There Being Nothing Worthy Of Notice In The Islands Of Guanaia, He Sailed
Thence To A Point Which He Called Casinas, In Order To Find Out The
Strait Before Mentioned.
It received this name on account of its abounding
in the trees which produce a species of fruit known by the name casinas
to the natives of Hispaniola; which fruit is rough like a spongy bone, and
good to eat, especially when boiled.
As there was nothing worthy of notice
in that part of the country, the admiral would not lose time in examining
a large bay which is in that place, but held on his course eastwards,
along that coast which reaches to Cape Garcias a Dios, which is all very
low and open. The people nearest to Cape Casinas, or Honduras, wear those
painted shirts or jackets before mentioned, and clouts before their
nudities; and likewise use certain coats of mail made of cotton, strong
enough to defend them against their native weapons, and even to ward off
the stroke of some of ours.
The people farther to the eastwards about Cape Garcias a Dios are almost
black, of a fierce aspect, go stark naked, are very savage, and according
to Giumbe eat mans flesh and raw fish. They have their ears bored with
holes, large enough to admit a hens egg, owing to which circumstance the
admiral called this coast De las Orejas, or the Land of Ears[10]. On
Sunday the 14th of August, Bartholomew Columbus went ashore in the morning,
with the captains and many of the men to hear mass; and on the Wednesday
following, when the boats went ashore to take formal possession of the
country, above 100 of the natives ran down to the shore loaded with
provisions; and as soon as the lieutenant landed, came before him, and
suddenly drew back without speaking a word. He ordered them to be
presented with horse-bells, beads, and other trinkets, and endeavoured to
make inquiry concerning the country by means of Giumbe; but he having been
only a short time with us, did not understand our language, and by reason
of his distance from Hispaniola, could not comprehend those of our people
who had learnt the language of that island; neither did he understand
those Indians. But they, being much pleased with what had been given them,
above 200 of them came next day to the shore, loaded with various sorts of
provisions; such as poultry much better than ours, geese, roasted fish,
red and white beans like kidney beans, and other things like the
productions of Hispaniola. This country, though low, was verdant and very
beautiful, producing abundance of pines and oaks, palm trees of seven
different kinds, mirabolans, of the kind called hobi in Hispaniola, and
almost all the kinds of provisions produced in that island were found here.
There were likewise abundance of deer, leopards, and other quadrupeds, and
all sorts of fish that are found either at the islands or in Spain.
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