their necks, tied with a string in the nature of tresses.  Their countenances and features were good; yet having extraordinarily broad foreheads, gave some appearance of deformity to their appearance.  They were of a middle stature and well shaped, having their skins of an olive colour, like the natives of the Canaries; but some were painted white, some black, and others red; most of them in different parts of their bodies, but some only on their faces, round the eyes, or on their noses.  They were quite ignorant of our weapons; for on being shewn swords, they ignorantly laid hold of the edge.  They knew nothing of iron, but used sharp stones for working in wood.  Being asked by signs, how they came by some scars that were observed upon some of them, they made the Spaniards understand that the people of some other islands came occasionally to make them prisoners, and that they had been wounded in defending themselves.  They had very voluble tongues, and appeared of quick apprehension, and easily repeated any words they heard spoken.  The only living creatures that were seen among them were parrots.

On the next day, being the 13th October, many Indians came off to the ships in their canoes, most of which carried forty or even fifty men, and some were so small as only to hold one.  Their oars were formed like a bakers peel, with which they rowed, or paddled rather, as if digging with a spade.  Though easily overset, the Indians were excellent swimmers, and easily turned their canoes up, again, after which they laded the water out with calabashes, which they carried with them for that purpose.  They brought much cotton on board to barter with the Spaniards, and some of them gave as many clews as weighed a quarter of a hundred weight in exchange for a small brass Portuguese coin called centis, worth less than a farthing.  These people were never satisfied with gazing on the Spaniards, and used to kneel down and hold up their hands, as if praising God for their arrival, and were continually inviting each other to go and see the men who had come from heaven.  They wore no jewels, nor had they any other thing of value, except some little gold plates which hung at their noses.  Being asked whence they had this gold, they answered by signs that they procured it from the southwards, where there was a king, who had abundance of that metal.  The ships were never clear of Indians, who, as soon as they could procure a bit of any thing, were it only a fragment of a broken earthen dish, went away well pleased and swam ashore with their acquisition, offering whatsoever they possessed for the meanest trifle.  Thus the whole day was spent in trading, their generosity in giving being occasioned by the value they set upon what they received in return, as they looked upon the Spaniards as people come from heaven, and were therefore desirous of something to keep in remembrance of them.  At night they all went on shore.  On the morning of the 14th the