cutlasses and daggers; lances with iron points, one and one-half
palms in length; _lenguados_, [94] enclosed in cloth sheaths, and a
few bows and arrows. Whenever the natives leave their houses, even if
it is only to go to the house of a neighbor, they carry these weapons;
for they are always on the alert, and are mistrustful of one another.

While we were in this bay, Indians and chiefs came in several
boats, displaying prominently a white flag at the bow of one of
them. Another flag was raised on the stern of the flagship as a
sign that they could approach. These people wear clothes, but they
go barefooted. Their dress is made of cotton or of a kind of grass
resembling raw silk. We spoke to them and asked them for food. They
are a crafty and treacherous race, and understand everything. The best
present which they gave me was a sucking pig, and a cheese of which,
unless a miracle accompanied it, it was impossible for all in the fleet
to partake. On the occasion of the death of the gentleman whom they
killed, the natives scattered themselves through the island. They are
naturally of a cowardly disposition, and distrustful, and if one has
treated them ill, they will never come back. They possess, in common
with all these islands, swine, goats, hens of Castile, rice, millet,
and in addition a great variety of excellent fruit. The people wear
gold earrings, bracelets, and necklets. Wherever we went we found
a great display of these articles. Although people say that there
are many mines and much pure gold, yet the natives do not extract it
until the very day they need it; and, even then, they take only the
amount necessary for their use, thus making the earth their purse.

Leaving this bay, we sailed south until we reached the end of the
island, where the land turns west. Just south of this island are
other islands between which and this island there is a straight
channel running west. The fleet passed through this channel, and on
the second day from our departure from Cibabao, after having sailed
nearly thirty leagues, we reached a port of Tandaya Island.

In this port a small river empties itself into the sea through an
estuary. Some of our boats sailed up this river and anchored at the
town of Cangiungo. The natives received them neither with peace nor
war; but they gave our men food and drink. When they were about to eat,
an Indian came to them, who spoke a few words in the Castilian tongue,
saying "Comamos" ["let us