The King Or Great Cacique Perceiving That The Admiral Was Much
Gratified By This Information, Told Him He Would Give Orders To Bring A
Great Quantity Of Gold From A Place Called Cibao, Where It Was To Be Had
In Great Abundance.
Afterwards, when the admiral was on shore, the cacique
invited him to eat axis and cazabi, which formed the principal diet of the
Indians[7].
He likewise presented him with some masks or vizors, having
their eyes, noses, and ears, made of gold, and many pretty ornaments of
that metal which the Indians wore about their necks.
The cacique complained to the admiral of a nation called the Caribs, who
used often to carry away his men to make slaves of or to eat them; and he
was greatly rejoiced when the admiral shewed him the superiority of the
European weapons, and promised to defend him and his people against the
Caribs. He was much astonished at our cannon, which so terrified the
natives that they fell down as if dead on hearing the report. Finding
therefore so much kindness among these people, and such strong indications
of gold, the admiral almost forgot his grief for the loss of his ship,
thinking that God had so ordered on purpose to fix a colony of Christians
in that place, where they might trade and acquire a thorough knowledge of
the country and people, by learning the language and conversing with the
natives; so that when he returned from Spain with succours and
reinforcements, he might have several persons qualified to assist and
direct him in subduing and peopling the country; and he was the more
inclined to this measure, that many of the people voluntarily offered to
remain and inhabit the place.
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