The natives proved friendly, as the natives of the northern side of Cuba had proved two years before.

They had, in general, heard of the visit of the Spaniards; but their wonder and admiration seem to have been none the less now that they saw the reality.
On one occasion the hopes of all the party, that they should find themselves at the court of the Grand Khan, were greatly quickened.

A Spaniard had gone into a forest alone, hunting.

Suddenly he saw a man clothed in white, or thought he did, whom he supposed to be a friar of the order of Saint Mary de Mercedes, who was with the expedition.
But, almost immediately, ten other friars dressed in the same costume, appeared, and then as many as thirty.

The Spaniard was frightened at the multiplication of their number, it hardly appears why, as they were all men of peace, or should have been, whatever their number.