From
The Log of Christopher Columbus:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15.
"I had been standing off and on this night for fear of not reaching
land to anchor before morning, not knowing whether the coast was
free from shoals or not, and so as to be able to hoist the sails at
dawn. And as the island might be more than five leagues distant,
rather it was about seven leagues, and the tide detained me, it was
about mid-day when I reached the said island; and I found that the
side which is toward San Salvador runs north and south a distance of
five leagues, and the other side which I followed extended east and
west a distance of more than ten leagues. And as from this island I
saw another larger one to the west, I hoisted the sails in order to
go all that day until night, because I would not have been able to
go even as far as the point at the west: to this island I gave the
name of the Isla de Santa Maria de la Concepcion, and almost at
sunset I anchored near the said Cape to learn if there was gold
there, because the natives whom I had caused to be taken on the
island of San Salvador told me that the people there wore very large
golden bracelets on the legs and arms. I quite believe that
everything they said was a hoax in order to flee. Nevertheless my
intention was, not to pass by any island of which I did not take
possession, although having taken one, it could not be said that all
were taken: and I anchored and remained there until to-day, Tuesday,
when at dawn I went to land with the boats armed and I landed, and
those people, who were many and as naked and of the same condition
as those of the other island of San Salvador, allowed us to go on
the island and gave us what we asked of them. And because the wind
blew across strongly from the south-east, I would not remain there
and left for the ship, and there was a large canoe beside the
caravel Nina and one of the men from the island of San Salvador who
was on board the caravel threw himself into the sea and went away in
the canoe, and the night before at midnight, the other having thrown
{blank in original} and went after the canoe, which fled {a medio
echado el otro...y fue atras la almadia, la qual fugoi} so that
there never was a boat which could overtake it, although we followed
it a long way. Nevertheless he gained the land and they left the
canoe, and some of my company went on land after them and all
scattered like chickens, and we took the canoe which they had left,
alongside the caravel Nina, where already there was coming from
another point another small canoe with a man who came to barter a
ball of cotton; and some sailors threw themselves into the sea and
took him, because he would not enter the caravel: and I, being on
the poop of the ship, saw everything and sent for him and gave him a
red bonnet and some small beads of green glass which I put on his
arm and two hawk's bells, which I put in his ears, and I ordered his
canoe, which also was in the boat, to be returned to him and I sent
him to land: and I made sail then in order to go to the other large
island which I saw to the west, and I ordered the other canoe, which
the caravel Nina was towing at the stern, to be loosened and I
afterwards watched the shore at the time of the landing of the other
Indian to whom I had given the aforesaid things and from whom I did
not take the ball of cotton, although he wished to give it to me:
and all the others went to him and he wondered greatly and it
appeared to him that we were very good people and that the other
Indian who had fled had done us some injury, and that we were taking
him on this account: and it was for this purpose that I pursued this
conduct with him and ordered him set at liberty and gave him the
said things, in order that they should hold us in this esteem and
that another time when your Highnesses send here again they may not
receive your people badly: and all that I gave them was not worth
four maravedis. And thus I departed, which might be at 10 o'clock,
with the wind south-east and inclining toward south, in order to go
to this other island which is very large and where all these men
whom I am bringing from the island of San Salvador make signs that
there is a great deal of gold and that they wear bracelets of it on
their arms and on their legs and in their ears and in their noses
and on their breasts. And it was nine leagues from this island of
Santa Maria to this other island east to west, and all this part of
the island runs north-west to south-east. And it appears that there
might well be more than 28 leagues of this coast on this side. And
it is very level without any mountain, the same as the coasts of the
islands of San Salvador and Santa Maria and all the coasts are free
from rocks, except that all have some rocks under water near the
land, on account of which it is necessary to keep the eyes open when
desirous of anchoring, and not to anchor very near land, although
the waters are always very clear and the bottom can be seen. And at
a distance of two lombard shots from all those islands the water is
so deep that the bottom cannot be reached. These islands are very
green and fertile and the breezes are very soft and there may be
many things which I do not know, because I did not wish to stop, in
order to discover and search many islands to find gold. And since
these people make signs thus, that they wear gold on their arms and
legs,--and it is gold, because I showed them some pieces which I
have,--I cannot fail with the aid of our Lord, in finding it where
it is native. And being in the middle of the gulf between these two
islands, that is to say, the island of Santa Maria and this large
one, which I named Fernandina, I found a man alone in a canoe who
was going from the island of Santa Maria to Fernandina, and was
carrying a little of his bread which might have been about as large
as the fist, and a gourd of water, and a piece of reddish earth
reduced to dust and afterwards kneaded, and some dry leaves I which
must be a thing very much appreciated among them because they had
already brought me some of them as a present at San Salvador: and he
was carrying a small basket of their kind, in which he had a string
of small glass beads and two blancas, by which I knew that he came
from the island of San Salvador, and had gone from there to Santa
Maria and was going to Fernandina. He came to the ship: I caused
him to enter it, as he asked to do so, and I had his canoe placed on
the ship and had everything which he was carrying guarded: and I
ordered that bread and honey be given him to eat and something to
drink. And I will go to Fernandina thus and will give him
everything which belongs to him, that he may give good reports of
us. So that, when your Highnesses send here, our Lord pleasing,
those who come may receive honour and the Indians will give them of
everything which they have."
