46 7he V O Y 
any Indian fo that the Day after Midfummer 
they proceeded to another called Santa Gloria^ and, be- 
ing no longer able to keep the Ships above Water, they 
let them fall aground, as near the Shore as they poffibly 
could, being about a Crofs-bow hiot from it, and the 
two Ships clofe together'. Board and Board, hioring 
them on both Sides, fo that they could not part, but 
were filled with Water almoft up to the Deck, and Ca- 
bins were made on the Heads and Sterns to flielter the 
Men* When the Ships were thus fscured, the Indians 
came in their Canoes, being covetous of Sfanijh Toys ; 
and, to prevent Controverfy, the Admiral appointed two 
Perfons to deal with them, and every Afternoon to di- 
vide what they had purchafed amongft the Men, to 
maintain them, for the Provifions were all either fpent 
or fpoiled. 
The Admiral looked upon it as a great Mercy that 
God had brought him to Jamaica^ becaufe that Hand 
was very populous, abounded in Eatables, and the Na- 
tives were defirous to trade ; therefore, to keep them in 
that good Humour, he would not go up the Country 
for fear the Spaniards fhould difoblige the People, wTich 
would prove of ill Confequence ■, and this Condudl was 
fo pleafing to the Indians^ that they gave two Utias or 
fmall Rabbits for a bit of Tin, and two of their Cakes of 
Bread for two little green or yellow Beads, and for things 
of more Value they took a Hawk’s-Bell. They gave 
theCaziques little Looking-glafTes, red Caps, andSciffars, 
to pleafe them. The Admiral having purchafed ten 
Canoes for the Service of his ftranded Ships, by this Me- 
thod, the Men were plentifully fupplied with Neceffa- 
ries, and the Indians no Way diflurbed at their Stay. 
9. Columbus having confulted the Officers about the 
Means of getting away from thence, it was concluded to 
fend Advice to Nicholas de Ohand.0'^ Governor of Hifpa- 
niola^ and to Alonfo Sanchez de Carvajal^ the Admiral’s 
Fadtor there, of the Condition they were in, that a Ship 
might be there freighted at the Admiral’s Expence, to 
fetch them all away. This being an Affair of much 
Difficulty, two Perfons of Fidelity and Difcretion were 
appointed for it, becaufe they were to undertake fo great 
a Paffage in Canoes made of a fmall Piece of Timber. 
The Diftance between the two neareft Points of Jamaica 
and Hifpaniola being twenty-five Leagues, befides thirty 
more to the Points where they were to crofs over, it re- 
quired very great Courage to go upon fuch an Enter- 
prize. In the Paffage there is only one little Hand or 
Rock, called Navaja, which is eight I*eagues from Hif- 
paniola. The Perfons the Admiral pitched upon to per- 
form this were, James Mendez de Sagura., chief Notary 
of the Fleet, a very honeft and difcreet Man, and Bar- 
tholomew Fiefco., a Genoefe., a Perfon worthy of fuch a 
Truft. Each of thefe went in a Canoe with fix Spa- 
niards, and ten Indians to row. 
The Admiral ordered James Mendez, as foon as he 
came to Santo Domingo, to go away to Spain Nixh his 
Difpatches for their Majefties •, containing a full Relation 
of his Voyage, the Dangers and Troubles he had met 
with, the Lands he had difcovered, and the rich Mines 
he had adlually vifited at Veragua and at the fame time 
complained of the unworthy Ufage he had before met 
with, his Imprifonment and the feizing of all he had, 
praying Redrefs, and lamenting, that, after having fpent 
twenty Years in the Service of the Crown, he had not a 
Houfe to put his Head in ; but muff be obliged, when 
he came to Spain, to take up his Lodgings at an Inn, 
iAc. Bartholomew Fiefco was to treat with the Govern- 
or of Hifpaniola about fending a Ship to bring the Men 
off, and to return with it himfelf. The two Canoes 
fet out on the yth of July •, the Spaniards carrying their 
Provifions, Swords, and Targets, -md Indians thSiv 
Gourds full of Water, Axis and Cazabi. When they 
came to the Point of the Eland of Jamaica, they were 
obliged to ftay till the Sea was very calm, to venture to 
ftrike over, the Danger being very great, efpecially for the 
Spaniards-, for the Indians being very expert and naked, 
if the Canoes happened to over-fet, foon turned them 
again, and with their Gourds threv/ out the Water. As 
foon as the Weather grew calm, they put themfelves 
into the Hands of God, and launched out one Night j 
AGES of Book I. 
the Indians rowing, who, to cool themfelves, fometimes 
leaped into the Water, and afterwards returned to the 
Oar. When they had loft Sight of Jaynaica, the Spaniards 
relieved the Indians, that they might hold out, and always 
watched for fear thofe People fhoiila do any thing amifs. 
