egrees and a half farther east,
a little more or less. So that, making the proportion, if twenty-four
hours are equal to three hundred and sixty degrees, what are five hours
and a half equal to? I found the result to be eighty-two degrees and a
half, which was equal to my longitude from the meridian of the city of
Cadiz, then giving to every degree sixteen leagues and two-thirds, which
is five thousand four hundred sixty-six miles and two-thirds. The reason
why I give sixteen leagues to each degree is because, according to
Tolomeo and Alfagrano, the earth turns twenty-four thousand miles, which
is equal to six thousand leagues, which, being divided by three hundred
sixty degrees, gives to each degree sixteen leagues and two-thirds. This
calculation I certified many times conjointly with the pilots, and found
it true and good.

It appears to me, most excellent Lorenzo, that by this voyage most of
those philosophers are controverted who say that the torrid zone cannot
be inhabited on account of the great heat. I have found the case to
be quite the contrary. I have found that the air is fresher and more
temperate in that region than beyond it, and that the inhabitants are
also more numerous here than they are in the other zones, for reasons
which will be given below. Thus it is certain that practice is of more
value than theory.

Thus far I have related the navigation I accomplished in the south and
west. It now remains for me to inform you of the appearance of the
country we discovered, the nature of the inhabitants, and their customs,
the animals we saw, and of many other things worthy of remembrance which
fell under my observation. After we turned our course to the north, the
first land we found to be inhabited was an island at ten degrees distant
from the equinoctial line. When we arrived at it we saw on the sea-shore
a great many people, who stood looking at us with astonishment. We
anchored within about a mile of the land, fitted out the boats, and
twenty-two men, well armed, made for land. The people, when they saw us
landing, and perceived that we were different from themselves--because
they have no beard and wear no clothing of any description, being also of
a different color, they being brown and we white--began to be afraid of
us, and all ran into the woods. With great exertion, by means of signs,
we reassured them and negotiated with them. We found that they were of
a race called cannibals, the greater part or