2,0 
^he VOYAGES of Book I. 
and v/ent to lie Hear a great River, which the Men paffed 
upon Floats and Canoes : This River, which he called 
of Canes ^ fell into the Sea at Monte Chrifio. In his Jour- 
ney he paffed by many Indian Tov/ns, the Floufes where-, 
of were round, thatched, and with fuch a little Door as 
he who goes in miift ftoop very low. Flere, as foon as 
fome of the Indians^ brought from Ifabelluy went into the 
Houfes, they took v/hat they liked beft, and yet the 
Owners were not difpleafed , as if all Things were in 
common. 
5. On the 14th, the Admiral fet forward from the Ri- 
ver of CaneSy and a League and a Half from if found a 
great River, wTich he called the River of Gold ; having 
paffed it with fome Difficulty, he proceeded to a large 
Town, where many of the People fled to the Mountains, 
but moft of them fortifled their Houfes, barring their 
Doors with fome Canes, as if they were a Defence to 
hinder any Body from coming in , for, according to their 
Cuftom, no Man dares break in at the Door he finds fo 
barred. Hence the Admiral went to another fine River, 
which he called the Green River ; the Banks whereof were 
covered with bright round Stones, and there he refted 
that Night. Holding on his Journey, the next Day he 
paffed by fome great Towns, where the People had put 
Sticks a-crofs the Doors, and the Admiral with his Men, 
being tired, they ftaid that Night, at the Foot of a rugged 
Mountain, which he called ParhibaOy as the Province of 
Cibao begins behind the Mountain : From this, the firfi: 
Mountain they paffed was eleven Leagues diftant, all 
which is a Plain, the Way diredlly South. Setting out 
the next Day, he travelled tlirough a Path, where they 
Vv^ere forced, with Difficulty, to load the Horfes, and 
thence he fent back fome Mules to Ifabella to bring Bread 
and Wine, for they began to want Provifions, and the 
Journey was long, and they fuffered the more becaufe 
they were not yet ufed to the Ltdian Diet, as they are 
now, who live and travel in thofe Parts, who find the 
Food of that Country more eafy of Digeftion, and more 
agreeable to that Country, than what is carried from 
Eurcpey though it is not fo great Nourifiiment. 
The Admiral, paffing over the Mountains, on the i6th 
entred the Country of Cihaoy which is rough and ftony, 
full of Gravel, plentiful of Grafs, and watered by feve- 
ral Rivers, in which Gold was found. The farther they 
went into this Country, they found it encumbered m.ore 
with Mountains, on the Tops whereof appeared Grains 
of golden Sand j for, as the Admiral faid, great Rains 
carried it down froin the Tops ofMountains to the Rivers 
in fmall Sand. The Admiral perceiving he was now 1 8 
Leagues from Ifabellay and the Country he had left be- 
hind very craggy, he ordered a Fort to be built in a very 
pleafant and ftrong Place, which he called the Caftle of 
St. fhomaSy to command the Mines, and be a Place 
of Safety for the Chriftians that worked there. Here, 
breaking Ground to lay the Foundation, and cutting a 
Rock to make the Ditches, when they were got two 
Fathoms below the Stone, they found Nefts made of 
Hay and Straw, and, inftead of Eggs, three or four 
round Stones as big as Oranges, as artificially made as if 
they had.been Cannon Balls. And in the River that runs 
at the Foot of that Hill the Caftle now ftands upon, they 
found Stones of feveral Colours, fome of them large, of 
pure Marble, and others of Jafper. The Admiral, having 
given Orders for nnifhing the Caftle, fet out for Ifabellay 
and near the Green River met the Mules, and ftaid there, 
fending the Provifions to the Port afterwards, endeavour- 
ing to find the Ford of that River, and of the River 
del Oro y he ftaid fome Days in thofe Indian Tov/ns, 
eating their Bread and Garlic, came well to Ifabellay where 
Melons were already grown fit to eat, tho’ it was not 
above two Months fince the Seed was put into the 
Ground •, fo Cucumbers came up in 20 Days : A wild 
Vine of tliat Country, being pruned, produced Grapes 
which were good and large. 
