Monday, 24 December 1492
Whoever has to enter La Mar de Santo Tomas must put in a good 3 miles above the mouth of the entrance toward a small flat island, which I have named La Amiga* and which is in the middle of the entrance, and he should turn the prow toward it. After arriving within a stone’s throw of the island, he must go west, leaving the island to the east, and he must keep near it and not go to the other side, because there is a very large reef to the west. Also, in the sea outside it there are three shoals, and this reef reaches within a Lombard shot of La Amiga. He will then pass in the middle and will find at the most shallow place 7 fathoms of water, with gravel underneath; inside he will find a harbor for all the ships in the world where they can remain without anchors. There is another reef and more shoals that extend from the east toward the said island of La Amiga. These are very large, extending far out into the sea and reaching almost within 6 miles of the cape. But it appears that there is an entrance between them and at a distance of two Lombard shots from La Amiga. At the foot of Monte Caribatan on its west side there is a very good and large harbor.
*The Girlfriend; now known as Ile des Rats.
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Picture of the Santa Maria found on the Internet
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