BOOK
II.

.1492.

THE Europeans were hardly lefs amazed at the scene now before them. Every herb, and fhrub, and tree, was different from those which flourished in Europe. The foil feemed to be rich, but bore few marks of cultivation. The climate, even to the Spaniards, felt warm, though extremely delightful. The inhabitants appeared in the fimple innocence of nature, entirely naked. Their black hair, long and uncurled, floated upon their fhoulders, or was bound in treffes around their heads. They had no beards, and every part of their bodies was perfectly fmooth. Their complexion was of a dufky copper colour, their features fingular, rather than disagreeable, their afpect gentle and timid. Though not tall, they were well shaped and active. Their faces, and feveral parts of their body, were fantastically painted with glaring colours. They were fhy at firft through fear, but foon became familiar with the Spaniards, and with transports of joy received from them hawks-bells, glafs beads, or other baubles, in return for which they gave fuch provisions as they had, and fome cotton yarn, the only commodity of value that they could produce. Towards evening, Columbus returned to his fhip, accompanied by many of the islanders in their boats, which they called canoes, and though rudely formed out of the trunk of a fingle tree, they rowed them with

furprising

furprising dexterity. Thus, in the firft inter- BOOK

view between the inhabitants of the old and new worlds, every thing was conducted amicably, and to their mutual fatisfaction. The former, enlightened and ambitious, formed already vaft ideas with respect to the advantages which they might derive from the regions that began to open to their view. The latter, fimple and undiscerning, had no forefight of the calamities and defolation which were approaching their country.

COLUMBUS, who now affumed the title and authority of admiral and viceroy, called the island which he had discovered San Salvador. It is better known by the name of Guanabani, which the natives gave to it, and is one of that large cluster of islands called the Lucaya or Bahama ifles. It is fituated above three thousand miles to the weft of Gomera, from which the fquadron took its departure, and only four degrees to the fouth of it; fo little had Columbus deviated from the westerly courfe, which he had chofen as the most proper.

1492.

Columbus

affumes the

ile of adviceroy.

miral and

towards the

COLUMBUS employed the next day in vifiting Proceeds the coafts of the ifland; and from the univerfal fouth. poverty of the inhabitants, he perceived that this was not the rich country for which he fought.

K 2

fought. But, conformably to his theory concerning the discovery of those regions of Afia which ftretched towards the eaft, he concluded that San Salvador was one of the ifles which geographers defcribed as fituated in the great ocean adjacent to India'. Having obferved that moft of the people whom he had feen wore fmall plates of gold, by way of ornament, in their noftrils, he eagerly inquired where they got that precious metal. They pointed towards the fouth, and made him comprehend by figns, that gold abounded in countries fituated in that quarter. Thither he immediately determined to direct his courfe, in full confidence of finding there those opulent regions which had been the object of his voyage, and would be a recom pence for all his toils and dangers. He took along with him feven of the natives of San Salyador, that, by acquiring the Spanish language, they might ferve as guides and interpreters; and thofe innocent people confidered it as a mark of diftinction when they were felected to accompany him.

HE faw feveral islands, and touched at three of the largeft, on which he bestowed the names of St. Mary of the Conception, Fernandina, and

Pet. Mart. epift. 135.

Isabella.

11.

1492.

Ifabella. But as their foil, productions, and BOK inhabitants, nearly refembled thofe of San Salvador, he made no ftay in any of them. He inquired everywhere for gold, and the figns that were uniformly made by way of answer, confirmed him in the opinion that it was brought from the fouth. He followed that courfe, and foon difcovered a country which appeared very extenfive, not perfectly level, like those which he had already visited, but fo diverfified with rifing grounds, hills, rivers, woods, and plains, that he was uncertain whether it might prove an island, or part of the continent. The natives of San Salvador, whom he had on board, called it Cuba; Columbus gave it the name of Juanna. He entered the mouth of a large river with his fquadron, and all the inhabitants fled to the mountains as he approached the fhore. But as he resolved to careen his fhips in that place, he fent fome Spaniards, together with one of the people of San Salvador, to view the interior part of the country. They, having advanced above fixty miles from the fhore, reported, upon their return, that the foil was richer and more cultivated than any they had hitherto difcovered; that, befides many fcattered cottages, they had found one village, containing above a thousand inhabitants; that the people, though naked, feemed to be more intelligent

K 3

II.

1492.

BOOK intelligent than those of San Salvador, but had treated them with the fame refpectful attention, kiffing their feet, and honouring them as facred beings allied to Heaven; that they had given. them to eat a certain root, the taste of which resembled roasted chefnuts, and likewise a fingular fpecies of corn called maize, which, either when roafted whole or ground into meal, was abundantly palatable; that there feemed to be. no four-footed animals in the country, but a fpecies of dogs, which could not bark, and a creature resembling a rabbit, but of a much fmaller fize; that they had obferved fome ornaments of gold among the people, but of no great value ".

His conjec

tures with

THESE meffengers had prevailed with fome regard to it. of the natives to accompany them, who informed Columbus, that the gold of which they made their ornaments was found in Cubanacan. By this word they meant the middle or inland part of Cuba; but Columbus, being ignorant of their language, as well as unaccustomed to their pronunciation, and his thoughts running continually upon his own theory concerning the difcovery of the Eaft Indies, he was led, by the refemblance of found, to fuppofe that they spoke

"Life of Columbus, c. 24-28. Herrera, dec. 1. lib. i C. 14.

of