Christopher C o l u m b u 
men to their Catholic Majefties. And that there might 
not want Meal for the Siipoort of the People, he haftened 
the Building of the Mills, notv/ithftanding the Rain and 
Floods very much obftru 61 ;ed. As the Fruitfulnefs of the 
Soil appeared very extraordinary, fo they daily received 
frefh Advices of the Wealth of the Country, for fome of 
thofe the Admiral had fent out v/ere always returning with 
Accounts of new Mines difeovered, befides the Relations 
of the Indians concerning great Plenty of Gold found in 
fome Parts of the Ifland. 
The Admiral not fo fatisfied, refolved to go out to 
difeover along the Coaft of Cuba, not knowing whether 
it was an Bland or Continent therefore taking three 
Ships along with him, he failed on the 24th in the After- 
noon, and came to an Anchor that Day at Monte Chrifio, 
Weft of Ifahella : Thence he Vv^ent to Guacanagarl s Port, 
thinking to find him there j but he feeing the Ships, fled 
for fear, tho’ his Subjeds falfely affirmed he would foon 
return. But the Admiral not caring to ftay, departed on 
Sahirday the 26 th, and went to the Ifland Tortuga, which 
lies fix Leagues to the Weftward. Fie lay by it that 
Night in a Calm, with his Sails abroad, the Tide running 
back againft the Currents. The next Day the North-weft 
Winds and Currents fetting to the Weft, obliged him to 
come to an Anchor in the River of Guadalquiver, which is 
on the fame Ifland, there to wait for a Wind that would 
ftem the Current, which both then and the Year before, 
he found to run ftrong towards the Eaft. On the 29th 
of the fame Month, the Wind being fair, he came to 
Cape St. Nicholas, and then croflfed over to the Ifland of 
Cuba running along the Coaft of it. And having failed 
a League beyond Cabo Puerto put into a large Bay, which 
he called Puerto Granda, or the Grand Port ; the Mouth 
whereof was 150 Paces over, and had much Water. 
Here he anchored, and took fome Refrefhment. On the 
firft of May, he continued his Voyage along the Coaft, 
■where he found commodious Harbours, and fine Rivers, 
and high Mountains upon the Sea. After he left Tortuga, he 
m.et abundance of the Weeds he faw on the Ocean on his 
Voyage to and from Spain. And failing clofe along the 
Shore, abundance of People came on board in their Ca- 
noes, to bring off their Bread, Water, and Fifh j giv- 
ing it ail freely, without afldng any thing for it ; but the 
Admiral, to fend them home well pleafed, ordered them to 
be paid, giving them Beads, Bells, and fuch like Baubles. 
On the 3d the Admiral refolved to fail over from Cuba 
to Jamaica, that he might not leave it behind, without 
knowing whether the Report of plenty of Gold they had 
there was true ; and the Wind being fair, and he half 
way over, he difeovered it the next Day. Upon that he 
came to an Anchor, and thought it the beft of any he 
had yet feen in the Indies and fuch Multitudes of People 
in great and fmall Canoes came a-board, that it was afto- 
niffiing. The next Day he ran along the Coaft to find 
out Harbours •, and the Boats going to found the Mouths 
of them, ther6 came fo many Canoes with armed Men 
to defend the Country, that they were forced to return to 
the Ships, not fo much for fear, as to avoid falling out 
With thofe People. But afterwards confidering, that if 
they fnewed Signs of Fear, xh& Indians would grow proud 
upon it, they returned together to the Port which the 
Admiral called Puerto Bueno, that is. Good Harbour ; and 
becaufe the Indians came to drive them off, thofe in Boats 
gave tnem fuch a Flight ot Arrows from their Crofs 
Bows, that fixteen of them being wounded, they retired. 
1 he Fight ending in this manner •, there came abundance 
of Canoes^ from the neighbouring Places, in a peaceable 
Way to fee, and barter Provifions ; and feveral things 
they brought, and gave for the leaft Trifle that was 
offered them. 
In this F ort, which refembles a Horfe-flioe, the Admi- 
ral s Ship v^ras repaired, being leaky : And that done, they 
fet fail on the 9th, keeping fo clofe along the Coaft Weft- 
ward, that the Indians followed in their Canoes to trade. 