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16.
I started from the islands of Santa Maria de la Concepcion when it
was already about noon, for the island of Fernandina, which appears
to be very large and is to the west, and I navigated all that day in
a calm: I was not able to arrive in time to see the bottom in order
to anchor in a clear place, because it is necessary to take great
pains about this so as not to lose the anchors: and so I stood off
and on all this night until day when I came to a village, where I
anchored, and at which that man whom I found yesterday in the canoe
in the middle of the gulf had arrived. He had given such good
reports of us that all this night there was no lack of canoes
alongside the ship, as the Indians brought us water and everything
which they had. I ordered something given to each one of them, that
is to say some little beads, 10 or 12 of them of glass on a thread,
and some brass timbrels of the kind which are worth a maravedi each
in Castile, and some leather straps, all of which they consider of
the greatest excellence, and also ordered molasses to be given them
that they might eat when they came on the ship: and then at the hour
of tercia I sent the ship's small vessel on land for water, and they
very willingly showed my people where the water was, and they
themselves brought the barrels full to the vessel, and were very
greatly rejoiced to give us pleasure. This island is very large and
I have determined to sail around it, because according to what I can
understand, in it or near it there are mines of gold. This island
is eight leagues distant from the island of Santa Maria, almost east
by west: and this point to which I came and all this coast extends
north-north-west by south-south-east and I saw fully 20 leagues of
it, but it did not end there. Now while writing this, I made sail
with the wind from the south in order to endeavour to sail around
all the island, and work until I find Samoat, which is the island or
city where the gold is, as all those Indians who come here on the
ship, say: and as those Indians from the island of San Salvador and
Santa Maria told us. The people of Fernandina are similar to those
of the said islands, and have the same language and customs, except
that these appear to me to be somewhat more domestic, of better
manners and more subtle, because I see that they have brought cotton
here to the ship and other little things for which they know better
how to exact payment than the others: and also on this island I saw
cotton cloths made like head-dresses {mantillas} and the people are
better disposed and the women wear in front a little piece of cotton
which barely covers their genital parts. This island is very green
and level and fertile, and I have no doubt that panic-grass {panizo}
may be sown and harvested all the year, and also all other things:
and I saw many trees very different from ours and among them many
which had branches of many kinds and all from one trunk, and one
little branch is of one kind and another of another kind and so
different that it is the greatest wonder in the world, how great is
the difference between one kind and another. For example, one
branch had leaves like canes, and another like mastich-trees: and
thus, on one tree alone, there are five or six of these kinds, and
all are different: neither are they grafted, that it may he said
that grafting does it; moreover are they found upon the mountains.
Neither do these people take any care of them. They do not know any
sect and I believe that they would very soon become Christians
because they possess very good intelligence. There are fish here so
different from ours that it is wonderful. There are some formed
like cocks of the finest colours in the world, blue, yellow, red and
of all colours, and others tinted in a thousand manners: and the
colours are so fine that there is not a man who does not wonder at
them, and who does not take great pleasure in seeing them. Also
there are whales. I saw no beasts on land of any kind except
parrots and lizards. A boy told me that he saw a large snake. I
did not see sheep nor goats, nor any other beast; although I have
been here a very short time, as it is mid-day, still if there had
been any, I could not have missed seeing some. I will write about
the circuit of this island after I have sailed around it."
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17.
