chap. III. 
Christopher Columbus. 
II 
and the Admiral took fpeciai Care that no Offence ffioiild 
be o-iven them. He fent fix Men to fee the Town, where 
they entertained them as believing they came from Hea- 
ven. In the mean Time there came fome Canoes, with 
Men fent by a King, v/ho defired the Admiral to go to 
his Town, where he v/as waiting for him, with many 
People on a Point of Land. 
He went in the Boats, though many had intreated him 
not to go, but to ftay with them. As foon as the Boats 
came, the King fent the Spaniards Provifions, and feeing 
they accepted of them, they went to the Town for more, 
and for Parrots.' The Admiral gave the Indians Hawks- 
Bells, Glafs Baubles, and fome of Tin ; he returned to 
the Ships, the Women and Children crying out that he 
ffiould not go aw'ay. Some that, out of Curiofity fol- 
lowed him in Canoes, he gave Viduals to, as he did to 
others that fwam aboard from half a League Diflance ; 
though the Shore v/as covered wdth People, they could 
fee abundance coming and going crofs a* large Plain, 
which was afterwards called la Vega Real^ or the Royal 
Plain •, the Admiral again commended the Plarbour, and 
gave it the Name of St. Rhomas.^ becaufe he found it on 
his Day. The ;^2d, in the Morning, he was going in fearch 
of the Hands, which the Indians faid had much Gold, but 
was hindered by the Weather, and fent the Boats a-filh- 
ing ; and then one came from King Guacanagarl to de- 
fire him to go to his Country, and he would give him all 
he had, he being one of the five Sovereigns of the Hand, 
poffeffing the greateft Part of it on the North-fide, where 
the Admiral then was ; he fent him a Girdle he wore in- 
ftead of a Purfe, and a Vizor, with Ears, Tongue, and 
Nofe, of beaten Gold : The Girdle was adorned with fmall 
Fifh-Bones, like feed Pearl, curioufiy wrought, four 
Fingers broad. The Admiral refolved to go thither on 
the 23d, though to pleafe others, there went before fix 
Spaniards., becaufe the Indians were fo much delighted 
every where to fee them. 
The foul Weather detaining the Admiral, he fent a 
Notary to King Guacanagari, to acquaint him with it *, he 
alfo fent two of his Indians to a Town, to fee if there 
was any Gold, guelTing that there was Plenty of it ; and 
it was believed for certain, that this Day above a thoufand 
went aboard the Ships ; every one of them gave fome- 
thing, and, thofe who went not aboard from their Canoes 
cried, Take, take. The Notary went to Guacanagari, ~wh.o 
came out to meet him. He thought that Town more 
regular than any he had feen before. All the People 
gazed on the Chriftians with Joy and Admiration, and 
the King gave them Cotton Cloths, Parrots, and fome 
Pieces of Gold, and the People, what they had *, valuing 
the Toys the Spaniards gave them like Relics. Thus 
the Notary and his Companions returned to the Ships, 
attended by Indians. 
The 24th the Admiral w^ent to vifit Guacanagari-, the 
Diftance from Fort St. Thomas to the Place where the 
King was might be about four or five Leagues, and there 
he ftaid, till, feeing the Sea calm, he returned aboard, and 
went to bed, for he had not flept in two Days and a 
•Night. The W eather being calm the Sailor who was -at; 
the Helm left it to a Cabbin-boy, tho’ the Admiral had, 
during the whole Voyage, forbid the Steerfman ever to 
quit the Helm, and in reality they were out of Danger of 
Sholes or Rocks ; for on Sunday, when the Boats went 
to carry the Notary to the Cazique, they had furveyed 
ail the Coaft, and the Sholes there are from the Point of 
Land to the Eaft-fouth-eaft, for above three Leagues, and 
they had alfo obferved which W ay they might pafs, and 
finding themfelves in a dead Calm they went to fieep, and 
it happened the Current carried the Ship on very gently, 
till it ftruck on a Rock with fuch a dreadful Noife that it 
was heard a League off, and the Fellow that was at the 
Heim, finding the Rudder ftrike, roared out. 
