y .,"\\ •^ . * • ■^^c,'^' o • i • .'\ I k 4 7^ finFt laridin^ of 6blz^7n^i 7//^/7'/u.Y a/?hy?/'ed at t/ie /:r/r/?iOf/ AMERICAN JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY, ^ LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE DISCOVERER OF AMERICA BOSTON: BENJAMIN H. GREENE 1840. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, By T. H. Carter, in theClerk's Office of the DistrictConrt of Massachusetts. 3 id PREFATORY NOTICE. " Is this true," is a question often asked by a child, after reading a story. Perhaps it is well, sometimes, to be able to answer this question in the affirmative. If it is possible to relate the history of remarkable persons in such a manner as to interest the young, such stories may create a better taste in reading than that which is formed by the constant perusal of fic- tion, which is now employed not only in works intended for relaxation and amusement, but as a vehicle to inculcate the deepest principles of philosophy and religion. This volume is in- tended as the first of a series of the lives of distinguished persons adapted to the under- standing of the young. TABLE OF CONTENTS. LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. Chap. I. — State of navigation before the dis- covery of America. — Birth of Columbus. — His early Life. — Marriage of Columbus. — He meditates the Discovery of New Coun- tries. — King John of Portugal. - - - 9 Chap. H. — Columbus proposes his Plans to the King of Portugal. — Receives no assistance. — Goes to Spain. — Kindly received at the Convent of Palos. — Columbus goes to visit the King and Queen. — The Council of Sal- amanca. — No encouragement given to Co- lumbus. — He returns to Palos. — The Queen sends to desire him to return to the Court. — The Sovereigns agree to fit out an Expedi- dition. — Columbus makes preparations for the Voyage. 22 Chap. IIL — Columbus sails on his first Voyage of Discovery. — Stops at the Canary Islands. — Account of the Voyage. — Land Discover- ed. — Surprise of the Natives. — Columbus lands and takes possession of the Island. — Description of the Natives. - - - - 44 VI CONTENTS. Chap. IV. — Columbus leaves the Island. — One* of his ships is wrecked. — Returns to the-> Harbor. — Kindness of the Natives. — Colum-j bus concludes to establis a Colony. — Account ■ of the Fort. — Columbus sets out on his re- turn to Spain. — Encounters a terrible storm. Reaches Spain in safety. — Is received with great honors. — Returns to America. — Fate of the Settlement. ------- 62 Chap. V. — Columbus Founds a new Settle- ment. — Visits the interior of the Island. — Columbus sails west on another Voyage of Discovery. — Adventures during the Voyage. — -Returns sick to Hispaniola. - - - 78 Chap. VI. Ships arrive from Spain. — Account of the Island of Hispaniola. — The Cacique Caon^bo. — Disorders on the Island. — Ojeda takes Caonabo prisoner. — Ships arrive from Spain. — Distress of the Indians. - - 94 Chap. VII. — Trouble caused by Father Boil. — Aguado sent out. — Discovery of Gold Mines. — New Ship Built. — Columbus sails for Spain. — Discouragement of the Men. — Ships arrive at Cadiz. — Disappointments of Co- lumbus. — Ships sail on Third Voyage. — The Coast of Paria. 110 Chap. VIII. — Columbus continues his Voyage. — Pearl Fishery. — He returns to Hispani- ola. — State of tile Island during the absence of Columbus. — Bartholomew Visits Anaco- ana. 131 Chap. IX. — Disorderly behavior of Roldan. — Troubles on the Island. — Rebellion of Rol- dan. — Siege of Fort Conception. — Plot of the CONTENTS. Vll Indians. — Bartholomew pursues them to the Mountains. — Escape of Bartholomew from the shot of an Indian. — Cacique taken pris- oner. — Arrival of Columbus at St. Domin- go. — He proclaims Roldan a Traitor. — Arri- val of three Ships. 146 Chaf. X. Columbus treats with Roldan. — Ships sail for Spain. — Expedition under Ojeda arrives. — Ojeda confers with Rol- dan. — Adventures of a Spanish gentleman with the daughter of Anacoana. — Rebellion of Moxica. — Complaints of Columbus in Spain. — Bobadilla sent out. - - - 161 Chap. XL — Bobadilla arrives. — Takes posses- sion of the property of Columbus. — Colum- bus and his brothers made prisoners and sent to Spain. — kindly received by the Sove- reigns. — Ovando sent out. — Columbus re- ceives permission to make further Voyages of Discovery. — Sails on his last Voyage. — State of Hispaniola on the arrival of Ovando — Co- lumbus reaches St. Domingo. — Is not per- mitted to land there. — Great Storm. — Wreck of Roldan's Ships. ------ 177 Chap. XII. — Columbus pursues his Voyage. — reaches the Coast of the continent. — Not being able to find a passnge through, sets out on his Return. — Adventures with the Indians. — Porto Beilo. — Veraguay- — Adventures with the Cacique Quibia. — Cohimbus forms a Settlement and sails for Spain — The Set- tlement is attacked. — Battle with the In dians. ---------- 195 Chap. XIII. — Disaster of the boat's crew sent Till CONTENTS. for water. — The Fort broken up. — Men go onboard the Ships, which had not sailed. — Difficulties of the Voyage. — The Ships are almost Wrecked. — They take refuge in Ja- maica. — The Ships are not in a state to leave the Island. — Mendez fits out a Canoe. — Obliged to return. — Makes another attempt, and reaches Hispaniola. — Troubles of Co- lumbus during the absence of Mendez. — They at last leave Jamaica. — Conduct of Ovando at Hispaniola. — Columbus reaches St. Domingo. — Sails for Spain. — Violent Storm arises. — Arrives in Spain. — Writes to i the King. — Isabella dies. — Columbus goes [ to Court. — Death of Columbus. — His Mon- | ument. — Ovando recalled. — Bartholomew. — j The Descendants of Columbus. — Concluding Remarks. 210 LIFE OF COLUMBUS CHAPTER I. A LITTLE more than four hundred years ago, there was nothing known about the country now called America. Asia, Africa and Europe were the first countries probably which had been peo- pled. The garden of Eden, where the first pa- rents of the human race were placed, is sup- posed to have been in Asia. Ships were built at a very early period, but they had only been used for a long time upon inland seas. Some cap- tains, more daring than the rest, had in later times navigated their ships beyond the Mediter- ranean Sea out into the Atlantic Ocean, and had sailed down the western coast of Africa, and some islands to the west of Europe had been discovered. It has been found out in later times that mari- ners from the north of Europe had sailed very far west, and even landed on some parts of the American shores, but as the art of printing was 1 10 LIFE OF COLTfMBUS. not discovered, and there were no books or news- papers to cause information to be spread about, if they had discovered new countries, it is not probable that it was known to other parts of the world. Articles had sometimes been picked up by mariners at sea, and persons living on the sea coast, which had floated from the west. Some Portuguese sailors who had gone far to the west, had picked up a piece of wood which had drifted from the west, and a canoe with the dead bodies of two persons, of complexion and form differ- ent from any of the known nations, had floated ashore at one of the islands called the Azores. These and other circumstances made some people think that there must be land on the other side of the world. Travellers had pene- trated far to the east, and some persons imag- ined that the countries of Asia reached far, very far, so that by sailing to the west, mariners would arrive, after a while, at the extreme point of Asia. Shortly before Columbus lived, people had be- gun to think more about the possibility of other countries lying beyond the sea. There was a certain prince of Portugal named Henry, the son of John the First, who had studied a great LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 11 deal upon the subject, and had looked at all the maps and charts that were then made. He thought that it would be possible to sail all around Africa, and that if a ship kept along close by the shores of Africa, it might go from Europe to India. Asia was the part of the world first settled, and a great deal of trade was carried on, from a very early period with this rich country. The Republics of Venice and Genoa became very rich and powerful by means of their trade ; but then this had to be carried on by very long and expensive routes, partly by land and partly by water. For a long time, merchandise from In- dia had to be carried by the Gulf of Persia, the river Euphrates, the river Oxus to the Caspian and Mediterranean Seas, and from there, taken about to the different parts of Europe. This long passage made the articles brought from In- dia very costly. It