This second day the natives, as said before, brought various articles to barter for such small things as they could procure in exchange.  Jewels or metals of any kind were not seen among them, except some small plates of gold which hung from their nostrils; and on being questioned from whence they procured the gold, they answered by signs that they had it from the south, where there was a king who possessed abundance of pieces and vessels of gold; and they made our people to understand that there were many other islands and large countries to the south and southwest.  They were very covetous to get possession of anything which belonged to the Christians, and being themselves very poor, with nothing of value to give in exchange, as soon as they got on board, if they could lay hold of anything which struck their fancy, though it were only a piece of a broken glazed earthen dish or porringer, they leaped with it into the sea and swam on shore with their prize.  If they brought anything on board they would barter it for anything whatever belonging to our people, even for a piece of broken glass; insomuch that some gave sixteen large clews of well-spun cotton yarn, weighing twenty-five pounds, for three small pieces of Portuguese brass coin not worth a farthing.  Their liberality in dealing did not proceed from their putting any great value on the things themselves which they received from our people in return, but because they valued them as belonging to the Christians, whom they believed certainly to have come down from heaven, and they therefore earnestly desired to have something from them as a memorial.  In this manner all this day was spent, and the islanders, as before, went all on shore at night.

[Footnote 1:  In the other editions this part of the sentence reads, “concerning the islands of India beyond the Ganges, recently discovered.”]

[Footnote 2:  The name of Isabella (Helisabet) is also omitted in the title of one of Plannck’s editions; it is found in the two other Roman editions.]

[Footnote 3:  The correct form is Gabriel Sanchez.]

[Footnote 4:  April 29th.]

[Footnote 5:  A mistake of the Latin translator.  Columbus sailed from Palos, August 3, 1492; on September 8th he left the Canaries, and on October 11th, or thirty-three days later, he reached the Bahamas.]

[Footnote 6:  In Spanish, San Salvador, one of the Bahama Islands.  It has been variously identified with Grand Turk, Cat, Watling, Mariguana, Samana, and Acklin Islands.  Watling’s Island seems to have much in its favor.]

[Footnote 7:  Perhaps Crooked Island, or, according to others, North Caico.]

[Footnote 8:  Identified by some with Long Island, by others with Little Inagua.]

[Footnote 9:  Identified variously with Fortune Island and Great Inagua.]

[Footnote 10:  The island of Cuba.]

[Footnote 11:  China.]

[Footnote 12:  Hispaniola, or Hayti.]