They Saw Several Sorts Of Trees Differing From Those On The Sea Coast, And An Extraordinary Variety Of Birds, Quite Different From Those Of Spain; But Among These There Were Partridges And Nightingales; And They Found No Quadrupeds, Except The Dogs Formerly Mentioned, That Could Not Bark.

The Indians had much land in cultivation, part in those roots before mentioned, and part sown with a grain named Maize, which was well tasted; either boiled whole, or made into flour.

They saw vast quantities of spun cotton, made up into clews, and thought there was above 12,000 weight of it in one house. This cotton grows wild in the fields, and opens of itself when ripe, and there were some heads open and others shut on the same plants; and this was held in so little estimation by the natives, that they would give a basket full for a leather thong, a piece of glazed earthen ware, or a bit of mirror. Being all naked, the only use to which this cotton was applied, was for net hammocks, in which they slept, and for weaving into small clouts to cover their nakedness. Being asked for gold and pearls, they said there was plenty of them at Bohio, pointing to the east. The Spaniards made much inquiry among the natives on board, for gold, and were told it camp from Cubanocan; which some thought meant the country of the Chan of Cathay, and that it was not far off, as their signs indicated four days journey. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, thought Cubanocan must be some great city, only distant four days journey; but it was afterwards found to be a province in the middle of Cuba, nocan signifying the middle, in which there are gold mines.

The admiral was not inclined to lose time in this uncertain inquiry, but ordered some Indians of several different parts to be seized, to carry them into Spain, that they might each give an account of their country, and serve as witnesses of his discovery. Twelve persons, men, women, and children, were secured; and when about to sail, the husband of one of the women, who had two children, came and solicited to go along with his wife and children; and the admiral ordered him to be received and treated kindly. The wind changing northerly, they were constrained to put into a port called Del Principe, which he only viewed from without, in a road-stead protected by a great number of islands, about a musket-shot asunder, and he called this place Mar de Nuestra Sennora, or Our Lady's Sea. The channels between the islands were deep, and the shores beautifully adorned with trees and green herbage. Some of the trees resembled mastic, and others lignum aloes, some like palms with smooth green stems, and many other kinds. Landing on these islands, they found no inhabitants, but there were the appearances of many fires having been made in them, by fishers; as the inhabitants of Cuba go there for fish and fowl, which are got in profusion.

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