o ard ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁ships , ▁he ▁was ▁surprised ▁by ▁a ▁storm ▁that ▁ble w ▁his ▁ship ▁dr ast ically ▁off - course ▁into ▁unknown ▁waters ▁of ▁the ▁mid - At l antic . ▁The ▁small ▁ship , ▁slightly ▁dam aged ▁by ▁the ▁storm , ▁encountered ▁unf avor able ▁wind s ▁and ▁curr ents ▁that ▁drag ged ▁it ▁further ▁to ▁the ▁south west . ▁After ▁several ▁weeks , ▁S ánchez ▁and ▁his ▁fright ened ▁crew ▁finally ▁sight ed ▁land , ▁probably ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁His p ani ola ▁( S anto ▁Dom ingo ). ▁ ▁S ánchez ▁and ▁his ▁crew ▁continued ▁along ▁the ▁unknown ▁coast ▁until ▁they ▁encountered ▁signs ▁of ▁human ▁habit ation , ▁and , ▁at ▁long ▁last , ▁dis emb ark ed ▁at ▁a ▁coast al ▁village ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁hosp it ably ▁received . ▁ ▁The ▁n atives ▁were ▁im pressed ▁with ▁these ▁str angers ▁chief ly ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁t aller ▁in ▁stat ure ▁than ▁themselves ▁and ▁be arded . ▁( The ▁n atives ▁were ▁uniformly ▁be ard less .) ▁ ▁More ▁significantly , ▁the ▁n atives ▁communic ated ▁to ▁the ▁Sp ani ards ▁that ▁their ▁myth os ▁held ▁that , ▁eventually , ▁their ▁gods ▁would ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁sea ▁to ▁visit ▁them . ▁The ▁n atives ▁gave ▁their ▁" div ine " ▁visitors ▁food ▁and ▁gold ; ▁they ▁even ▁offered ▁the ▁str angers ▁their ▁women ▁as ▁g ifts . ▁( Some ▁believe ▁that ▁sy ph ilis ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁Old ▁World ▁through ▁these ▁acts ▁of ▁gener