COLUMBUS DISCOVERS HISPANIOLA

WE

EDNESDAY, Dec. 5th. All last night they lay to off Cabo Lindo in order to examine the land which extended to the east and at sunrise discovered another cape in that direction, two leagues and a half distant, which having passed, they found the coast began to tend toward the south and southwest and presently discovered a lofty and handsome cape in that direction, about seven leagues from the last. The Admiral was inclined to steer that way, but his desire to visit the island of Babeque, which according to the indians (sic) was to the northeast, restrained him. The wind, however, blowing from the Northeast, hindered him from steering that way; proceeding onward, therefore, he descried land 2 in the southeast which appeared to be quite a large island, and acording to the information of the indians was very populous, and called Bohio. The inhabitants of Cuba or Juana, and those of the other islands entertained a great dread of these people, imagining them to be man-eaters. Other surprising relations the indians communicated by signs to the Spaniards, of which the Admiral does not avow his belief, but thinks the indians of Bohio to be a more ingenious and artful race than the others, as they were accustomed to make prisoners of them. The wind being northeast and inclining toward the north he determined to leave Cuba or Juana, which hitherto he had taken for a continent by its size, having sailed along the coast a hundred and twenty leagues. He therefore left the shore and steered southeast by east, as the land last discovered appeared in that direction. He took this course because the wind always came around from the north to the northeast, and from thence to east and southeast. It blew hard and they carried all sail, having a smooth sea, and a current favoring them, so that from morning to one o'clock in the afternoon they sailed eight miles an hour, for nearly six hours; the nights are stated to be here nearly fifteen hours long. After this, they went ten miles an hour, and by sunset had made a progress of eighty-eight miles, which are twenty-two leagues, all to the southeast. As night was coming

1 Excerpt from the Personal Narrative of the First Voyage of Columbus to America. From a manuscript recently discovered in Spain. Translated from the Spanish. [By Samuel Kettell.] Boston: Published by Thomas B. Wait and Son, 1827.

The manuscript is in the handwriting of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, and is evidently an abridgment of Columbus's original holographic Journal, which Las Casas had in his possession among many others of Columbus's papers. This abridged journal, consisting of seventy-six closely written folios, was published by Martín Fernández de Navarrete in 1825. These excerpts are from the first English translation, considered by later translators to contain some imperfections.-EDITOR.

2 This is the first sight of La Española, or Hispaniola, the island now divided into the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which was so important in the later history of the New World.-EDITOR.

on the caravel Nina, being a swift sailor, was dispatched ahead to look out for a harbor; she came to the mouth of one which resembled the bay of Cadiz, and it being dark, they sent the boat to sound it; the boat carried a light, and before the Admiral could come up with the Nina, who was beating up and down, waiting for the boat to make her a signal to enter, the light disappeared. Upon this she stood off to sea, making a light for the Admiral, and coming up they related what had happened. Presently the light on board the boat again appeared, when the Nina stood in for the land; the Admiral was not able to follow, but remained beating about all night.

Thursday, Dec. 6th. At day break he found himself four leagues from the harbour, which he named Puerto Maria,3 and saw a fine cape which bore south by west; to this he gave the name of Cabo del Estrella,* it was twenty eight miles distant, and appeared to be the southern extremity of the island. There appeared land in the east like an island of a moderate size, about forty miles distant. Another handsome and finely shaped headland was seen bearing east by south, at a distance of fifty-four miles, this he called Cabo del Elefante. Another bore

This is Mole Saint Nicholas.-EDITOR.

+ This is Cape Saint Nicholas. It has sometimes been called the Gibraltar of the New World, but though many defences have been built there, they have never withstood attack.-EDITOR.

east southeast, twenty-eight miles off, which he named Cabo de Cinquin. A large opening or bay which seemed to be a river was observed about twenty miles distant in the direction of southeast by east. There appeared to be between the two last mentioned capes a very wide channel which the sailors said separated an island from the main land; this island he named Tortuga. The land here appeared lofty, and not mountainous but even and level like the finest arable tracts. The whole or great part of it seemed under cultivation, and the plantations resembled the wheat fields in the plain of Cordova in the month of May. Many fires were seen during the night, and by day, a great number of smokes, which to appearance were signals giving notice of some people with whom they were at war. The whole coast runs to the east. In the evening the Admiral entered the above. mentioned harbor, which he named Puerto de San Nicolas, it being the day of that saint: he was astonished on entering, to observe the goodness and beauty of the harbour, and although he had highly praised the ports of Cuba, he declares that this is not inferior to any of them, but rather exceeds, and differs from them all. The entrance has a width of a league and a half, where a vessel should steer SSE. there being sufficient room to steer in any direction.

