On the thirty-third day after leaving Cadiz I came into the Indian Sea, where I discovered many islands inhabited by numerous people.  I took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King by making public proclamation and unfurling his standard, no one making any resistance.  To the first of them I have given the name of our blest Savior, trusting in whose aid I had reached this and all the rest; but the Indians call it Guanahani[2].  To each of the others also I gave a new name, ordering one to be called Sancta Maria de Concepcion, another Fernandina, another Hysabella, another Johana; and so with all the rest.

As soon as we reached the island which I have just said was called Johana, I sailed along its coast some considerable distance toward the west, and found it to be so large, without any apparent end, that I believed it was not an island, but a continent, a province of Cathay.  But I saw neither towns nor cities lying on the seaboard, only some villages and country farms with whose inhabitants I could not get speech, because they fled as soon as they beheld us.  I continued on, supposing I should come to city or country houses.  At last, finding that no further discoveries rewarded our progress, and that this course was leading us toward the north, which I was desirous of avoiding, as it was now winter in these regions, and it had always been my intention to proceed southward, and the winds also were favorable to such desires, I concluded not to attempt any other adventures, so, turning back, I came again to a certain harbor, which I had remarked.  From there I sent two of our men into the country to learn whether there was any king or cities in that land.  They journeyed for three days, and found innumerable people and habitations, but small and having no fixt government, on which account they returned.  Meanwhile I had learned from some Indians whom I had seized at this place, that this country was really an island.  Consequently, I continued along toward the east, as much as 322 miles, always hugging the shore, where was the very extremity of the island.  From there I saw another island to the eastwards, distant 54 miles from this Johana, which I named Hispana, and proceeded to it, and directed my course for 564 miles east by north as it were, just as I had done at Johana.

The island called Johana, as well as the others in its neighborhood, is exceedingly fertile.  It has numerous harbors on all sides, very safe and wide, above comparison with any I have ever seen.  Through it flow many very broad and health-giving rivers; and there are in it numerous very lofty mountains.  All these islands are very beautiful, and of quite different shapes, easy to be traversed, and full of the greatest variety of trees reaching to the stars.  I think these never lose their leaves, as I saw them looking as green and lovely as they are wont to be in the month of May in Spain.  Some of them were in leaf, and some in fruit; each flourishing in the