was natural for the Portu- guese and other nations to want to enter into this trade which was carried on so profitably by the Italian nations, and this perhaps made them try to think if there were not some easier way to get to India than the one which has been de- scribed. Prince Henry tried all he could to find out 12 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. something on this subject, but there were great difficulties to be overcome. Now, when there are maps and charts of every part of the world, when almost every rock of any size in every ocean is laid down on charts, and when sailors have the mariner's compass to tell them always where the north is, we may wonder that men did not sail at once to the west, and find out all there was to be known about the matter ; and we may think, that instead of there being any difficulty in finding persons willing to take the trouble and expense of fitting out ships, many different nations would strive together to see which should send out the first ship to discover the new country. But we must try to imagine how different every thing was about ships at that time from what it is now. The most experienced captains had probably hardly ever lost sight of land for more than a day or two at a time. They were in the habit of steering carefully along the shores and it is no wonder that they felt there was something awful and dangerous in sailing forth on an unknown sea, and leaving behind them, every thing that was known to them. Prince Henry did not live long enough to make the discoveries which he desired. He LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 13 died in the year 1473. But during his life he did a great deal to improve the ships and instruct the sailors of his father's kingdom. The Portu- guese mariners became the most experienced of any in the world. Some of that nation doubled Cape Bojador, penetrated the region of the trop- ics, they explored the African coast to Cape de Verd, and discovered the Cape de Verd and Azore Islands, which are three hundred leagues from the eastern continent. These discoveries of the Portuguese were much talked of. The nation became much more powerful in consequence of its greater com- merce, and many strangers from other countries were induced by the fame of them to go to Por- tugal. Among these was Columbus, who went to the city of Lisbon in Portugal about the year 1470. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, about the year 1435, so that he was about thirty - five years of age when he went to Portugal. His father was by trade a comber of wool. Co- lumbus was the oldest of four children. He had two brothers, one named Bartholomew, the other Diego, and one sister. His parents gave him as good an education as was in their power. When he was quite a 1** 14 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. child, he was taught to read and write, which was a thing nnuch less common than it is now. Many people were so unfortunate as to grow up to be men and women without being able to read or write as well as most little boys and girls of five or six years old can do now. Columbus was from a very early age much in- clined to be a sailor. His father did not oppose this desire, but did all he could to cause him to be instructed in the art of navigation. He was sent to the University at Pavia, and studied there geometry, astronomy, navigation and the Latin tongue. He also studied arithmetic, and was skilful in drawing and painting, and a few years later he was able to support himself and his family by drawing maps and charts. Some lads who have, or think they have a great taste for a sea life, imagine there is nothing to be done to prepare them for it, but to throw away their school books, have a blue jacket and trowsers made, and go on board a ship. But Columbus and his father thought differently. They knew that if he would make himself use- ful and respectable as a sailor, he must study carefully all the arts connected with navigation. He made his first vogage shortly after he left the University of Pavia, and when he was LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 15 about fourteen years old. Every thing seemed to favor his becoming a sailor. He had a rela- tion of the same name as his father, who was an old sea captain of a very bold character, and was always ready for a sea fight, whenever he could find a lawful occasion for one. The states that were situated on the Mediter- ranean Sea were under different governments, and were very apt to get into quarrels with each other, and the Christian nations were gen- erally at war with the Moors who were settled in the north of Africa and Spain, so that there was almost always fighting going on in the Me- diterranean Sea, between the vessels of these dif- ferent parties. Columbus sailed with his relation for several years, and during that time he must have got a great deal of experience in a seafaring life, and have learnt all that was then known of the man- agement of ships. He was sometimes employ- ed in merchant vessels and sometimes in fight- ing. His old relative had a son who acquired great fame in his battles with the Moors, and be- came so terrible to them that it has been said, when any of the Moorish children acted naugh- ty, as all children are apt to do sometimes, their mamas used to tell them that she should send for Captain Columbus and get him to take them 16 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. off in his ship, and the children had heard so many stories of his power that this threat would frighten them at once so much, that they would leave off their mischievous tricks, and become as quiet as little lambs. While Columbus was in the employment of this celebrated captain, he was present at a very bloody battle. His commander intercepted with his ships four Venetian vessels, which were re- turning, richly laden, from Flanders. The men on board the ships fought desperately, and the battle lasted from morning till evening. The ship in which Christopher Columbus was, grap- pled with another. While they were thus fast- ened together, the crews of each ship threw bombs and other combustible things into the opposite vessels, until both caught fire and were soon all in a blaze. The men were obliged to save themselves by jumping into the sea. Co- lumbus jumped into the water, and finding an oar which floated near him, he succeeded in reach- ing the shore by swimming, though the ships were two leagues distant from land. Columbus during the whole of his life was very devout, and attended very carefully to all the forms of the religion in which he was edu- cated. The Roman Catholic was the only form LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 17 of the Christian religion at that day. It was customary then to have houses called convents, where men and women lived, who spent all their time in reading and praying and worshipping God. It was in a chapel belonging to one of these religious houses, called the Convent of All Saints, that Columbus, when he went there to worship God, met the lady who afterwards be- came his wife. The name of this lady was Felipa Monis de Palestrello. She was the daughter of an Italian knight, who had been one of the most distin- guished navigators under Prince Henry. He had formed a colony on the island of Porto Santo, and had been the governor of it. As the father of his wife was dead, Columbus and Felipa lived with her mother. This connexion seemed to favor his taste for the sea, since his mother- in-law had many charts and maps belonging to her late husband, which she showed to Columbus. Then he studied and became more and more interested in the subject of making discoveries. He sometimes went to sea himself in some of the vessels which went to the coast of Guinea. When he was on shore he made maps and charts for the support of his family. But though he was so interested in his plans 18 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. for discovery, and must have been himself not very rich, yet he did not forget his father who had done all he could in his youth to educate him. He was very saving, and was able to help support his aged father, who was then living in Genoa, and to assist him in educating his younger brothers. His wife had some property in the island of Porto Santo, and she had also a sister who was married to a navigator of some note, named Pedro Corrio. From this relation he learned the experiences of his former voyages, and often conversed with him about making discoveries. He often met with other voyagers while he lived m this island. We can readily believe that he was always willing to talk with all these voya- gers about the