low! But no cacique nor priest nor any knew when
the gods had come.

The Admiral made some question of Caribs. Again there was gesture
southward, though it seemed to us that something was said of folk within
this great island who were at least like Caribs. And where was the
most gold and the greatest other wealth that they knew of? Again south,
though this time we thought it rather south by west. The Admiral sighed,
and spoke of Cuba. Yes, Guacanagari knew of Cuba. Had it end far yonder
to the westward, or no end? Had any one ever come to its end? The
cacique thought not, or knew not and assumed deliberation. Luis and
I agreed that we had not met among these Indians any true notion of
a continent. To them Hayti was vast, Cuba was vast, the lands of the
Caribs, wherever they were, were vast, and vast whatever other islands
there might be. To them this was the _OEcumene_, the inhabited and
inhabitable world, Europe--Asia--Africa? Their faces stayed blank. Were
these divisions of heaven?

Guacanagari would entertain and succor us. This canoe--oh, the huge
marvel!--was too crowded! Yonder lay his town. All the houses that we
might want were ours, all the hammocks, all the food. And he would feast
the gods. That had been preparing since yesterday, A feast with dancing.
He hoped the great cacique and his people from far nearer heaven than
was Guacanagari would live as long as might be in his town. Guarico was
his town. A big, easy, amiable, likeable man, he sat in nakedness only
not utter, save for that much like a big hidalgo offering sympathy and
shelter to some fire-ousted or foe-ousted prince! As for the part of
prince it was not hard for the Admiral to play it. He was one naturally.

He thanked the cacique to whom, I could see, he had taken liking. Seven
houses would be enough. To-night some of us would sleep upon the beach
beside the heaped goods. To-morrow we would visit Guacanapri. The
big, lazy, peaceable man expressed his pleasure, then with a wide and
dignified gesture dismissing all that, asked to be shown marvels.

CHAPTER XXIII

GUACANAGARI'S town was much perhaps as was Goth town, Frank town, Saxon
town, Latin town, sufficient time ago. As for clothed and unclothed,
that may be to some degree a matter of cold or warm weather. We had not
seen that ever it was cold in this land.

Guacanagari feasted us with great dignity and earnestness, for he and
his people held it a momentous thing our coming here, o