Invited by the convenient appearance of the place,
he went up the river in a boat, finding eight fathom
water at the entrance. He proceeded some way up
the river, the banks of which were pleasantly embellished
with fine trees swarming with a variety of birds.
At length he came to some houses, where a boat was
found under an arbour, having twelve thwarts, or seats
for rowers, and in one of the houses they found a
mass of wax, and a mans head hanging in a basket.
This wax was carried to their majesties, but as no
more was ever found in Cuba, it was afterwards supposed
to have been brought from Yucatan. They found
no people in this place, as they had all fled, but
they saw another canoe ninety-five spans long, capable
of holding fifty persons, made all of one piece of
wood like the rest, and hollowed out with tools of
flint.
After sailing 107 leagues eastwards along the coast
of Cuba, the admiral arrived at its eastern end, and
departed thence on the 5th December for Hispaniola,
which is only 18 leagues distant; yet he could not
reach it till next day, on account of the currents.
On the 6th he came to a harbour which he called St
Nicholas, at the western extremity of Hispaniola,
having discovered it on the day of that Saint.
This port is safe, spacious, and deep, surrounded
by thick groves and a mountainous land; the trees,
however, were not large, and resembled those of Spain;
among others, there were found pine and myrtle.
A pleasant river discharged itself into this harbour,
and on its banks were many canoes, as large as brigantines,
of 25 benches. Finding no people, he went on
to the north-east, to a harbour which he named Conception,
south from a small island called Tortuga, 10 leagues
north of Hispaniola. Observing this island of
Bohio to be very large, that its land and trees resembled
Spain, that his people caught, among other fish, many
skates, soles, and other fishes like those in Spain,
and that nightingales and other European birds were
heard to sing in the month of December, at which they
much admired; the admiral named this land La Espannola,
which we now corruptly write Hispaniola.
Some thought it ought to have been named Castellana,
as the crown of Castile alone was concerned in this
expedition of discovery. As he had received a
favourable account of this island from the Indians,
he was desirous of learning whether it were really
so wealthy as they represented; and, as the natives
all fled, communicating the alarm from place to place
by fires, he sent six well armed Spaniards into the
interior to explore the country. These people
returned, after having proceeded a considerable way
without finding any inhabitants; but they reported
wonders of the deliciousness of the country.
One day three of the seamen having gone into a wood,
saw many naked people, who fled as soon as they saw
our men into the thickest parts of the wood; but the
sailors pursued and took a woman, who had a small
plate of gold hanging at her nose. The admiral
gave her some hawks-bells and glass beads, and ordered
her to have a shirt, and sent her away with three
Spaniards, and three of the Indian captives, to accompany
her to her dwelling.
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