Note 138-3 — JOURNAL OF THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS

Columbus understood the natives to say these things because of his strong preconceptions as to what he would find in the islands off the coast of Asia based on his reading of the Book of Sir John Maundeville. Cf. ch. XVIII. of that work, e.g., “a great and fair isle called Nacumera.... And all the men and women have dogs’ heads,” and ch. XIX., e.g., “In one of these isles are people of great stature, like giants, hideous to look upon; and they have but one eye in the middle of the forehead.”