which belonged to the
Christians, and being themselves very poor, with nothing of value to give
in exchange, as soon as they got on board, if they could lay hold of
anything which struck their fancy, though it were only a piece of a
broken glazed earthen dish or porringer, they leaped with it into the sea
and swam on shore with their prize. If they brought anything on board
they would barter it for anything whatever belonging to our people, even
for a piece of broken glass; insomuch that some gave sixteen large clews
of well-spun cotton yarn, weighing twenty-five pounds, for three small
pieces of Portuguese brass coin not worth a farthing. Their liberality in
dealing did not proceed from their putting any great value on the things
themselves which they received from our people in return, but because
they valued them as belonging to the Christians, whom they believed
certainly to have come down from heaven, and they therefore earnestly
desired to have something from them as a memorial. In this manner all
this day was spent, and the islanders, as before, went all on shore at
night.

[Footnote 1: In the other editions this part of the sentence reads,
"concerning the islands of India beyond the Ganges, recently
discovered."]

[Footnote 2: The name of Isabella (Helisabet) is also omitted in the
title of one of Plannck's editions; it is found in the two other Roman
editions.]

[Footnote 3: The correct form is Gabriel Sanchez.]

[Footnote 4: April 29th.]

[Footnote 5: A mistake of the Latin translator. Columbus sailed from
Palos, August 3, 1492; on September 8th he left the Canaries, and on
October 11th, or thirty-three days later, he reached the Bahamas.]

[Footnote 6: In Spanish, San Salvador, one of the Bahama Islands. It
has been variously identified with Grand Turk, Cat, Watling, Mariguana,
Samana, and Acklin Islands. Watling's Island seems to have much in its
favor.]

[Footnote 7: Perhaps Crooked Island, or, according to others, North
Caico.]

[Footnote 8: Identified by some with Long Island, by others with Little
Inagua.]

[Footnote 9: Identified variously with Fortune Island and Great Inagua.]

[Footnote 10: The island of Cuba.]

[Footnote 11: China.]

[Footnote 12: Hispaniola, or Hayti.]

[Footnote:13 From Catalonia by the sea-coast to Fontarabia in Biscay.]

[Footnote 14: Identified with Dominica.]

[Footnote 15: Supposed to be Martinique.]

[Footnote 16: March 14, 1493.]

[Footnote 17: The n