them to our holy faith, unto
which they are well disposed. I have already told how I had gone a
hundred and seven leagues, in a straight line from West to East, along
the sea-coast of the Island of Juana; according to which itinerary, I
can declare that that island is larger than England and Scotland
combined;[268-1] as, over and above those hundred and seven leagues,
there remain for me, on the western side, two provinces whereto I did
not go--one of which they call Avan, where the people are born with
tails[268-2]--which provinces cannot be less in length than fifty or
sixty leagues, according to what may be understood from the Indians with
me, who know all the islands. This other, Espanola, has a greater
circumference than the whole of Spain from Col[ibre in Catal]unya, by
the sea-coast, as far as Fuente Ravia in Biscay; since, along one of its
four sides, I went for a hundred and eighty-eight great leagues in a
straight line from west to east.[268-3] This is [a land] to be
desired,--and once seen, never to be relinquished--in which (although,
indeed, I have taken possession of them all for their Highnesses, and
all are more richly endowed than I have skill and power to say, and I
hold them all in the name of their Highnesses who can dispose thereof as
much and as completely as of the kingdoms of Castile) in this Espanola,
in the place most suitable and best for its proximity to the gold mines,
and for traffic with the mainland both on this side and with that over
there belonging to the Great Can,[268-4] where there will be great
commerce and profit, I took possession of a large town which I named the
city of Navidad.[268-5] And I have made fortification there, and a fort
(which by this time will have been completely finished) and I have left
therein men enough for such a purpose, with arms and artillery, and
provisions for more than a year, and a boat, and a [man who is] master
of all seacraft for making others; and great friendship with the king of
that land, to such a degree that he prided himself on calling and
holding me as his brother. And even though his mind might change towards
attacking those men, neither he nor his people know what arms are, and
go naked. As I have already said, they are the most timorous creatures
there are in the world, so that the men who remain there are alone
sufficient to destroy all that land, and the island is without personal
danger for them if they know how to behave themselves. I