UNDERLINED SECTION IS FIRST SOURCE). "1. in order that they might develop a very friendly disposition towards us, (because I knew that
they were a people who could better be freed and converted to our Holy Faith by love than by
force), gave to some of them red caps and to others glass beads, which they hung on their necks,
and many other things of slight value, in which they took much pleasure. They remained so much
our (friends) that it was a marvel, later they came swimming to the ships' boats in which we were,
and brought us parrots and cotton thread in skeins and darts and many other things, and we
swapped them for other things that we gave them, such as little glass beads and hawks' bells.
Finally they traded and gave everything they had, with good will; but it appeared to me that these
people were very poor in everything...they bear no arms, nor know thereof; for I showed them
swords and they grasped them by the blade and cut themselves through ignorance. They have not
iron. Their darts are a kind of rod without iron, and some have at the end a fish's tooth and others,
other things. [The people) are generally fairly tall and good looking, well built. I saw some who
had marks of wounds on their bodies, and made signs to them to ask what it was, and they showed
me that people of other islands, which are near, came there and wished to capture them, and they
defended themselves. And I believed and believe that people do come here from the mainland to
take them as slaves. They ought to be good servants and of good skill, for I believe that they would
easily be made Christians, because it seemed to me that they belonged to no religion. I, please Our
Lord, will carry off six of them at my departure to Your Highnesses, that they may learn to speak. I
saw no animal of any kind in this island, except parrots.
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does columbus consider these people to be his equal? How do you know