wonderful things they had seen, though his superior intelligence discovered that many of their wonders were only the effect of their own heated imaginations. One man, who lived in the island of Madeira, told him, that when he had sailed upon a certain time three hundred leagues to the west, he had discovered three islands at a distance. The people of the Canary Isles fancied they saw at times a vast island to the west. They felt so certain that what they saw was an island, that LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 19 they asked leave of the King of Portugal to take possession of it. The island, however, was never found, though several expeditions were fitted out in search of it. All these rumors made Columbus study more and more what was known about the form of the globe, and think more and more of the probabi- lity that there were other countries beyond the seas. He came to the conclusion that the earth was round, and might be travelled round from east to west ; he thought it was certain that by pursuing a direct course from east to west, a navigator would arrive at the extremity of Asia, and discover any land that might lie between. Some ancient writers had declared that it would be possible to reach India by going to the west, and that the distance would be but four thousand miles in a direct line from Lisbon to the northern coast of China, then called the pro- vince of Manji, near Cathay. Of these last named countries very splendid descriptions were given. These notions of ancient writers were confirmed by the appearances which have been before spoken of, of floating timber, large reeds, and other articles drifting from the west to the shores of the islands which lay to the west of Europe. 20 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. The more Columbus thought of these things, the more did his mind become filled with the desire to be an instrument, in the hands of God, of bringing this new world to light. His religious zeal was excited by the thought of bringing new nations to the knowledge of the Christian reli- gion. There was a very learned man in Flo- rence, named Toscanelli. To him Columbus wrote about his plans. Toscanelli was pleased with his idea of making a voyage of discovery, and sent him a map which was made according to the ancient ideas of geography. In this the eastern coast of Asia was placed in front of the coasts of Africa and Europe, with a moderate space of ocean between them, where were found the islands Cipango, Antilla, and others. Marco Polo, the Venetian, had described the countries lying far to the east, as exceeding by far the nations of the other parts of the world in splendor. He represented the palaces as co- vered with gold, where others are covered with lead. Columbus dwelt upon these representa- tions when he went about from court to court, to try to excite in kings the desire he felt in him- self to explore these regions of splendor. They were then considered, and were in truth some- what exaggerated, though the main part of his LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 21 descriptions have since been discovered to be not entirely unfounded. In the year 1477, Columbus made a voyage to the north of Europe ; he gives but a slight mention of this voyage, but it is supposed that he visited Iceland. Years passed away, and though the mind of Columbus was still filled with his great design, yet he was too poor to undertake it alone. But the time was approaching when circumstances seemed to favor the great work. Printing had been lately invented, and books, which had for- merly been treasured up, could now be circulated and read by numbers. About this time John II. became King of Por- tugal. He was nephew of the Prince Henry who has before been mentioned as so much interested in attempting to make discoveries ; and King John seemed to have had something of the same taste as his uncle. He was a very enterprising prince. He caused a fort to be built on the coast of Africa, at St, George de la Mina, to protect the Portu- guese trade which then was directed to procuring gold dust, ivory, and slaves — so early had men engaged in this unholy traffic. He sent an em- bassy in search of the empire of Prester John 2 22 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. who was supposed to be a Christian king who had an empire somewhere in the east. Many fables were told of the splendor of this sovereign, but unluckily his kingdon could never be found. He was impatient that he could not make any more rapid advances in discovery, and employed his two physicians to attempt to find out something which would improve navigation. It was in the course of these studies that they learned to ap- ply the astrolobe to navigation. This was an instrument which has since been improved and formed into the quadrant. By this instrument the seaman is able to tell, by the altitude of the sun, his distance from the equator, and this dis- covery took much of the danger away from a voyage across the unknown ocean. CHAPTER II. Immediately after this improvement in navi- gation, Columbus proposed his voyage to the King of Portugal. He told him that if he would furnish him with ships and men he would under- take to discover a shorter route to India. The King called together a number of his wise men, who thought it a visionary plan, and advised him LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 23 not to have anything to do with it. The King, however, was not satisfied with this advice, but summoned another council to consult on the .subject. These men also disapproved of anything being done to favor the plan of Columbus. One of them, a priest, and the king's confessor — that is, the priest who was most in the confidence of the King, — advised him not to expend the money of the nation in such foolish projects, but rather to employ the treasure and power of the nation in fighting with the Moors. Some others advised him to take some mea- sures towards making discoveries, though it is not certain that they intended to favor the plans of Columbus. At last they ordered Columbus to lay before the council the plans he had formed and the charts by which he intended to direct his voyage, in order that the council might judge of the ex- pediency of undertaking the matter. The King and his council then fitted out an expedition without the knowledge of Columbus, having provided the captain with the directions they had thus meanly obtained from Columbus. But the men became alarmed and returned back. In order to save themselves from blame, they 24 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. told the King that the plans of Columbus were all foolish, and that there was no signs of land be- yond the ocean. Columbus was so grieved and troubled at ha- ving been treated in this manner, that he resolved to leave Portugal. His wife was dead, and he took his little son and left a king and a nation who had shown themselves so unworthy. There is not much known of Columbus for a year or two at this time. Some people think he went to Genoa and to Venice to try to make those nations assist him in his great plans, but in vain. At last he turned his steps towards Spain, where then reigned King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, two very powerful sovereigns, who he hoped would take an interest in his plans. In the course of his travels he came one night, leading his little son, to the small seaport town of Palos de Maguez, in Andalusia. He stopped at the gate of a convent and asked the monks who lived there to give him a little bread and water for his child, for he had travelled far, and was very hungry. The monks were struck with his appearance, for he was a man formed to attract their attention. He was tall and handsome and very dignified. His hair, which in his youthful days had been light, by care and trouble had LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 25 turned white. His speech was eloquent, and though he was a stranger to these monks, they could not help being pleased with him. They received him kindly and supplied his wants. He talked to them of his plans, and these learned men were too wise to jeer at him, as the ignorant monarch of Portugal and his councillors had done. Palos was a seaport, and they had heard from sailors who had lived there, many things which made them believe that the notions of Columbus were right, and that there was land still undiscovered. They advised him to go to court and ask assistance from the King and Queen. They told him they would take care of his little son, and they gave him a letter to a priest named Talavera, who was very inti- mate with the Queen, and who they thought might