Chap. III. C OLUMBUS to CoRTfis^i’ Expedition, S5 
but, from the Eaftern Point of Mayci^ for thirty Leagues, 
there are vaft high Mountains, as there are beyond it to 
the Weftward, and in the Middle there are Hills, but not 
very high. Very fine Rivers run down on both the North 
and South Sides, full of Fifii, and efpecially Skates and 
Olives, that go up from the Sea towards the middle of it. 
On the South Side there is a prodigious Number of little 
Hands, which the firft Admiral, Don Chriflopher Colum- 
bus^ called the ^een's Garden. There are others, though 
not fo many, on the North-fide, which Velafques called 
the King's Garden. On the South-fide, about the middle, 
there runs down, into the Sea, a mighty River, which 
the Indians call Cauto ; the Banks of it are very agreeable, 
and in it are vaft multitudes of Alligators. 
I’his Hand is very well wooded, fo that Men may 
-travel almoft two hundred and thirty Leagues always un- 
der Trees of feveral Sorts, and particularly fweet-fcented 
and red Cedars, of which they make large Canoes, that 
contain fifty or fixty Perfdns ; and of this Sort there were 
once great Numbers in Cuba. There are abundance of 
Storax Trees, fo that if a Man in a Morning go up to a 
high Place, the Vapours that rife from the Earth fmell of 
Storax, coming from the Fire the Indians make at Night, 
and drawn up when the Sun rifes. Another Sort of Trees 
produce a Fruit called Xaquas, which, being beaten, and 
laid by four or five Days, though not gathered ripe, 
are full of Liquor like Honey, and better tafted than the 
fweeteft Pears. There are abundance of wild Vines, that 
run up high, bearing Grapes, and Wine has been made of 
them, but fomewhat Harp ; and there being an infiniteQuan- 
tity of them throughout the Hand the Spaniards wtvt wont 
to fay, they had feen a Vineyard that extended two hun- 
dred and thirty Leagues. Some of the Trunks of thofe 
Vines were as thick as a Man’s Body, which proceeded 
from the extraordinary Moifture and Fertility of the Soil. 
All the Hand is very pleafant, and more temperate 
than Hifpaniola., is very healthy, and has fafer Harbours 
for Ships than if they had been made by Art, as is that of 
St. Jago on the Southern Coaft, in the Shape of a Crofs ; 
that of Xaquas fcarce to be matched in the World, the 
Ships pafling to it through a narrow. Mouth not above a 
Crofs-bow Shot over, and then turn into the open Part of 
it, which is about ten Leagues in Compafs, with three 
little Hands fo fituated that they may faften their Ships to 
Stakes on them, and lie fafe from the Winds of all the 
Compafs, being Iheltered by Mountains as if they were 
in a Houfe, and there the Indians had Pens to fhut up 
the Fifli. On the North Side there are good Harbours, 
the beft being that which was called de Carenas., and now 
the Havannay fo large that few can compare to it ; and 
twenty Leagues to the Eaftward of it is that of MatanoaSy 
which is not quite fafe. About the Middle of the Hand 
is another good Port called del Principe ; and almoft at 
the End that of Baracay where good Ebony is cut ; be- 
tween which there are other good anchoring Places, tho’ 
not fo large or commodious as thofe we have mentioned. 
There are abundance of Fowl in as Pigeons, Turtle- 
doves, Partriges like thofe in Spain but fmaller, of which 
there are none in the other Hands, nor Cranes, except on 
the Continent : Another Sort of Birds there was, of which 
they had none on the Continent, of the Size of Cranes, 
which at firft are very white, and by degrees turn red, now 
called FlamenceSy and would have been much valued by the 
Indians of New Spahty if they had them, for the curious 
Feather- works they made *, thefe move always five hun- 
dred or a thoufand in a Flock j they look like Sheep be- 
daubed with red ; they feldom fly, but ftand on the Ground 
in the Sea, their Legs in the Water, and drink the Salt- 
Vvater ; if the Indians took any to keep in their Floufes, they 
were forced to throw Salt into their Water. There is an 
infinite Multitude of Parrots, and about Majy when they 
are young, they eat them, being very good Meat. They 
had few Land Animals, except a kind of Rabbits like thofe 
in Hifpaniola ; but to make amends for this, they had 
vaft Qiiantities of both Sea and River Fifh, efpecially 
Tortoifes, excellent in their Kind, and very wholefome, 
curing the Itch and Leprofy in fuch as were content to 
make them their conftant Food. As for Indian Corn, no 
Hand in the JVeJi Indies produced it in greater Plenty 
and, taking all things together, it might be pronounced 
one of the fineft Countries in that Part of the World, and 
one of the beft provided. After the Spaniards had been 
fettled there fome time, they found confiderable Quanti- 
ties of Gold in the Rivers, fome Very pure and rich, but 
for the moft part of lefs Value than the Gold in Hifpa- 
niohy or in the Hand of St. John de Puerto Rico. 
