of the island.

As the boats pulled along the beach numbers of natives approached,
shouting and yelling, and brandishing their weapons, and discharging
flights of arrows.

A few shots from the firearms of the Spaniards drove them off. The boat
when landing met with no further opposition, and, contrary to the
injunctions of the Admiral, they plundered and destroyed the native
huts. Honey and wax were found in the houses, and hatchets made of hard
and heavy stone. One of the seamen declared that he found a human arm
roasting, but this statement was probably made to excuse himself and his
companions for the wanton mischief they had committed.

While some of the men were obtaining wood and water, Columbus dispatched
a strongly-armed party of forty into the interior. Here they
encountered a number of women of large and powerful form, their long
hair flowing loose upon their shoulders, and their heads decorated with
plumes of various colours. Ten women and three boys were brought back.
Among the former was a woman of great strength and of proud spirit, who
endeavoured to escape, but being pursued by a Spaniard, was overtaken
while attempting to strangle him, and was captured.

After they were brought on board Columbus ordered them to be restored to
the island, but the chieftainess, whose heart had been touched by the
misfortunes of Caonabo, insisted on remaining to comfort him, and was
thus carried captive to Spain.

Guadaloupe was left on the 20th of April, but a whole month was spent
beating against contrary winds and currents, so that water and
provisions began to fail, and the people were put upon short allowance.
So reduced were they at last that some of the Spaniards proposed, as an
expedient, that they should kill and eat their Indian prisoners. Others
suggested that they should throw them into the sea.

Columbus had to exert all his authority to prevent this atrocious act.
He urged them to wait with patience, and assured them that in a short
time they would see Cape Saint Vincent.

Many scoffed, declaring that they were on a different part of the coast,
but on the 10th he ordered that sail should be taken in at night, and on
the next morning they were in sight of the very land he had predicted.

After a dreary voyage of three months, on the 11th of June the vessels
anchored in the Bay of Cadiz. He found three caravels on the point of
sailing, to carry provisions to the colony. Nearly a year had passed