assist him in forwarding his plans. Columbus consented to the proposal, and leaving his little son under the care of these good monks, he went to Castile, where the King and Queen of Spain were then holding their court. This journey took place in the year 1486. At that time Spain was in its greatest glory, under the dominion of Ferdinand and Isabella. They had been engaged for some time in endeavoring to drive the Moors out of Spain, and at this time 26 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. they had nearly succeeded. Ferdinand was a shrewd and powerful monarch ; Isabella was also wise, but she was more kind and good than her husband. Both were very much under the dominion of the priests, who persuaded them that it was their duty to carry on a very bloody and cruel war against the Moors, and do many other things, which now seem very wrong. Columbus on his arrival found the sovereigns very much occupied with the wars which they were carrying on. He delivered his letter from the friar at Palos, to Talavera, but he did not favor his cause, and it is not certain that he ever made known to the King and Queen the design of Columbus. He remained for some time at this place. He is supposed to have supported himself by drawing maps and charts. Some of the people about the court laughed at him, and thought he must be a man of a weak mind, but others paid more attention to his plans, and be- came friendly to him. He in time became acquainted with a man named Mendoza, who was the Archbishop of Toledo, and a very im- portant person. This man attended the King and Queen wherever they went, and was of so much importance that he was sometimes called the third King of Spain. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 27 He was pleased with the plan of Columbus, and introduced him to the King and Queen. Ferdinand saw that Columbus was a very re- markable man, but as he had been too busy all his life in fighting the Moors, and governing his kingdom, to have much time to study geography, he did not feel able to judge whether it was well to undertake to help Columbus in his design. He therefore assembled a council of learned men to talk with Columbus and examine his plans. This council met at Salamanca, at the convent of St. Stephens. It was composed of many learned men, who were for the most part priests. They opposed his project ; some of them thought that it was wicked, and tried to prove from parts of the Bible that the world could not be round. He spoke with great zeal, and laid down his views so well, that he convinced some of the council. Nothing, however, was done towards making the discovery. The King and Queen thought it much more important to hurry from place to place and keep up a cruel war with the Moors, than to discover a new world. They did not dismiss Columbus, but he followed them about wherever they went, receiving from the king an allowance for his support. He became intimate 28 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. with several wise and good people, who paid him attentions, which probably helped to sustain him through this tedious waiting and suspense. About this time he received a letter from the King of Portugal inviting him again to his court, but Columbus had not forgotten the unkind treat- , ment he had received from that monarch, and he j refused to comply with his request. j The cruel wars which Spain carried on with i the Moors, who were Mahometans, having been I made known to the Soldan of Egj'^pt, who was also a Mahometan, he sent messengers to Spain to tell the King that if he did not leave off fighting the Moors, he would kill all the Chris- i tians in his dominions, and destroy the holy | sepulchre, the church built upon the place where i Jesus Christ was buried, at Jerusalem. The so- j vereigns paid no regard to this threat, but went on with their wars as before. But it is said that | Columbus resolved, if he should be successful in i making his new discoveries, he would afterward i devote himself and the wealth he might gain to driving the Mahometans away from Jerusalem. He was full of desire to do what he thought was a religious duty. People were then so ignorant that they thought the best way to make all the LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 29 world believe in Christ, was to murder and drive away all who did not. At last Columbus received his final answer from the council, and was told that they did not approve of his plans and would not advise the the King to enter into them. Columbus resolved to go to Seville, and hear from the sovereigns themselves if this were their final conclusion. He received from them no better answer, and left Seville with a heavy heart, thinking that all his waiting and trouble had been in vain. Though Columbus was discouraged and dis- heartened, he did not wish to leave Spain. He had become acquainted with a lady, named Beatrix Enriquez, with whom he formed a con- nexion, and she was the mother of his second son, Fernando. Having failed of success with the King and Queen, Columbus turned to some of the nobles of Spain, who were so rich and powerful that they almost equalled the King. One of them was much struck and dazzled with the plans of Columbus, but finally refused to take any part in the expedition. The other, the Duke of Medina Coali, was more interested, and went so far as to make prepara- tions for sending out three or four vessels of his 30 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. own which were in port, but the greatness of the plan alarmed him, and he gave it up, saying that none but a King could carry on such an expedi- tion. He advised Columbus, however, to apply again to the King, and promised to try to per- suade him to listen favorably to his plans. But poor Columbus had seen so little reason to expect any help from the King and Queen of Spain that he had no heart to present himself before them again. The King of France wrote him about that time a letter, and asked him to come to Paris, and explain to him his plans — Columbus, though he was unwilling to leave Spain, thought he ought not to neglect this invita- tion, and prepared to go to France. Before leaving Spain, he went to the convent of La Rabida at Palos, where he left his son Diego intending to take him, and place him with his son Fernando and his mother, at Cordova. When he came again to the convent, which he had left seven years before, the good monks were very sorry to see him looking so poor and so unhappy, and they were also sorry that he was going to leave their own country and go to France, and give to another nation the means of reaping their glorious discoveries. They talked with him more and more and became more fully LIFE OF COLUMBUS, 31 persuaded of the truth of his notions. Several other persons became excited on the subject, one Pinzon of a rich and powerful family offered to bear the expenses of Columbus, if he would ap- ply to the court. Friar Perez became more encouraged by the favorable opinion of this man and others. He had once been the confessor, or private priest to the Queen, and knew that she had a great re- spect for priests. He resolved to write her a letter, and begged Columbus to remain at the convent, until an answer could be received to it ; to this Columbus consented. The friends of Columbus at the convent then chose a person named Rodriguez a pilot of Lepe to carry this letter to the Queen. He was a very shrewd person. The Queen was at Santa Fe, where the honest pilot went and succeeded in his errand. He saw the Queen and gave her the letter of the priest. Queen Isabella had at the first been herself pleased with the appearance of Columbus, She had lately heard about him from the Duke of Medina Coeli, who had kept his promise of speaking well of his plans to the Queen, She answered the letter of Friar Perez, and thanking him for what he had done, asked him to come 32 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. directly to her at court, and bidding him to give Columbus the hope that he should soon hear from her. This letter of the Queen was brought back by the pilot at the end of fourteen days. Much did it rejoice Columbus and his friends. Friar Perez immediately saddled his mule and set out before midnight, to visit the Queen. He reached , Santa Fe in safety, was admitted to the Queen, who was glad to see him, and ready to receive the advice of one who had for- merly been her confessor — he told her all he thought of Columbus, and explained to her what glory it would be to her and to Spain, if this great discovery should be made during her reign. The Queen had probably never heard the plan so favorably explained before — She was more generous