ce, to which we give the name of our Lord of the
Nativity. And I commanded a fort to be built there forthwith, which
must be completed by this time; in which I left as many men as seemed
necessary, with all kinds of arms, and plenty of food for more than
a year. Likewise one caravel, and for the construction of others
men skilled in this trade and in other professions; and also the
extraordinary good-will and friendship of the King of this island toward
us. For those people are very amiable and kind, to such a degree that the
said King gloried in calling me his brother. And if they should change
their minds, and should wish to hurt those who remained in the fort, they
would not be able, because they lack weapons, they go naked, and are too
cowardly. For that reason those who hold the said fort are at least
able to resist easily this whole island, without any imminent danger to
themselves, so long as they do not transgress the regulations and command
which we gave.

In all these islands, as I have understood, each man is content with only
one wife, except the princes or kings, who are permitted to have twenty.
The women appear to work more than the men. I was not able to find out
surely whether they have individual property, for I saw that one man had
the duty of distributing to the others, especially refreshments, food,
and things of that kind. I found no monstrosities among them, as very
many supposed, but men of great reverence, and friendly. Nor are they
black like the Ethiopians. They have straight hair, hanging down. They do
not remain where the solar rays send out the heat, for the strength of
the sun is very great here, because it is distant from the equinoctial
line, as it seems, only twenty-six degrees. On the tops of the mountains,
too, the cold is severe, but the Indians, however, moderate it, partly
by being accustomed to the place, and partly by the help of very hot
victuals, of which they eat frequently and immoderately. And so I did not
see any monstrosity, nor did I have knowledge of them anywhere, excepting
a certain island named Charis,[14] which is the second in passing from
Hispana to India.

This island is inhabited by a certain people who are considered very
warlike by their neighbors. These eat human flesh. The said people have
many kinds of row-boats, in which they cross over to all the other Indian
islands, and seize and carry away everything that they can. They differ
in no way from the others