Tuesday, 8 January 1493 (Part 2 of 2)
I took the boat and went to the river near here, a long 3 miles from Monte Cristi toward the SSW,* where the sailors were going to get water for the ship. At the mouth of the river, which is very wide and deep, I found that the sand was full of gold, in such quantity that it is wonderful, although it is in very small grains. I believe it crumbled into small pieces as it came down the river; although in a short space I found many grains the size of lentil seeds, more of them were very small. Since the sea was calm and the salt water mixed with the fresh, I ordered the boat to go up the river a stone’s throw. The men filled the barrels, and on the way to the ship they found little pieces of gold caught in the hoops of the barrels, and the same in the hoops of the casks. I named this El Rio del Oro.* It is very deep inside the entrance, although the entrance itself is shallow, and the mouth is very wide. It is 21 miles* from this river to the Villa de la Navidad. There are many other large rivers between here and the Villa de la Navidad, and three especially, which are larger than this one, must have more gold, although this river is almost as large as the Guadalquivir at Cordoba. From these rivers to the gold mines it is not 60 miles. I am not taking this sand which contains so much gold because Your Highnesses have it in your possession and at the door of your Villa de la Navidad. Besides, I want to return as soon as possible to bring the news and to rid myself of the bad companions I have. I have always said that they were a disobedient people.*
*SSE in the Log, an obvious error
*River of Gold; now known as Rio Yaque del Norte
*The Log gives 17 leagues, an obvious error for 7 leagues (21 NM).
*The “disobedient people” were mainly the “Pinzon clique,” mostly aboard the Pinta. The northern Spaniards on the Santa Maria were generally loyal, but Columbus felt tht those from Palos-Moguer-Huelva could not be trusted.
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This painting of the Yaque del Norte river was found on the Internet
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