and warm hearted than the King. One of her favorite ladies, wasalso much pleased with the plan, and said all she could to persuade the Queen to take part in it. The Queen at last became so much engaged in the matter as to desire that Columbus might again visit her — 'and when she recollected that he was poor she sent him a sum of money, equal to two hundred and sixteen dollars of the LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Sd present day, in order that he might prepare him- self with decent clothing to appear at Court, and to pay the expenses of his journey. The friar sent by a faithful hand, the letter and money to Columbus, and he with fresh hopes, made the necessary preparations and set out for the court. He reached Santa Fe in safety, and was well received. Quintanilla, the accountant gen- eral, one of those who had always been friendly to Columbus, was directed to take charge of him. But he found that this was not a time to bring forward his projects. The war with the Moors was just ended. Columbus ar- rived at the camp in time to see the last of the Moorish Kings surrender himself to the King and Queen of Spain. The people of Spain were very proud and happy that they had at last succeeded in break- ing the power of the Moors. It was a day of rejoicing all over the nation, and nothing was thought of but jubilees and processions in sign of the joy the nation feh. Scarcely any one thought of Columbus and his plans, or if they did, they fancied that the great glory of their conquest was enough, without seeking new coun- tries that they knew nothing about. How differ- 3 34 LIFE OF COLUMKIJS. ent does the case appear now, when we can see it. from beginning to end. They thought they served God by destroying the Moors, who were ignorant to be sure, and did not believe the Gos- pel, but they darkened the Christian religion with their own forms, and persecuted so cruelly all who did not think as the priests thought was right, that the country was Christian only in name, it had lost all the spirit of love that belong- ed to Jesus. But the poor man who was slighted and re- garded as a dreamer, opened to the world a home and a resting place where leaving behind the old customs and superstitions of ancient days, men could quietly repose, and in a new region, v/orship God in the way they thought the Bible directed. But the time was come when the monarch had promised to consider the plans of Columbus, The war was over, and the sovereigns entered into a negociation with Columbus by means of Talavera who had now risen to be Archbishop of Grenada. Children must have patience with these Spanish names, they are to be sure long and hard, but if they are spelt a few letters at a time, it will be pretty easy to pronounce them. The Spaniards were, and are now famous for LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 35 long names and high sounding titles. Those who live in the new world, which was discover- ed by poor Columbus, are freed from these bur- densome titles, and the Spaniards who were so proud and haughty have lost almost all their glory except what remains in their high sounding names. But as soon as Columbus opened his plans, difficulties arose. He demanded that the mon- archs should make him admiral, or commander of the expedition which should be fitted out, and that he should be the Viceroy, or sovereign over the countries which he should discover, and that he should have the tenth part of the profits of his discoveries. The people of the court were astonished that he should ask so much, when they had seen him so long in humble attendance on the court ; they could not conceive that he should have the bold- ness to ask so much for himself, but very few probably had formed any proper idea of the greatness of his plans and the probability there was that he would succeed. Columbus then offered to bear an eighth part of the expense of the expedition on condition that he should receive an eighth part of the pro- fits. But Talavera who was appointed to talk 36 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. with him about his plans, had never been well disposed towards Columbus, he now told the Queen that it would be very wrong to give so great honors to a nameless stranger. That if he should succeed as he expected, it was too great a reward for him, and that if he failed, other nations would laugh at Spain for making men admirals who had discovered nothing, created viceroys over kingdoms that were never found, and given away the tenth part of profits that were never made. Isabella who respected very much her priest and her confessor, began to think what he urged on her so strongly must be right, and she thought less favorably of Columbus, in whom she had just begun to be interested. She ordered a smaller compensation to be offered to Columbus, but these offers he refused, and the conference was broken off. Columbus, vexed and provoked at this new disappointment, determined to leave Spain fore- ver and left Santa Fe on his way to Cordova in- tending to go immediately to Paris and offer his plans to the King of France. It was then Feb- ruary in the year 1492. But the friends of Columbus, who understood and judged rightly about his plans, were distress- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 37 ed that Spain should lose the glory of this dis- covery. One of the most zealous of these friends was Luis de St. Angel, receiver of the revenues of Arragon. He visited the Queen and begged her very earnestly not to allow another nation to receive this glory. Quintanilla also joined him in endeavoring to persuade the Queen. They told her all that was wanted was two small vessels and about eight thousand crowns in money. The Marchioness Maya, the friend of the Queen, and who was also favorable to Columbus, joined to persuade Isabella. She at last consent- ed to their wishes. But having agreed to fit out the expedition, her first thought was, where she should obtain the means. The long wars, and the great ex- penses of the government had exhausted the treasury. The King who was less earnest than the Queen still looked coldly on the plan. The friends of Columbus awaited with trembling to see the end of this last effort. But Isabella's warm heart was engaged in their plan. ' I un- dertake the enterprise for my own crown of Castile, and I will pledge my private jewels to raise the necessary money,' said she — a woman's zeal went farther than the cold calculating pru- dence of the men about her dared to go — and 3* 38 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. to Isabella was Spain indebted for the new world. St. Angel told the Queen that there would be no need of her selling her jewels, but that he would advance the money, and the funds came from the treasury of the kingdom of Arragon ; but King Ferdinand afterwards took care to have it paid back, and the first gold which Columbus brought from America was used by the King to gild the walls of one of his palaces. The Queen immediately sent a messenger after Columbus to bring him back. He was overtaken two leagues from Grenada. He had been so often disappointed, and had so firmly resolved to leave Spain forever, that he at first refused to go back, but at last he gave up, and returned to the court. The Queen received him very kindly. The King gave his consent to the expedition, out of respect to the judgment of Isabella. Columbus now talked very much about his plans to the sovereigns. He told the King of the rich country of Cathay and the islands near it, which he hoped to find, and the King began to feel some desire to add such rich conquests to those he had already made over the Moors. He told the Queen how he hoped to convert to LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 39 Christianity all these distant lands, and then, returning laden with wealth, how much he should desire to go to Jerusalem and drive from that holy place the unchristian nations who now had possession of it. The sovereigns declared that they also wished much to see these great works done. But these plans, to which they merely gave their assent, filled the whole soul of Columbus, and it was the zeal he felt in them, and the strong hope that he should accomplish them, which had sustained him through his past disappointments, and which urged him forward to the end of his life. An agreement was made between the sove- reigns and Columbus, by which he was created admiral in all the lands and islands in the ocean sea which he might discover, with the same pow- ers as the high admiral of Castile enjoyed. That he should be viceroy and governor over all the said lands and continents, with power to name three persons to govern each island, one of which three should be chosen by the sove- reigns. That he should keep for himself one tenth of all the pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and all other merchandises, in whatever manner found. 