Taking His Course To The Westwards,
He Proceeded To Monte Christo And The Harbour Of Nativity, Where He
Inquired For Guacanagari, Who Happened To Be Absent; And Although His
People Said He Would Be Soon Back, The Admiral Was Unwilling To Delay His
Voyage.
He then advanced to the isle of Tortuga, but was forced back by
contrary winds, and came to anchor
In a river which he named Guadalquivir.
On the 29th of April he reached Port St Nicholas, whence he discovered the
eastern point of the island of Cuba, called Bayatiquiri by the natives,
but which he named Cape Alpha and Omega[1]. Crossing the strait between
Hispaniola and Cuba, which is eighteen leagues broad, he began to explore
the southern coast of Cuba, where he discovered a large bay, which he
named Puerto Grande[2], or Great Harbour, the mouth of which is an
hundred and fifty paces wide. He came to anchor here, and procured
considerable quantities of fish, brought by the Indians in canoes. On
Sunday the 7th of May he proceeded along the coast, which he found
everywhere provided with excellent harbours, high mountains, and numerous
rivers. As he kept everywhere as close as possible to the shore, infinite
numbers of Indians resorted continually to the ships in their canoes,
supplying the Spaniards freely with provisions, under the idea that they
were come from heaven: on these occasions the admiral always gave them
toys, with which they went away perfectly satisfied.
He now returned towards the south-east, on purpose to explore another
island named Jamaica, which some believe to have been the place so
frequently mentioned by the Indians of Lucayo, under the name of
Babeche or Bohio.
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