, first beheld the
islanders. Upon seeing strangers approaching, the natives collected
and fled into the depths of the forests like timid hares pursued by
hounds. The Spaniards followed them, but only succeeded in capturing
one woman, whom they took on board their ships, where they gave her
plenty of food and wine and clothes (for both sexes lived absolutely
naked and in a state of nature); afterwards this woman, who knew where
the fugitives were concealed, returned to her people, to whom she
showed her ornaments, praising the liberality of the Spaniards; upon
which they all returned to the coast, convinced that the newcomers
were descended from heaven. They swam out to the ships, bringing gold,
of which they had a small quantity, which they exchanged gladly for
trifles of glass or pottery. For a needle, a bell, a fragment of
mirror, or any such thing, they gladly gave in exchange whatever gold
was asked of them, or all that they had about them. As soon as
more intimate relations were established and the Spaniards came
to understand the local customs, they gathered by signs and by
conjectures that the islanders were governed by kings. When they
landed from their ships they were received with great honour by these
kings and by all the natives, making every demonstration of homage
of which they were capable. At sunset, the hour of the Angelus, the
Spaniards knelt according to Christian custom, and their example was
immediately followed by the natives. The latter likewise adored the
Cross as they saw the Christians doing.[8]

[Note 8: The first report Columbus made to the Catholic sovereigns
was most flattering to the American aborigines. _Certifico a vuestras
altezas que en el mundo creo que no hay mejor gente ni mejor tierra:
ellos aman a sus projimos como a si mismo_. Like most generalisations,
these were found, upon closer acquaintance with native character and
customs, to be too comprehensive as well as inaccurate.]

These people also brought off the men from the wrecked ship, as well
as all it contained, transporting everything in barques which they
called canoes. They did this with as much alacrity and joy as though
they were saving their own relatives; and certainly amongst ourselves
greater charity could not have been displayed.

Their canoes are constructed out of single tree-trunks, which they dig
out with tools of sharpened stone. They are very long and narrow, and
are made of a single piece of wood. It is a