40 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. That he or his lieutenant should be the judge in all disputes arising out of the trade between the two countries. That he should be allowed at all times, by paying an eighth part of the expenses, to fit out vessels for this enterprise, and to receive an eighth part of the profits. Columbus was assisted to fulfil this last part of the engagement, by the help of the family of Pinzon, of Palos, who were friendly to his plans ; and in this way he added a third ves- sel to the expedition. This agreement was signed on the 17th of April, in the year 1492. By it, his sons were to inherit his dignities, and he was allowed to call himself Don. This privilege was at that time confined to noble families in Spain, though now it does not mean much more than the plain Mr which is placed before names in this country. The agreement was signed by both the sovereigns, though the Queen alone bore the expenses of the voyage, from her own separate revenue of Cas- tile, except the loan from the treasury of Arra- gon which was just mentioned. The inhabitants of the port of Palos had been ordered, in consequence of their having commit- ted some offence, to fit out for the service of the LIFE or COLUMBUS. 41 sovereigns two caravels, or small ships. They were now ordered to furnish these two vessels for the expedition of discovery. Columbus un- dertook to provide a third ship. The ships were ordered to be ready in three days after the orders were received. The seamen were to have nothing more for pay than the common sailors' wages at this time, but were to receive it in advance. Columbus was ordered not to visit any of the islands which had been discovered and colonized by the Portuguese. All persons on the sea coast were ordered to furnish such provisons as were needed, and these were to be paid for. The Queen showed Columbus much kindness in taking leave of him, and appointed his son Diego to be a page to Prince Juan, her son. This honor was not usually given to any but the sons of persons of high rank. Columbus left the court. May 12, and returned to Palos. He was gladly received by his old friend Pe- rez. After eighteen years anxious suspense Columbus now saw his favorite plan about to be put into execution. After acquainting the friendly monks at the convent of his success, he consult- ed with them as to the best method of carrying 42 LIFE OF COLUMBUS- the royal order into execution, they concluded to read the orders of the King in the church. This command to furnish out the two ships to sail to unknown regions, tilled all the people of Palos with fear. No vessel could be procured, no seaman would venture to offer himself for such a service. The King and Queen gave out new orders, and the persons employed were di- rected to take by force vessels which were fit for the purpose. An officer was appointed to hasten the expedition. All these methods failed however ; owners and sailors were too timid to undertake the plan. At last the Pinzons, who had before shown an inter- est in the project, came forward, and offered to furnish money, and go out themselves in the expeilition. This example had a great effect ; the vessels were ready for sea in a month. After all this difficulty the vessels were very small, and badly fitted for the long and doubtful voyage they were to undertake. The Pinta, one of the vessels, having been taken into the service without the consent of the owners, every obstacle was thrown in the way of fitting it out. The people employed in preparing the ships did the work badly. All about the expedition except the part taken by the Pinzons and Columbus himself LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 43 was done by force, and in consequence of the direct orders and threats of the government. At the beginning of August the ships were ready. The largest was called Santa Maria, and on board this was the flag of Columbus. The second was the Pinta. In this went Martin Pin- zon, with a brother of his as pilot. The third ship was called the Nina, and was commanded by Vincent Pinzon. The government sent out a notary named Escobar, who was to take notice of the events which took place and report them to the government. Before Columbus departed he removed his son from the convent, and placed him where he thought he would learn more of men and manners, and be better fitted for his new office. Columbus, before setting out on his great expedition, performed very solemn religious ser- vices, confessed his sins to the priest, as is cus- tomary in the Catholic religion, and partook of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. In all Palos sadness prevailed, when at last the squadron left the harbor. Almost every body had some friend on board these ships, which were bound, no one knew whither, and the sailors felt afraid that they never should see again the faces of those who were so dear to them. 44 LIFE OF COLUMBUS- CHAPTER III. It was on the third day of August, in the year 1492, that Columbus, after so many delays and disasters, sailed on that voyage which he had so long been thinking about, and which was to be such an important era in the history of the world. Some little people who have studied Latin, may have found out that Columba is the Latin name for a Dove, and when they remember how, after the flood, Noah sent from the ark the dove to discover the land, and see whether it were left uncovered by the water, they may think it a little remarkable that the first discoverer was named Columba, and that the great discoverer of Amer- ica, so many years after should have the name of Columbus, which is so much like that of the messenger of Noah. Columbus had no guide to direct his course but the very imperfect maps of that day, where every thing west of Europe was matter of con- jecture only. He wished to advance as fast as possible, so that his men might not have it in their power to turn back. He resolved to steer directly west, and firmly believed that in doing this, he should in a short time reach the islands which lay about the coast of Asia. LIFE or COLUMBUS. 45 They had only been three days out, when one of the ships, the Pinta, gave signal of distress, and it was found that the rudder was broken » This gave Columbus anxiety ; he saw that the ship had been badly fitted up. It was taken by force from the owners, by order of the govern- ment, and he feared that it would not prove fit for the voyage. Pinzon however secured the rudder, and they reached the Canary islands on the 9th, where they attempted to get another vessel to take the place of the Pinta. No ship could be found for the expedition, but they made a new rudder for the Pinta at the Canaries. While at the Canary islands the crew were much alarmed at an eruption of the Peak of Teneriffe, but Columbus reminded them of Mount Etna, which had been seen by some of them, and he tried to tell them the reasons which have been thought of to explain volcanic fires. At last they were ready to put to sea. They left the Canaries Sept. 6th and sailed west. For three days they were becalmed and could not advance any ; this was the more vexatious since they had heard reports that the King of Portugal had sent out ships to look for their little squadron, and perhaps prevent them from making their 4 46 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. j voyage. After three days, the calm was over, | a breeze sprung up, and they lost sight of land, i The crew became more disheartened the far- ther they went from the shores of their native ; land, and it required all the patience of Columbus | and all his wisdom in reasoning with them, and j all his eloquence in telling them of the riches and I splendor of the countries they would find, to pre- i vent the men from losing all courage. Colum- ! bus told the commanders of the other ships, that if i they should happen to get separated, they must j steer directly west. After they had sailed a i number of days west, the sailors were alarmed at j finding that the needle in their compass did not \ point exactly to the north, as it had done in Eu- ! rope. They felt much frightened, and thought ! they were coming to a new region, where the j instruments which had guided them would be no j longer of use. Columbus could not tell the rea- son of this, and it has never been found out. People have got so used to finding the compass point more to the west in some parts of the world than others, that it does not