[Note 5:  Land was discovered on the morning of October 12th, Julian calendar.  Efforts to identify the island on which Columbus first landed have been numerous.  The natives called it Guanahani and Columbus named it San Salvador.  Munoz believed it to be the present Watling’s Island; Humboldt and Washington Irving thought Cat Island more likely, while Navarrete identified it as Grand Turk.  Captain G.V.  Fox, U.S.N., published in Appendix 18 to the Report for 1880, the conclusions he had reached after exhaustive examinations conducted in the Bahamas, with which islands and their seas long service had made him familiar.  He selected Samana or Atwood Cay as the first land discovered.]

[Note 6:  In honour of the Infante Don Juan, heir to the Castilian crown.  It has, however, always borne its native name of Cuba.]

[Note 7:  But for this infelicitous change in his course, Columbus must have discovered the coast of Mexico.]

It was at this place that the Spaniards, on landing, first beheld the islanders.  Upon seeing strangers approaching, the natives collected and fled into the depths of the forests like timid hares pursued by hounds.  The Spaniards followed them, but only succeeded in capturing one woman, whom they took on board their ships, where they gave her plenty of food and wine and clothes (for both sexes lived absolutely naked and in a state of nature); afterwards this woman, who knew where the fugitives were concealed, returned to her people, to whom she showed her ornaments, praising the liberality of the Spaniards; upon which they all returned to the coast, convinced that the newcomers were descended from heaven.  They swam out to the ships, bringing gold, of which they had a small quantity, which they exchanged gladly for trifles of glass or pottery.  For a needle, a bell, a fragment of mirror, or any such thing, they gladly gave in exchange whatever gold was asked of them, or all that they had about them.  As soon as more intimate relations were established and the Spaniards came to understand the local customs, they gathered by signs and by conjectures that the islanders were governed by kings.  When they landed from their ships they were received with great honour by these kings and by all the natives, making every demonstration of homage of which they were capable.  At sunset, the hour of the Angelus, the Spaniards knelt according to Christian custom, and their example was immediately followed by the natives.  The latter likewise adored the Cross as they saw the Christians doing.[8]

[Note 8:  The first report Columbus made to the Catholic sovereigns was most flattering to the American aborigines. Certifico a vuestras altezas que en el mundo creo que no hay mejor gente ni mejor tierra:  ellos aman a sus projimos como a si mismo.  Like most generalisations, these were found, upon closer acquaintance with native character and customs, to be too comprehensive as well as inaccurate.]