He did not, however, send off these messengers at once, as the wind
and the nature of the coast proved unfit for his going up the river the
Indians had spoken of. He went back to the town where he had been two
days before.

Once more he found that the people had fled, but "after a good while
a man appeared," and the Admiral sent ashore one of the Indians he had
with him. This man shouted to the Indians on shore that they must not be
afraid, as these were good people, and did harm to no man, nor did
they belong to the Grand Khan, but they gave, of what they had, in many
islands where they had been. He now jumped into the sea and swam ashore,
and two of the inhabitants took him in their arms and brought him to a
house where they asked him questions. When he had reassured them, they
began to come out to the ships in their canoes, with "spun cotton and
others of their little things." But the Admiral commanded that nothing
should be taken from them, so that they might know that he was seeking
nothing but gold, or, as they called it, nucay.

He saw no gold here, but one of them had a piece of wrought silver
hanging to his nose. They made signs, that before three days many
merchants would come from the inland country to trade with the
Spaniards, and that they would bring news from the king, who, according
to their signs, was four days' journey away. "And it is certain" says
the Admiral, "that this is the mainland, and that I am before Zayto and
Quinsay, a hundred leagues more or less from both of them, and this is
clearly shown by the tide, which comes in a different manner from that
in which it has done up to this time; and yesterday when I went to the
northwest I found that it was cold."

Always supposing that he was near Japan, which they called Cipango,