frighten them. But I it is no wonder that this should increase the fears of these poor mariners who were venturing for the first time across the unknown sea. Columbus kept a journal of all the events of j LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 47 his voyage, and kept a record, as sailors usually do, of the distance they sailed each day. But he felt afraid that the sailors would lose all hope, if they found themselves at a very great distance from their native shores. So he kept a journal for the sailors to see, in which he put down the distance as less than it really was. This was not right in Columbus, since it was not telling the truth. But he had to deal with ignorant men, and though he was much wiser than they were, yet he was ignorant of many things which are better known now. It is always right to tell the truth if any thing is said about a matter. How- ever poor Columbus had a hard time of it, and probably got along as well as he could. It was not many days after they lost sight of land, before they began to see birds and weeds floating on the water — they sailed very fast and the men began to grow impatient, although Co- lumbus had concealed from them the real distance they had gone. On the 20th of September land birds visited their ship. This gladdened the hearts of the sailors. But they sailed on, on. They strained their eyes in vain. They often thought they saw land and were deceived. It was almost the end of September, and the ships drew near each other. Columbus and 48 LIFE OF COLUMBUS, Pinzon talked together and they both thought that they must be near the island of Cipango, which they expected to find near the coast of Asia. While they were talking Pinzon cried out that he saw land. He claimed the reward which had been offered to the person who should first see the land. Columbus fell down on his knees and thanked God, the men all mounted the mast head, but when it became perfectly light they found that they had been mistaken. Sadly they sailed on through unknown seas. They saw many signs of being near the land ; the weather was warm and pleasant, and they continued on their western course. They had sailed seven hundred and seven leagues from the Canary islands. Again and again they thought they saw land. The Nina sailed the fastest, and she pressed on first. On the 7th of October Columbus altered his course a little, and steered towards the south west ; he had observed that the birds flew in that direction. For three days more they held on their way. Many of the little birds which fly about the fields and gardens, came to visit, and to cheer the hearts of the poor discouraged men, but the sai- lors had seen them so long that they no longer LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 49 felt themselves encouraged by the sight. They grew clamorous, told Columbus he was obstinate, and insisted that he should return home. Colum- bus tried to soothe and cheer them, but finding them growing very turbulent he became more stern, and told them he would never turn back until he had done what he had undertaken to do. The next day more decided signs of land were seen. Fish that are found about the rocky shores appeared, branches of berries with fruit, carved wood and reeds floated near them. Their hopes revived, and all watched eagerly for the wished for land. After the evening prayers on board the Admi- ral's ship were over, Columbus spoke to his crew — thanked God for having conducted them so favorably across the ocean, and told them that he thought they should gain the land that night. It was indeed matter of rejoicing that they had been spared storms which would have doubtless racked sadly their frail vessels. The accounts make no mention of any storm during the voy- age. A pension of thirty crowns had been offered to whoever should first discover land. Columbus added to this the promise of a doublet of velvet. This was probably a thing more costly and more valued at that time, than it would be now. 4* 50 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Columbus watched all that night. At about ten o'clock he thought he saw a glimmering light at a distance. He called up two other persons, and they thought they saw the same appearance. Columbus felt sure it must be land, and that the land was inhabited. At two o'clock in the morning a gun was fired from the Pinta. This was the signal for land. It was descried by a sailor named Triana, but afterward it was thought that Columbus ought to have the reward, as he had seen the light on shore the evening before. It was the 12th of October, in the year 1492. The day dawned, and Columbus with his tired and discouraged crew saw before them, instead of the green foaming ocean which had been so long about them, a large green island, with fresh green grass, and fine shady trees. They saw persons entirely naked running out of the woods. These people seemed to be much surprised at the appearance of the ships. Columbus went on shore very richly dressed in scarlet. He carried the royal standard. The captains of the other ships went with him, each bearing their standard. Columbus, as soon as he stepped on the land, fell on his knees and kissed the spot which he had so longed to see. The country appeared LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 51 beautiful to the mariners, worn out with care and anxiety. His companions all followed his exam- ple. They pressed about him and showed the greatest delight. Even those who had been most impatient and violent, were now the most humble and submissive. As the expedition of discovery had been fitted out by the orders of the King of Spain, Columbus considered this new country as belonging to him. He drew his sword and solemnly declared that he took possession of this new country in the name of his sovereign. If any one asks what right the King of Spain had to a country so far from his own and which was already inhabited, there is no answer to be given. Kings thought they had a right to any country which they might discover. Columbus called the island he had discovered San Salvador, which means Holy Saviour. This is one of the Bahama islands which lies north of Cuba. It is called by the English Cat Island. The natives of this island were struck with amazement, on seeing, in the morning, the Span- ish ships lying before their island. They thought they must have come down from heaven. They viewed the landing of the Spaniards and all their actions with great surprise. They came near 52 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. them and examined their dress, felt of their beards, and at once seemed to understand from the commanding height and more splendid dress of Columbus, that he was the commander of the rest. Columbus received them with gentleness, and allowed them to make such examination as they wished. The Spaniards, too, felt curious to see this new race of men. They were well formed, with black hair, not crisped like wool, but cut and arranged in a manner different from the , European. They were gentle and pleasing in their appearance, but gave no signs of wealth — they were almost entirely naked. There was but one woman among them, but she was of an agreeable appearance. As Columbus supposed that the part of the world he had reached belonged to the eastern continent, he thought that it must be a part of India. He called the people by the name of Indians, and this is the name given to the native inhabitants of all parts of America, and which they bear to the present day. The Spaniards spent the whole day on shore, the Indians gave them some of the kinds of food of which they made use. They had a sort of bread called cassava, made from a root which LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 53 they cultivated. These people had about them some small ornaments of gold. The Spaniards soon espied them, and gave the natives beads, little bells and other trinkets of small value in exchange for them. The natives were much pleased with the ex- change. The little bells seemed to give them great delight. Columbus made ^gns to them to tell him where they got their gold. They made signs to him that it came from a place which lay at the southwest. He thought he understood from them that there was land to the north, south and southwest of them, and that the people from the north went to the south to search for gold, and sometimes landed upon their island and carried off its inhabitants. The Spaniards were so pleased with the beautiful island and its simple people that they spent the whole day on shore. The next day the natives came down to the shore in great numbers, and visited the ship with their little canoes. These small boats they man- aged