will. But they seemed on the whole a very poor people. They all were
completely naked. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of
age, well made and with fine shapes and faces; their hair short and
coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed towards the forehead except a
small portion which they suffer to hang down behind and never cut. Some
paint themselves with black, others with white, others with red, others
with such colors as they can find. Some paint the face, some the whole
body. Others only the eyes, others only the nose. Weapons they have
none; nor are they acquainted with them. For I showed them swords which
they grasped by the blades and cut themselves through ignorance. They
have no iron, their javelins being without it, and no thing more than
sticks with fishbones or other thing at the ends. I saw some men with
scars of wounds upon their bodies and inquired by signs the cause of
these. They answered me by signs that other people came from islands in
the neighborhood and tried to make prisoners of them and they defended
themselves. ....It appears to me that these people are ingenious and
would make very good servants, and I am of the opinion that they would
readily become Christians as they appear to have no religion. They very
quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. If it please our Lord, I
intend at my return to carry home six of them to your Highnesses that
they may learn our language."

In this brief entry in the Admiral's diary there is a whole volume to
those who can read between the lines, and a painful volume too, as much
history is. Glass beads and little tinkling bells, you see, were all
ready to be distributed from the caravels; a proof that Columbus had not
expected to reach the Asiatic Indies, for those Indians were known to be
sharp and experienced traders. How did Columbus happen to know that it
would be wise to carry rubbish along with him? Ah, that was something
found out when he left Porto Santo to accompany the Portuguese