The Second Voyage Reaches the Islands of the Caribs

Este dia primero que allí decendimos andaban por la playa junto con el agua muchos hombres é mugeres mirando la flota, é maravillándose de cosa tan nueva, é llegándose alguna barca á tierra á hablar con ellos, diciéndolos tayno tayno, que quiere decir bueno, esperaban en tanto que no salían del agua, junto con él moran, de manera que cuando ellos querían se podian salvar: en conclusión, que de los hombres ninguno se pudo tomar por fuerza ni por grado, salvo dos que se aseguraron é después los trajeron por fuerza allí.

This first day that we went down there, many men and women were walking along the beach next to the water, looking at the fleet and marveling at so new a thing; and when some boat came near land to speak with them, saying to them “tayno tayno,” which means “good,” they waited as long as [the men] did not come out of the water, near where they [live?], so that when they wished they could escape: in conclusion, of the men none could be taken by force or by goodwill, except two who felt safe and afterward were brought there by force.

On the first day we went ashore there, many men and women were walking along the beach by the water. They were looking at the fleet and marveling at something so new. When a boat came close to land to speak with them, saying tayno, tayno,1 which means “good,” they waited, as long as our men did not leave the water. They stayed close to their homes, so that they could escape whenever they wished. In the end, none of the men could be taken, by force or by persuasion, except two. These two trusted us, and afterward they were brought aboard by force.

1. A word in the language of the larger islands, which Chanca glosses as “good.” Our name for those islanders, Taíno, comes from it.

Se tomaron mas de 20 mugeres de las cativas, y de su grado se venian otras naturales de la isla, que fueron salteadas é tomadas por fuerza. Ciertos mochachos captivos se vinieron á nosotros huyendo de los naturales de la isla que los tenían captivos.

More than 20 women of the captives were taken, and of their own will came other natives of the island, who were seized and taken by force. Certain captive boys came to us fleeing from the natives of the island who held them captive.

We took more than twenty of the captive women,2 and other women who were natives of the island came of their own accord, but were then seized and taken by force. Some captive boys came to us, fleeing from the islanders who held them prisoner.

2. The captive women and boys had been taken in raids on other islands. Chanca does not say which.

En este puerto estovímos ocho días á causa de la pérdida del sobredicho capitán, donde muchas veces salimos á tierra andando por sus moradas é pueblos, que estaban á la costa, donde hallamos infinitos huesos de hombres, é los cascos de las cabezas colgados por las casas á manera de vasijas para tener cosas. Aquí no parescieron muchos hombres; la causa era, según nos dijeron las mugeres, que eran idas 10 canoas con gentes á saltear á otras islas.

In this harbor we stayed eight days on account of the loss of the above-mentioned captain, where many times we went out on land, walking through their dwellings and villages, which were on the coast, where we found countless bones of men, and the skulls of the heads hung up about the houses in the manner of vessels for holding things. Here not many men appeared; the cause was, according to what the women told us, that 10 canoes had gone with people to raid other islands.

We stayed in this harbor for eight days because of the loss of the captain I mentioned. Many times we went ashore and walked through their houses and villages, which lay along the coast. There we found countless human bones, and skulls hung up around the houses like jars to keep things in. Not many men showed themselves here. The women told us that the reason was that ten canoes had gone out with men to raid other islands.

Esta gente nos pareció mas pulítica que la que habita en estas otras islas que habemos visto, aunque todos tienen las moradas de paja; pero estos las tienen de mucho mejor hechura, é mas proveídas de mantenimientos, é parece en ellas mas industria ansí veril como femenil. Tenían mucho algodón hilado y por hilar, y muchas mantas de algodón tan bien tejidas que no deben nada á las de nuestra patria.

These people seemed to us more civil than those who live in these other islands that we have seen, although all have their dwellings of straw; but these have them of much better make, and better provided with provisions, and there appears in them more industry, both manly and womanly. They had much cotton spun and unspun, and many cotton cloths so well woven that they owe nothing to those of our homeland.

