Goes with seventeen Sail a second time to Hispaniola.
Mean while Columbus return’d in safety to Spain, and was receiv’d with great joy, King Ferdinand making him Admiral of the Sea, and sending his Brother Bartholomew Governor to Haytin, now call’d Hispaniola. The Gold, Parrots, Mastick, Aloes, the strange Bread Jucca, whose extracted Juyce is rank Poyson, but the Body makes good Meal, which kneaded and bak’d, yields a fine Manchet and wholesom Food, they look’d upon with great delight and admiration; but two of the Natives being naked, with Gold Rings through their Noses and Ears, Ornaments with them of high esteem, and signifying their no mean Quality, the People old and young came in Throngs to wonder at, never weary of gazing upon them. But the King, encourag’d by this Success, took no dilatory Course, but suddenly, and before any could expect, built fourteen stout Carvels, and three Frigats, and as soon mann’d them with twelve hundred Soldiers, besides a great number of Artificers of all sorts, with their Wives and Children, freighting them with Horses, Swine, Goats, Cattel for Breed, all sorts of European Corn to sow, Fruit-Trees and Vines to plant, and some Priests to instruct and convert the Natives to their Religion.
The Barbadoes, St. Christophers, &c.
The Huts of the Cannibals.
The second of September, Anno 1493. they set sail from Cadiz, and Anchor’d before Ferreo, the last and furthest of the Canary-Islands, where they could get no Water, but what dropp’d from the Dew hanging on Trees into Troughs. After that, Columbus came on the one and twentieth day amongst the Caribby-Islands, where he dropp’d Anchor before one, which he call’d Dominico; but finding it desolate, set sail further, and discover’d several other Coasts, where he likewise found nothing but very great Porcupines or Hedg-hogs, and sweet-smelling Trees. Steering forward, he found the Coasts of the Cannibals, which inhabited along the Shore in little Huts or Hovels, built round of Wood, and stak’d about on the out-side with long Poles, like Palisado’s: They have also Posts within, which are shorter, pleited and fastned together with Cotton, or long Roots of Trees, plyant like our Osiars, over which they hang Cloths painted with horrible Figures and strange Representations: The Roofs rise like our Canopy’d Tents, highest in the middle, cover’d with Palm-Tree Leaves to keep off the Rain: At the Entrances hang two Hairy Images on Poles, not for Religion sake, but Ornament: Their Bed-steads being high from the Ground, are fill’d with a kind of Straw; and in long Hovels fitted for that purpose they store their Sugar.
Island Guadalupe.
Columbus landing here, found all the Cannibals fled; but their Houses full of Stone Vessels, Cruises, Pans, and Pots, boyling with Mens Flesh, Parrots, and Wild-foul; the Hanches and Sides of young Men, on Spits roasting at the Fire, with the Splinters of whose broken Bones they headed their Arrows. This Island by the Inhabitants call’d Carucueria, Columbus chang’d to Guadalupe, because the Mountains rise up with their tops not unlike Estremadura in Spain, famous there for the wonderful Representation of our Lady, as that of the Lady of Loretto in Italy. Thirty Women which he had taken from the neighboring Isles, he sent with Presents to the fled Canibals, which the next day returning, made a great appearance near the Shore; but when they had gaz’d a while upon the Spaniards, looking stedfastly on one another, they suddenly ran back again, sheltring themselves in the Covert of the Woods. Columbus thinking it not worth his while to expect their return, seeing their barbarous Life, burnt and destroy’d all their Boats, and spoiling whatever he could, sail’d to Matanino.
Strange Women in Matanino.
The releas’d Women in Guadalupe, that came back again, inform’d the Spaniards, That Matanino was an Isle onely inhabited by Women, which at accustom’d times row’d over to these Cannibals, where a while they drove a Trade and Commerce of Love, the Product of which, if Girls, they kept; but the Boys they sent over to their Fathers. They live in Caves, the Mouths and Entrances of which they maintain and stoutly make good with their Bowe, shooting Arrows as thick as Hail at the approach of Men, after their impregnating by the Cannibals.
Remarkable Passage of Columbus.