On the 30th a Hufbandman gathered Ears of Wheat 
he had fown at the latter end of January , there were alfo 
Vetches, but milch bigger than thofe they fowed, and all 
they fowed fprung up above Ground in three Days, and 
the twenty-fifth Day they eat of it. The Stones of Fruit 
fet in the Ground fprouted out in feven Days, and the Vine- 
Branches fhot out in the fame time, and in twenty-five Days 
after they gathered green Grapes j the Sugar Canes budded 
in feven Days, wffiich proceeded from the Temperature of 
the Climate ; befides that the V 7 aters there are very thin, 
cold, '-and wholefome. The Admiral was well enough 
pleafed with the Air, the Soil, and the People of the 
Country. On the ift of April there came a Meffenger 
from Fort St. fhomasy who brought News that the In- 
dians of that Country fled y and that a Cazique, whofe 
Name was Caunaboy was preparing to come and attack the 
Fort. The Admiral knowing how inconfiderable the 
People of that Country were, made little Account of that 
Report, efpecially confidering the Horfes, by whom 
the Indians were afraid to be devoured, and therefore were 
fo much afraid, that they durft not go into any Houfe 
where a Horfe ftood j however, the Admiral thought fit 
to fend more Men and Provifions, confidering, that fince 
he defigned to go to difcover the Continent with three 
Caravels he had left him, it was fit to fecure all behind. 
Therefore, on the 2d, he fent feventy Men with Pro- 
vifions and Ammunition to the Fort; twenty-five of which 
were to keep guard, and the others help to make another 
Road, the firft being very troubiefome, as were the Fords 
of the Rivers. 
In the mean while, becaufe the Bifket grew towards an 
end, and they had no Flour but Wheat, he refolved to 
make fome Mills, though there v/as not a Fall of Water fit 
for that Purpofe within a League of the Town, at which 
Work he was forced to ftand over the Workmen, they all 
endeavouring to fave themfelves from Labour. After 
that, he refolved to fend out all the People that were in 
health, except Handicraftmen and Artificers, to the 
Royal Plain ; that, travelling about the Country, they 
might pacify it, ftrike a Terror into the IndianSy and by 
degrees be ufed < to their Food, fince they daily felt more 
Want of that of -Spain. Hojeda was fent to command 
thefe Men till they came to St. PhomaSy there to deliver 
them to Don Peter MargaritCy Hojeda himfelf to command 
in the Fort ; he having taken the Pains the Winter be^ 
fore, to difcover that Province of Cibao which in the In- 
dian Language fignifies Stony. Hojeda fet out from Ifabella 
the 29th of April towards St, Thomas y with this Party 
of Men, being above 400 ; and, having paffed the River 
del Oro, apprehended a Cazique that lived there, and a 
Nephew of his, fending them in Irons to tlie Admiral, and 
cut off the Ears of one of his Subjefts in the great Place 
in the Town, becaufe, three Chriftians going from St, 
Thomas to Ifabella, this Cazique gave them Indians to 
carry their Clothes over the River, at the Ford ; and they, 
being in the Middle of the River, returned to their 
Town with them ; and the Cazique, inftead of punifhing 
them, took the Clothes, refufing to deliver them. An- 
other Cazique, who dwelt beyond the River, relying on 
the Service lie had done the Chriftians, refolved to go 
with the Prifoners to Ifabella, and interceed with the Ge- 
neral for them, who entertained him courteoufly, and 
ordered the other Indians, with their Hands bound, to 
be publicly fentenced to die in the Market-place ; which 
the honeft Cazique feeing, with many Tears, obtained 
their Lives, promifmg they fhould never be guilty of any 
other Offence. The Admiral having difeharged them all, 
a Man on Horfeback came from St. Thomas% and gave 
an Account, that he had found in the Houfe of that 
fame Cazique, who had been Prifoner in his Town, five- 
Chriftians, taken by his Subjeds as they were coming from 
Ifabella -y and that he, frighting the Indians \mth. his Horfe, 
had releafed them, above 400 Men running away from 
him, of whom he wounded two in the Purfuit ; and that 
when he had paffed the River, he faw they turned upon the 
faid Chriftians, whereupon he made as if he would go back 
againft them ; but they, for fear of his Horfe, ail ran av/ay, 
left the Horfe fiiouid fly over the River. 
6. The Admiral being refolved to difcover the Continent, 
appointed a Council to govern the Ifland in his Abfence ; 
the Sway it confifted of was. Dr, James Columbus, his 
Brother, with the Title of Prefident ; F. Boy I and Peter 
Fernandez Colonel, Regents ; Alonfo Canahez de Corvajal, 
Rector of Bacca, and John de Luxan of Madrid, Gentle- 
a men 
i 