"At noon I started from the village where I was anchored and where I
took water, in order to go and sail around this island of
Fernandina, and the wind was south-west and south: and as my wish
would be to follow this coast of this island where I was, to the
south-east, because it extends thus all north-north-west and
south-south-east: and I wished to follow the said course of the
south and south-east, because,--in that region, according to these
Indians I am bringing and another from whom I had indications,--in
that region of the south is the island which they call Samoet, where
gold is found. And Martin Alonzo Pinzon, captain of the caravel
Pinta, upon which I sent three of these Indians, came to me and told
me that one of them had very positively given him to understand that
he would more quickly sail around the island in the direction of the
north-north-west. I saw that the wind was not helping me on the
course I wished to follow and was favourable for the other. I made
sail to the north-north-west and when I was near the point of the
island, at a distance of two leagues, I found a very wonderful
harbour with one mouth: although it can be called two mouths because
it has an island in the centre. And these mouths are both very
narrow and the harbour is wide enough within for 100 ships, if it
were clear and deep, and deep enough at the entrance. It appeared
to me right to examine it well and sound it, and thus I anchored
outside of it and entered it with all the boats belonging to the
ships and we saw that it was not deep. And because I thought when I
saw it that it was the mouth of some river, I had ordered barrels
brought in order to take water, and on land I found some eight or
ten men who immediately came to us and showed us the village near
there, where I sent the people for water, one part with arms, others
with barrels, and so they took it: and because it wasn't a little
distance, I was detained for the space of two hours. During this
time I walked among those trees, which was a more beautiful thing to
see than any other I had ever seen: seeing so much verdure in such
condition as it is in the month of May in Andalusia, and the trees
were all as different from ours as day from night and also the
fruits and grasses and the stones and all the things. It is true
that some trees were of the same nature as those which are in
Castile, although there was a very great difference, and there were
so many other trees of other kinds that there is no one who can
identify them or compare them to those in Castile. All the people
were the same as the others already spoken of, of the same
condition, naked in the same manner and of the same stature and they
gave what they had for whatever thing we might give them: and here I
saw that some of the ship's boys bartered spears for some worthless
little pieces of broken porringers and glass, and the others who
went for the water told me how they had been in the houses of the
Indians and that they were very well swept and clean within, and
their beds and coverings were of things which are like nets of
cotton. Their houses are all like tents and are very high with good
chimneys: but I did not see any village among many which I saw,
which had more than 12 to 15 houses. Here they found that the
married women wore breech-cloths of cotton and the young girls none,
except some who were already eighteen years of age. And there were
dogs here, mastiffs and lap-dogs {blanchetes} and they found an
Indian here who had a piece of gold in his nose, which might be as
large as half a castellano, on which they saw letters. I scolded
them because they did not trade with him for it, and give him
whatever he demanded in order to see what it was, and whose money it
was: and they replied to me that he did not dare to exchange it with
them. After having taken the water, I returned to the ship and made
sail and went to the north-west, so far that I discovered all that
part of the island as far as the coast which extends east and west,
and then all these Indians said again that this island was smaller
than the island of Samoet, and that it would be well to return
backward in order to reach it more quickly. There the wind calmed
and then commenced to blow west-north-west, which was contrary for
our return to the place whence we had come, and so I returned and
navigated all the past night to the east-south-east and sometimes to
the east altogether and sometimes to the south-east. And I did this
in order to get away from the land because it was very dark and
cloudy and the weather was very threatening. The wind was light and
did not allow me to reach land in order to anchor. Therefore this
night it rained very hard from midnight almost until day, and it is
yet cloudy and ready to rain: and we are at the point of the island
on the south-eastern side where I hoped to anchor until the weather
clears, in order to see the other islands to which I must go: and so
it has rained a little or a great deal every day since I have been
in these Indies. Your Highnesses may believe that this land is
most fertile and temperate and level and the best there is in the
world."
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18.
"After the weather cleared I followed the wind and went around the
island when I was able, and anchored when the weather was not
suitable to navigate: but I did not land, and at dawn I made sail."
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19.
