Saturday, 5 January 1493
Just before sunrise I made sail with a land breeze. It then shifted and blew from the east and I saw to the SSE, between Monte Cristi and a small island, what appeared to be a good harbor in which to anchor tonight. I took the course to the ESE and then to the SSE, a distance of 18 miles; having accomplished this, I found the water 17 fathoms deep and very clear. I went for 9 miles with the same depth. Then it was only 12 fathoms as far as the head of the mountain; beyond the head, at a distance of 3 miles, I found the depth to be 9 fathoms and clear, the bottom all fine sand. I followed this route until I entered between the mountain and the small island, where the depth at low tide is 3 ½ fathoms. It is a very remarkable harbor and I anchored here.
I took the boat to the small island,* where I found a fire and signs that fishermen had been here. There I saw many colored rocks, like a rock quarry, very beautiful and formed naturally. They would be suitable for building churches or royal structures, and are like those I found on the island of San Salvadore. I also found on this small island many mastic tree roots.
Monte Cristi is very beautiful and high and accessible, and has a pretty shape. All this country near the mountain is low, forming a lovely plain, and the mountain is so tall that when one sees it from a distance it looks like an island. Beyond the mountain, 18 miles to the east, I saw a cape that I named Cabo del Bezerro.* Between Monte Cristi and the cape the reef extends seeward for 6 miles, although it seems to me that there are channels by which one could enter. Nevertheless, it is necessary to try this during the daytime, and a small boat must first make soundings. To the east of Monte Cristi, toward Cabo de Bezerro, the 12 miles is all beach, and the land is very low and beautiful. The rest of the land is very high, with beautiful and well-cultivated mountains. A range of mountains extends inland from the NW to the SE.* This is the most beautiful mountain range that I have ever seen, looking exactly like the mountains of Cordoba. Other very high mountains also may be seen in the distance to the south and SE, as well as very large valleys that are green and beautiful, and many rivers. All of this is so extensive and so delightful that I do not believe I am exaggerating by a thousandth part. To the east of the mountain range I saw another mountain similar to Monte Cristi in size and beauty. To the NE by east the land is not so high and must extend for 75 miles.
*The small island is Isla Cabra; Goat Island. The coored rocks are coral and a quarry of this description is found at the eastern end of Samana Cay, where an exposed ridge appears to be man-made.
*A spelling error in the Log for Becerro: Cape of the Calf; now known as Punta Rucia.
*The Log states “NE to SE.” The correct orientation is “NW to SE.”
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