At This Time There Came Some Canoes With Indians, Sent By A Cacique To Request The Admiral Would Come To His Town, Where He Waited For Him, With Many Of His People, At A Point Or Cape, Not Far Distant.

He went accordingly with the boats, though the people of the place where he now was entreated him to stay.

On landing, the cacique sent provisions to the Spaniards; and, on finding these were received, he dispatched some Indians to fetch more, and some parrots. The admiral gave them hawks-bells, glass beads, and other toys, and returned to the ships, the women and children crying out for him to remain. He ordered meat to be given to some of the Indians that followed him in canoes, and others who swam half a league to the caravels. Though the whole shore seemed covered with people, great numbers were seen constantly going to and from the interior country, across a great plain which was afterwards called La Vega Real, or the Royal Plain. The admiral admired this harbour, to which he gave the name of Port St Thomas, because discovered on the day of that saint.

On Saturday the 22d, the admiral intended to have departed from this place in search of those islands where the Indians said there was much gold, but was hindered by the weather, and therefore sent the boat to catch fish. Soon after there came a man from Guacanagari, desiring the admiral would come to his country, and he would give him all he possessed. This person was one of the five sovereigns, or superior caciques of the island, and was lord of most of its northern side, on which the admiral then was. Guacanagari sent to the admiral, by his messenger, a girdle which he wore instead of a purse, and a vizor or mask, having the ears, tongue, and nose all made of beaten gold. The girdle was four fingers broad, all covered with small fish bones, curiously wrought, and resembled seed pearls. The admiral was resolved to depart on the 23d; but in the first place, he sent the notary and six other Spaniards on shore, to gratify the natives; who treated them well, and bartered some cotton and grains of gold for toys. About 120 canoes came off to the ships with provisions, and well made earthen pitchers painted red, filled with good water. They likewise brought some of their spice, which they called Axi; and to shew that it was wholesome, they mixed some of it in a dish of water, and drank it off. As the bad weather detained the ships, the admiral sent the notary, accompanied by two Indians, to a town where Guacanagari resided, to see if he could procure gold; for, having got some considerable quantity of late, he believed it might be more plentiful in this part. It was computed that not less than 1000 men came off to the ships this day, every one of whom gave something; and those who could not get from their canoes into the ships, because of the multitude, called out for those on board to take from them what they had brought. From all that he had seen, the admiral concluded that the island might be as large as England. The notary was received by Guacanagari, who came out of his town to meet him, and he thought that town more regularly built than any he had seen; and all the natives gazed on the Spaniards with surprise and admiration. The cacique gave them cotton-cloths, parrots, and some pieces of gold; and the people parted with any thing they had for the merest trifles, which they kept as relics. On Monday the 24th, the admiral went on shore to visit Guacanagari, whose residence was four or five leagues from the port of St Thomas. After his return to the ships, he went to bed, the weather being quite calm, as he had not slept during two days and a night. The weather being so fine the steersman left the helm in charge of a grummet, although the admiral had expressly commanded, whatever should be the weather, that he who was entrusted with the helm should never leave it to any other person. In truth, no danger was apprehended from rocks or shoals; as on Sunday, when the boats attended the notary to the residence of the cacique, they had sounded all the coast for three leagues to the S.E. from the point, and had made observation how the ships might pass in safety; and as it was now a dead calm, all went to sleep; thinking themselves free from all kind of danger. It so happened that the current carried on the ship imperceptibly[7], till at last the lad at the helm perceiving the rudder to strike; gave the alarm. The admiral was the first on deck, after whom came the master, whose watch it was. He was ordered, as the boat was afloat, to get an anchor into the boat, that it might be carried out astern and dropped in deep water; in hopes, by means of the capstern, to heave the ship from the rock on which it lay. But, instead of executing these orders, the people in the boat immediately made off towards the other caravel, which was half a league to windward. In this emergency, perceiving that the water ebbed perceptibly, and that the vessel was in danger of oversetting, the admiral ordered the mast to be cut by the board, and many of the things to be thrown into the sea, to lighten the vessel and get her off. But nothing would do, as the water ebbed apace, and the ship every moment stuck the faster; and though the sea was calm, the ship lay athwart the current, her seams opened, she heeled to one side, sprung a leak below, and filled with water. Had the wind been boisterous, or the sea rough, not a man would have escaped; whereas, if the master had executed the orders of the admiral, the ship might have been saved.

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