occupants came to blows, wounding each other as savagely as wild beasts, so that many died in the presence of our men.  The matter was not settled until, for the sake of peace, an agreement was made among them, with many outcries that those from one island should do their buying on the port side of the vessel, and those from another island, on the starboard side.  Thereupon they subsided, and bought and sold to their hearts’ content.  Then in payment for this good treatment, when they took their departure from us, they hurled their darts at the ship, wounding a number of men who were on deck.  But they did not boast of this, for our men instantly repaid their daring with some shots from their arquebuses.

These people esteem iron more highly than silver or gold.  They give in exchange for it, fruits, yams, sweet potatoes, fish, rice, ginger, fowls, and many fine and well-woven mats, and all for almost nothing.  These islands are extremely healthful and fertile, and will be very easy to win over to the faith of Christ, if, on the passage of the vessels to Manila a few religious, together with some soldiers for protection, should be left there until the next year. [34] This would cost but a moderate sum.

Their rites and ceremonies are not known yet, because no one understands their speech; and it has not been possible to learn it, since no one has been in these islands longer than while passing.  According to all appearances, their language is easy to understand, for it is pronounced very distinctly.  Their word for ginger is asno; and for “Take away that arquebus,” they say, arrepeque.  They have no nasal or guttural words.  It is understood, from some signs that we saw them make, that they are all pagans; and that they worship idols and the devil, to whom they sacrifice the booty obtained from their neighbors in war.  It is believed that they originated from the Tartars, from certain peculiarities found among them which correspond to those found in that people.

These islands extend north and south with the land of Labrador, which lies near Terra-nova [Newfoundland], and are not a great distance from Japon. [35] It is quite safe to say that they have intercourse with the Tartars, and that they buy iron to sell it to the latter.  The Spaniards who passed these islands called them the islands of Ladrones ["Thieves"]; for in sober truth all these people are thieves, and very bold ones, very deft in stealing; and in this science they might instruct the Gitanos [gypsies], who wander through Europe.  In verification of this, I will recount an occurrence witnessed by many Spaniards, one which caused much wonder.  While a sailor was stationed, by the order of the captain, on the port side of the ship, with orders to allow none to come aboard, and while he, sword in hand, was absent-mindedly looking at some of the canoes of the islanders—­a sort of little boat all made of one piece, in which they sail—­one of the natives plunged under