a
little south of Point Barcos. Taking in a supply of water and wood, he
skirted the coast southward, with the result that he ran into the
land-locked recesses of the Bay of Sunianea. Finding no thoroughfare in
that direction, he sailed back almost to the Bay of Cortez, and then
made his way along the Cuban coast, through the archipelagoes, milky
seas and what not which had given him so much trouble on his westward
trip.

It was on July 7 that the next landing in Cuba was made, at a point on
the southeastern coast of Camaguey, and at the mouth of a fine river
which Columbus called the Rio de la Missa but the identity of which is
now uncertain. It may have been the San Juan de Najasa or the Sevilla,
or one of the several streams between those two. There, in a most genial
and fruitful region, they spent some days and established friendly
relations with the chief of a considerable community. In the presence of
this chief and his retainers an altar was erected beneath a great tree,
and mass was celebrated. An aged native, apparently a priest, watched
this proceeding with much interest, and at its close approached Columbus
and addressed him, saying:

"This which thou hast done is, I perceive, thy method of worshipping thy
God; which is well. I am told that thou hast come hither with a strong
force, and hast subdued many lands, filling the people with great fear.
Be not, however, vainglorious. The souls of men after these bodies are
dead have, according to our belief, one of two journeys to pursue. One
is to a place that is dismal, foul and dark, which is prepared for those
who have been cruel and unjust to their fellow men. The other is to a
place of light and joy, prepared for those who have practised peace and
justice. Therefore if thou art mortal, and must some time die, and dost
expect that all men are to be rewarded according to the deeds done in
their bodies, see that thou work justice and do no harm to those who
have done no harm to thee."

In this address was revealed the most that we know of the religion of
the Cuban aborigines. Columbus listened to it with surprise and
gratification, not having supposed that any such faith or such knowledge
of the future life existed among the natives of Cuba. He responded
through his interpreter sympathetically, assuring the old man that he
had been sent forth by his sovereigns to teach the true faith and to do
good and no evil, and that all innocent and peaceable men might
co