The Vdind being fomewhat contrary, the Admiral could 
not make fo much W^ay as he willied, till on the 14th 
he refolved to ftand over again for Cuba, to keep along 
itsUoafts, defigning not to return till he had failed 5 or 
600 Leagues, and was fatisfied whether it was an Ifland 
VoL. IL Numb. 71. 
or Continent. I'he Day he was going off Sxom^ Jamaied 
a very young Indian came a-board, faying he would go , 
and after him came feveral of his Kindred and other 
People in their Canoes, earneftly intreating him to go 
back but they could never alter his Refoliition ; and 
therefore to avoid feeing his Sifters cry, he w^ent where 
they could not come at him. The Admiral admiring his 
Refolution, gave Orders that he fliould be ufed with the 
utmoft Civility. The Admiral leaving Jamaica on the 
1 5th of May, came to that Point of Cuba v/hich he called ' 
Cabo de Santa Cruz, or Cape Holy Crofs and running 
along the Coaft, there happened a great Storm of Thun- 
der and Lightning, which, together with the Flats and 
Currents, put him in no fmall Danger^ and to very much 
Trouble, being obliged at the fame time to ftruggle 
againft two Evils^ which required contrary Remedies ; 
for it is a proper Remedy againft Thunder to ftrike the 
Sails, and it was requisite to Ipread them to avoid the 
Flats. And hc^d this Calamity lafted for eight or ten 
Leagues, it had been infupportable. But the worft of 
it was, that throughout that Sea, both North, and South- 
eaft^ the farther they went, the more little low Hands 
they met with : And though there were Trees in fome of 
them, yet others were finely, and fcarce appeared above 
the Surface of the Water : fome a League, Ibme more, 
and fome lefs in Compafs. True it is, that the nearer 
they failed to Cuba, the higher and pleafanter the little 
Iflands appeared. And being a Matter of Difficulty, and 
to no Purpofe to give e'very one of them a Name, the 
Admiral called them all in general, Jar din de la Reyna^ 
or the Tfueen\ Garden. 
But as many Iflands as he faw that Day, he faw many 
more and bigger the next Day than he had before; and 
not only to the North-Eaft, but North-weft, and South- 
weft, infomuch that they counted 160 Iflands that Day, 
all parted by deep Channels, which the Ship failed through. 
In fomie of thefe Iflands they faw abundance of Cranes, 
in Shape and Bignefs like thofe of Spain, but that they 
were red as fcarlet. In others they found abundance of 
Tortoifes, and of their Eggs, not unlike Hens, but that 
the Shells are very hard. The Tortoifes lay their Eggs in 
a Hole they make in the Sand, and cover them, leaving 
them till the Heat of the Sun hatches and brings forth 
the Tortoifes, which in time grow as big as a great Tar- 
get. In thefe Iflands they alfo faw Crows and Cranes like 
thofe of Spain, and Sea Crows, and infinite Numbers of 
little Birds that fung fweetly ; and the Very Air was as 
fweet as if they had been among the fineft Perfumes in 
the World : Yet the Danger was very great, there being 
fuch Abundance of Channels, that much time was Ipent 
in finding the way through them. 
^ In one of thefe Channels they difeovered a Canoe of Indian 
Fiffiermen, who very quietly, without Concern, expefted 
the Boat, which was making toward them ; and being 
come near, made a Sign to them not to approach, till 
they had done fifhing. Their Manner of fifhing was lb 
ftrange, that they were willing to comply with them : It 
was thus. They had tied fome fmall Filhes they call 
Reves by the Tail, which run themfelves againft other 
Fiffi, and with a certain Roughnefs they have from the 
Head to the middle of the Back, ftick fo fall to the 
next Fifli they meet, that when the Indians perceive i^ 
they draw both up together : And it was a Tortoife the 
Spaniards faw taken by thefe Fifliermen, the Reve cling- 
ing about the Neck of it, where they generally fallen, 
being by that Means fife from the other Fifli biting them ; 
and ibmetimes are laid to fallen upon vaft Sharksf When 
the Indians in the Canoe had taken the Tortoife, and two' 
other Fiflies they had before, they prefently in a very 
friendly manner came to the ’ Boat to know what they 
would have ; and by their DirePdons went alone a-board 
the Ships, where the Admiral treated them very courte- 
oufly, and underftood by them, that there was an infi- 
nite M^ultitude of theie Iflands in that Sea ; and they free- 
ly gave all they had, tho’ the Admiral would fiiffer no- 
thing to be taken of them but the Fifli, the reft being their 
Nets, Hooks, and Calabalhes full of AYater to drink. 
Having given them fome Trifles, they went away very 
well plealed ; and he held on his Courfe with a Defign ’ 
G not 
