Friday, 21 December 1492
In this region there are very high mountains that seem to reach Heaven; the mountains of Tenerife appear to be nothing in comparison with them in height and beauty. There are all green and forested, and they surround very pleasant plains. At the foot of this harbor to the south there is one such great plain without an obstructing mountain. The end of this plain cannot be seen; it must be 45 or 60 miles long. A river flows through it, and it is all populated and cultivated and is as green now as if it were Castile in May or June, although the nights are 14 hours long and the land is quite far north. This harbor is very good, well sheltered from any winds, and deep. And the entire country is inhabited by very good and gentle people, without arms, either good or bad. And any ship whatever may be free from fear in this harbor, for no ship can come in at night and attack it. Although the mouth is no more than 6 miles wide, it is very restricted by two rocky reefs that are hardly visible above water. There is a very narrow entrance in this reef that looks as though it could only have been made by hand, leaving an opening wide enough for ships to enter. In the mouth it is 7 fathoms deep to the foot of a small level island, which has a beach and trees on its shore. The entrance is on the west, and a ship can approach near enough to reach shore without fear. There are three islands to the NW and a large river 3 miles from the head of the harbor. It is the best harbor in the world and I have named it the Puerto de la Mar de Santo Tomas, because this is his feast day. I called this a sea because it is so large.
*Photo is recent photo of the actual harbor referred to in this post, Bay de l'Acul, Haiti
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