[Note 15:  The fragrant odours blown out to sea from the American coasts are mentioned by several of the early explorers.]

On all these islands there is found a tree about the size of our elms, which bears a sort of gourd out of which they make drinking cups; but they never eat it, as its pulp is bitterer than gall, and its shell is as hard as a turtle’s back.  On the ides of May the watchers saw from the height of the lookout an incredible multitude of islands to the south-west; two of them were covered with grass and green trees, and all of them were inhabited.

On the shore of the continent there emptied a navigable river of which the water was so hot that one could not leave one’s hand long in it.  The next day, having seen a canoe of fishermen in the distance, and fearing that these fishermen might take to flight at sight of them, the Admiral ordered a barque to cut off their retreat; but the men waited for the Spaniards without sign of fear.

Listen now to this new method of fishing.  Just as we use French dogs to chase hares across the plain, so do these fishermen catch fish by means of a fish trained for that purpose.  This fish in no wise resembles any that we know.  Its body is similar to that of a large eel, and upon its head it has a large pouch made of a very tough skin.  They tie the fish to the side of the boat, with just the amount of cord necessary to hold it under the water; for it cannot stand contact with the air.  As soon as a large fish or turtle is seen (and these latter are as large as a huge shield), they let the fish go.  The moment it is freed, it attacks, with the rapidity of an arrow, the fish or turtle, on some part exposed from the shell, covering it with the pouch-like skin, and attaching itself with such tenacity that the only way to pull it off alive is by rolling a cord round a pole and raising the fish out of the water, when contact with the air causes it to drop its prey.  This is-done by some of the fishermen who throw themselves into the water, and hold it above the surface, until their companions, who remained in the barque, have dragged it on board.  This done, the cord is loosened enough for the fisherman-fish to drop back into the water, when it is fed with pieces of the prey which has been caught.

The islanders call this fish guaicano, and our people call it riverso.[16] Four turtles which they caught in this fashion and presented to the Spaniards almost filled a native barque.  They highly prize the flesh of turtles, and the Spaniards made them some presents in exchange which highly pleased them.  When our sailors questioned them concerning the size of the land, they answered that it had no end towards the west.  They insisted that the Admiral should land, or should send some one in his name to salute their cacique, promising moreover that if the Spaniards would go to visit the cacique, the latter would make them various presents; but the Admiral, not wishing to retard the execution of his project, refused to yield to their wishes.  The islanders asked him his name, and told him the name of their cacique.