a league from the coast, waiting until
the morning, when we might enter securely. On that evening, a canoe,
containing five or six Indians, came out at a considerable distance from
where we were, and approached us with great celerity. The Admiral
believing that he insured our safety by keeping the sails set, would not
wait for them; they, however, perseveringly rowed up to us within a
cannon shot[299-1] and then stopped to look at us; but when they saw that
we did not wait for them, they put back and went away. After we had
anchored that night at the spot in question,[299-2] the Admiral ordered
two cannons to be fired, to see if the Spaniards, who had remained with
Guacamari, would fire in return, for they also had cannons with them; but
when we received no reply, and could not perceive any fires, nor the
slightest symptom of habitations on the spot, the spirits of our people
became much depressed, and they began to entertain the suspicion which
the circumstances were naturally calculated to excite. While all were in
this desponding mood, and when four or five hours of the night had passed
away, the same canoe which we had seen in the evening, came up, and the
Indians with a loud voice addressed the captain of the caravel, which
they first approached, inquiring for the Admiral;[299-3] they were
conducted to the Admiral's vessel, but would not go on board till he had
spoken to them, and they had asked for a light, in order to assure
themselves that it was he who conversed with them. One of them was a
cousin of Guacamari, who had been sent by him once before: it appeared,
that after they had turned back the previous evening, they had been
charged by Guacamari with two masks of gold as a present; one for the
Admiral, the other for a captain who had accompanied him on the former
voyage. They remained on board for three hours, talking with the Admiral
in the presence of all of us, he showing much pleasure in their
conversation, and inquiring respecting the welfare of the Spaniards whom
he had left behind. Guacamari's cousin replied, that those who remained
were all well, but that some of them had died of disease, and others had
been killed in quarrels that had arisen amongst them; and that Guacamari
was at some distance, lying ill of a wound in his leg, which was the
occasion of his not appearing, but that he would come on the next day. He
said also that two kings named Caonabo and Mayreni, had come to fight
with him and that