their way through the thorny brakes of the forests.--E.

[9] The author seems to have forgotten that he had only a little before
mentioned this very woman as the wife of a caceque. The absurd notion
of these women being Amazons probably proceeded from the Spaniards not
understanding the language of these islanders, who appear to have been
Caribs. The truth seems to have been that during the long absences of
their husbands in piratical and plundering excursions to the other
islands, these Carib women were driven to the necessity of providing
for their own defence.--E.

[10] There must be some inaccuracy in this place. Columbus had evidently
supposed himself farther west when he altered his course than he
really was, for the Caribbee islands were not upon the north, and
never could be in the latitude of 7 deg.; as he fell in with Trinidada he
must only have altered his course to the N.W. or the north of west.
Had he continued in a west course in 7 deg. N. he would have fallen in
with the continent of Guiana, about the mouth of the Esquivo, or
Isiquibo river: His original course in the parallel of 5 deg. N. would
have led him to Cayenne.--E.

[11] There is a want of sufficient precision in the dates of the text. It
would appear that Columbus altered his course from W. to the
northwards on Tuesday 31st July, 1498, and discovered Trinidada the
same day; and that the ships anchored at Funta de la Plaga on
Wednesday the 1st of August, or the immediately following day.--E.

[12] The country here named Paria is now called on our maps Cumana, or the
Spanish Main; but the gulf or large basin between the island of
Trinidada and the main still retains the name of the Gulf of Paria.--E.

[13] This must have been the low lying Delta of Cumana, lying between the
principal mouth of the Oronoka and the western branch.--E.

[14] The white liquor was probably the milk of the coco nut, and perhaps
the blackish vinous liquor might be the same fermented.--E.

[15] This is an obvious error which cannot be corrected, Don James
Columbus being no cacique. It is possible that one of the native
caciques may have embraced Christianity, receiving those names in
baptism, but of this the text gives no intelligence.--E.

[16] In the original translation, the number of the appointed fleet is
said to have been eighteen; but this must be a typ