Chao. III. Christopher 
A 
on his Journey towards Zolraha^ where the Fields, for 
above fix Leagues, were all full of Maize, like Corn Fields. 
Thence he went to Cat eh a another Town. At both Places 
he was well entertained, abundance of Provifions given 
him, and fome Gold Plates exchanged, which, as has been 
faid, are like the Patent of a Chalice, fome bigger, and 
fome lefs, weighing about twelve Ducats. They wear them 
about their Necks, hanging by a String, as m P opijh Co\m- 
tries they do Relics. The Lieutenant, being now very 
far from the Ships, without finding any Port on that Coaft, 
oi’ any River bigger than that of Bdere, to fettle his Co- 
lony, came back the fame way on the 24th of Febru- 
ary. As foon as he returned, order was taken for his 
Stay, eighty Men being appointed to remain with him. 
They began to build Houles on the Bank ol the River 
of Bolemd., about a Cannon Shot from the Mouth of it, 
within a Trench that lies on the Right-hand coming up 
the River ; at the Mouth of which there is a little Hill. 
Befides thefe Houfes which were all of Timber, and 
covered with Palm-tree I..eaves which grew along the 
Shore, another large Houfe was built to ferve as a Store- 
houfe and Magazine ; into which feveral Pieces of Can- 
non, Powder, and Provifions were put, and other Ne- 
csiTaries for the Support of the Planters. But for Wine, 
Bilket, Oilj Vinegar, Cheefe, and much Grain, which 
was ail they had to eat, thefe things were left in the 
fafeft Place aboard the Ship called Gallega., that was to 
be left with the Lieutenant, that he might miake Ufe of 
it either at Sea or alhore, having all its Cordage, Nets, 
and other Fifhing Tackle ; for, as we have faid, there is 
vail Plenty of Filh in that Country in every River, fe- 
veral forts at certain times running along the Coaft in 
Shoals on which the People of the Country feed more 
than on Fiefh : For tho’ there be fome forts of Beafts, 
the.y are not enough to maintain them. 
The Indians., perceiving the Spaniards built Houfes, as 
if they defigned to flay among them, began to be alarm- 
ed ; and the Adelantado, fufpeding they defigned to 
fet fire to the Floufes, marched out with feventy-four 
Men on the thirtieth of March., and, ordering them to 
advance two by two as privately as they could, came to 
the Cazique ^ibio’^ Houfe, where he fecured him, fome 
of his Wives and Children, and about fifty Perfons in 
all, who offered a great Treafu re, which, as they faid, was 
on the Mountain, for their Ranfom. Tlie Adelantado, 
fearing the Country would rife’ upon him and refcue the 
Prifoners, fent them all away to the Ships, and follow- 
ed the next Day himfelf with the Plunder of ^libio^s 
Houfe, which might amount to the value of three hun- 
dred Ducats in Gold Plates, Eagles, Beads and the like. 
But the Cazique made his Efcape from thofe that had 
him in Chai'ge, and returned to his People. Soon after 
the Rains fell, and the Flood coming down, opened the 
Mouth of the River, when the Admiral failed out with 
three Ships, leaving one for the Service of his Brother. 
However, he came to an Anchor a League from thence 
to wait for fair Weather, and in the mean time fent back 
the Boat for Water. 
The Cazique ^.ihio., who, as has been faid before, had 
made his Efcape, being much concerned for the Lofs of 
his Wives and Children, and feeing the three Ships were 
gone, fell upon the SpaniJIo Colony fo unexpedtedly, that 
he was within a few Paces of it before the Spaniards 
perceived it. He began the Attack with loud Shouts, 
calling abundance of Darts, armed at the Ends with the 
■Bones of Filh, fo that fome were immediately wounded. 
The Adelantado being very brave, with feven or eight 
Men that flood by him, repulfed the Indians., driving 
them into the Wood, tho’ they feveral times rallied : 
But the Spanijh S ’words making great Havock, and a 
Dog tearing many of them, they at length abfolutely 
betook themfelves to Flight, leaving one Spaniard dead, 
and eight wounded, of which Number the Adelantado 
was one. The Men in the Boat, tho’ near Shore, did 
not land to affift their Friends, but after the Engage- 
ment went up the River to take in their Water. 
The Indians., feeing the Boat a full League above the 
Colony, came out in their Canoes, and befetting it on 
all Sides, fliout-ing and founding their Florns, fo plyed 
about ten Men that v.^ere.,iii it, with their Darts, that 
Vo-L, il. Numb. 72. 
