CHAP. III.]
C H R I S T O P H E R COLUMBUS.
315
Pursuing his voyage, Columbus soon came in sight of a great cluster of islands, some verdant and covered with forests, but the greater part naked and sterile, rising into craggy mountains ; with rocks of a bright azure color, and some of a glistering white. These, with his usual vivacity of imagination, he supposed to contain mines of rich metals and precious stones.
The islands
lying close together, with the sea beating roughly in the narrow channels which divided them, rendered it dangerous to enter among them with the large ships.
Columbus sent in a small cara
vel with lateen sails, to reconnoitre, which returned with the report that there were upwards of fifty islands, apparently inhabited. To the largest of this group he gave the name of Santa Ursula, and called the others the Eleven Thousand Virgins.* Continuing his course, he arrived one evening in sight of a great island covered with beautiful forests, and indented with fine havens.
It was called by the natives Boriquen, but he gave it
the name of San Juan Bautista; it is the same since known by the name of Porto Rico.
This was the native island of most of
the captives who had fled to the ships for refuge from the Caribs. According to their accounts it was fertile and populous, and under the dominion of a single cacique. Its inhabitants were not given to rove, and possessed but few canoes. They were subject to fre quent invasions from the Caribs, who were their implacable ene mies.
They had become warriors, therefore, in their own defence,
using the bow and arrow and the war club ; and in their contests with their cannibal foes, they retorted upon them their own atroci ties, devouring their prisoners in revenge. After running for a whole day along the beautiful coast of this island, they anchored in a bay at the west end, abounding in fish. * P. Martyr, decad. i. lib. ii.
Letter of Dr. Chanca.