Almirante! From Which Circumstance He
Inferred That He Had Fallen In With Hispaniola, Of Which He Was Not Till
Then Assured.
At the end of August, he anchored at a small island which
looks like a sail, which he therefore named Alto Vela, being twelve
leagues from Beata[10].
The other two ships being out of sight, the
admiral sent some of his men to the top of this island to look out for
them. While on shore the seamen killed five seals which lay asleep on the
sand, and knocked down many birds with their sticks, even catching some
with their hands, for a the island was uninhabited they were not afraid of
men. After six days waiting, the other ships rejoined the admiral; and he
proceeded to La Beata, and thence eastwards along the coast of
Hispaniola to a river running through a fine populous plain, now called
Catalina, or Catherines Plain, from the name of a lady to whom it once
belonged[11]. Some Indians came off to the ships in their canoes, who said
the Spaniards from the town of Isabella had been there, and were all well.
Going on eastwards from this place, a large town was observed on shore, to
which he sent the boats for water. The Indians came out armed with
poisoned arrows, and threatened to bind the Spaniards with cords; yet as
soon as the boats came near, they laid down their arms, inquired for the
admiral, and brought provisions to the Spaniards.
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