which they called Axi; and to shew that it was wholesome, they mixed some of it in a dish of water, and drank it off.  As the bad weather detained the ships, the admiral sent the notary, accompanied by two Indians, to a town where Guacanagari resided, to see if he could procure gold; for, having got some considerable quantity of late, he believed it might be more plentiful in this part.  It was computed that not less than 1000 men came off to the ships this day, every one of whom gave something; and those who could not get from their canoes into the ships, because of the multitude, called out for those on board to take from them what they had brought.  From all that he had seen, the admiral concluded that the island might be as large as England.  The notary was received by Guacanagari, who came out of his town to meet him, and he thought that town more regularly built than any he had seen; and all the natives gazed on the Spaniards with surprise and admiration.  The cacique gave them cotton-cloths, parrots, and some pieces of gold; and the people parted with any thing they had for the merest trifles, which they kept as relics.  On Monday the 24th, the admiral went on shore to visit Guacanagari, whose residence was four or five leagues from the port of St Thomas.  After his return to the ships, he went to bed, the weather being quite calm, as he had not slept during two days and a night.  The weather being so fine the steersman left the helm in charge of a grummet, although the admiral had expressly commanded, whatever should be the weather, that he who was entrusted with the helm should never leave it to any other person.  In truth, no danger was apprehended from rocks or shoals; as on Sunday, when the boats attended the notary to the residence of the cacique, they had sounded all the coast for three leagues to the S.E. from the point, and had made observation how the ships might pass in safety; and as it was now a dead calm, all went to sleep; thinking themselves free from all kind of danger.  It so happened that the current carried on the ship imperceptibly[7], till at last the lad at the helm perceiving the rudder to strike; gave the alarm.  The admiral was the first on deck, after whom came the master, whose watch it was.  He was ordered, as the boat was afloat, to get an anchor into the boat, that it might be carried out astern and dropped in deep water; in hopes, by means of the capstern, to heave the ship from the rock on which it lay.  But, instead of executing these orders, the people in the boat immediately made off towards the other caravel, which was half a league to windward.  In this emergency, perceiving that the water ebbed perceptibly, and that the vessel was in danger of oversetting, the admiral ordered the mast to be cut by the board, and many of the things to be thrown into the sea, to lighten the vessel and get her off.  But nothing would do, as the water ebbed apace, and the ship every moment stuck the faster; and though the sea was calm, the ship lay athwart