of the women, who, according to their accounts, surpassed the fairest
Spanish ladies, both in grace and beauty.

This island was called _Isla de la Gente Hermosa_, Island of the Handsome
People. I have been able to obtain a photograph of one of the descendants
of the native women so much admired by the Spaniards, and you may judge
for yourselves whether they were right in their appreciation.

The design of Queiroz was to reach Santa Cruz without delay, and with
this object in view he directed his course westward, for in these
latitudes they expected to come in sight of the lofty volcano, Tinacula,
which would enable them to identify Santa Cruz.

After many days' navigation, they discovered, from the mast-head of the
Capitana, a high and black-looking island, having the appearance of a
volcano and lying W.N.W. They could not reach it for several days; after
which they soon perceived that it was not Tivacula, as they had at first
thought, for they had to pass among several small islands in order to get
near it, and they well remembered that Tinacula stood alone in its awful
and solemn grandeur.

The small islands that surrounded the larger one that they had taken for
a volcano were most of them on the western side, but far enough from the
larger one to leave a channel capable of receiving ships. Torres, the
second in command, was sent to reconnoitre this island.

(I shall give his description in Chapter XII.)

In this harbour the fleet anchored in twenty-five fathoms. At no great
distance, and within the reefs that surrounded these islands, a smaller