The fecond Day after their Departure, they began to 
be all very much tired, but the two Chiefs encouraged the 
Men, aavifing them to eat and recover their Strength. 
The Indians, being heated with the Sun, and the Labour 
of the Oars, were more bufy with their Gourds than 
they fhould have been, fo that they were foon empty; 
and, the Heat encreafing, and their Thirft with it, by 
Noon they had not ftrength to work. The Command- 
ers then relieved them, giving them now and then to 
drink out of their Rundlets, and fo fupported them till 
cool of the Evening. That which moft perplexed them, 
after having rowed a Night and two Days, was, the Fear 
that they had miftaken the Way, in which they were to 
find ih.fl'dQ.iidNavafa, eight Leagues Hifpaniola, as 
was faid before, where they expedted to refrefh themfelves. 
That Afternoon they had thrown an Indian over-board, 
who died by Thirft ; others lay along ftretched out, quite 
difabled, and the reft were totally dejedted, expedting 
Death, holding Salt-water in their Mouths to cool them, 
and finding no Comfort in it. They proceeded the fecond 
Night as far as they were able again, without feeing the 
Hand till the Moon rifing; James Mendez perceived that 
it appeared like a half Moon, the other half being, at 
firft, covered by the Hand ; for otherwife they could 
not have feen it, by reafon of its Smallnefs and the 
Night. Then tliey all encouraged the Indians, fhewing 
them the Land, and giving them fome ftps of Water, 
wherewith they were lb much encouraged, that they 
rowed on, and by Break of Day arrived at the Hand 
where they landed. 
They found this Hand was all a folid Rock, about 
half a League in Compafs, but there was no Tree nor 
Spring of Water on it; however, going about from one 
Cleft to another, they colledled fo much m the Hol- 
lows, as ferved to quench their Thirft, which did them 
harm •, becaufe, being fcorched with Drought, they 
drank fo much of it, that fome of the poor Indians 
died upon the Spot, and others fell fick. They ftayed 
there till the Afternoon, providing themfelves with the 
beft the Place would afford ; gathering fmall Shell-fifh 
on the Shore, and making a Eire to broil it, Jaynes Men- 
dez having carried Neceffaries for that Purpofe. Being 
then in the Sight of the Point of Hifpaniola, which the 
Admiral had named St. Michaels, and was fince called 
del Tiburon, and defigning to conclude their Paffage be- 
fore the Weather grew foul, as foon as the Sun was 
low they went into their Canoes again, and rowed, and 
by Break of Day arrived at the Cape, the fourth Day 
after their fetting out. They refreffied themfelves there 
two Days, and neither Spaniards nov Indians would run 
the Hazard of returning to Jaynaica the fame Way they 
came. 
Jaynes Mendez, being in hafte, went on as far as he 
could in the Canoe, and, at length, arrived in the Pro- 
vince of Xaragua, where he found the Governor of Hif- 
paniola, who feemed well pleafed with the I.etter he 
brought him, though he proved very tedious in dif- 
patching the Bufmefs he came about ; for he fufpedting 
the Admiral, was afraid left fome Difturbance fhould hap- 
pen in the Hand. After much importuning he gave 
James Mendez leave to proceed with his Company to 
Santo Domingo, to perform what the Admiral had order- 
ed him. He there bought a Ship and fent it well pro- 
vided, though it were a confiderabie time before he could 
accomplifh his Defign, as will be fhewn. 
10. After this Step had been taken, not only with the 
Confent, but by the Advice, and at the Requeft, of the 
Principal Perfons on board, it was very natural to fup- 
pofe they would have been eafy ; but the Spaniards that re- 
mained with the Admiral, in Jayyiaica, having fuffered 
very much in that Voyage, began to ficken, and, dif- 
paring of Relief, all their Difeourfe was how they 
fhould efcape over to Hifpaniola ; railing at the Admiral 
as if he had been the Caufe of all their Misfortunes. The 
chief Promoters of thefe Difeontents v/ere two Brothers, 
Natives 