These people seemed to us more orderly3 than those who live on the other islands we have seen. All of them have houses of straw, but these people build theirs much better and keep them better stocked with food. Their houses show more skill and work, by both the men and the women. They had a great deal of cotton, spun and unspun, and many cotton blankets so well woven that they are every bit as good as those of our own country.

3. Política: living in an orderly, settled way, the mark of civilized life to a Spaniard of the time.

Preguntamos á las mugeres, que eran cativas en esta isla, que qué gente era esta: respondieron que eran Caribes. Después que entendieron que nosotros aborrecíamos tal gente por su mal uso de comer carne de hombres, holgaban mucho, y si de nuevo traían alguna muger ó hombre de los Caribes, secretamente decían que eran Caribes, que allí donde estaban todos en nuestro poder mostraban temor dellos como gente sojuzgada, y de allí conocimos cuáles eran Caribes de las mugeres é cuáles no, porque las Caribes traían en las piernas en cada una dos argollas tejidas de algodón, la una junto con la rodilla, la otra junto con los tobillos; de manera que les hacen las pantorrillas grandes, é de los sobredichos logares muy ceñidas, que esto me parece que tienen ellos por cosa gentil, ansí que por esta diferencia conocemos los unos de los otros.

We asked the women, who were captives on this island, what people these were: they answered that they were Caribs. After they understood that we abhorred such people for their evil custom of eating the flesh of men, they rejoiced greatly, and if [our men] newly brought some woman or man of the Caribs, they secretly said that they were Caribs, for there where all were in our power they showed fear of them like a subjugated people; and from there we knew which of the women were Caribs and which not, because the Carib women wore on each leg two rings woven of cotton, one next to the knee, the other next to the ankles, so that they make their calves big, and at the said places very tight, which it seems to me they hold to be a fine thing; so by this difference we know the ones from the others.

We asked the women who were captives on this island what people these were. They answered that they were Caribs. Once they understood that we hated such people for their evil custom of eating human flesh, they were very glad. If our men brought in a new woman or man of the Caribs, they would secretly tell us that these were Caribs. Even there, where everyone was in our power, they showed fear of them, like a conquered people. That was how we learned which of the women were Caribs and which were not. The Carib women wore two woven cotton bands on each leg, one just below the knee and the other just above the ankle. This makes their calves bulge, and the legs are pinched tight at those places. It seems to me they think this is beautiful. So by this difference we tell the one from the other.

La costumbre desta gente de Caribes es bestial: son tres islas, esta se llama Turuqueira, la otra que primero vimos se llama Ceyre, la tercera se llama Ayay; estos todos son conformidad como si fuesen de un linage, los cuales no se hacen mal: unos é otros hacen guerra á todas las otras islas comarcanas, los cuales van por mar 150 leguas á saltear con muchas canoas que tienen, que son unas fustas pequeñas de un solo madero. Sus armas son frechas en lugar de hierros: porque no poseen ningún hierro, ponen unas puntas fechas de huesos de tortugas los unos, otros de otra isla ponen unas espinas de un pez fechas dentadas, que ansí lo son naturalmente, á manera de sierras bien recias, que para gente desarmada, como son todos, es cosa que les puede matar é hacer harto daño; pero para gente de nuestra nación no son armas para mucho temer.

The custom of this people of Caribs is bestial: they are three islands; this one is called Turuqueira, the other that we saw first is called Ceyre, the third is called Ayay; these all are in agreement as if they were of one lineage, who do not do each other harm: one and the other make war on all the other neighboring islands, who go by sea 150 leagues to raid with many canoes that they have, which are small boats of a single timber. Their weapons are arrows; in place of iron [heads], because they possess no iron, they put on points made of turtle bones, some of them; others from another island put on spines of a fish, made toothed, which are so naturally, in the manner of very stout saws, which for unarmed people, as they all are, is a thing that can kill them and do much harm; but for people of our nation they are not weapons to be much feared.

