This Iland Desseado was called by that name by reason that the gulfe is great, and so many daies sayling, that when they do see it, is that after that they haue verie much desired the same, so that Desseado is as much to say, as "desired." This iland hath nigh and about it many other ilandes, one of The Iland Dominica. the which is that which is called La Dominica, which is peopled and inhabited by certaine Indians who are called Caribes, by such as do nauigate that way, which are a kind of people that doo eate humaine flesh: they are very expert archers, and very cruell: they do anoint their arrowes with a deadly earth, and so ful of poison, that the wound the which is made therewith can not be healed by any humaine remedie. This ilande is in fifteene degrees. It is verie little and not of much people, yet notwithstanding it hath beene the death of many Spaniardes both men and women: such as haue come thither in shippes, not knowing the daunger thereof, haue gone a shore for fresh water, or else to wash their lynnen, and vppon a soddaine vnlooked for, haue beene be set by the Indios, who haue slaine them, and after eaten them: and they say that it is very sweete flesh and sauorie, so that it be not of a fryer, for of fryers by no meanes they will eate, nor would not after that happened vnto them as hereafter followeth.
There was a ship that was bound vnto the firme land, and did arriue at that ilande, in the which went two religious fryers of the order of Saint Francis, and hauing no care as aforesayde, but very desirous to be a lande, they went a shore without any feare or suspition of any harme that might happen vnto them; and being at a riuer side sporting themselues with great recreation, by reason of the freshnesse thereof, easing themselues of the long and painefull nauigation which they had comming from the Ilandes of the Canarias vnto that place, when the Caribes did see them, without any feare, vpon a soddaine they descended from a mountayne, and did kill them all, without leauing any person aliue. Many dayes they made great feastes and bankets, eating of those bodies which they had slaine, some sodde and some roasted, as their pleasure was. So on a day they would amongest them eate one of the fathers, who was very They which did eate friers flesh did die madde. faire and white; but all that did eate of him in a little space did swell marueilously, and did die madde, with great gaspings that it was woonderfull to see: so that from that time, they remaine as warned neuer for to eate any more of the like flesh.
Of these euils they haue committed an infinite number, and haue at this day with them many Spaniardes both men and women, whose liues they pardoned for to serue their vses or euilles, because they were verie young, of the which they say that some haue fled away. They go naked like vnto the Indians, and doo speake their language, and are almost conuerted vnto their nature. This great inconuenience might be remedied, if that it did please his maiestie to command some generall that were bound vnto the firme land, or vnto the New Spaine, to make abode there a fewe dayes, and to roote out and make cleane that ilande of so euill and wicked people, which were a good deede, and they doo well deserue it, and to giue libertie vnto the poore Christians that are there captiue, a great companie of them. And it is saide of a truth that some of them be of good calling. There can none goe a lande on this ilande, but straightwayes they are discouered by such ordinarie spyes as they doo put to watch. And if they do see that those which doo come a land are many in number, and that they can not hurt them, they doo remaine in the highest part of the mountayne, or else amongest the thickest of woods and bushes, till such time as the shippes do depart, which is so soone as they haue taken fresh water or fire wood. They are great traytors, and when they see oportunitie they giue the assalt, in the manner as hath beene tolde you, and doo very much harme.
Nigh vnto this Ilande Dominica, towardes the northwest, is the Ilande of S. John de Puerto Rico, the which is in eighteene degrees: it is fortie and sixe leagues long and fiue and twentie leagues brode, and in compasse about an hundred and fiftie leagues. There is in it great store of Much kine, sugar, and ginger: wheat and gold. kyne, verie much sugar and ginger, and yeeldeth very much wheate. It is a lande of verie much golde, and is not laboured nor taken out of the earth for lacke of people; it hath verie good hauens and portes towardes the south, and towardes the north onely one, the which is sure and good, in respect whereof the Spaniardes did giue the name vnto the whole ilande, Puerto Rico, taking the name of the port or hauen. In it there is foure townes of Spaniardes, a bishoppe and a cathedrall church, and he that is prelat at this day is the reuerend father Don fryer Diego de Salamanca, of the order of S. Austin.
When the Spaniardes went first vnto this ilande, according vnto the report of the reuerende father de Las Casas, bishop of Chiapa, was in the year 1509. This iland was so full of trees and fruite that they gaue it the name of the Guertas;[49] Of sixe hundreth thousand Indians there remaineth none. and there were in it sixe hundredth thousande Indios, of the which at this day there remaineth not one.
[49] Orchards.
From this ilande vnto the ilande of Santo Domingo, is foure score leagues; I say, from one port vnto an other, and from poynt to point, but twelue leagues. They doo ordinarilie go from one port to an other in three dayes; but to returne they are more than a moneth, for because the winde is contrarie.