_They do depart from the Ilands of Canaria for the
Ilande of Santo Domingo, otherwise called Hispaniola,
and do declare of certaine things in the way
thitherward._
[Sidenote: The Iland called Desseado.]
After that the fleetes or shippes had taken refreshing in the Ilandes of
Canarias aforesayde, they departed from thence, sayling by the same
rutter, vntill they come vnto an ilande called the Desseado, which is
fifteene degrees from the Equinoctiall, eyght hundreth and thirtie
leagues from the Canarias: all which is sayled without seeing any other
land: they are sayling of the same ordinarily eight and twentie and
thirtie dayes.
[Sidenote: The Iland Dominica.]
This Iland Desseado was called by that name by reason that the gulfe is
great, and so many daies sayling, that when they do see it, is that
after that they haue verie much desired the same, so that Desseado is as
much to say, as "desired." This iland hath nigh and about it many other
ilandes, one of the which is that which is called La Dominica, which is
peopled and inhabited by certaine Indians who are called Caribes, by
such as do nauigate that way, which are a kind of people that doo eate
humaine flesh: they are very expert archers, and very cruell: they do
anoint their arrowes with a deadly earth, and so ful of poison, that the
wound the which is made therewith can not be healed by any humaine
remedie. This ilande is in fifteene degrees. It is verie little and not
of much people, yet notwithstanding it hath beene the death of many
Spaniardes both men and women: such as haue come thither in shippes, not
knowing the daunger thereof, haue gone a shore for fresh water, or else
to wash their lynnen, and vppon a soddaine vnlooked for, haue beene be
set by the Indios, who haue slaine them, and after eaten them: and they
say that it is very sweete flesh and sauorie, so that it be not of a
fryer, for of fryers by no meanes they will eate, nor would not after
that happened vnto them as hereafter followeth.
[Sidenote: They which did eate friers flesh did die madde.]
There was a ship that was bound vnto the firme land, and did arriue at
that ilande, in the which went two religious fryers of the order of
Saint Francis, and hauing no care as aforesayde, but very desirous to be
a lande, they went a shore without any feare or suspition of any harme
that might happen vnto them; and being at a riuer side sporting
themselues with great recreation, by reason of the freshnesse thereof,
easing themselues of the long and painefull nauigation which they had
comming from the Ilandes of the Canarias vnto that place, when the
Caribes did see them, without any feare, vpon a soddaine they descended
from a mountayne, and did kill them all, without leauing any person
aliue. Many dayes they made great feastes and bankets, eating of those
bodies which they had slaine, some sodde and some roasted, as their
pleasure was. So on a day they would amongest them eate one of the
fathers, who was very faire and white; but all that did eate of him in a
little space did swell marueilously, and did die madde, with great
gaspings that it was woonderfull to see: so that from that time, they
remaine as warned neuer for to eate any more of the like flesh.
Of these euils they haue committed an infinite number, and haue at this
day with them many Spaniardes both men and women, whose liues they
pardoned for to serue their vses or euilles, because they were verie
young, of the which they say that some haue fled away. They go naked
like vnto the Indians, and doo speake their language, and are almost
conuerted vnto their nature. This great inconuenience might be remedied,
if that it did please his maiestie to command some generall that were
bound vnto the firme land, or vnto the New Spaine, to make abode there a
fewe dayes, and to roote out and make cleane that ilande of so euill and
wicked people, which were a good deede, and they doo well deserue it,
and to giue libertie vnto the poore Christians that are there captiue, a
great companie of them. And it is saide of a truth that some of them be
of good calling. There can none goe a lande on this ilande, but
straightwayes they are discouered by such ordinarie spyes as they doo
put to watch. And if they do see that those which doo come a land are
many in number, and that they can not hurt them, they doo remaine in the
highest part of the mountayne, or else amongest the thickest of woods
and bushes, till such time as the shippes do depart, which is so soone
as they haue taken fresh water or fire wood. They are great traytors,
and when they see oportunitie they giue the assalt, in the manner as
hath beene tolde you, and doo very much harme.
[Sidenote: Much kine, sugar, and ginger: wheat and gold.]
Nigh vnto this Ilande Dominica, towardes the northwest, is the Ilande
of S. John de Puerto Rico, the which is in eighteene degrees: it is
fortie and sixe leagues long and fiue and twentie leagues brode, and in
compasse about an hundred and fiftie leagues. There is in it great store
of kyne, verie much sugar and ginger, and yeeldeth very much wheate. It
is a lande of verie much golde, and is not laboured nor taken out of the
earth for lacke of people; it hath verie good hauens and portes towardes
the south, and towardes the north onely one, the which is sure and good,
in respect whereof the Spaniardes did giue the name vnto the whole
ilande, Puerto Rico, taking the name of the port or hauen. In it there
is foure townes of Spaniardes, a bishoppe and a cathedrall church, and
he that is prelat at this day is the reuerend father Don fryer Diego de
Salamanca, of the order of S. Austin.
[Sidenote: Of sixe hundreth thousand Indians there remaineth none.]
When the Spaniardes went first vnto this ilande, according vnto the
report of the reuerende father de Las Casas, bishop of Chiapa, was in
the year 1509. This iland was so full of trees and fruite that they gaue
it the name of the Guertas;[49] and there were in it sixe hundredth
thousande Indios, of the which at this day there remaineth not one.
[49] Orchards.
From this ilande vnto the ilande of Santo Domingo, is foure score
leagues; I say, from one port vnto an other, and from poynt to point,
but twelue leagues. They doo ordinarilie go from one port to an other in
three dayes; but to returne they are more than a moneth, for because the
winde is contrarie.