The Earthly Paradise - 2

The Earthly Paradise - 2

As the importance of the Nina to the expedition had been greatly

increased by the defection of the Pinta, Columbus went on board and examined her. He

found that some of her spars were in danger of giving way; and as there was a forest of

pine trees rising from the shore he was able to procure a new mizzen mast and latine yard

in case it should be necessary to replace those of the Nina. The next morning he weighed

anchor at sunrise and continued east along the coast. He had now arrived at the extreme

end of Cuba, and was puzzled as to what course he should take. Believing Cuba, as he

did, to be the mainland of Cathay, he would have liked to follow the coast in its trend to

the south-west, in the hope of coming upon the rich city of Quinsay; but on the other

hand there was looming to the south-west some land which the natives with him assured

him was Bohio, the place where all the gold was. He therefore held on his course; but

when the Indians found that he was really going to these islands they became very much

alarmed, and made signs that the people would eat them if they went there; and, in order

further to dissuade the Admiral, they added that the people there had only one eye, and

the faces, of dogs. As it did not suit Columbus to believe them he said that they were

lying, and that he "felt" that the island must belong to the domain of the Great Khan. He

therefore continued his course, seeing many beautiful and enchanting bays opening

before him, and longing to go into them, but heroically stifling his curiosity, "because he

was detained more than he desired by the pleasure and delight he felt in seeing and

gazing on the beauty and freshness of those countries wherever he entered, and because

he did not wish to be delayed in prosecuting what he was engaged upon; and for these

reasons he remained that night beating about and standing off and on until day." He could

not trust himself, that is to say, to anchor in these beautiful harbours, for he knew he

would be tempted to go ashore and waste valuable time exploring the woods; and so he

remained instead, beating about in the open sea.

As it was, what with contrary winds and his own indecision as to which course he should

pursue, it was December the 6th before he came up with the beautiful island of Hayti, and

having sent the Nina in front to explore for a harbour, entered the Mole Saint Nicholas,

which he called Puerto Maria. Towards the east he saw an island shaped like a turtle, and

this island he named Tortuga; and the harbour, which he entered that evening on the hour

of Vespers, he called Saint Nicholas, as it was the feast of that saint. Once more his

description flounders among superlatives: he thought Cuba was perfect; but he finds the

new island more perfect still. The climate is like May in Cordova; the tracts of arable

land and fertile valleys and high mountains are like those in Castile; he finds mullet like

those of Castile; soles and other fish like those in Castile; nightingales and other small

birds like those in Castile; myrtle and other trees and grasses like those in Castile! In

short, this new land is so like Spain, only more wonderful and beautiful, that he christens

it Espanola.

They stayed two days in the harbour of Saint Nicholas, and then began to coast eastwards

along the shores of Espaniola. Their best progress was made at dawn and sunset, when

the land breeze blew off the island; and during the day they encountered a good deal of

colder weather and easterly winds, which made their progress slow. Every day they put in

at one or other of the natural harbours in which that beautiful coast abounds; every day

they saw natives on the shores who generally fled at their approach, but were often

prevailed upon to return and to converse with the natives on board the Admiral's ship,

and to receive presents and bring parrots and bits of gold in exchange. On one day a party

of men foraging ashore saw a beautiful young girl, who fled at their approach; and they

chased her a long way through the woods, finally capturing her and bringing her on

board. Columbus "caused her to be clothed"—doubtless a diverting occupation for

Rodrigo, Juan, Garcia, Pedro, William, and the rest of them, although for the poor, shy,

trembling captive not diverting at all—and sent her ashore again loaded with beads and

brass rings—to act as a decoy. Having sown this good seed the Admiral waited for a

night, and then sent a party of men ashore, "well prepared with arms and adapted for such

an affair," to have some conversation with the people. The innocent harvest was duly

reaped; the natives met the Spaniards with gifts of food and drink, and understanding that

the Admiral would like to have a parrot, they sent as many parrots as were wanted. The

husband of the girl who had been captured and clothed came back with her to the shore

with a large body of natives, in order to thank the Admiral for his kindness and clemency;

and their confidence was not misplaced, as the Admiral did not at that moment wish to do

any more kidnapping. The Spaniards were more and more amazed and impressed with

the beauty and fertility of these islands. The lands were more lovely than the finest land

in Castile; the rivers were large and wide, the trees green and full of fruit, the grasses

knee-deep and starred with flowers; the birds sang sweetly all night; there were mastic

trees and aloes and plantations of cotton. There was fishing in plenty; and if there were

not any gold mines immediately at hand, they here sure to be round the next headland or,

at the farthest, in the next island. The people, too, charmed and delighted the Admiral,

who saw in them a future glorious army of souls converted to the Christian religion. They

were taller and handsomer than the inhabitants of the other islands, and the women much

fairer; indeed, if they had not been so much exposed to the sun, and if they could only be

clothed in the decent garments of civilisation, the Admiral thought that their skins would

be as white as those of the women of Spain—which was only another argument for

bringing them within the fold of the Holy Catholic Church. The men were powerful and

apparently harmless; they showed no truculent or suspicious spirit; they had no

knowledge of arms; a thousand of them would not face three Christians; and

"so they are suitable to be governed and made to work and sow and do everything else

that shall be necessary, and to build villages and be taught to wear clothing and observe

our customs."