Leaving two vessels in the harbour of Isabella to serve the colony in any case of emergency, the admiral set sail on Thursday the 24th of April 1494, with one large ship and two caravels. 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.

[1] The eastern point of Cuba, in Lat. 20° 22' N. Long. 74° 3' W. is now named Cape Maize.--E.

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. He accordingly reached the coast of Jamaica on Monday the 14th of May, and thought it the most beautiful of all the islands he had yet seen, and from it great numbers of canoes came off to the ships; yet on sending the boats to explore and sound a port, a great many armed canoes interposed to hinder the Spaniards from landing. The admiral therefore made sail towards another place, which he named Puerto Bueno, or the Good Harbour, where a similar opposition was made by the natives. Irritated by this unfriendly reception, the admiral ordered a flight of arrows to be discharged among the Indians from his cross-bows, by which six or seven of them were wounded, after which the rest of the natives came peaceably to the ships. Next Friday, being the 18th May, he sailed along the coast to the westwards, so near the shore that many canoes continually followed the ships, bartering such things as they possessed for any baubles given them by the Spaniards. The wind being always contrary, the admiral resolved to return to Cuba, that he might satisfy himself whether it were an island or continent. At this time an Indian youth came on board, and expressed by signs an anxious desire to go along with the Christians; and though his parents and friends entreated him with tears not to leave them, he would not be prevailed on to stay, but went and hid himself in a private part of the ship, to avoid their importunity.

On returning to the coast of Cuba, he discovered a cape or point, which he called Cabo de Cruz, or Cape Cross; and continued to sail along the coast, accompanied by much rain, and a great deal of thunder and lightning. In this course he was greatly perplexed by numerous shoals and islands, which increased in number the farther he went, some of the Islands being bare sand, while others were covered with trees. The nearer these islands were to the shore of Cuba, they appeared the higher, greener, and more beautiful, some of them being a league or two in compass, and others, three or four. On the first day he saw many, and the next still more; and considering that they were so numerous that it was impossible to give each a name, he called the whole group or range El Jarden de la Reyna, or the Queen's Garden. Between these islands there were many channels through which the ships could pass; and in some of them they found a sort of red cranes, or flamingos, which are only found on the coast of Cuba and among the small islands, living on the salt water upon some kind of food which they there find. These birds are often domesticated, and are then fed on cazabi, or casada, which is the Indian bread, and which is given them in pans of salt water. They saw cranes likewise, resembling those in Spain; also crows, and many kinds of singing-birds, and abundance of tortoises or turtles as large as bucklers.

At this time the Spaniards were much astonished by a new mode of fishing which they saw practised by some Indians in a canoe, who shewed no symptoms of dread on the approach of the Christians. These people in the first place caught some fishes called reves, the largest of which are about the size of a pilchard, and have a certain roughness on their belly, by which they cling with such force to any thing they have a mind to, that they may be sooner torn in pieces than forced to quit their hold. Having caught some of these, the Indian fishermen fastened them by the tail to one end of a small cord about 200 fathoms long, and allowed the fish to swim about in the water, holding fast by the other end of the line. When this fish came to a tortoise, it clung so close to the under shell of the tortoise, that the men drew up one of an hundred weight or more into their canoe. In the same manner they take sharks, the fiercest and most ravenous creatures of the deep, which even devour men. When the Indians had satisfied themselves with fishing, they came on board the admirals ship, who ordered them to have a number of toys, and from them it was learnt that there were many more islands to the west along the coast. The admiral continued his way to the westwards among the islands, constantly having much rain with thunder and lightning every evening, which continued till the moon rose; and though all imaginable care was taken, the ship often touched and stuck, and was got off with much labour. In one of the islands of this group, larger than the rest, and which he named Santa Martha, he found a town, in which there was abundance of fish, many dogs which did not bark, large flocks of flamingos or red cranes, plenty of parrots and other birds, but the inhabitants all fled.

Being in want of water, and not finding any in the small islands, the admiral drew near the coast of Cuba. On account of the thickness of the trees close down to the waters edge, it was impossible to discover whether there were any towns or not; but one of the sailors having penetrated some way into the woods, met thirty men armed with spears, and a kind of wooden swords, called mazanos by the Indians: he alleged likewise that one of the natives was clothed with a white garment down to his heels, like a surplice; but neither his person nor any of the others, could be afterwards found, as they all fled into the woods. Proceeding about ten leagues further on, they espied some houses, whence several men came off in their canoes, bringing provisions and calabashes of water, for which they were rewarded with toys. The admiral requested them to leave one of their men with him, to give him some information respecting the country, to which they reluctantly consented. This person almost satisfied the admiral that Cuba was an island, and he reported that a cacique who dwelt farther towards the west, gave all his orders to his people by signs, yet was obeyed by them. While continuing their way, the ships got aground on a bank of sand, having only six feet water, and only two ships lengths across, where they were obliged to force the ships over into deeper water with much ado, by carrying out anchors and heaving the capstans with all their might. At this place the whole sea was covered over with large sea-tortoises or turtle. At one time so great a flight of crows passed over the ships, going from the sea towards Cuba, that the sun was hid from sight as by a large cloud, and these were followed by prodigious flights of pigeons, sea-gulls, and many other kinds of birds. Next day such multitudes of butterflies came off from the shore, that they hid the light of the sun; and this continued till night, when they were all carried away by heavy rains.

