- E. [9] By The Description Of The Route In The Foregoing Narrative, The Distances Appear To Have Been, From Isabella To The Pass Of Hidalgos 3 Leagues; From Hidalgos To The Pass Of Cibao 11 Leagues; And From This Latter Pass To The Castle Of St Thomas 4 Leagues:

In all 18 leagues as in the text.

- E.

[10] This story, like the iron pan in Dominica formerly mentioned, seems to have gained circumstances in its passage to the author. Such collections of balls or round stones are not uncommon in mines, and are termed nests: The hay and straw seem an embellishment. - E.

[11] In a former passage he was said to have waited for the convoy of provisions before going to Cibao, which must have been an oversight in the author. - E.

[11a] All these mighty promises of mines turned out only torrents and rivulets, in the beds of which gold dust and grains were found with infinite labour, and which, after the destruction of the natives, were all abandoned as unprofitable. - E.

[12] Flamingos.

[13] The remarkable whiteness of these three natives might have proceeded from the use of white pigments, which, as well as red and black, were used by the natives of the West India islands. - E.

[14] There must be a gross error here in the original translation, as the circumstance of towing ships in such shallow water is impossible. The passage ought probably to be thus understood: "There was not a foot of water to spare, and the wind being foul the channel was too narrow to turn through, which occasioned the necessity of towing." As expressed in the text, the boats could not have floated. - E.

[15] These strong descriptive epithets seem to have been colloquial exaggerations of the recounter to Don Ferdinand Columbus. - E.

[16] Columbus seems now to have changed his course, back again the way be came, though not clearly so expressed in the text. - E.

[17] Probably alluding to the dress of the Spanish priest who had said mass, and explanatory of the clothed natives who had been seen in that place during this voyage. - E.

[18] This bread, which is called cassada or cassava in the British West Indies, is made from the roots of Manioca pounded or grated, and carefully pressed free from its juice, which is alleged to be poisonous. The process will be found minutely described in other parts of this collection. - E.

[19] It is not competent in the bounds of a note to enter upon philosophical discussions. But it may be shortly mentioned that the regular evening rains can be easily accounted for upon Dr Huttons ingenious theory of rain. The heated land air loaded to saturation with water, by the periodical change of the land and sea breezes, meets and mixes with the colder sea air, likewise saturated. The reduced mean temperature of the mixture is no longer able to hold the same quantity of water in solution, and the superabundant quantity precipitates in rain. Hence likewise the prodigious rains in all warm latitudes at the changes of the monsoon. The observation of Columbus respecting clearing away the woods has been verified in several West India islands. - E.

[20] The longitude of Cadiz is 6 deg.18' W. from Greenwich. That of Saono, the modern name of Adamanoi, is 68 deg.30'. The difference between these is only 62 deg.12', or four hours five minutes. The calculation in the text therefore is one hour and eighteen minutes erroneous in point of time, and 12 deg.15' in longitude; and would remove the east end of Hispaniola, to long 80 deg.45' west from Greenwich, considerably beyond the west end of Jamaica. - E.

[21] Our author forgets what he had said a few pages before, that the admiral had previously resolved to return to Isabella, on account of wanting provisions to continue the voyage. - E.

[22] This is probably the first instance of a civilized nation employing the horrid alliance of ferocious animals to hunt down their brethren like beasts of chase. Once only were the British arms disgraced by a demonstration of using this savage mode of warfare, which it is to be hoped will never be again heard of in our annals. - E.

[23] The measure of gold dust in the text seems enormous, and I am disposed to believe that instead of the large horse bell, mentioned in the text, a large hawks bell ought to be substituted. It is difficult, perhaps impossible to estimate the population of St Domingo at this period, and thence to form a conjecture as to the amount of the tribute. From the preceding account of the number of subordinate caciques, and the large force opposed to Columbus, perhaps Hispaniola might then contain 500,000 inhabitants of all ages, half of whom, or 250,000, might be liable to the tax. Supposing 50,000 of these employed as gold finders, and to pay one ounce each annually, worth L. 4 the ounce, this would produce L. 200,000. The remaining 200,000 paying 100 libs. of cotton each, would give twenty million of pounds; and this rated at sixpence a pound would produce L. 500,000, making the whole revenue L. 700,000 a-year, a prodigious sum in those days; but out of which the expences of government and the admirals share were to be defrayed. All this can only be considered as an approximation or mere conjecture. - E.

[24] It is a singularly perverted devotion that praises the Almighty for success in murder, rapine, and injustice; and doubtless a devout Spaniard of those days would sing Te Deum for the comfortable exhibition of an auto de fe, in which those who differed from the dogmas of the holy Catholic church were burnt for the glory of GOD. The ways of Providence are inscrutable, and are best viewed by human ignorance in silent humility and reverential awe. - E.

[25] It is surely possible that a good Catholic, accustomed to the worship of images, might not see idolatry in the ceremonies of the Hispaniolans; but the sentiment seems darkly expressed.

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