lO 
V O Y 
niola^ he failed along the Coaft more to the Soiith-eaft 42 
Leagues, where he found large and fafe Harbours, and 
among them a River up the Mouth, whereof a Gaily 
could eafily pafs, though the Entrance could not be 
perceived, unlefs very near to it. The Convenience of the 
River invited him to go in the Length of the Boat, where 
he found eight fathom Water, and proceeding ftill far- 
ther, he faw a Canoe of twelve Oars on the Land, under 
a fort of Arbour, and in fome Houfes clofe by they found 
^ Mafs ot Wax, and a Man’s Head hanging in a little 
Baflcet at a Poll, the which Wax they carried to their 
Catholic Majefties, none being ever after found in Cuha^ 
whence it was concluded to have been brought from Tu- 
catan^ either by ftrefs of Weather in a Canoe, or fome 
other v/ay. They found no People to make any enquiry 
of them, becaufe they all fled, but faw another Canoe 95 
Spans in length, which could carry fifty Perfons, made of 
one entire Tree, like the reft ; and though they had no 
iron Tools to work them, the Inftruments they made ufe 
of, for that Purpofe, of Flints, proved fufficient, becaufe the 
Trees were very large, and the Heart of them very foft and 
fpimgy, fo that they eafily hollowed them with Flints. 
The Admiral arrived at the Eaftern Point of it, and 
fet out from thence on the 5th of December for Hifpaniola^ 
being eighteen Leagues over to the Eaftward, but could 
not reach it till the next Day, by reafon of the Currents. 
When he entred the Port he called it St. Nicholas.^ be- 
caufe it was that Saint’s Day, and found it fafe, fpacious, 
and deep, encompafted with thick Woods, though the 
Land is hilly, and the Trees not very large, like thofe in 
Spain ; for they faw Firrs and Myrtles, and a pleafant 
River ran into the Harbour ; and on the Shore there were 
many Canoes as big as Brigantines of twenty-five Oars. 
However, finding no People, he proceeded farther to the 
Northward, to the Port he called the Conception., to the 
Southward of anlfiand he called ten Leagues from 
Hifpaniola^ and finding that this Hand of Bohio was very 
large, and that the Soil and Trees were like thofe in Spain., 
as alfo that at one Draught of a Net, among other Sort 
of Fifh, they had taken Shads, Soles, and other Sort of 
Fifh known in Spain, which till then they had not feen 
in thofe Parts ; and that they had heard the Nightingale 
fing, with other European Birds which they admired, about 
December, he ftiled the Hand la Efpanola, by us corruptly 
called Hifpaniola. He thought fit the Name of Spain 
ftiould have place, though fome told him it would be 
more proper to call it Cafielana, becaufe only the King- 
doms Cafiile and Leon were concerned in that Conqueft. 
In regard that the Indians he had on board gave him fo 
good an Account, he was earneft to fee what Truth there 
was as to the Wealth of that Country, and to take a View 
of it ; but t\it Indians flying, and giving one another No- 
tice by Fires, he thought fit to fend out fix armed Spa- 
rdards, who having travelled far, returned without find- 
' ing any People, faying wonderful things of the Delight- 
fulnefs of the Land. Having ordered a great Crofs to be 
ereCted near the Mouth of the Harbour, on the Weft-fide, 
as three Sailors were in the Wood, feeking for proper 
Trees for that effebt, they fpy’d abundance of naked Peo- 
jple, who fled as foon as they faw the Spaniards. The 
Sailors running after them took a Woman who had a lit- 
tle Plate of Gold hanging at her Nofe. The Admiral gave 
her Hawks-Bells, Strings of Glafs-Beads, and caiifed a 
Shirt to be put upon her, and fo fent her away, with 
three of the Indians he had brought with him, and three 
Spaniards, to bear her company to her Habitation. 
