was cordially received by the cacique and his subjects, who
had long since heard of him. The Admiral endeavoured to ascertain from
the cacique whether Cuba was an island or a continent. The reply was
such as to induce him to believe that it was the latter.

Meeting with a storm, fortunately of short duration, he soon found
himself among a labyrinth of keys and small islands, so numerous that it
was impossible to count them. To these he gave the name of The Queen's
Gardens. At first he thought of leaving this archipelago to the right,
and standing out to sea; but he recollected that Sir John Mandeville and
Marco Polo had mentioned that the coast of Asia was fringed with islands
to the number of several thousands, and persuading himself that he was
among that cluster, he hoped soon to arrive at the dominion of the Grand
Khan.

The weather became unfavourable, adding greatly to the difficulties of
navigation. These islands were generally uninhabited, but on the 22nd
of May he came to one to which he gave the name of Santa Marta. Here
was a large village abandoned by its inhabitants.

Quantities of fish were found in their dwellings, as also domesticated
parrots, scarlet cranes, and some dumb dogs, which they fattened as an
article of food. One day a number of natives were seen in a canoe,
occupied in fishing. They employed a small fish, tied by the tail, the
flat head of which was furnished with numerous suckers, by which it
attached itself so firmly to any object as to be torn to pieces rather
than abandon its hold. In this way the Spaniards witnessed the taking
of a tortoise of enormous size. The same mode of fishing is said to be
employed on the eastern coast of Africa. The natives led the Admiral to
suppose that the sea was full of islands south and west, and that Cuba
ran to the west without any termination.

Having extricated himself from this archipelago, Columbus steered for a
mountainous part of Cuba, and landing at a large village, he was
received with the same kindness which invariably distinguished its
inhabitants. He found them mild, hospitable, and pacific; even the
animals were tamer as well as larger and better than those seen
elsewhere. Here stock doves were brought to him, whose crops were found
to contain several spices. The cacique told him that the name of his
province was Ornofay, and that farther on to the west was the province
of Mangon, whose inhabitants would give him more ample i