antity of pearls seen among the natives raised
the sanguine anticipations of Columbus, who was anxious to send the
finest specimens to the sovereigns.

Still believing the peninsula of Paria to be an island, he sailed on
westward until compelled, by finding the water more shallow as he
advanced, to anchor, when he sent a caravel to explore. She returned
the following day with a report that at the end of the gulf there was an
opening of two leagues, which led into an inner gulf, into which flowed
a quantity of fresh water by four openings. It was in reality the mouth
of the large river now called the Paria. To the inner gulf Columbus
gave the name of the Gulf of Pearls.

Finding no passage to the westward, the ships proceeded in an opposite
direction for the Boca del Dragon. On the 13th of August they anchored
in a fine harbour, to which Columbus gave the name of Puerto de Gatos.
Here also were seen mangroves growing in the water with oysters clinging
to the branches, their mouths open, as the Spaniards supposed, to
receive the dew which was afterwards thought to be transformed into
pearls. That they were thus formed was believed until comparatively
late years.

The passage through which he was about to pass is extremely dangerous
after the rainy season, and the water which rushes through it foams and
roars as if breaking on rocks. Scarcely had the ships entered than the
wind died away, and shipwreck appeared imminent, but they were at length
carried through by the current of fresh water into the open sea.

Columbus now stood to the westward, running along the northern coast of
Paria, still supposing it to be an island, intending to visit the Gulf
of Pearls. To the north-east he saw the two islands of Tobago and
Granada, and on the 15th those of Margarita and Cubagua, afterwards
famed for their pearl fishing.

On approaching the latter, a number of Indians were seen fishing for
pearls. A boat being sent to communicate with them, a seaman offered a
broken piece of gaily-painted porcelain to a woman who had round her
neck a string of pearls, which she readily gave in exchange.

On this the Admiral sent people on shore, who with beads and hawks'
bells soon procured three pounds weight of pearls, some of very large
size.

The coast still trending to the westward, and rising into lofty ranges
of mountains, Columbus began to suspect that he was off the mainland of
India; but his eyesight failing, he was relucta