some time in viewing the country. He visited almost every harbour from Porto del Principe, on the north coast of Cuba, to the eastern extremity of the island: but though delighted with the beauty of the scenes, which every way presented themselves, and amazed at the luxuriant fertility of the soil, both which, from their novelty, made a more lively impression upon his imagination, he did not find gold in such quantity as was sufficient to satisfy either the avarice of his followers, or the expectations of the court to which he was to return. The people of the country, as much astonished at his eager ness in quest of gold, as the Europeans were at their ignorance and simplicity, pointed towards the east, where an island which they called Hayti was situated, in which that metal was more abundant than among them. Columbus ordered his squadron to bend its course thither; but Martin Alonzo Pinzon, impatient to be the first who should take possession of the treasures which this country was supposed to contain, quitted his companions, regardless of all the admiral's signals to slacken sail until they should come up with him.

Columbus, retarded by contrary winds, did not reach Hayti till the 6th of December. He called the port where he first touched St. Nicholas, and the island itself Espagnola, in honour of the kingdom by which he was employed; and it is the only country, of those he had yet discovered, which has retained the name that he gave it. As he could neither meet with the Pinta, nor have any intercourse with the inhabitants, who fled in great consternation towards the woods, he soon quitted St. Nicholas, and sailing along the northern coast of the island, he entered another harbour which he called Conception. Here he was more fortunate; his people overtook a woman who was flying from them, and after treating her with great gentleness, dismissed her with a present of such toys as they knew were most valuable in those regions. The description which she gave to her countrymen of the humanity and wonderful qualities of the strangers; their admiration of the trinkets, which she shewed with exultation; and their eagerness to participate of the same favours; removed all their fears, and induced many of them to repair to the harbour.

The strange objects which they beheld, and the baubles which Columbus bestowed upon them, amply gratified their curiosity and their wishes. They nearly resembled the people of Guanahana and Cuba. They were naked like them, ignorant, and simple; and seemed to be equally unacquainted with all the arts which appear most necessary in polished societies: but they were gentle, credulous, and timid, to a degree which rendered it easy to acquire the ascendant over them, especially as their excessive admiration led them into the same error with the people of the other islands, in believing the Spaniards to be more than mortals, and descended immediately from Heaven. They possessed gold in greater abundance than their neighbours, which they readily exchanged for bells, beads, or pins; and in this unequal traffic both parties were highly pleased, each considering themselves as gainers by the transaction. Here Columbus was visited by a prince or cazique of the country. He appeared with all the pomp known among a simple people, being carried in a sort of palanquin upon the shoulders of four men, and attended by many of his subjects, who served him with great respect. His deportment was grave and stately, very reserved towards his own people, but with Columbus and the Spaniards extremely courteous. He gave the admiral some thin plates of gold, and a girdle of curious workmanship, receiving in return presents of small value, but highly acceptable to him.

Columbus, still intent on discovering the mines which yielded gold, continued to interrogate all the natives with whom he had any intercourse concerning their situation. They concurred in pointing out a mountainous country, which they called Cibao, at some distance from the sea, and farther towards the east. Struck with this sound, which appeared to him the same with Cipango, the name by which Marco Polo, and other travellers to the east, distinguished the island of Japan, he no longer doubted with respect to the vicinity of the countries which he had discovered to the remote parts of Asia; and, in full expectation of reaching soon those regions which had been the object of his voyage, he directed his course towards the east. He put into a commodious harbour, which

he called St. Thomas, and found that district to be under the government of a powerful cazique, Guacanahari, who, as he afterwards learned, was one of the five sovereigns among whom the whole island was divided. He immediately sent messengers to Columbus, who, in his name, delivered to him the present of a mask curiously fashioned, with the ears, nose, and mouth of beaten gold, and invited him to the place of his residence, near the harbour now called Cape Francois, some leagues towards the east. Columbus dispatched some of his officers to visit this prince, who, as he behaved himself with greater dignity, seemed to claim more attention. They returned with such favourable accounts, both of the country and of the people, as made Columbus impatient for that interview with Guacanahari to which he had been invited.

