of the place came out to meet them, and led them by the arms into the town,
giving them one of the large houses to lodge in during their stay. They
were there seated upon wooden stools made of one piece, in very strange
shapes, almost resembling some living creature with four very short legs.
The tail was lifted up, and as broad as the seat, to serve for the
convenience of leaning against; and the front was carved into the
resemblance of a head, having golden eyes and ears. The Spaniards being
seated on those stools or chairs, which the Indians called _duchi_, all
the natives sat about them on the ground, and came one by one to kiss
their hands with great respect, believing them to have come from Heaven.
They were presented with some boiled roots to eat, not unlike chesnuts in
taste; and as the two Indians who had accompanied them had given an
excellent character of the strangers, they were entreated to remain among
them, or at least to rest themselves for some days. Soon afterwards the
men went out from the house, and many women came to see them, who all
respectfully kissed their hands and feet, and offered them presents of
various articles.

When they proposed returning to the ships, many of the Indians wanted to
accompany them, but they would only accept of the king, his son, and one
servant, whom the admiral received with every demonstration of honour and
respect. The Spaniards farther reported that they had fallen in with
several other towns, both in their going out and returning, in all of
which they had been entertained with the same courtesy; but that none of
these other towns contained above five houses. That they met many people
by the way, all of whom carried a lighted fire-brand, to light fires, by
means of which they perfumed themselves with certain odoriferous herbs, or
roasted some of the roots mentioned before, which seemed to be their
principal food. They saw during their journey many kinds of trees and
plants different from those which grew on the coast, and great variety of