10. The next Day he fent nine Spaniards, well armed, 
v/ith an Indian of San Salvador, which was four Leagues 
diftant to the South-eaft; they found a Town of a thou- 
fand Houfes abandoned, the Inhabitants being fled. The 
Indian went after them, and fo much extolled the Spani- 
ards, that they returned, and being fomewhat aftonifhed 
and trembling, laid their Elands on the Pleads of the 
Spaniards, by way of Honour and Refpeft, and carrying 
diem Provifions, defiring they would ftay that Night-, 
abundance of People then came up, carrying on their 
Shoulders the Woman to whom the Admiral had given 
the Shirt, with her Hufband, who was going to return 
diem Thanks, The Spaniards returned with an Account 
AGES of Book I. 
that the Country abounded in Provifions the People 
whiter and of better Countenances than thofe of the other 
Hands, more trabtable, and that the Country which pro-- 
duced Gold was more to Eaftward ; that the Men were 
not fo large, but ftrong boned, and grofs, without 
Beards, their Noftrils very wide, and their Foreheads 
fmooth and high, and that they made them fo at their 
Birth, reckoning it graceful ^ for which Reafon, and be- 
caufe they always went bareheaded, their Skulls were fo 
hard, that fometimes a SpaniJlj Sword would break upon 
their Heads. 
The Admiral was informed that the Lord of that Ter- 
ritory, whom they called a Cazique, was coming with 
two hundred Men to fee the Ships, and though young, 
they carried; him on a Palankin, on their Shoulders, and 
he had feveral Coimfellors ; when he came on board it 
was obferved, with Admiration, how great Refpebl they 
paid him, and how gravely he behaved. An Indian of 
the Hand Ifabella went and talked to him, telling him 
the Spaniards were heavenly Men. He went aboard, and 
when he came to the Quarter-deck, he made Signs for 
thole that were with him to ftay behind, excepting two 
who fat down at his Feet, and were his Counfellors. 
The Admiral ordered to give him to eat ; he took a lit- 
tle of every thing, and having tafted it, gave it to the 
other two, and afterwards carried it to the reft. They 
gave him Drink, and he only put it to his Mouth \ they 
all behave d themfelves very gravely, faid little ; his Men 
looked at his Mouth, and fpoke to him, and the Ad- 
miral, by means of the Indian Interpreter, gave him to 
underftand that he was Commander for their Majefties of 
Cafiile and Leon, the greateft Sovereigns in the World. 
But, neither the Cazique, nor the reft, would believe any 
other than that they came from Heaven. They feemed 
to the Admiral to be a more rational People, than thofe 
of the other Hands ^ and becaufe it grew late the Cazique 
returned afhore. The next Day, though the Wind was 
contrary, and blew hard, the Sea did not fwell, by reafon 
of the Shelter the Hand Tortuga afforded to that Coaft ; 
and fome Seamen wept a-fifhing, with whom the In- 
dians were well pleafed. Some Men went to the Town, 
and obtained little Plates of Gold for Glafs-Beads, which 
much pleafed the Admiral, becaufe he was very deflrous 
that fome Gold might be found in profecuting this Dif- 
covery, to fhew that his Promifes v/ere not vain. 
The King came again to the Shore, in the Afternoon, 
and then a Canoe arrived from the Hand T ortuga, with 
forty Men to fee the Spaniards at which the Cazique ap- 
peared to be concerned ; but all the Indians of Hifpaniola 
fat down on the Ground, in token of Peace, and thofe 
in the Canoe went afhore ; but the King ftood up, and 
threatning them, they went aboard their Canoe again. 
The Admiral, being refolved to difcover the Country, fet 
fail, and during all the 19th of December could not get 
out of that little Bay between the two Hands, nor put into 
the Harbour hard by it. He faw many Mountains, 
Woods, and Groves, and a little Hand, which he called 
St. Thomas. He judged that Hifpaniola had many Capes 
and Harbours, and he thought the Temperature of the 
Air moft pleafant, and the. Soil delightful. On the 20th 
he put into an Harbour, between the little Hand of St. 
Thomas and the Cape. Several Towns appeared, as alfo 
Fires ; becaufe the Seafon being dry, and the Grafs there 
growing high, they burnt it to make Ways-, for, as they 
were naked, the dry Weeds hurt them, and alfo to hunt 
the Utias, which they took with Fire. The Admiral 
entered the Port with the Boats, and, having viev/ed it, 
faid it was a very good one. Ele fent out to fee whether 
there was any Town near, and they found one at a little 
Diftance from the Sea -, they faw Indaans who kept a-loof 
from the Spaniards, but the Indians that cam.e aboard the 
Ships bid them not to fear ; and immediately fo many 
Men, Women, and Children came, that there was no 
feeing through the Throng. They carried Meat, Cala- 
bafhes with Water, and good Bread made of Maize or In- 
dian Wheat; they did not hide the Women, as had been 
done in other Parts, but all admired to fee the Chriftians, 
and ftanding amazed, glorified God. They were whiter 
and better lhaped, better natured, and more generous-. 
