ome to us for five or six days. At the end of
that time we decided that the fleet should continue its course along
the thirteenth degree of latitude, so that we might strike a better
land of the Filipinas, which the pilots were finding already, and
should not strike Vindanao. We followed our course in this latitude,
and on Monday, January 21, we came in sight of land, which afterward
proved to be one of the Ladrones Islands, called Gua. We directed our
bows to that island, but we were no more than two leagues from it when
fifty or sixty _praus_ under sail surrounded the fleet. These _praus_
were furnished with lateen sails of palm mats and were as light as
the wind; this is a kind of boat that sails with remarkable speed,
either with the wind or at random. In each canoe were from six to eight
Indians, altogether naked, covering not even the privy parts, which
men are wont to cover. They laughed aloud, and each of them made signs
inviting us to his own town (for they were from different villages)
and promising to give us food there. At break of day we coasted the
island and the next morning we cast anchor in a very good port. The
day had scarcely begun when a great number of those _praus_ appeared
about us. There were so many of them, who came to trade with us, that
some of our men who counted them affirm that there were more than four
or five hundred of them around the ships. All that they had to sell
us were articles of food, namely, potatoes, rice, yams, cocoa-nuts,
sugar-cane, excellent bananas, and several other kinds of fruit. They
also brought ginger, which grows in this island in so great quantity
that it is a thing to wonder over; and they do not till or cultivate
it, but it comes up and grows of itself in the open fields, just as
any other herb. The natives shouted at us, each one inviting us to buy
of him. The men of the fleet began to give them the face-cards from
old playing cards, and to put bits of woolen cloth and other objects
around their necks and on their heads. The Indians seeing this asked
for these articles, and adorned themselves therewith as they had seen
our men do. In these transactions many ridiculous things happened,
and many jests were played. Afterward our men began to give them
nails, which the Indians liked so well that they desired nothing else
after that. They would smell them before taking them. For each nail
they gave measures of rice containing about half a _fanega,_ more or
less. Aft