"At dawn I weighed the anchors and sent the caravel Pinta to the
east and south-east and the caravel Nina to the south-south-east,
and I, with the ship went to the south-east, having given orders
that both should follow that course until mid-day, and then that
both should change their courses and seek me: and then, before three
hours had passed, we saw an island to the east towards which we
directed ourselves, and all three ships reached it at the northern
point before mid-day, where there is a rocky islet and a reef
outside of it to the north, and another between it and the large
island: The men from San Salvador whom I am carrying, named this
island Saomete, and I named it Isabella. The wind was north and the
said rocky islet was in the course of the island of Fernandina, from
whence I had sailed east by west. And the coast of Isabella then
extended from the rocky islet to the west 12 leagues, as far as a
cape which I called the Cabo Hermoso, which is on the western side:
and thus it is beautiful, round and very prominent with no shoals
outside of it and at the point it is rocky and low, and farther
inland there is a sandy beach, as is almost all the said coast: and
I anchored here this night, Friday, until morning. All this coast
and the part of the island which I saw, is almost all a beach and
the island is the most beautiful thing I ever saw: for if the others
are very beautiful, this is more so: it has many very green and very
large trees: and the land is higher than that of the other islands
which have been found. And on it there are some hillocks which
cannot he called mountains, but which beautify the rest, and there
appear to be many waters yonder in the centre of the island. From
this side to the north-east there is a large point and there are
many large thick groves. I wished to go and anchor at this point in
order to land and see such a beautiful place: hut the water was
shallow and I could not anchor except quite a way from land and the
wind was very favourable for me to come to this cape, where I now
anchored, and which I named Cabo Hermoso {Cape Beautiful} for such
it is: and so I did not anchor at that point and also because I saw
this cape from yonder, so green and so beautiful like all the other
things and lands of these islands, so that I do not know where to go
first: neither do my eyes weary of seeing such beautiful verdure so
different from ours, and also I believe that there are here many
herbs and trees, which are of great value in Spain for dyeing, for
medicines and for spices, but I do not know them, which troubles me
greatly. And on reaching this cape there came such a soft, sweet
smell of flowers or trees from the land, that it was the sweetest
thing in the world. In the morning before leaving here I will go on
land to see what is here at this cape. There is no village except
farther inland where these men I am bringing with me, say the King
is and that he wears a great deal of gold. And in the morning I
wish to go far enough to find the village and see or talk with the
King, for according to the signs made by these Indians, he rules all
these neighbouring islands and is clothed and wears a great deal of
gold upon his person; although I do not put much faith in their
sayings, as much because I do not understand them well, as because
of knowing them to he so poor in gold that whatever small quantity
this King wears it appears a great deal to them. This cape which I
call Cabo Fermoso, I believe is an island apart from Saometo, and
even that there is another small one midway between. I do not care
to see so much thus in detail, because I could not do that in 50
years, and because I wish to go and discover the most that I can, in
order to return to your Highnesses, God willing, in April. It is
true that if I find where there is a quantity of gold or spices, it
will detain me until I obtain as much as possible of them: and on
this account I am not doing other than to go in search of them."
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20.
"To-day at sunrise, I weighed anchors from where I was anchored with
the ship at this island of Saometo at the south-west cape which I
named the Cabo de la laguna, as I had named the island Isabella, to
navigate to the north-east and to the east from the south-eastern
and southern part {of the island}, where, as I heard from these men
I have with me, there was a village and also the King of the island:
and I found all the water so shallow that I could not enter or sail
to it, and I saw that by following the south-west route it would be
a very large detour, and for this reason I determined to return by
the north-north-east on the western side, the way I had come, and
sail around this island in order to {lacuna: perhaps
reconocerla--reconnoitre}. The wind was so light that I never could
coast along the land except in the night: and as it is dangerous to
anchor among these islands except in the daytime, when the eves can
see where the anchor is thrown, because the bottom is all unequal,
one spot suitable and another not,--I began to stand off and on all
this Sunday night. The caravels anchored because they reached land
early, and they thought that with the signals which they were
accustomed to make, I would go and anchor, but I did not wish to do
so."
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21.
"At 10 o'clock I arrived here at this point of the islet and
anchored as did also the caravels: and after having eaten, I landed.
