LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON. 37

heard the finging of nightingales and other birds fo fweet that he could fcarce depart.Nor were they only about the trees, but flew through the air in fuch fwarms that theydarkened he fun, and moll of them differed much from bur birds. There beingabundance of water and lakes, near to one of them they favv a fort of alligator, fevenfeet long, and above afoot wide in the Belly, which being difturbed by our men threwitfelf into the lake ; but it not being deep they killed it with their fpears, not withoutdread and admiration, becaufe of its fierce and frightful look. Time afterwards madethem look upon this as a dainty, it being the beft food the Indians had, forafmuch aswhen that horrid fkin and the fcales that cover it are taken off the flefh is very whiteand very delicious ; the Indians call them yvanas. Being very defirous to know moreof that country, and it being then late, they left that creature for the next day, whenthey killed another, -as they had done the firft ; and travelling up the land found atown, the people whereof fled, carrying away as much of their goods as they could.The admiral would not fuffer any thing of what they had left to be taken away, ledthey fhould look upon the Chriftians as thieves. Therefore their fear being foon over*they came of their own accord to the fhips to barter as the others had done.

CHAP. XXVII. — How the Admiral difcovered the IJland of Cuba ; and what he

found there .

THE admiral having learned the fecrets of the ifland Ifabella, its produft, and themanners of the people, would lofe no more time among thofe iflands, becaufe theywere many and like one another, as the Indians faid. He therefore fet fail with a fairwind for a very large country much applauded by them all, called Cuba , which laytowards the fouth, and on Sunday the 28th of Odober, be came up with the coaft ofit on the north fide. This ifland at firft fight appeared to be better and richer thanthofe before-named, as well by reafon of the beauty of its hills and mountains, as forthe variety of trees, the large plains, and the greatnefs and extent of its coafts andrivers. Therefore to get fome knowledge of its people, he came to an anchor in alarge river, where the trees were very thick and tall, adorned with fruit and bloffoms,differing from ours, and where there were abundance of birds, the place molt deli-cious, for the grafs was high, and nothing like ours ; and though there were feveralforts of herbs known to us, yet the great variety made our men not know them.Going to two houfes that were not far off, they found the people were fled for fear,and had left their nets and all other fifhing-tackle, and a dog that did not bark. As theadmiral had ordered, nothing was touched, for it was enough for him at prefent to feewhat their food and neceffaries were. Returning to their fhips they held on their courfewellward, and came to another river, which the admiral called de Mares, or of feas.This much exceeded the other, becaufe a fhip could turn it up, and the banks were muchinhabited ; but the people feeing the fhips, fled towards the mountains, which appeared,and were high, round, and covered with trees and pleafant plants, whither the Indiansconveyed all they could carry away. The admiral being disappointed, by the people’sfear, of learning any thing of the nature of the ifland, and confidering if he landed withmany men it would increafe their terror, he refolved to fend two Chriftians, with oneof the Indians he brought from St. Salvador, and with one of that country, who ven-tured to come aboard in his canoe. Thefe he ordered to- travel up into the country,making much of the natives they met by the way ; and that no time might be loftwhilft they were going, he ordered the fhip to be laid afhore to careen her, wherethey obferved that all the fire they made was maftic, whereof there was plenty all thecountry over. This tree is in all refpe&s like our maftic-tree, but much bigger.

1 CHAP.