Our First Object Was To Obtain A Supply Of Water; For Our Captain Was Sinking Daily Under The Distress Of His Wounds And Intolerable Thirst, And We Were All In Much Need Of That Indispensable Necessary Of Life.

Twenty of us, among whom I was one, went on shore with the casks as soon as possible, being warned by Alaminos to be on our guard against a sudden attack from the natives, who had fallen upon him by surprise when formerly on that coast.

We accordingly posted a guard in an open place near the shore, and set about digging some pits, in which we had the satisfaction to find excellent water. We remained about an hour washing our linens and bathing our wounds, which delay enabled the Indians to attack us, one of our centinels giving us the alarm only a few moments before they appeared. The Indians, who were tall, athletic men, dressed in the skins of beasts, immediately let fly a shower of arrows, by which six of us were wounded, and myself among the rest. We soon beat them off, however, when they went to the assistance of another party who had come round in some canoes, and were dragging away our boat, after wounding Alaminos and four sailors. We followed them as quickly as possible, wading up to our middles in the sea, and rescued the boat, after killing twenty-two of the Indians, and making prisoners of three who were only slightly wounded, yet died afterwards during our voyage to Cuba.

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