There was no other village here except one house, in which I did not
find any one, as I believe they had fled through fear because all
their domestic utensils were in the house. I did not allow my
people to touch anything but I went with them and with these
captains and people to see the island. If the other islands already
seen are very beautiful, green and fertile, this one is much more so
and has very large green groves. There are some large lakes here
and upon them and around them, there are wonderful groves. They are
very green here as well as in all the island and the grass is the
same as it is in April in Andalusia. And the singing of the little
birds is such that it appears a man would wish never to leave here,
and the flocks of parrots obscure the sun. And there are large and
small birds of so many kinds and so different from ours, that it is
wonderful. And then there are a thousand kinds of trees, each with
its own fruit and they are all wonderfully odoriferous. I am the
most troubled man in the world that I do not know them, because I am
very certain that they are all valuable things and I am bringing
specimens of them and also of the herbs. In walking thus around one
of these lakes I saw a serpent which we killed and I am bringing the
skin to your Highnesses. When it saw us, it threw itself into the
lake and we followed it there, as the water was not very deep, until
we killed it with spears. It is seven palms in length. I believe
there are many serpents like this one here in this lake. Here I
recognised some aloes and to-morrow I have determined to have ten
quintals brought to the ship, because they tell me it is very
valuable. Also in searching for good water, we went to a village
near here, a half league from where I am anchored: and the people of
this village, as they saw us, all took to flight and left their
houses, and hid their clothing ropas and what they possessed in
the mountain. I did not allow anything to be taken, not the value
of a pin. Afterward some of the men approached us and one came
quite up to us. I gave him some hawk's bells and some little glass
beads and he was very much pleased and very joyful. And that the
friendship might increase and that I might require something of
them, I asked him for water. And after I went on board the ship,
they then came to the shore with their gourds full, and were very
much pleased to give it to us. And I ordered that another string of
little glass beads should be given them, and they said that they
would come here to-morrow. I wished to fill all the ship's butts
with water here; therefore, if the weather permits, I will then
start and sail around this island, until I have speech with the King
and see if I can obtain from him the gold which I hear he wears.
And afterward I will leave for another very large island which I
believe must be Cipango, according to the indications which those
Indians I am taking with me, give me, and which they call Colba.
They say that at this island there are many large ships and many
skilled seamen. Near this island there is another which they call
Bosio, which they say is also very large. And I will see the other
islands which lie between in passing, and according to whether I
find a quantity of gold or spices, I will determine what must be
done. But still, I have determined to go to the mainland to the
city of Guisay and give your Highnesses' letters to the Great Khan,
and beg for a reply and come back with it."
MONDAY, OCTOBER 22.
All this night and to-day I remained here, waiting to see if the
King of this country or other persons would bring gold or anything
else of substance: and many of these people came, similar to the
other people of the other islands, naked like them and painted, some
white, some reddish, some blackish, and in many different fashions.
They brought spears and some balls of cotton to trade, which they
exchanged here with some sailors for pieces of glass, broken cups,
and for pieces of earthen porringers. Some of them wore pieces of
gold fastened to their noses, which they willingly gave for a hawk's
bell suitable for the foot of a sparrow-hawk, and for small glass
beads; but it is so small a quantity of gold, that it is nothing.
It is true that however little was given them for the gold, they yet
considered our coming very wonderful and believed that we had come
from heaven. We took water for the ships from a lake here which is
near the Point of the Island {cabo del isleo} as I shall name it:
and in the said lake Martin Alonso Pinzon, captain of the Pinta,
killed another serpent like the one of yesterday which was seven
palms in length, and here I had all the aloes taken which were
found."
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23.
"I would like to leave here to-day for the island of Cuba which I
believe must be Cipango {Japan} according to the description which
these people give of its size and richness, and I will not remain
here longer, neither {lacuna: perhaps--will I sail} around this
island to go to the village, as I had determined, in order to talk
with this King or Lord. For I must not delay much since I see that
there is no gold-mine and it needs many kinds of winds to sail
around this island, and it does not blow thus as men would like.
And as I must go where great trade may be had, I say that it is not
reasonable to delay, but to pursue my journey and discover much land
until I encounter a very profitable country, although my
understanding is that this one is very well provided with spices:
but I do not know them, which causes me the greatest trouble in the
world, as I see a thousand species of trees, each of which has its
kind of fruit and they are as green now as they are in Spain in the
months of May and June: and there are a thousand kinds of herbs the
same as of flowers, and of them all I recognised only these aloes,
of which I to-day also ordered a large quantity brought to the ship
to carry it to your Highnesses. And I have not made nor am I making
sail for Cuba, because there is no wind, but a dead calm, and it
rains hard: and it rained a great deal yesterday without making it
cool, but rather it is warm during tile day and the nights are
temperate like those in Spain in the month of May in Andalusia."
Columbus's Log: October, 1492 continued - 2