The way of life of these Carib people is bestial. They live on three islands. This one is called Turuqueira, the one we saw first is called Ceyre, and the third is called Ayay.4 They are all of one mind, as if they were one family, and they do no harm to each other. Together they make war on all the other islands around them. They travel 150 leagues5 by sea to raid, in the many canoes they have, which are small boats made from a single tree trunk. Their weapons are arrows. Since they have no iron, some of them tip their arrows with points made of turtle bone. People from another island use the spines of a fish, which are naturally toothed like very strong saws. To unarmed people, as all of these are, such arrows can kill and do great harm. But for people of our nation they are not weapons to fear much.

4. Guadeloupe, Dominica (the first island the fleet saw) and a third island not certainly identified. The spellings are Chanca’s attempt at the names the women told him.
5. A Spanish league was roughly 3 to 4 miles (5 to 6 km), so 150 leagues is several hundred miles.

Esta gente saltea en las otras islas, que traen las mugeres que pueden haber, en especial mozas y hermosas, las cuales tienen para su servicio, é para tener por mancebas, é traen tantas que en 50 casas ellos no parecieron, y de las cativas se vinieron mas de 20 mozas.

This people raids in the other islands, [so] that they bring the women that they can get, especially young and beautiful ones, whom they keep for their service and to have as concubines; and they bring so many that in 50 houses they [the men] did not appear, and of the captives more than 20 girls came [to us].

These people raid the other islands and carry off all the women they can get, above all the young and beautiful ones. They keep them as servants and as concubines. They bring back so many that in fifty houses we saw none of the men, only women, and more than twenty of the captive girls came over to us.

Dicen también estas mugeres que estos usan de una crueldad que parece cosa increíble; que los hijos que en ellas han se los comen, que solamente crian los que han en sus mugeres naturales. Los hombres que pueden haber, los que son vivos llévanselos á sus casas para hacer carnicería dellos, y los que han muertos luego se los comen. Dicen que la carne del hombre es tan buena que no hay tal cosa en el mundo; y bien parece porque los huesos que en estas casas hallamos todo lo que se puede roer todo lo tenían roido, que no había en ellos sino lo que por su mucha dureza no se podia comer. Allí se halló en una casa cociendo en una olla un pescuezo de un hombre.

These women also say that these use a cruelty that seems an incredible thing: that the children they have by them they eat, [and] that they only raise those they have by their native women. The men they can get, those who are alive they take to their houses to make butchery of them, and those who are dead they eat at once. They say that the flesh of man is so good that there is no such thing in the world; and it well seems so, because the bones we found in these houses, all that can be gnawed they had all gnawed, so that there was nothing in them except what because of its great hardness could not be eaten. There was found in one house, cooking in a pot, a neck of a man.

These women also say that the Caribs practice a cruelty that seems beyond belief. They eat the children they have by the captive women, and raise only the children they have by the women of their own people.6 The men they can capture they take home alive to butcher, and those who are dead they eat at once. They say that there is nothing in the world as good as human flesh. It certainly looks that way, because on the bones we found in these houses, everything that could be gnawed had been gnawed away. Nothing was left on them but what was too hard to eat. In one house a man’s neck was found cooking in a pot.

6. Chanca reports these practices from what the captives said. How far Spanish accounts of Carib cannibalism and cruelty can be trusted is debated by historians.

Los mochachos que cativan córtanlos el miembro, é sirvense de ellos fasta que son hombres, y después cuando quieren facer fiesta mátanlos é cómenselos, porque dicen que la carne de los mochachos é de las mugeres no es buena para comer. Destos mochachos se vinieron para nosotros huyendo tres, todos tres cortados sus miembros.

The boys whom they capture, they cut off their member, and they make use of them until they are men, and afterward when they wish to make a feast they kill them and eat them, because they say that the flesh of boys and of women is not good to eat. Of these boys three came to us fleeing, all three with their members cut off.

The boys they capture are castrated and made to serve them until they are grown men. Then, when they want to hold a feast, they kill them and eat them, because they say that the flesh of boys and women is not good to eat. Three of these boys fled to us, and all three had been castrated.