ose of San Salvador and Santa Maria told us. These people resemble
those of the said islands, with the same language and customs, except
that these appear to me a rather more domestic and tractable people, yet
also more subtle. For I observed that those who brought cotton and other
trifles to the ship, knew better than the others how to make a bargain.
In this island I saw cotton cloths made like mantles. The people were
better disposed, and the women wore in front of their bodies a small
piece of cotton which scarcely covered them.

"It is a very green island, level and very fertile, and I have no doubt
that they sow and gather corn[119-1] all the year round, as well as other
things. I saw many trees very unlike those of our country. Many of them
have their branches growing in different ways and all from one trunk, and
one twig is one form, and another in a different shape, and so unlike
that it is the greatest wonder in the world to see the great diversity;
thus one branch has leaves like those of a cane, and others like those of
a mastick tree: and on a single tree there are five or six different
kinds. Nor are these grafted, for it may be said that grafting is
unknown, the trees being wild, and untended by these people. They do not
know any religion, and I believe they could easily be converted to
Christianity, for they are very intelligent. Here the fish are so unlike
ours that it is wonderful. Some are the shape of dories, and of the
finest colors in the world, blue, yellow, red, and other tints, all
painted in various ways, and the colors are so bright that there is not a
man who would not be astonished, and would not take great delight in
seeing them. There are also whales. I saw no beasts on the land of any
kind, except parrots and lizards. A boy told me that he saw a large
serpent. I saw neither sheep, nor goats, nor any other quadruped. It is
true I have been here a short time, since noon,[120-1] yet I could not
have failed to see some if there had been any. I will write respecting
the circuit of this island after I have been round it."

_Wednesday, 17th of October_

"At noon I departed from the village off which I was anchored, and where
I took in water, to sail round this island of Fernandina. The wind was
S.W. and South. My wish was to follow the coast of this island to the
S.E., from where I was, the whole coast trending N.N.W. and S.S.E.;
because all the Indians I bring with me, and others, made signs