who had much gold. On another occasion, other Indians being asked the same
question, answered, "Cubanacan, Cubanacan." They meant the middle of Cuba;
but their word at once suggested to Columbus the idea that he was now upon
the traces of his long-looked-for friend, Kublai Kaan, the Khan of Khans.
Indeed, it is almost ludicrous to see, throughout, how Columbus is
possessed with the notions borrowed from his reading of Marco Polo and
other travellers. He asks for "his Cipango," as Herrera slily puts it; and
the natives at once point out to him the direction where that is. They
thought he meant Cibao, where afterwards the best mines of gold were
found.


FURTHER EXPLORATIONS.

The admiral, bent on discovery, and especially on finding the terra firma,
which adjoined "his" India, did not stay long anywhere. Proceeding
southwards from San Salvador, he discovered an island, or rather a group
of islands, to which he gave the name of Santa Maria de la Concepcion; he
then discovered Cuba, and coasted along the northeastern part of that
island; and afterwards, in due course, came to Hispaniola, called by the
natives Hayti, in which island he landed upon the territory of King
Guacanagari where he was received most cordially.

Various conjectures have been made as to the different results which would
have followed, both for the New and for the Old World, if Columbus had
steered a little to the northward, or the southward, of the course which
he actually took. One thing, however, is obvious, that in arriving at
Hispaniola he came to a central point, not only of the West Indies, but of
the whole of the New World, and a point, therefore, most felicitously
situated for the spreading of future discovery and conquest.