e cross and
the other on the other. Having landed, they saw trees very green, and
much water, and fruits of diverse kinds. The Admiral called to the two
captains, and to the others who leaped on shore, and to Rodrigo Escovedo,
secretary of the whole fleet, and to Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia,[110-3]
and said that they should bear faithful testimony that he, in presence of
all, had taken, as he now took, possession of the said island[110-4] for
the King and for the Queen his Lords, making the declarations that are
required, as is now largely set forth in the testimonies which were then
made in writing.

Presently many inhabitants of the island assembled. What follows is in
the actual words of the Admiral in his book of the first navigation and
discovery of the Indies.[110-5] "I," he says, "that we might form great
friendship, for I knew that they were a people who could be more easily
freed and converted to our holy faith by love than by force, gave to
some of them red caps, and glass beads to put round their necks, and
many other things of little value, which gave them great pleasure, and
made them so much our friends that it was a marvel to see. They
afterwards came to the ship's boats where we were, swimming and bringing
us parrots, cotton threads in skeins, darts, and many other things; and
we exchanged them for other things that we gave them, such as glass beads
and small bells. In fine, they took all, and gave what they had with good
will. It appeared to me to be a race of people very poor in everything.
They go as naked as when their mothers bore them, and so do the women,
although I did not see more than one young girl. All I saw were youths,
none more than thirty years of age. They are very well made, with very
handsome bodies, and very good countenances. Their hair is short and
coarse, almost like the hairs of a horse's tail. They wear the hairs
brought down to the eyebrows, except a few locks behind, which they wear
long and never cut. They paint themselves black, and they are the color
of the Canarians, neither black nor white. Some paint themselves white,
others red, and others of what color they find. Some paint their faces,
others the whole body, some only round the eyes, others only on the nose.
They neither carry nor know anything of arms, for I showed them swords,
and they took them by the blade and cut themselves through ignorance.
They have no iron, their darts being wands without iron, some of them
hav