THE
COMPANIONS
OF C O L U M B U S .
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ing six hundred and fourteen crowns, and two hundred pearls of great size and beauty, excepting that they were somewhat dis足 colored in consequence of the oysters having been opened by fire. The cacique seeing the value which the Spaniards set upon the pearls, sent a number of his men to fish for them at a place about ten miles distant.
Certain of the Indians were trained
from their youth to this purpose, so as to become expert divers, and to acquire the power of remaining a long time beneath the water.
The largest pearls are generally found in the deepest
water, sometimes in three and four fathoms, and are only sought in calm weather ; the smaller sort are found at the depth of two and three feet, and the oysters containing them are often driven in quantities on the beach during violent storms. The party of pearl-divers sent by the cacique consisted of thirty Indians, with whom Vasco Nunez sent six Spaniards as eye-witnesses.
The sea, however, w a 3 so furious at that stormy
season that the divers dared not venture into the deep water. Such a number of the shell-fish, however, had been driven on shore, that they collected enough to yield pearls to the value of twelve marks of gold.
They were small, but exceedingly beauti足
ful, being newly taken and uninjured by fire. A number of these shell-fish and their pearls were selected to be sent to Spain as specimens. In reply to the inquiries of Vasco Nunez, the cacique informed him that the coast which he saw stretching to the west continued onwards without end, and that far to the south there was a coun足 try abounding in gold, where the inhabitants made use of certain quadrupeds to carry burdens.
He moulded a figure of clay to
represent these animals, which some of the Spaniards supposed