Being informed by the Indian whom he had taken on board, that the numerous islands continued all along the coast in the direction he was now sailing, so that the toil and danger they had so long suffered would increase; and being likewise in want of provisions, the admiral came to the resolution of returning to Hispaniola; but, wishing to provide a supply of wood and water, he made for an island about 30 leagues in circumference, which he called the Evangelist, but which is now believed to be that called Isla de Pinos, or Isle of Pines. This island was reckoned 700 leagues distant from Hispaniola[3]. Had the admiral proceeded 36 leagues farther on, he would have discovered the extreme west point of Cuba[4]. Thus the admiral had sailed on this discovery 333 leagues[5]; and computing his voyage by astronomical rules, from Cadiz to the west, he found that he had sailed 75 degrees in longitude, which are equal to five hours in the difference of time[6]. On Friday the 13th of June, the admiral steered to the southward through what seemed to be a fair channel, but it was found quite impracticable; finding themselves thus embayed among shoals, and running short of provisions, the people were much discouraged; but by the perseverance and resolution of the admiral, he got the ships back to Evangelist Island. He then steered to the north-east for certain islands about five leagues off, where they came to a part of the sea that was full of green and white spots, appearing like shoals, but they never had less than twelve feet water. Seven leagues from thence they came to a very white sea, as if it had been congealed; and seven leagues farther on the sea became as black as ink, and continued so all the way to the coast of Cuba. The sailors were much amazed at these changes in the colour of the sea, which is understood to proceed from the colour of the bottom, not of the water, as is reported by the Portuguese to be the case with the Red Sea; and similar spots have been observed both in the South and North Sea. Among the windward islands there are similar white spots, because the bottom is white, hence we may conclude that these appearances proceed from the transparency of the water.

[2] Now called Cumberland Bay.--E.

[3] At 17-1/2 leagues to the degree, the distance between the Isle of Pines and Isabella is only 192 leagues: Or even counting twenty to the degree, only 220 marine leagues.--E.

The admiral continued sailing along the southern coast of Cuba towards the east, always through narrow channels full of shoals, and with a scanty wind. On the 30th of June the admiral's ship stuck fast on a shoal, and could not be hauled astern by all their anchors and cables; but at length, by his ingenuity, she was forced a-head right over the shoal. Proceeding continually on in no regular course, just as was permitted by the shoals and islands, passing always through a very white sea, and having great showers of rain every evening, the admiral came at length to that part of the island of Cuba towards the east where he had entered among the shoals and islands of the Jarden de la Reyna, where they smelt most fragrant odours, as of storax, proceeding from the odoriferous wood which is there burnt by the Indians. On the 7th of July, the admiral went on shore to hear mass; and while that ceremony was performing an old cacique came to the place, who observantly noted every thing that was done by the priest, how reverently the Christians behaved themselves, and the respect which was paid by every one to the admiral: Supposing him to be the chief over all the rest, the cacique presented him with some of the fruit of that country in a platter or basin made of the shell of a gourd or calabash, called by the natives ybueras; and then sat down on his hams, which is the manner of the Indians when they have not their usual low stools. The cacique then addressed the admiral as follows: "You, who are of great power, have come into our country, and have occasioned much terror among us. According to our belief, there are two places in the other world to which the souls of men go after death. One of these is dark and dismal, and is prepared for the souls of the wicked; the other is pleasant and delightful, and is appointed for the reception of those who promote peace among mortals. If, therefore, you expect to die, and that men will be rewarded hereafter according to their deserts in this life, you will not harm those who do you none. What you have been now engaged in is good, as I suppose you have been giving thanks to God." This man said, moreover, that he had been in Hispaniola and Jamaica, and to the farther end of Cuba, and that the lord of that country was clad like the priest he had seen officiating. All this was understood by the admiral by means of an interpreter, and he was amazed at the ingenious discourse of the old Indian, to whom he made the following answer: "He was much rejoiced to learn that the natives believed in the immortality of the soul, and in future rewards and punishments. As for himself, he was sent to take a view of the countries by a powerful monarch, and to inquire if there were any who did wrong to others; and hearing that the Caribbees did so, he was resolved to curb them, that all might live together in peace." The old cacique shed tears of joy at this intelligence, and declared he would accompany the admiral into Spain, were it not on account of his wife and children. Being presented with some toys by the admiral, he knelt down in great admiration, often asking whether these men were born in heaven or on the earth.