Only time might tell the wealth of this
green multitude. I thought, "Here is gold, if we would wait
for it!" Fruit trees sprang by our path. We had with us
some provision of biscuit and dried meat, and we never
lacked golden or purple delectable orbs. We found the
palm that bears the great nut, giving alike meat and
milk.
By now Luis Torres and I had no little of Diego Colon's
tongue and he had Spanish enough to understand the simplest
statements and orders. Ferdandina tongue was not
quite Cuba tongue, but it was like enough to furnish sea
room. We asked this, we asked that. No! No one had
ever come to the end of their country. When one town
was left behind, at last you came to another town. One
by one, were they bigger, better towns? They seemed to
say that they were, but here was always, I thought, doubtful
understanding. But no one had ever walked around their
country--they seemed to laugh at the notion--land that
way, always land! On the other hand, there was sea yonder
--like sea here. They pointed south. Not so far there!
"It must be," said Luis, "that Cuba is narrow, though
without end westwardly. A great point or tongue of
Asia?"
The Cubans were strong young men and not unintelligent.
"Chiefs?" Yes, they had chiefs, they called them
_caciques_. Some of them were fighters, they and their people.
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