hey gave it to be understood that God held
this sin in horror, punishing it by sending lightning and thunder, and
frequent inundations which destroyed the crops. It was like wise the
cause of famine and sickness.

The natives worship no other god than the sun, who is the master and
alone worthy of honour. Nevertheless, they accepted instruction and
they will rapidly adopt our religion when zealous teachers come to
instruct them. Their language contains nothing rough or difficult to
understand, and all the words of their vocabulary may be translated
and written in Latin letters, as we have already said was the case in
Hispaniola. They are a warlike race, and have always been troublesome
neighbours. The country is neither rich in gold mines, nor does it
possess a fertile soil, being mountainous and arid. Because of its
precipitous mountains the temperature is cold, and the chiefs wear
clothes, but the bulk of the people are content to live in a state of
nature. The Spaniards found negro slaves in this province.[4] They
only live in a region one day's march from Quarequa, and they are
fierce and cruel. It is thought that negro pirates of Ethiopia
established themselves after the wreck of their ships in these
mountains. The natives of Quarequa carry on incessant war with these
negroes. Massacre or slavery is the alternate fortune of the two
peoples.

[Note 4: This mysterious fact has been asserted by too many
authors to be refused credence. The author's explanation of the
existence of these Africans in America is possibly the correct one.]

Leaving some of his companions who had fallen ill from the incessant
fatigue and hardships to which they were not inured, at Quarequa,
Vasco, led by native guides, marched towards the summit of the
mountain-chain.[5]

[Note 5: On September 26, 1513; the men who accompanied him
numbered sixty-six.]

From the village of Poncha to the spot where the southern ocean
is visible is a six days' ordinary march, but he only covered the
distance in twenty-five days, after many adventures and great
privations. On the seventh day of the calends of October, a Quarequa
guide showed him a peak from the summit of which the southern ocean is
visible. Vasco looked longingly at it. He commanded a halt, and went
alone to scale the peak, being the first to reach its top. Kneeling
upon the ground, he raised his hands to heaven and saluted the south
sea; according to his account, he gave thanks to God an