The Admiral, hearing the Cry, was firft up, and then 
the Mafte'r, whofe Watch it was, and he ordered him, 
fince the Boat was out, to let fall an Anchor at the Stern, 
for by that Means they might, with the Help of the 
Capftain, ■ work c/at the Ship, and when bethought they 
were doing what he had ordered, he perceived that fome 
were making way in tlte Boat to the Caravel that lay to 
the Windward half a League from thence^ Gbfervmg 
that the Water ebbed, and the Ship was in danger, ha 
ordered to cut down the Mail, and lighten it, to fee if it 
might be faved j but it could not be done j the W ater 
falling away all at once, the Ship was every Moment left 
dry, and lay a-thwait the Sea j and tho* it was not rough, 
by reafon of the Calm, the Ship fprimk a Leak between 
the Ribs, and lay down on a Side, opened near the Keel, 
and was foon full of Water , and if the W ind had blo wn,- 
or the Sea been rough, not a Man had efcaped •, but had 
the Mafter done as the Admgal ordered him the Ship had 
got off fafe. The Boat came again to their Affiftance,. 
for thofe in the other Ship underftanding how the Cafe 
flood, not only refufed to receive thofe that had fled,’ 
but with them failed back to the Relief of the Diffreffed. 
There being no Poffibility of faving the Ship, Order was 
taken for faving the Men ; to which Purpofe the Admiral 
fent James de Arana and Peter Gutierrez, to acquaint 
Guacanagari that by going to vifit him he had loft his 
Ship a League and half from Land. Guacanagari la- 
mented this Misfortune, and immediately fent the Ca- 
noes, which in a Moment carried off all that were on the 
Decks ; and he came himfelf with his Brothers, and 
took particular Care that nothing flioiild be touched, flay- 
ing in Perfon to guard the Goods, and lent word to the 
Admiral not to be concerned, for he v/ould give him 
all he had ; and the Goods were carried to two Fioufes he 
had appointed to lay them up in. The Indians fo affection- 
ately gave their Help in this Diftrefs, that it could not 
have been better done in Spain •, for the People were gentle 
and loving, and their Language was eafy to be pronounced 
and learned •, and they had fome commendable Cuftoms,- 
and the King was ferved with much State, and he was 
very fedate ; and the People were fo curious in afldng,- 
that they would know a Reafon for every thing. 
On the 26th of December Guacanagari went on board 
the Caravel Nina, where the Admiral was in great Af- 
flidlion for the Lofs of his Ship : He comforted him, and 
offered him all he had. T wo Indians came from another 
Town, bringing Plates of Gold to exchange for 
Hawks-Bells, which were what they moft valued, and the 
Admiral had a Stock of thofe Baubles, grounded on the 
Experience he had learnt from the Portuguefe in Guinea.^ 
The Sailors alfo gave notice that others carried Gold, and 
gave it for Ribbons and other Trifles j Guacanagari ob-' 
ferving what the Admiral valued, faid he would caufe 
fome to be brought from Cibao •, and going afhore, he 
invited the Admiral to go eat Axis and Cazabi, which was 
their chief Diet ; and he gave him fome Mafks, with 
gold Eyes, Nofes, and Ears, with fome other fmall 
Things they wore about their Necks. He alfo complained 
to him of the Caribes who carryed away his People, which 
was the Reafon of his flying at firft, fuppofmg the 
Spaniards had been Caribes. The Admiral fhewed him liis 
Arms, and a Turkijh Bow with which a Spaniard fiiot very 
dexteroufly ^ but what he moft admired was the Cannon, 
for when they were fired, the Indians fell down as if they had 
been dead. The Admiral having found fo much Affection, 
and fuch Tokens of Gold , and believing the Country 
was fruitful and wholefome, judged that God had permit- 
' ted the Ship to be caft away to the end that a Settlement 
-apight be made there, and that the preaching and Know- 
ledge of his moft: holy Name might be begun in that Hand.- 
Tho. Indians went and came for Hawks-Bells, which were 
the Things they moft delighted in, and as foon as they 
came near the Caravel, they held up the Pieces of Gold, 
crying, Chique, Chuque, that is. Take, Take. An Indian 
came to the Shore with a Piece of Gold weighing half a 
Mark, (that is, four Ounces) and holding it in his Left- 
hand ftretched out the Right ^ and an Hawks-Bell being 
put into it, he let go the Gold and ran away, thinking 
he had cheated the Spaniard, The Admiral refolved to 
leave fome Men in that Country to trade with the People, 
and acquaint themfelves with the Country,, and learn the 
Language, that when he returned for Spain there might 
be fome capable to give Diredlions for making of a 
Settlement there ; and many offered themfelves to that 
Purpofe, 
He 
I 
