t h e w e s t i n d i e s
saint, and some from a fancied resemblance c>f its
great mountain to a gigantic person bearing a
smaller one upon his back after the manner of the
self-sacrificing person in the legend. T h e iskn d is
now commonly known as St. K it t s. 1 San Martin
was also one of the discoveries of this trip, and Santa
Cruz and the whole procession of Virgins, which reminded
the Admiral of St. Ursula and the unfortunate
11,000 maidens of the story.
Skirting along the southern coast of Puerto Rico
he made a landing at the western end of the island,
to which he gave the name San Juan Bautista.
There were gushing springs where he went ashore,
and he named the spot A g u ad ilk , and behold it is
so called unto this day. He did not leave t e
women whom he had rescued, but took them over
to Hispaniola with him. There is a romantic story
to the effect that the friendly chief Guacanagan was
enamoured of one of these, by the name of Catalina,
and induced her and her companions to disappear
with him into the forest, whereupon he was regarded
as a renegade and an enemy, and was subsequently
treated accordingly. |
When at last L a Navidad was regained near the
end of 1493, t t was a scene of desolation. T h e for
was dismantled, the garrison was dead, and the Indian
village of Guarico had been burned. Some of
the Spaniards had ventured into the mountains in
search of gold, but the cacique of the region was the
Carib invader Coanabo, who ruled in the heart o
the land of gold. He had not only welcomed the
intruders “ with bloody hands to hospitable graves,
DISCOVERY OF HISPANIOLA.
From Herrera’s History o f the IVest Indies.