e desired to go to the island called Babeque,
where according to the information he had received, there was much gold;
and as it bore east, and as no large town was in sight the wind
freshening more than ever, he resolved to put out to sea, and work to the
east with a northerly wind. The ship made 8 miles an hour, and from ten
in the forenoon, when that course was taken, until sunset, 56 miles,
which is 14 leagues to the eastward from the Cabo de Cuba. The other land
of Bohio was left to leeward. Commencing from the cape of the said gulf,
he discovered, according to his reckoning, 80 miles, equal to 20 leagues,
all that coast running E.S.E. and W.N.W.

_Wednesday, 14th of November_

All last night the Admiral was beating to windward (he said that it would
be unreasonable to navigate among those islands during the night, until
they had been explored), for the Indians said yesterday that it would
take three days to go from Rio de Mares to the island of Babeque, by
which should be understood days' journeys in their canoes equal to about
7 leagues. The wind fell, and, the course being east, she could not lay
her course nearer than S.E., and, owing to other mischances, he was
detained until the morning. At sunrise he determined to go in search of a
port, because the wind had shifted from north to N.E., and, if a port
could not be found, it would be necessary to go back to the ports in the
island of Cuba, whence they came. The Admiral approached the shore,
having gone over 28 miles E.S.E. that night. He steered south ... miles
to the land, where he saw many islets and openings. As the wind was high
and the sea rough, he did not dare to risk an attempt to enter, but ran
along the coast W.N.W., looking out for a port, and saw many, but none
very clear of rocks. After having proceeded for 64 miles, he found a very
deep opening, a quarter of a mile wide, with a good port and river. He
ran in with her head S.S.W., afterwards south to S.E. The port[147-1] was
spacious and very deep, and he saw so many islands that he could not
count them all, with very high land covered with trees of many kinds,
and an infinite number of palms. He was much astonished to see so many
lofty islands; and assured the Sovereigns that the mountains and isles he
had seen since yesterday seemed to him to be second to none in the world;
so high and clear of clouds and snow, with the sea at their bases so
deep. He believes that these islands are those innum