After sailing 107 leagues eastwards along the coast of Cuba, the admiral arrived at its eastern end, and departed thence on the 5th December for Hispaniola, which is only 18 leagues distant; yet he could not reach it till next day, on account of the currents. On the 6th he came to a harbour which he called St Nicholas, at the western extremity of Hispaniola, having discovered it on the day of that Saint. This port is safe, spacious, and deep, surrounded by thick groves and a mountainous land; the trees, however, were not large, and resembled those of Spain; among others, there were found pine and myrtle. A pleasant river discharged itself into this harbour, and on its banks were many canoes, as large as brigantines, of 25 benches. Finding no people, he went on to the north-east, to a harbour which he named Conception, south from a small island called Tortuga, 10 leagues north of Hispaniola. Observing this island of Bohio to be very large, that its land and trees resembled Spain, that his people caught, among other fish, many skates, soles, and other fishes like those in Spain, and that nightingales and other European birds were heard to sing in the month of December, at which they much admired; the admiral named this land La Espannola, which we now corruptly write Hispaniola. Some thought it ought to have been named Castellana, as the crown of Castile alone was concerned in this expedition of discovery. As he had received a favourable account of this island from the Indians, he was desirous of learning whether it were really so wealthy as they represented; and, as the natives all fled, communicating the alarm from place to place by fires, he sent six well armed Spaniards into the interior to explore the country. These people returned, after having proceeded a considerable way without finding any inhabitants; but they reported wonders of the deliciousness of the country. One day three of the seamen having gone into a wood, saw many naked people, who fled as soon as they saw our men into the thickest parts of the wood; but the sailors pursued and took a woman, who had a small plate of gold hanging at her nose. The admiral gave her some hawks-bells and glass beads, and ordered her to have a shirt, and sent her away with three Spaniards, and three of the Indian captives, to accompany her to her dwelling.

Next day the admiral sent nine armed Spaniards, with an Indian of St Salvador to serve as interpreter, to the womans habitation, which was four leagues to the south-east of where the ships then lay. They here found a town of 1000 scattered houses; but it was quite deserted, as all the inhabitants had fled into the woods. The Indian interpreter was sent after them, and at length persuaded them to return, by saying much in praise of the Spaniards. They returned accordingly to the town, trembling with fear and amazement, laying their hands on the heads of the Spaniards, out of honour and respect, entreating of them to eat, and to remain with them for the night. Abundance of people now collected; some of them carrying the woman on their shoulders in triumph to whom the admiral had given a shirt, and her husband came among them, on purpose to return thanks for the honourable gift. The Spaniards now returned to the ships, reporting that the country abounded in provisions, that the natives were whiter and better-looking than those of the other islands; but that the gold country lay still more to the eastwards. By their description the men were not of large size, yet brawny and well set, without beards, having wide nostrils and broad smooth ungraceful foreheads, which were so shaped at their birth as a beauty, for which reason, and because they always went bareheaded, their skulls were hard enough to break a Spanish sword. Here the admiral observed the length of the day and night, and found that twenty half-hour glasses run out between sun-rise and sun-set, making the day consequently ten hours long; but he believed the seamen had been negligent and had made a mistake, and that the day was somewhat more than eleven hours. Though the wind was contrary, he resolved to leave this place, and continue his course to the eastwards through the channel between Tortuga and Hispaniola, where he found an Indian fishing in a canoe, and wondered his small vessel was not swallowed up, as the waves rose very high; he accordingly took both Indian and canoe into the ship, where he treated him well, and sent him on shore afterwards with some toys. This man commended the Spaniards so much that many of the natives resorted to the ships; but they had only some small grains of gold hanging at their noses, which they freely parted with. Being asked whence that gold came, they made signs that there was plenty of it farther on. On the admiral inquiring for Cipango, which he still expected to find in these seas, they thought he had meant Cibao, and pointed to the eastwards, as the place in the island which produced most gold.

The admiral was now informed that the cacique, or lord of that part of the country was coming to visit him, attended by 200 men. Though young, he was carried in a kind of chair on mens shoulders, attended by a governor and counsellors; and it was observed that his subjects paid him wonderful attention, and that his deportment was exceedingly grave. An Indian, from the island of Isabella, went ashore and spoke to the chief, telling him the Spaniards were men who had come from heaven, and saying much in their praise. The cacique now went on board, and, when he came to the poop, he made signs for his attendants to remain behind, except two men of riper years, who seemed his counsellors, and sate down at his feet. Being offered to eat by order of the admiral, he tasted a little of every thing that was offered, then handed it to the other two, and from them it was carried to the rest of his attendants. When offered drink, he only touched it with his lips. They all observed much gravity, speaking little; but when he spoke, his counsellors observed his lips with great attention, and answered him with much respect. The admiral thought these people more rational and farther advanced in civilization than any he had seen at the other islands. When it grew late, the cacique and his attendants returned to the shore. Next day, though the wind was contrary and blew hard, the sea did not run high, as the anchoring ground was sheltered by the island of Tortuga. Some of our people were engaged this day in fishing, and the Indians were much gratified at seeing the Spanish mode, which differed greatly from their own. Several of the Spaniards went on shore to the Indian town, where they procured some small plates of gold in barter for glass beads, which gave great satisfaction to the admiral, as he was now enabled to convince their Catholic majesties that gold was to be had in the country he had discovered, and consequently, that the promises he had made were not vain. In the afternoon, the cacique came down again to the shore, and about the same time, a canoe, with forty men, came over from the island of Tortuga on purpose to visit the Spaniards, at which the cacique appeared to take offence; but all the natives of Hispaniola sat down on the ground, in token of peace. The people from Tortuga landed from their canoe; but the cacique stood up and threatened them, on which they reimbarked and pushed off from the shore. To shew his displeasure, the cacique threw stones and water after them, and gave a stone to the alguazil belonging to the admiral, making signs for him to throw it at the Tortugans, but he smiled and would not throw. Those in the canoe returned very submissively to Tortuga. This day, in honour of the festival of the Conception, the admiral ordered the ships to be dressed up with colours and streamers, arming all the men, and firing the cannon. The cacique came on board while the admiral was at dinner; and the respect shewn by these naked people to their chief was very remarkable. On coming into the cabin, the cacique sat down beside the admiral, without suffering him to rise. Being invited to eat, he took the meat as he had done on a former occasion, tasting a little of every thing, and giving the rest to his more immediate attendants. After dinner, he presented to the admiral a girdle of gold, somewhat like those used in Spain, but quite differently wrought, and some small plates of gold, which the natives use as ornaments. The admiral gave the cacique in return a piece of old tapestry hanging which had attracted his fancy, some amber beads he happened to have about his neck, a pair of red shoes, and a bottle of orange flower water, with all of which he was much pleased. He and his attendants seemed much concerned that they could not make themselves understood by the Spaniards, and appeared to offer them whatever the country produced. The admiral shewed him a piece of Spanish coin, bearing the heads of their Catholic majesties, which he greatly admired, as also the colours with the crosses and the royal arms. After having been treated with much respect and attention by the admiral, the cacique went on shore, and was carried back to his town on a chair or bier. He was accompanied by a son, and by a great concourse of people; and all the things which had been given him by the admiral were carried before him, held singly on high, that they might be seen and admired by the people. A brother of the cacique came next on board, whom the admiral treated with much respect; and next day, the admiral caused a cross to be erected in an open spot of the town, near the sea, as that where the cacique resided was four leagues off; to this cross the Indians paid great respect, in imitation of the Spaniards.