r the same reason: a
contrary wind. He set up a great cross on the west side of the entrance,
on a very picturesque height, "in sign," he says, "that your Highnesses
hold this land for your own, but chiefly as a sign of our Lord Jesus
Christ." This being done, three sailors strolled into the woods to see
the trees and bushes. Suddenly they came upon a crowd of people, all
naked like the rest. They called to them, and went towards them, but they
ran away. At last they caught a woman; for I had ordered that some should
be caught, that they might be treated well, and made to lose their fear.
This would be a useful event, for it could scarcely be otherwise,
considering the beauty of the country. So they took the woman, who was
very young and beautiful, to the ship, where she talked to the Indians on
board; for they all speak the same language. The Admiral caused her to be
dressed, and gave her glass beads, hawks' bells, and brass ornaments;
then he sent her back to the shore very courteously, according to his
custom. He sent three of the crew with her, and three of the Indians he
had on board, that they might open communications with her people. The
sailors in the boat, who took her on shore, told the Admiral that she did
not want to leave the ship, but would rather remain with the other women
he had seized at the port of Mares, in the island of Juana or Cuba. The
Indians who went to put the woman on shore said that the natives came in
a canoe, which is their caravel, in which they navigate from one place to
another; but when they came to the entrance of the harbor, and saw the
ships, they turned back, left the canoe, and took the road to the
village. The woman pointed out the position of the village. She had a
piece of gold in her nose, which showed that there was gold in that
island.

_Thursday, 13th of December_

The three men who had been sent by the Admiral with the woman returned at
3 o'clock in the morning, not having gone with her to the village,
because the distance appeared to be long, or because they were afraid.
They said that next day many people would come to the ships, as they
would have been reassured by the news brought them by the woman. The
Admiral, with the desire of ascertaining whether there were any
profitable commodities in that land, being so beautiful and fertile, and
of having some speech with the people, and being desirous of serving the
Sovereigns, determined to send again to the village, tru