4: Christopher Columbus, 1530s

As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us . 

Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins and many other things which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and􀀃hawk's bells; which trade was carried on with the utmost good will. But they seemed on the whole to me, to be a very poor people. They all go completely naked, even the women, though 1 saw but one girl. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age, well made, with fine shapes and faces; their hair short, and coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed toward the forehead, except a small portion which they suffer to hang down behind, and never cut. Some paint themselves with black, which makes them appear like those of the Canaries, neither black nor white; others with white, others with red, and others with such colours as they can find. Some paint the face, and some the whole body; others only the eyes, and others the nose. Weapons they have none, nor are 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 nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends. They are all of a good size ,1nd stature, and handsomely formed . I saw some with scars of wounds upon their bodies, and demanded by signs the cause of them; they answered me in the same way, that there came people from other islands in the neighbourhood who endeavored to make prisoners of them, and they defended themselves. I thought then, and still believe, that these were from the continent. 

It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants; and I am pf opinion that they would very 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 [Spain's monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella] that they may learn our language ....

At daybreak great􀁐multitudes of men came to the shore, all young and of fine shapes, very handsome; their harr not curled but straight and coarse like horsehair,  and all with foreheads and heads much broader than any people I had hitherto seen; their eyes were large and very beautiful. ... 

They were straight-limbed without exception, and not with prominent bellies but handsomely shaped. They came to the ship in canoes, made of a single trunk of a tree, wrought m a wonderful manner considering the country; some of them large enough to contain forty or forty-five men, others of different sizes down to those fitted to hold but a single person . They rowed with an oar like a baker's peel [1] and wonderfully swift. ...

Seeing some of them with little bits of this metal hanging at their noses, I gathered from them by signs that by going southward or steering round the island in that direction, there would be found a king who possessed large vessels of of gold, and in great quantities. I endeavored to procure them to lead the way thither, but found they were unacquainted with the route. ...

The natives are an inoffensive people, and so desirous to possess any thing they saw with us, they kept swimming off to the ships with whatever they could find , and readily bartered for any article we saw fit to give them in return even such as broken platters and fragments of glass. ...

I do not...see the necessity of fortifying the place, as the people here are simple in war-like matters, as your Highnesses will see by those seven which I have ordered to be taken and carried to Spain in order to learn our language and unless your Highnesses should choose to have them all transported to Castile, or held captive in the island. I could conquer the whole of them with fifty men, and govern them as I pleased. ...