Peter Parley's Tales About America and Australia

ack hair, not curled, like the negroes, but floating on their shoulders, or bound in tress

ch they supposed had, during the night, risen out of the sea, or come down from the clouds; the sound and flash of the guns, which they mistook for thunder a

fered from those which flourished in Europe: the inhabitants appeared in the simple innocence of nature,

name of his sovereign; this was done by planting the Spanish flag on the coast, and oth

tle and peaceful inhabitants (as they afterwards did) from their peaceful abodes, which had been theirs and their fathers

made them presents of trinkets and other trifles, with which they were greatly delighted, and brought him in return the fruits of their fields

boats, which they called canoes; these simple and undiscerning children of natur

f that cluster of West India Islands called the Bahamas, and if you look on the map you will se

red world, and to take in a fresh supply of water, in which they were cheerfully assisted by the natives, who took them to the clearest springs and the swee

ter visiting several smaller islands he discovered a large island which the natives called Cuba, and whi

whom he had seen wore small plates of gold by way of ornament in their

ropeans were at their ignorance and simplicity, pointed towards the east, t

rst who should take possession of the treasure which this country was supposed to contain, quitted his compa

n the map, Columbus having had no sleep the night before, had gone to his cabin to lie do

watching over the safety of the ship and the lives of his companions, which were entrusted to him, de

he vessel on a shoal, and Columbus was roused from his sleep

ent was more than a match for them, and the vessel was driven farther and farther on the shoal; they

as close at hand, and the shipwrecked mariners got on board of her; the inhabitants of

everywhere presented themselves, and amazed at the luxuriance and fertility of the soil, Columbus did not find gold in such quantities as was sufficient to satisf

nt to pursue his discoveries with one small vessel, and that a very crazy one, lest, if any accident should befal it, he might be left without th

to contain the crew of the ship that was wrecked in addit

they begged of him to let them remain there, and Columbus consented to leave

ortified it with the guns of the Santa Maria, and did every thing in his power to provide for their

s that settled in the new world, and