Wednesday, 2 January 1493 (Part 1)
I went ashore this morning to take leave of King Guacanagari and to depart in the name of the Lord. I gave the King one of my shirts and showed him the force of the lombards and their effect. For this purpose, I ordered one loaded and fired at the side of the Santa Maria, which was aground. This all came about as a result of a conversation about the Caribes, with whom they were at war. The King saw how far the Lombard shot reached and how it passed through the side of the ship. I also had the people from the ship fight a mock battle with their arms, telling the Cacique not to fear the Caribes if they came. I did all this so that the King would consider those I am leaving as friends, and also that he might fear them. The King escorted me and the men with me to his house to eat with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment