great Ship, with all the rest that has been said before."

Herrera's description of the island may have inspired many writers
coming after him; it had, however, the advantage of giving one of the
earliest and therefore most spontaneous impressions on record. Here is a
sample of his descriptive power:

"This Island is very much wooded, for Man may travel along it
almost two hundred and thirty leagues, always under Trees of
several Sorts, and particularly sweet scented and red Cedars, as
thick as an Ox, of which they made such large Canoes that they
would contain fifty or sixty Persons, and of this Sort there were
once great numbers in Cuba. There are Storax Trees, and if a Man in
the Morning gets upon a high Place the Vapors that rise from the
Earth perfectly smell of Storax coming from the fire the Indians
make at night, and drawn up when the Sun rises. Another Sort of
Trees produce a Fruit call'd Xaguas, as big as veal kidneys, which
being beaten and laid by four or five days, tho' not gather'd ripe,
are full of Liquor like Honey, and better tasted than the sweetest
Pears. There are abundance of wild Vines that run up high, bearing
grapes, and Wine has been made of them, but somewhat aigre, and
there being an infinite Quantity of them throughout all the Island,
the Spaniards were wont to say they had seen a Vineyard that
extended two hundred and thirty Leagues. Some of the Trunks of
these Vines are as thick as a Man's Body, which proceeded from
extraordinary Moisture and Fertility of the Soil. All the Island is
very pleasant and more temperate than Hispaniola, very healthy, has
safer Harbors for many Ships than if they had been made by Art, as
is that of Santiago on the Southern Coast being in the shape of a
Cross, that of Xagua is scarce to be matched in the World, the
Ships pass into it through a narrow Mouth, not above a Cross bow
Shot over and then turned into the open Part of it, which is about
ten Leagues in Compass with three little islands so posited, that
they may make fast their Ships to Stakes on them, and they will
never budge, all the Compass being shelter'd by Mountains, as if
they were in a House, and there the Indians had Pens to shut up the
Fish. On the north Side there are good Harbours, the best being
that which was call'd de Carenas, and now