LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON.

36

found a man in a fmall canoe, who had a piece of their bread, and a calabafh of water,and a little earth like Vermillion, wherewith thofe people paint their bodies, as was faidabove, and fome dry leaves, which they value, as being of a fweet fcent and wholefome ;and in a little bafket he had a firing of beads of green glafs, and two fmall pieces of Por-tuguefe money, by which it was gueffed that he was come from St. Salvador, that hehad palled by the Conception , and was going to Fernandina to carry news of theChriftians : but becaufe the way was far and he weary, he came to the Ihips, wastaken up with his canoe, and courteoufly treated by the admiral, defigning as foon ashe came to land to fend him afhore, which he did, that he might fpread the news.The good account he gave caufed the people of Fernandina to come aboard in theircanoes, to exchange the fame fort of things the others had done before, for thefepeople were like the reft; and when the boat went afhore for water, the Indians veryreadily fhowed where it was, and carried a fmall cafk-full on their fhoulders to fill thehogfheads in the boat. They feemed to be a wifer and difcreeter people than the firfl,and as fuch bargained harder for what they exchanged, had cotton Noth in their houfes,and bed-clothes; and the women covered their privities with fhort hanging cottoncloths, and others with a fort of fwathe. Among other notable things they faw inthat ifland, were fome trees which feemed to be grafted, becaufe they had leaves andbranches of four or five feveral forts, and yet were natural. They alfo faw fifhesof feveral fhapes and fine colours, but no fort of land creatures but lizards and fnakes.The better to difcover the ifland, they failed away north-weft, and came to an anchor atthe mouth of a beautiful harbour, at the entrance whereof was a fmall ifland, andtherefore they could not get in, there being but little water ; nor did they muchcare, becaufe they would not be far from a town that appeared at a diftance : for in thebiggeft ifland they had yet feen they had not found above twelve or fifteen houfestogether, built like tents, in which they faw no other ornaments or moveables butwhat they carried to the fhips to exchange. Their beds were like a net, drawn toge-ther in the nature of a fling tied to two ports in their houfes, in which they lie. Herethey faw fome dogs like maftiffs, and others like beagles, but none of them barked.

CHAP. XXVI. — How the Admiral Jailed by other JJlands that were in fight where

he was.

FINDING nothing of value in this ifland Fernandina, on Friday the 19th of Octoberthey failed away to another, called Saomotto, to which he gave the name of Ifabella, toproceed regularly in his names ; for the firft which the Indians called Guanabani hecalled St. Salvador, or St. Saviour, in honour of God , who had fhewed it, and deliveredhim from many dangers. The fecond, for his particular devotion, to the conceptionof the Virgin Mary , and becaufe fhe is the great patronefs of Chriftians, he calledSt. Mary of the Conception ; the third he called Fernandina, in honour of the CatholicKing ; and the fourth Ifabella, in memory of the Catholic Queen ; and the next afterit which was Cuba , he ftyled Joanna, in refpeft to Prince John, heir of Caftile, havingin thefe names regard to both fpirituals and temporals. True it is, that as to goodnefs,extent, and beauty, he faid this Fernandina far exceeded the others ; for befides that itabounded in delicious waters, pleafant meadows and trees, among which were many aloes;there were in it fome hills, which the others wanted, being very plain. The admiral ena-moured with its beauty, and to perform the ceremony of taking pofleflion, landed uponfome meadows as pleafant and delightful as they are in Spain in April; and there was

heard