and service of their Highnesses and of all
the Castilian nation, and they strive to combine in giving us things
which they have in abundance, and of which we are in need. And they knew
no sect, nor idolatry; save that they all believe that power and
goodness are in the sky, and they believed very firmly that I, with
these ships and crews, came from the sky; and in such opinion, they
received me at every place where I landed, after they had lost their
terror. And this comes not because they are ignorant: on the contrary,
they are men of very subtle wit, who navigate all those seas, and who
give a marvellously good account of everything, but because they never
saw men wearing clothes nor the like of our ships. And as soon as I
arrived in the Indies, in the first island that I found, I took some of
them by force, to the intent that they should learn [our speech] and
give me information of what there was in those parts. And so it was,
that very soon they understood [us] and we them, what by speech or what
by signs; and those [Indians] have been of much service. To this day I
carry them [with me] who are still of the opinion that I come from
Heaven [as appears] from much conversation which they have had with me.
And they were the first to proclaim it wherever I arrived; and the
others went running from house to house and to the neighboring villages,
with loud cries of "Come! come to see the people from Heaven!" Then, as
soon as their minds were reassured about us, every one came, men as well
as women, so that there remained none behind, big or little; and they
all brought something to eat and drink, which they gave with wondrous
lovingness. They have in all the islands very many _canoas_,[267-1]
after the manner of rowing-galleys,[267-2] some larger, some smaller;
and a good many are larger than a galley of eighteen benches. They are
not so wide, because they are made of a single log of timber, but a
galley could not keep up with them in rowing, for their motion is a
thing beyond belief. And with these, they navigate through all those
islands, which are numberless, and ply their traffic. I have seen some
of those _canoas_ with seventy and eighty men in them, each one with his
oar. In all those islands, I saw not much diversity in the looks of the
people, nor in their manners and language; but they all understand each
other, which is a thing of singular advantage for what I hope their
Highnesses will decide upon for converting