Cayman Brac, commonly referred to simpe miles (Brac, has a total land area of 14 square miles (approximately 1 mile wide by 14 miles long) with a distinguishing cliff, or bluff ("Brac" is Gaelic for "Bluff") running through the center. This bluff starts at sea level on the west end of the island, and rises to about 140 feet at the eastern tip of the island. It was this prominent bluff that allowed Cayman Brac to be the first of the Cayman Islands sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1503. It was Columbus' fourth and final voyage to the Americas when he stumbled across the islands he named "Las Tortugas" (The Turtles). The ship's log stated that they were in sight of land surrounded by turtles, both on land and in the water, so-much-so that it was for that reason the islands were first named "Las Tortugas." For years afterwards the islands remained uninhabited, visited only by passing ships or pirates seeking to hide their treasure. Later, the mistaken identification of the large numbers of local iguanas for alligators, resulted in the islands being renamed the Cayman Islands (after the Caymanas alligator). The first settlers in the islands were deserters from the British navy, stationed in Jamaica. Up until the turn of the century, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman grew in population leaving their larger sister relatively undeveloped. The Cayman Islands produced some of the world's finest seamen. While the men were off at sea, the women essentially ran the islands. The strong role of women is still evident in the islands today. In the 20th century, Grand Cayman has grown up into a very popular hotel and banking center, Little Cayman has fallen back into its sleepy way of life, while Cayman Brac has developed a nice mix of both worlds.