LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON. 35

gold which hung at their noftrils ; and being a iked whence they had that gold, theyanfwered by figns towards the fouth, where there was a King who had abundance ofpieces and veffels of gold, expreffing'that towards the fouth and fouth-weft, there weremany other iflands and large countries. Being very covetous of any thing of ours,and being themfelves but poor, and having nothing to give in exchange, as foon asthey came aboard, if they could lay their hands on any thing, though it were but apiece of a broken earthen glazed dilh or porringer, they leaped into the fea and fwamalhore; and if they brought any thing aboard, they would give it for any triflingthing of ours, or bit of broken glafs, fo that fome of them gave fixteen bottoms ofcotton for three fmall pieces of Portuguefe brafs coin not worth a farthing ; thefe bot-toms weighed twenty-five pounds, and the cotton was very well fpun. Thus theyfpent the day, and at night they all went alhore. It is to be obferved, that theirliberality in dealing did not proceed from the great value they put upon thole thingsthemfelves which they had of our men, but becaufe they valued them as being ours,looking upon it as nib 11 certain that our men were come down from heaven, andtherefore they earneftly defired to have fomething left them as a memorial.

CHAP. XXV. — How the Admiral departed from that Ifland , and went to difcover

others.

NEXT Sunday, being the' 15th’ of October, the admiral run along the coaft of theifland, towards the north-weft, in his boats, to difcover fomething about it; and thatway he went, he found a large bay or harbour capable of containing all the Ihips inGhriftendom. The people feeing him fcour along, ran after, along the Ihore, cryingout, and promifing to give him provifions, calling others to come to fee the peopledropped from heaven upon earth, and lifted up their hands to heaven, as it weregiving thanks for their coming. Many of them fwimming, or in their canoes, as bellthey could, came to the boats, alking by figns, whether they were come down fromheaven, and praying them to land and reft themfelves. The admiral gave them allglafs beads, pins, and other trifles, rejoicing at their great fimplicity, till he came to apeninfula, which made a good port, and where a good fort might be made. Therehe faw fix houfes of the Indians with gardens about them, as pleafant as they are inCaftile in May. But his men being weary of rowing, and he plainly perceiving thatwas none of the land he looked for, nor fo beneficial, as that he Ihould make anylonger ftay there, he took feven of thofe Indians to ferve him as interpreters; andreturning to his Ihips, failed for other iflands that could be difcovered from the penin-fula, and appeared to be plain, green, and very populous, as the Indians themfelvesaffirmed. The next day being Monday, the 16th of O&ober, he came to one thatwas feven leagues from the other, and called it St. Mary of the Conception . Thatfide of this ifland next St. Salvador extended north-weft five leagues in length, butthe admiral went to that fide which lies eaft and weft, and is above ten leagues inlength; and being come to an anchor towards the weft, landed to do as he had donein the other. Here the people of the ifland ran together to fee the Chriftians, ad-miring as the others had done. The admiral perceiving this was the fame thing asthe laft, the next day, being Tuefday, failed weftward to another ifland confiderablybigger, and anchored upon the. coaft of it, which runs north-weft and fouth-eaft, abovetwenty-eight leagues. This was like the others, plain, had a fine ftrand, and wascalled Fernandina. Before they came to this ifland, and that of the Conception , they

F 2 found