Columbus anchors at sunset in the harbor of Santo Tomás

Today at sunset he entered a harbor which lay between the island of Santo Tomás and the cabo de Caribata, and anchored. This harbor is most beautiful, and such that all the ships there are in Christendom would fit in it: its entrance looks from the sea impossible to those who had not entered it, because of some reefs of rocks that run from the mountain almost to the island, and not set in order but some here and others there; some toward the sea and others toward the land; for which reason one must be wide awake to go in by some entrances it has, very wide and good to enter without fear, and all very deep, of seven fathoms, and past the reefs inside there are 12 fathoms. The ship can lie moored with any rope at all against whatever winds there may be. At the entrance of this harbor, so he says, there was a cañal, which lies to the west of a sand islet, with many trees on it, and up to its foot there are seven fathoms; but there are many shoals in that area, and one must keep one’s eyes open until entering the harbor: …