Columbus. 45 
they all periflied but one, who, falling into the Water, 
fwam away to the Shore, without being difcerned by the 
Indians., and carried the News of the Difaflerj which fo 
much difmayed them, being but few in Number, and 
moft of them wounded *, the Admiral out at Sea without 
a Long-boat, and in Danger of not being able to return to 
any Place, whence he might fend them Relief; that, be- 
ing deftitute of all Hopes, they refolved not to flay 
afhore, and went aboard the Ship without afking the 
Adelantado leave, to fail out ; but they could not, be- 
caufe the Mouth of the River was again choaked up, nor 
could they find any body to acquaint the Admiral 
therewith, by reafon of the violent working of the Sea 
upon the Bar. The Admiral was, at the fame time, 
in great Danger, where his Ship lay at anchor; that 
Coall being all open, and having only a fmall Boat, and 
weakened, befides, by the Lois of the Men that had 
perifhed in his Long-boat. Thus thofe in the River, as 
well as thofe at Sea, were in the greateft Diftreis. 
To add to all thefe Vexations, one Night the Indian 
Prifoners that were on board the Admiral opening one of 
the Hatches, feveral of them leaped out, and threw 
themfelves into the Sea to fwim afhore; and the reft 
that were prevented from following their Example all 
. hanged themfelves in the Hold. The Admiral being 
in this Afflidlion, fome Spaniards offered to fv/im afliore 
to enquire after the Boat, and the Men that had been 
left behind, provided the little Boat might carry them 
beyond the Place where the Waves broke : The Admiral 
accepted their Offer, ordering the Boat to carry them 
beyond the Place where the Waves broke, and as near 
the Land as might be ; and there Peter de Ledefrna., a 
Pilot, born at Seville., had the Courage to leap into the 
Water, and, making his Way through the rolling Waves, 
got to Shore-, where he was informed of the Condition 
the Men were in ; and that they all affirmed that they 
would not flay in that Place of Danger ; for which Rea- 
fon they entreated the Admiral not to depart without 
them, becaufe it would be facrificing them ; and they 
were refolved, as foon as the Weather grew fomewhat 
calmer, to go away in Indian Canoes, aboard the Ships ; 
the Boat they had, not being able to contain them- 
With this Advice Peter de Ledefma fwam back to the 
Boat that waited for him. 
In fhort, thofe that were afhore, as foon as the Weather 
grew calm, went all away in two large Canoes they had 
made fall together, that they might not over-fet, and 
their own Boat, leaving nothing behind them but the 
Hulk of the Ship, which was all worm-eaten. Being 
all aboard, they failed in three Ships as far as Porto Bel- 
lo, where they were obliged to leave one of the Ships, 
which was fo leaky that they could not keep it above 
Water. They proceeded thence to a Province near which 
there were many fmall Iflands, which the Admiral cal- 
led Las Barbas, or the Beard, but which is now known by 
the Name of the Bay of St. Blafe. Ten Leagues from 
thence they turned from the Continent, and flood to the 
Northward, to recover Hifpaniola. At the End of ten 
Days they arrived at two fmall Elands, which were all 
covered with Tortoifes as well as the Sea, which looked- 
like Ridges of Rocks, and therefore the Admiral called 
them las fortugas, or the Fortoifes, and they are now 
called Cay manes, being about twenty-five Leagues Weft 
of Jamaica, and forty-five to the Southward of Cuba, 
there being no other all the Way the Admiral paffed. 
There they came to anchor at Jardin de la Reyna, the 
feed’s Garden, being a great Number of fmall Elands 
to the South of Cuba, before fpoken of; they were ten 
Leagues from this Bland in much Want, their Bifket 
fpoiled, and little Oil left, and labouring Day and Night at 
three Pumps, becaufe the Ships were ready to fink, 
when there arofe fuch a Storm that one of them run foul 
of the Admiral, tore off Part of his Poop, the Cables 
gave Way, and all had like to have perifhed. Thence 
they failed to a Port in the Ifland of Cuba, called Ma~ 
caca, where they refrefhed themfelves, being fupplied 
by the Indians. 
Thence they flood for Jamaica, where they arrived at 
Puerto Bueno, or Good Port, on Midfummer Eve, but it 
v/as a bad one for them, there being neither Water nor 
N any 
