38

LIFE OF COLON, BY HIS SON.

CHAP. XXVIII. — How the two Chrijlians returned, and the Report they made of what

they had feen.

THE fhip being repaired and ready to fail, the Chriftians returned with two Indianson the 5th of November, faying they had travelled twelve leagues up the land, andcame to a town of fifty pretty large houfes, all of timber covered with ftraw, and madeafter the manner of pavillions, like the others; that they contained about one thoufandpeople, becaufe all that were of one family lived in a houfe ; that the principal men ofthe place came out to meet them, and led them by the arms to their town, giving themone of thofe great houfes to lodge in, where they made them fit down upon feats madeof one piece, in ftrange fhapes, and almoft like fome creature that had Ihort legs, andthe tail lifted up to lean againft, which is as broad as the feat, for the conveniency ofleaning, with a head before, and the eyes and ears of gold. Thefe feats they callduchi, where the Chriftians being feated, all the Indians fat about them on the ground,and then came one by one to kifs their hands and feet, believing they came fromheaven ; and they gave them fome boiled roots to eat, not unlike chefnuts in tafte ;earneftly entreating them to ftay there among them, or at leaft to reft themfelves fiveor fix days, becaufe the two Indians they took with them gave thofe people an excellent/chara&er of the Chriftians. Soon after many women coming in to fee them the menwent out, and thefe with no lefs refpefl; killed their feet and hands, offering them whatthey brought. When their time came to return to the (hips many Indians would go alongwith them, but they would admit only of the king, his fon and one fervant, whom theadmiral did much honour to ; and thefe Chriftians told him that in their way out andreturn they had found feveral towns, where they were entertained with the famecourtefy, but that there were not in them above five houfes together ; befides, that bythe way they met many people, who always carried a lighted firebrand, to light fire andperfume themfelves with certain herbs they carried along with them, and to roaft fomeof thofe roots they gave them, forafinuch as that was their principal food. They alfolaw very many forts of trees and plants, which were not to be feen about the fea-coaft ;and great variety of birds far differing from ours, but that among them there werepartridges and nightingales. As for four-footed creatures they had feen none, butdumb dogs. »• That there was a great deal of tilled land, fome fowed with thofe roots,a fort of beans, and a fort of grain they call maize, which was well tailed, baked ordried, and made into flour. They faw vaft quantities of cotton well fpun, in bottoms,infomuch that in one houfe only, they faw above twelve thoufand five hundredpounds of it. The plants it comes from are not fet but grow naturally about thefields like rofes, and open of themfelves when they are ripe, but not all at the fametime; for upon one and the fame plant they had feen a little young bud, anotheropen, and a third coming ripe. Of thefe plants the Indians afterwards carried greatquantities aboard the Ihips, and gave a balket-full for a thong of leather ; yet none ofthem make ufe of it to clothe themfelves, but only to make nets for their beds, whichthey call hamacas, and in weaving aprons for women to cover their nakednefs. Beingalked whether they had gold or pearls, or fpice, they made figns that there was greatplenty towards the eaft, in a country they called Bohio, which is the ifland of Hif-paniola, but it is not yet certainly known what place they meant.

CHAP.