"I have thought that as we neared the Equator we should find them black!" Afterwards he expanded upon this.

"Jayme Ferrer thinks as I think, that the nearer we come to the Equator the more precious grow all things, the more gold, the more diamonds, rubies and emeralds, the more prodigal and delicious the spices! The people are burnt black, but they grow gentler and more wise, and under the line they are makers of white magic.

I have not told you, Juan Lepe, but I hold that now we begin to come to where our Mother Earth herself climbs, and climbs auspiciously!" "That we come to great mountains ?" "No, not that, though there may be great mountains.

But I have thought it out, and now I hold that the earth is not an orb, but is shaped, as it were, like a pear.

It would take an hour to give you all the reasons that decide me! But I hold that from hereabouts it mounts fairer and fairer, until under the line, about where would be the stem of the pear, we come to the ancient Earthly Paradise, the old Garden of Eden!" I looked to the southward.