concern, but always looked pleafant and mo- 
deft, which made the Admiral treat them well, and fee 
them affiore again where the fifty Men were i and the old 
Man that had delivered them received them with much 
Satisfaction. 
The Boats going affiore that fame Day, found the 
lame People with the Girls, who reftored all the Chrif- 
tians had given them. The next Day the Admiral’s Bro- 
ther going aftiore to learn fomething of thofe People, two 
of the chief Men came to the Boar, and taking him by 
the Arms between them, made him fit down upon the 
Grafs ; and he aflclng fome Qiieftions of them, ordered 
the Secretary to write down what they anfwered *, but they 
feeing the Pen, Ink, and Paper, were in fitch a Confter- 
tion, that moft of them ran away i which it was believed 
they did for fear of being bewitched, for they are reputed 
a fuperftitious People, and that not without Reafon, be- 
caufe when they came near the Chriftians, they fcatter- 
ed fome Powder about them in the Air, and burning 
fome of the fame Powder, endeavoured to make the 
Smoke go towards the Chriftians. Befides their refufing to 
keep any thing that belonged to them, ffiewed a Jealoufy. 
Having ftaid here longer than was convenient, confider- 
ing the ffiort time they had after repairing the Ships, and 
provided all they wanted, they now haftned away. 
Upon the 2d of OSiober the Admiral ordered his Bro- 
ther to go affiore with fome Men to view that Indian 
Town, and learn fomething of their Manners, and the 
Nature of the Country. The moft remarkable things 
they faw were, in a great wooden Palace, covered with 
Canes feveral Tombs*, in one of which there was a 
a dead Body, dried up and embalmed ; in another, two 
Bodies wrapt up in Cotton Sheets, without any ill Scent ; 
and over each Tomb was a Board with Figures of Beafts 
carved on it *, and on fome of them the Effigies of the 
Perfons buried there, adorned with Guanins, Beads, and 
other things they moft valued. Thefe being the moft ci- 
vilized Indians in thofe Parts, the Admiral ordered fome 
to be taken : Two of the chiefeft were picked out, and 
the reft fent away with fome Gifts and Civility, that 
the Country might not be left in an Uproar, telling them 
they were to ferve as Guides upon that Coaft, and then 
be fet at Liberty. But they believing they were taken out 
of CovetOLifnefs, that they might ranfom themfelves with 
their Things and Goods of Value, the next Day abun- 
dance of them came down to the Shore, and fent four 
aboard the Admiral, as their Embaffadors, to treat about 
their Ranfom, offering fome things, and freely giving 
two Hogs of the Country, which, tho’ fmall, are very 
wild. The Admiral therefore, offer ving the Policy of 
thefe People, was more defirous to be acquainted with 
them, and would not depart till he had learned fome 
things of them, but would not liften to their Offers *, he 
therefore ordered fome I'rifies to be given to the Mef- 
fengers, that they might not go av/ay diffatisfied, and 
that they ffiould be paid for their Hogs. 
5. On the 5ch of Odloher the Admiral failed, and came 
to the Bay of Caravaro., which is fix Leagues in Length, 
and about three in Breadth. Here there are many fmall 
J Hands, and two or three Channels within thofe Iflands. 
The Ships fail as it were in Streets between Iflands, the 
Leaves of the T rees flicking againft the Shrouds. As foon 
as they anchored in this Bay, the Boats went to one of thofe 
Iflands, where there were twenty Canoes upon the Shore, 
and the People lye naked, having only a Gold Plate about 
their Necks, and fome an' Eagle of Gold. They ffiewed 
no Signs of Fear ; and the two Indians of Cariari inter- 
pofing gave a Gold-Piate lor three Hawks-Bclls, which 
weighed ten Ducats. And they faid there was great 
Plenty of that Metal upon the oppofite Continent, not far 
from thence. 
The next Day, being the twenty-feventh of Olfober, 
I ' ' tha 
e 
