It was not handsome, white-skinned natives whom we had
come in search of, she said, but solid gold, which neither tempests nor
seas can destroy. In order to satisfy her, we remained several days in
the vicinity of this mass of rocks, hoping that the weather would
moderate, so as to make possible a landing upon it, and at last we were
rewarded for our patience by a lull in the heavy breakers, so that the
pinnace, of which I took charge, was able to approach close to the
steep and jagged shore. Thereupon six of the Spaniards leaped
overboard, trusting to their skill as swimmers to make the land, which
they did, remaining on shore for upward of an hour. When they returned
they reported the rock to be a mass of auriferous quartz, in which was
embedded more gold than they had ever thought to see in one place, but
so tightly wedged was it between the crevices that they had been unable
to bring any of it away except a few small specimens which they showed
us. With picks and crowbars, however, they declared it would be easy to
obtain an unlimited supply of gold.
When we reported the finding of the gold to Donna Isabel, she vowed she
would never consent to abandon the treasure.
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