On Sunday the 30th December, the admiral went on shore to dinner, where he found five other caciques, all subjects to Guacanagari, who all had gold crowns on their heads, and appeared in much state.  As soon as he landed, Guacanagari came to receive him, and led him by the arm to the house in which he had been before, where a place of state was prepared with several chairs.  He made the admiral sit down, with much courtesy and respect, and taking the crown from his own head, put it on that of the admiral; who, in return, took a string of curious glass beads of many colours, and very showy, from his own neck, and put it round the neck of Guacanagari, and also put on him a loose coat of fine cloth which he then happened to wear.  He also sent for a pair of coloured buskins, which he caused him to draw on; and put on his finger a large silver ring, such as was worn by some of the seamen; being informed that the cacique had seen one, and was anxious to get it, as the Indians put a great value on any white metal, whether silver or pewter.  These gifts pleased Guacanagari highly, and made him believe himself the richest potentate in the world.  Two of the subordinate caciques attended the admiral to the boat, and each of them gave him a large plate of gold, which were not cast, but composed of many grains battered out between two stones, as the Indians are ignorant of the art of melting and founding.  When the admiral went on board the caravel to sleep as usual, Vincent Yanes Pinzon affirmed that he had seen rhubarb, and knew its branches and roots.  Some persons were accordingly sent on shore for this supposed rhubarb, of which they brought a basket-full on board as a sample; but on being brought to Spain, it turned out not to be rhubarb.  In the opinion of the admiral, the substance called Axi by the inhabitants of Hispaniola was a valuable spice, better even than the pepper or grains of paradise which is brought from the east; and he concluded that other kinds of spice would probably be found in the newly discovered islands.

[Illustration:  Chart of South Western Africa]

Having finished the construction of the fort, and anxious to return into Spain to give an account of his happy discovery of a well peopled country, having strong indications of abounding in gold, the admiral prepared for his departure by taking in a supply of wood and water, and all other necessaries for the voyage which could be procured in that country.  Guacanagari ordered the Spaniards to be supplied with as much of the country bread, called cazaba, or casada, as they needed, and also with axi, salted fish, and every other production of his country.  Although he wished to have extended his examination of the new discovered coast, which he believed to run far to the eastwards, the admiral did not think this advisable in his present situation, having only one caravel, and complained much of the desertion of Martin Alonzo Pinzon, by which he felt himself