The island’s king leaves his house to meet Columbus at the coast

He stayed at anchor off that beach this day because there was no wind, and also because the cacique had said that he was to bring gold, not because the Admiral set much store (so he says) by the gold that he could bring, since there were no mines there, but to learn better where they brought it from. At once at daybreak he had the ship and the caravel dressed with arms and banners for the feast that fell this day, of Saint Mary of the O, or commemoration of the Annunciation: many lombard shots were fired, and the king of that Isla Española (says the Admiral) had risen early from his house, which must have been five leagues from there as far as he could judge, and arrived at the hour of terce at that village, where some from the ship were already, whom the Admiral had sent to see whether gold was coming, who said that more than 200 men were coming with the king, and that four men carried him in a litter, and that he was a youth, as was said above. Today, while the Admiral was eating below the castle, he arrived at the ship with all his people. And the Admiral says to the Sovereigns: …