He sailed for this purpose from St. Thomas, on the 24th of December, with a fair wind, and the sea perfectly calm; and as, amidst the multiplicity of his occupations, he had not shut his eyes for two days, he retired at midnight, in order to take some repose, having committed the helm to the pilot, with strict injunctions not to quit it for a moment. The pilot, dreading no danger, carelessly left the helm to an unexperienced cabin-boy, and the ship, carried away by a current, was dashed against a rock. The violence of the shock awakened Columbus. He ran up to the deck. There, all was confusion and despair. He alone retained presence of mind. He ordered some of the sailors to take a boat, and carry out an anchor astern; but, instead of obeying, they made off towards the Nigna, which was about half a league distant. He then commanded the masts to be cut down, in order to lighten the ship; but all his endeavours were too late; the vessel opened near the keel, and filled so fast with water that its loss was inevitable. The smoothness of the sea, and the timely assistance of boats from the Nigna, enabled the crew to save their lives. As soon as the islanders heard of this disaster, they crowded to the shore, with their prince Guacanahari at their head. Instead of taking advantage of the distress in which they beheld the Spaniards, to attempt any thing to their detriment, they lamented their misfortune with tears of

sincere condolence. Not satisfied with this unavailing expression of their sympathy, they put to sea a number of canoes, and, under the direction of the Spaniards, assisted in saving whatever could be got out of the wreck; and by the united labour of so many hands, almost every thing of value was carried ashore. As fast as the goods were landed Guacanahari in person took charge of them. By his orders they were all deposited in one place, and armed centinels were posted, who kept the multitude at a distance, in order to prevent them not only from embezzling, but from inspecting too curiously what belonged to their guests. Next morning this prince visited Columbus, who was now on board the Nigna, and endeavoured to console him for his loss, by offering all that he possessed to repair it.

The manner of the inhabitants and the productions of the country were so agreeable to the admiral, that he resolved to settle a colony here; which by maintaining a friendly intercourse with the Indians, and learning their language, might be of future benefit to the nation he served. To pursue this resolution, he was encouraged by the voluntary offers of some of his men who fell into his views, and the cazique was not a little pleased at the prospect of having such valuable allies to protect him from the invasions of the Caribbee Indians, a race of inhuman cannibals, who frequently molested his shores. The sagacity of Columbus knew how to give importance to this idea he ordered a great gun to be fired against the side of the wreck; and the Indians seeing the bullet penetrate the sides, and then fall into the sea, regarded their guests with the same awe, and the belief that they possessed the thunder of heaven.

A tower was now constructed from the timber of the wreck, seemingly in compliance with the cazique's desire; and having furnished it with provisions, ammunition, and arms, he left a garrison of 36 men, under the joint command of three of his most trusty dependants, whom he warmly recommended to the favour and protection of the king and his people.

This business settled, he caused a few huts to be erected, and named the place Nativity. He then turned his thoughts

towards Spain, lest some misfortune befalling the only ship he had left, he might for ever be prevented from publishing the discoveries he had made. Accordingly, having left the most benevolent and judicious directions for the regulation of the colony's conduct, he set sail from the port of Nativity on Friday the 4th of January, 1493, at sun-rising; and made such observations as might enable him to distinguish the harbour in any future expedition. The wind being adverse, he made but little way to the eastward. On Sunday morning he fell in with the Pinta, captain Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who, as we have previously mentioned, had deserted the admiral.--Pinzon going on board, strove to excuse his desertion by pretending that he had lost sight of his consorts during the night. Columbus was sensible of the fallacy of his pretences; but rather than prejudice the common cause, disguised his sentiments, and listened to the excuses that were made.

Pinzon, it seems, had sailed to a river 15 leagues eastward of the port of Nativity, where he had spent 16 days in bartering for gold with the natives, and in this traffic he had been pretty successful; but having distributed one half among his crew, and retained the other himself, he wished to conceal the amount. He afterwards anchored near a conical hill, which they called Monte Christo, about 18 leagues east of Cape Santo; but the weather impeding his farther progress, he went up a river in his boat, where he discovered gold-dust in the sand, and from hence gave it the appellation of the Gold-river. On the 13th of January, Columbus, being near Cape Enamorado, he sent his boat ashore, where some Indians, armed with bows and arrows, and with fierce aspects, seemed disposed to make resistance. They were, however, brought to a kind of conference by means of the Salvador linguist; and one of them venturing to go on board the admiral, appeared so savage in manners and address, that the Spaniards reasonably concluded he was one of the Caribbee cannibals. This man having answered the interrogations that were put to him by signs and words, was entertained; and dismissed with such insignificant presents as seemed best suited to his taste.