It extends in this manner to the SSE. two leagues: Here is a fine beach with a river, and trees of a thousand sorts all loaded with fruit, which the Admiral took for spices and nutmegs, but being unripe he could not get any knowledge of them. The water in this harbour is of a surprising depth, they not being able to reach bottom at a short distance from the shore with a line of forty fathoms; in other parts. they found fifteen fathoms, and a clear bottom; not a shoal is to be seen throughout the harbour, and the shore is so bold that an oar's length from it the water is five fathoms deep. Here is room sufficient for a thousand carracks to sail about in. At the SSE. the harbour offers a recess opening towards the NE., of about half a league in depth, and preserving the same breadth throughout its whole extent. This is shut in after such a manner, that within it the main entrance of the harbour cannot be seen. The depth of the water is everywhere eleven fathoms, with a fine clean sand at the bottom; the shore is bold, having eight fathoms water within a few feet distance. Here is a fine dry air, and the shore around free from wood. The land appeared the most rocky of any they had seen; the trees small, and many similar to those of Spain, as evergreen oaks, and strawberry trees; the same they remarked of the herbs. Since they had been in this part of the world, they had not experienced so cool a temperature of the air as they found at this place. A beautiful plain lay opposite the entrance of the harbour, through the midst of which flowed the

Columbus himself gave Tortugas its name, which is the Spanish word for turtles. It is over twenty miles long by about five miles wide and is famous for having been the home of the buccaneers in the seventeenth century.-EDITOR.

river mentioned above. The neighbourhood, the Admiral thought to be extremely populous, from the number and size of the canoes which were seen; some of them were as large as a fusta of fifteen oars. The indians all took to flight on perceiving the ships. Those whom the Spaniards had on board grew so earnest to return to their homes that the Admiral says he had some intention of carrying them thither at his departure from this place, and that they were mistrustful of him, for not taking his route that way. For this reason he declares that he put no trust in any of their representations, nor they in his. They appeared to have the greatest fear imaginable of the people of this island. The Admiral found that if he wished to obtain any communication with those on shore, it would be necessary to wait here some

The Island of Hispaniola, or "La Española," as charted by Peter Martyr in 1534.

days, which he was unwilling to do, as he could not depend upon the weather, and wished to make further discoveries. He hoped in our Lord that he should be able through the medium of the indians on board, to have some conversation with them upon his return; and may it please the Almighty, says he that I may find some good traffic in gold before that time.

Friday, Dec. 7th. At daybreak, they set sail and left the port of San Nicolas with a southwesterly wind, and stood on their course two leagues to the NE. towards a cape which forms the carenero, when a bay was seen to the SE. and Cabo de la Estrella to the SW. twenty-four miles distant. From thence they proceeded to the east, along the coast, about forty-eight miles to Cabo Cinquin, twenty

miles of which course they had gone E. by N. They found the land high and the water deep, close to the shore twenty and thirty fathoms, and a lombarda shot distant, no bottom; all which was proved by actual experiment of the Admiral through the day. He remarks that if the space between the bay above mentioned and the harbour of San Nicolas were cut through, it would form an island of three or four miles in circuit. The land, as before, very high and a (sic) trees not large but like evergreen oaks and strawberry trees, the country closely resembling Castile. Two leagues before arriving at Cabo Cinquin, they discovered an opening like a gap in the mountain within which was seen a very large valley, covered apparently with barley, a sign that this valley abounded with settlements; at the back of it were lofty and extensive mountains. Arrived at Cabo de Cinquin they found Cabo de Tortuga to bear NE., thirty-two miles distant. About a lombarda-shot from the Cabo de Cinquin, there is a rock rising above the water, very easily noticed. At this place Cabo del Elefante bore E. by S., seventy miles distant, the land all very lofty. Six leagues further onward was a bay, within which they discovered extensive valleys, and fields, with very high mountains, the whole country appearing like Castile. At eight miles distance they found a river, which was narrow although deep, and might easily admit a carrack, the mouth without banks or shallows. Sixteen miles further along they came to a harbour, both broad, and of such a depth that no bottom was obtained at the entrance, and the water was fifteen fathoms deep a few feet from the shore; it extended about a mile into the land. As the sky was very cloudy and threatened rain, an unfavourable state upon a coast, especially a strange one, the Admiral determined to put in here, although it was no later in the day than one o'clock, and a strong wind blew astern. This harbour he named Puerto de la Concepcion, and entering, landed near a small stream which flowed through fields and plains of wonderful beauty. They carried nets with them for fishing, and while rowing to the land, a skate similar to those of Spain, leaped into the boat; this was the first instance of their meeting with a fish which resembled those of their own country. Many of these were taken by the sailors, as well as soles, and other fish like the Spanish. Going some distance round the country they observed the soil all under cultivation, and heard the songs of the nightingale and many other Spanish birds. They met five indians who immediately fled. A myrtle-tree was seen, and other trees and plants like those of Castile, which, in fact, the whole country resembles.

Saturday, Dec. 8th. It rained very hard, with a strong north wind. The harbour was found secure from all winds except the north, which causes a great surf, driving the vessels from their moorings. At midnight the wind shifted to the NE., and afterward to