The first course was east, a quarter southeast, and on the sixteenth, they entered Port-au-Prince, and took possession, raising a cross there.  At Port-au-Prince, to his surprise, he found on a point of rock two large logs, mortised into each other in the shape of a cross, so “that you would have said a carpenter could not have proportioned them better.”

On the nineteenth the course was north-northeast; on the twenty-first they took a course south, a quarter southwest, seeking in these changes the island of “Babeque,” which the Indians had spoken of as rich with gold.  On the day last named Pinzon left the Admiral in the Pinta, and they did not meet again for more than a month.

Columbus touched at various points on Cuba and the neighboring islands.  He sought, without success, for pearls, and always pressed his inquiries for gold.  He was determined to find the island of Bohio, greatly to the terror of the poor Indians, whom he had on board:  they said that its natives had but one eye, in the middle of their foreheads, and that they were well armed and ate their prisoners.

He landed in the bay of Moa, and then, keeping near the coast, sailed towards the Capo del Pico, now called Cape Vacz.  At Puerto Santo he was detained some days by bad weather.  On the fourth of December he continued his eastward voyage, and on the next day saw far off the mountains of Hayti, which was the Bohio he sought for.

CHAPTER VI. —­ DISCOVERY OF HAYTI OR HISPANIOLA

—­The search for gold—­hospitality and intelligence of the
natives—­Christmas day—­A shipwreck—­colony to be founded—­Columbus
sails east and meets Martin Pinzon—­the two vessels return to Europe
—­storm—­the Azores—­Portugal—­home.

On the sixth of December they crossed from the eastern cape of Cuba to the northwestern point of the island, which we call Hayti or San Domingo.  He says he gave it this name because “the plains appeared to him almost exactly like those of Castile, but yet more beautiful.”

He coasted eastward along the northern side of the island, hoping that it might be the continent, and always inquiring for gold when he landed; but the Indians, as before, referred him to yet another land, still further south, which they still called Bohio.  It was not surrounded by water, they said.  The word “caniba,” which is the origin of our word “cannibal,” and refers to the fierce Caribs, came often into their talk.  The sound of the syllable can made Columbus more sure that he was now approaching the dominions of the Grand Khan of eastern Asia, of whom Marco Polo had informed Europe so fully.

On the twelfth of the month, after a landing in which a cross had been erected, three sailors went inland, pursuing the Indians.  They captured a young woman whom they brought to the fleet.  She wore a large ring of gold in her nose.  She was able to understand the other Indians whom they had on board.  Columbus dressed her, gave her some imitation pearls, rings and other finery, and then put her on shore with three Indians and three of his own men.