This Second Day The Natives, As Said Before, Brought Various Articles To
Barter For Such Small Things As They Could Procure In Exchange.
Jewels or
metals of any kind were not seen among them, except some small plates of
gold which hung
From their nostrils; and on being questioned from whence
they procured the gold, they answered by signs that they had it from the
south, where there was a king who possessed abundance of pieces and
vessels of gold; and they made our people to understand that there were
many other islands and large countries to the south and south-west. They
were very covetous to get possession of any thing which belonged to the
Christians, and being themselves very poor, with nothing of value to give
in exchange, as soon as they got on board, if they could lay hold of any
thing which struck their fancy, though it were only a piece of a broken
glazed earthen dish or porringer, they leaped with it into the sea and
swam on shore with their prize. If they brought any thing on board they
would barter it for any thing whatever belonging to our people, even for a
piece of broken glass; insomuch that some gave sixteen large clews of well
spun cotton yarn, weighing twenty-five pounds, for three small pieces of
Portuguese brass coin not worth a farthing. Their liberality in dealing
did not proceed from their putting any great value on the things
themselves which they received from our people in return, but because they
valued them as belonging to the Christians, whom they believed certainly
to have come down from Heaven, and they therefore earnestly desired to
have something from them as a memorial. In this manner all this day was
spent, and the islanders as before went all on shore at night.
Next Sunday, being the 15th of October, the admiral sailed in his boats
along the coast of the island of St Salvador towards the north-west, to
examine its nature and extent, and discovered a bay of sufficient capacity
to contain all the ships in Christendom. As he rowed along the coast, the
people ran after him on shore inviting him to land with offers of
provisions, and calling to each other to come and see the people who had
come down from Heaven to visit the earth, and lifting up their hands to
Heaven as if giving thanks for their arrival. Many of them in their canoes,
or by swimming as they best could, came to the boats asking by signs
whether they came down from Heaven, and entreating them to come on shore
to rest and refresh themselves. The admiral gave to all of them glass
beads, pins and other trifles, being much pleased at their simplicity; and
at length came to a peninsula having a good harbour, and where a good fort
might have been made. He there saw six of the Indian houses, having
gardens about them as pleasant as those of Castile in the month of May,
though now well advanced in October. But the people being fatigued with
rowing, and finding no land so inviting as to induce him to make any
longer stay, he returned to his ships, taking seven of the Indians along
with him to serve as interpreters, and made sail for certain other islands
which he had seen from the peninsula, which all appeared to be plain and
green and full of inhabitants.
The next day, being Monday the 16th of October, he came to an island which
was six leagues from St Salvador, to which he gave the name of St Mary of
the Conception. That side of this second island which is nearest to St
Salvador extended north-west about five leagues; but the side to which the
admiral went lies east and west, and is about ten leagues long. Casting
anchor off the west point of this island, he landed and took possession.
Here the people flocked to see the Christians, expressing their wonder and
admiration as had been done in the former island.
Perceiving that this was entirely similar to St Salvador, he sailed on the
17th from this island, and went westwards to another island considerably
larger, being above twenty-eight leagues from north-west to south-east.
This like the others was quite plain and had a fine beach of easy access,
and he named it Fernandina. While sailing between the island of Conception
and Fernandina they found a man paddling along in a small canoe, who had
with him a piece of their bread, a calabash full of water, a small
quantity of a red earth like vermilion, with which these people paint
themselves, and some dried leaves which they value for their sweet scent
and as being very wholesome; and in a little basket he had a string of
green glass beads and two small pieces of Portuguese coin: Whence it was
concluded that he had come from St Salvador past the Conception, and was
going in all haste to Fernandina to carry the news of the appearance of
the Christians. But as the way was long and he was weary, he came to the
ships and was taken on board, both himself and his canoe, and was
courteously treated by the admiral, who sent him on shore as soon as he
came to land, that he might spread the news. The favourable account he
gave caused the people of Fernandina to come on board in their canoes, to
exchange the same kind of things as had been done at the two former
islands; and when the boats went on shore for water, the Indians both
readily shewed where it was to be got, and carried the small casks full on
their shoulders to fill the hogsheads in the boats.
The inhabitants of Fernandina seemed to be a wiser and discreeter people
than those in the two former islands, as they bargained harder for what
they exchanged; they had cotton cloth in their houses as bed-clothes, and
some of the women wore short cotton cloths to cover their nakedness, while
others had a sort of swathe for the same purpose.
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