all of whom live on human
flesh.

Your excellency may rest assured of this fact. They do not eat one
another, but, navigating with certain barks which they call 'canoes,'
they bring their prey from the neighboring islands or countries inhabited
by those who are enemies or of a different tribe from their own. They
never eat any women, unless they consider them outcasts. These things we
verified in many places where we found similar people. We often saw the
bones and heads of those who had been eaten, and they who had made the
repast admitted the fact, and said that their enemies always stood in
much greater fear on that account.

Still they are a people of gentle disposition and beautiful stature. They
go entirely naked, and the arms which they carry are bows and arrows and
shields. They are a people of great activity and much courage. They are
very excellent marksmen. In fine, we held much intercourse with them, and
they took us to one of their villages, about two leagues inland, and gave
us our breakfast. They gave whatever was asked of them, though I think
more through fear than affection; and after having been with them all one
day, we returned to the ships, still remaining on friendly terms with
them.

We sailed along the coast of this island, and saw by the seashore another
large village of the same tribe. We landed in the boats, and found they
were waiting for us, all loaded with provisions, and they gave us enough
to make a very good breakfast, according to their ideas of dishes. Seeing
they were such kind people, and treated us so well, we dared not take
anything from them, and made sail till we arrived at a gulf which is
called the Gulf of Paria. We anchored opposite the mouth of a great
river, which causes the water of this gulf to be fresh, and saw a large
village close to the sea. We were surprised at the great number of
people who were seen there. They were without arms, and seemed peaceably
disposed. We went ashore with the boats, and they received us with great
friendship, and took us to their houses, where they had made very good
preparations for breakfast. Here they gave us three sorts of wine to
drink, not of the juice of the grape, but made of fruits, like beer, and
they were excellent. Here, also, we ate many fresh acorns, a most royal
fruit. They gave us many other fruits, all different from ours and of
very good flavor, the flavor and odor of all being aromatic.

They gave us some small pearls