us with astonishment.

"We anchored within about a mile of land, fitted out the
boats, and twenty-two men, well armed, made for the land.
The people, when they saw us landing and perceived that we
were different from themselves (because they have no beards
and wear no clothing of any description, being also of a
different color--brown, while we were white), began to be
afraid of us and all ran into the woods. With great
exertion, by means of signs, we reassured them and found
that they were a race called cannibals, the greater part, or
all of whom, live on human flesh. Your Excellency may be
assured of this fact. They do not eat one another, but,
navigating with certain barks which they call canoes, they
bring their prey from the neighboring islands or countries
inhabited by those who are their enemies, or of a different
tribe from their own. They never eat any women, unless they
consider them as outcasts. These things we verified in many
places where we found similar people. We often saw the bones
and heads of those who had been eaten, and they who had made
the repast admitted the fact and said that their enemies
stood in greater fear of them on that account.

"Still, they are a people of gentle disposition and fine
stature, of great activity and much courage. They go
entirely naked, and the arms which they carry are rare bows,
arrows, and spears, with which they are excellent marksmen.
In fine, we held much intercourse with them, and they took
us to one of their villages, about two leagues inland, and
gave us our breakfast. They gave whatever was asked of them,
though I think more through fear than affection; and after
having been with them all one day we returned to the ships,
sailing along the coasts, and finding another large village
of the same tribe. We landed in the boats and found they
were waiting for us, all loaded with provisions, and they
gave us enough to make a very good breakfast, according to
their ideas.

"Seeing they were such kind people and treated us so well,
we did not take anything from them, but made sail until we
arrived at a body of water which is called the Gulf of
Paria. We anchored off the mouth of a great river, which
causes the gulf to be fresh, and saw a large village close
to the sea.