led it except in the
fires that the Indians make of wood that they burn in their houses. It is
a most perfect perfume, certainly. I never knew of incense being found in
these islands.

Returning to the journey, Friday, August 17, he went 37 leagues, the sea
being smooth, "to God our Lord," he says, "may infinite thanks be given."
He says that not finding islands now, assures him that that land from
whence he came is a vast mainland, or where the Earthly Paradise is,
"because all say that it is at the end of the east, and this is the
Earthly Paradise,"[365-1] says he.

Saturday, between day and night, he went 39 leagues.

Sunday, August 19, he went in the day and the night 33 leagues, and
reached land; and this was a very small island which he called Madama
Beata, and which is now commonly so called. This is a small island of a
matter of a league and a half close by this island of Espanola, and
distant from this port of Sancto Domingo about 50 leagues and distant 15
leagues from the port of Yaquino, which is more to the west. There is
next to it another smaller one which has a small but somewhat high
mountain, which from a distance looks like a sail, and he named it Alto
Velo.[365-2] He believed that the Beata was a small island which he
called Sancta Catherina when he came by this southern coast, from the
discovery of the island of Cuba, and distant from this port of Sancto
Domingo 25 leagues, and is next to this island. It weighed upon him to
have fallen off in his course so much, and he says it should not be
counted strange, since during the nights he was from caution beating
about to windward, for fear of running against some islands or shoals;
there was therefore reason for this error, and thus in not following a
straight course, the currents, which are very strong here, and which flow
down towards the mainland and the west, must have carried the ships,
without realizing it, so low. They run so violently there toward La Beata
that it has happened that a ship has been eight months in those waters
without being able to reach this port and that much of delay in coming
from there here, has happened many times.

Therefore he anchored now between the Beata and this island, between
which there are two leagues of sea, Monday, August 20. He then sent the
boats to land to call Indians, as there were villages there, in order to
write of his arrival to the Adelantado; having come at midday, he
despatched them. Twice there c