After having fpoken of the Country itfelf, and of its 
feveral Prodikfs, it is but juft that we fhould fay fonie- 
thing of the Natives, before they were conquered. The 
firft Inhabitants of this Hand were the fame as thofe of the 
LucayoSy a good fort of People, and good-tempered. 
They had Caziques, and Towns of two or three hundred 
Houfes, with feveral Families in each of them, as was 
ufual in Hifpaniola : They had no Religion, as having no 
Temples, or Idols, or Sacrifices , but they had Phyfici- 
ans, or conjuring Priefts, as in Hifpaniotay who, it was 
thought, had Communication with the Devil, and their 
Qiieftions anfwered by him. They fafted three or four 
Months to obtain this Favour, eating nothing but the 
Juice of Herbs j and, when reduced to extreme Weak- 
nefs, they were worthy of that Apparition, and to be 
informed whether the Seafons of the Year would be fa- 
vourable or otherwife, what Children would be born, 
whether thofe born would live, and fuch like Queftions. 
Thefe were their Oracles, and thefe Conjurers they called 
BehiqueSy who led the People into many Superftitions 
and Fopperies, curing the Sick by blowing on them, and 
fuch other exterior Actions, and mumbling fome Words 
between their Teeth. 
Thofe People of Cuba knew that Heaven, the Earth, 
and other things, had been created ; and faid they had 
much Information concerning the Flood, and that the 
World had been deftroyed by Water, from three Perfons 
that came three feveral Ways. Men of above feventy 
Years of Age faid, that an old Man, knowing the De- 
luge was to come, built a great Ship, and went into it 
with his Family and abundance of Animals , that he fent 
out a Crow, which did not return for fome time, ftaying 
to feed on the dead Bodies, but afterwards returned with 
a green Branch •, with other Particulars, as far as Noah's 
two Sons covering him when drunk, and the other’s fcof- 
fing at it ; adding, that the Indians defcended from the 
latter, and therefore had no Coats or Cloaks , but that 
the Spaniards defcended from the others that covered him, 
and were therefore cloathed, and had Horfes. As to 
their Laws and Cuftoms, fince they lived in Towns and 
had Lords, it is likely their Will was a Law , many af- 
firm, that the Natives of Cuba, St. John de Puerto Ri- 
cOy Hifpaniolay and JamaicUy were not guilty of the Sin 
of Sodomy, nor did they eat human Flefh, though Ovi- 
edo is of opinion that they were Sodomites ; other Men, 
of as much Reputation as he, deny it, and reprove him 
for it ; and the moft probable Opinion is, that all thofe 
Hands were firft inhabited by People that came oVer 
from Florida. 
After faying fo much of Cubay let us go on to what 
James Velafquez did there : He fet out from Salvatierra 
de la Zavana m November 15 ii, and landed at a Port 
called Palin ay in the Territories of the above-mentioned 
Cazique Hatueyy that went thither from Hifpaniola^y who 
flood on his Defence, taking the Advantage of the Woods, 
where the Spaniards could not make ufe of their Horfes. 
After two Months thus fpent, the Indians hid themfelves 
in the thickeft Part of thofe Forefts, and the Spaniards 
hunting- them, they carried all they took to James Velaf- 
queZy who diftributed them among his Men, not as Slaves 
but Servants. Hatuey withdrew into the moft inacceflfible 
Places ; however, after much Time and Toil, he was 
taken and carried to James VelafqueZy who caufed him to 
be burnt ; whreupon all the Province of Mayci fubmit- 
ted, none after fuch an Example of Severity daring to 
hold out. When it was known in Jamaica that Velaf- 
quez was in Cubay many of thofe who were with John de 
Efquibel aficed leave to go over and ferve under him : Pan- 
filo de NarvaeZy a Gentleman well born, went a Com- 
mander of thirty Archers *, he was a Man of a graceful 
Prefence, well-behaved, but not over difcreet. He was 
well received with his Archers by VelafqueZy who gave 