with great skill, and if they happened to upset they did not mind it, but swam about and turned their boat over, dipping out the water with a sort of dipper which they called a calabash , made out of a kind of fruit which grew on a tree, and of which the skin becomes hard as wood, 54 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. when the middle of it has been taken out and the skin dried. They seemed to wish very much to get the little toys from the Spaniards, such as their com- panions had received the day before ; perhaps they thought they must be precious, since they supposed the Spaniards came down from heaven. They offered in return such things as they had. What they seemed to consider most valuable were parrots, which they had in great numbers. They had also balls of cotton yarn in abundance. They would exchange balls weighing several pounds for some trifling toy. After remaining a day or two near the place where they landed, Columbus sailed round the island. There were large harbors, and the island was well covered with wood. The natives all hailed their appearance with great delight. They were a simple and peaceful people, and seemed to have no arms but lances, the points of which were made hard in the fire, or sharpened by a piece of flint, a bone,..or the tooth of an animal. After having sailed about the coast of the island they supplied themselves with wood and water, and sailed in search of the rich island of Ci- pango, which Columbus still continued to think must be very near, and where he hoped to find LIFE OF COLUMBXrS. 55 the golden treasures to which the poor natives pointed, and the riches and splendor which the ancient writers had made him think were to be found on the Asiatic coast, near which he thought he had now arrived. He hardly knew which way to sail ; beautiful islands were spread out all around him, and he selected what appeared to him to be the largest, and one where he was informed by the natives that the inhabitants were richer than those of San Salvador, and wore heavy ornaments made of gold. He landed on this island, took possession of it for the King, and gave it the name of Santa Maria de la Concepcion. The natives looked on with wonder to see the arrival of this new race of beings, and to observe the ceremonies they were performing. But Columbus was disappointed that he did not find gold as plenty as he had expected. He was so desirous to find this pre- cious metal that he probably allowed himself to be deceived in the signs of the natives, when they told him where it was to be found ; or they might perhaps have deceived him, thinking that it was more safe to have such powerful visiters sail away from their simple country. Columbus, not finding the riches he had ex- pected, prepared to leave the island. He had 66 LIFE OP COLUMBUS. taken some of the natives of the first island on board, that he might become acquainted with them and learn their language. One of these men, seeing Columbus leaving his native land, jumped overboard and swam to a canoe in sight, filled with natives. The sailors of the Nina, the ship from which he escaped, put out a boat and pursued the canoe, but could not overtake it. The natives reached the shore and ran with haste into the woods. The men from the Nina took the canoe and carried it on board their vessel. A short time after an Indian came from another part of the island alone in a canoe. He came with a ball of cotton, which he offered in ex- change for little bells. As he was afraid to come on board, some of the sailors jumped into the water, and took him prisoner. Columbus, who saw the affair, ordered the man to be brought to him, and received him with great kindness. The Indian offered his ball of cotton as a gift. But Columbus declined his offering, and gave him a colored cap for his head, beads for his arms, and bells in his ears, and ordered him and his ball of cotton to be replaced in his canoe. He also ordered the boat which had been taken from the other Indian to be unfastened from the Nina and allowed to float ashore. When the Indian reached LIFE 01" COLL'MBITS. 5T the shore Columbus saw him surrounded by hi& countrymen, who examined his finery, and to whom he told his adventures. There are many other stories told of the kind- ness with which Columbus treated these simple and gentle people. If the Spaniards who visited these countries after him had followed his exam- ple, the history of those times would be far more pleasant to read, and perhaps these ignorant people- would have loved the white men, and embraced a religion which made them so kind and good. The climate in this region was delightful, the air most pure, the waters clear as crystal. Beau- tiful and stately but unknown trees every where shaded an abundant herbage. Birds of most brilliant colors and new forms, from the stately flamingo, to the minute humming bird, were every where to be seen, through the day, and swarms of fire- flies lighted up the marshes and groves at night. But the Spaniards rejected the productions of this fertile region, and did not care for its beau- ties, because their hearts were fixed on finding gold, and the productions of the East Indies. They sought for spices and drugs, which they had been accustomed to see brought from the country on whose borders they imagined they 5 58 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. had now arrived. In some of their searches they discovered the potato, of which they probably thought but little at that time, but which has since been introduced all over the world, and forms one of the most agreeable and useful kinds of food for countless numbers of men. The Spaniards were much struck at seeing th natives with something in their hands which ap- peared to be on fire, and one end of which they put into their mouths. Upon examining it, they found it to be the leaves of a plant of an exceedingly bitter and biting taste, which they rolled up and having lighted one end they drew the air through it. This was the first time the Spaniards had seen any one smoking cigars. Though the custom seems disagreable and un- natural, they soon learned to imitate it, and the trade in tobacco became soon, and still remains a very considerable one. Columbus discovered and landed on several beautiful islands, which presented much the same appearance of those we have described, the inhabitants seemed gentle, and Columbus by his kind treatment made them willing to receive the Spaniards, but they were disappointed to find them poor and simple in their habits, with no traces of the splendor which Columbus ex- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. m pected to find in this region. He at last reach- ed Cuba, which he imagined must be the Cipan- go which he so firmly expected to find. This was a beautiful island, with a delicious climate and every natural advantage. The houses of the natives were better built, and there was rath- er more appearance of wealth, but nothing even here which seemed to fulfil the visions of golden regions which Columbus still entertained. From the signs made by the natives the ad- miral was led to suppose that a powerful and rich prince lived in the interior of the island. He sent two messengers to converse with him under the idea that he was the powerful eastern prince of whom his mind was full. One of his messengers was a Jew and spoke Hebrew and Arabic, they were accompanied by two Indians for interpreters. They returned in about a week. The favo- rite hope of Columbus was disappointed by the account of what they had seen. They found the residence of the king, a town consisting of about fifty houses built in Indian fashion, but in a better manner than those on the coast. In- stead of speaking Hebrew or Arabic, as Colum- bus supposed his Asiatic prince might do, he could only converse through the Indian interpreter. 5* 60 LIFE OF COLUMBUSc He received the Spaniards kindly and urged them to stay longer, but they saw that there was nothing to satisfy their desires for gold and they returned to the ships.- Pinzon deserted Columbus in his ship the Pinta, about this time, either to seek for rich islands of which he had heard from the natives, or because he was tired of being under the com- mand of Columbus. This was a great trial to the patience of the commander. After Columbus had left Cuba he came upon a very large island. The natives who were with him appeared much alarmed, and begged him not to visit that country, as the inhabitants were very cruel, ate the flesh of men, and had but one eye. This was the island of Hay ti — a country of great beauty in its climate and productions. They coasted along its shores and on the 12th of December Columbus set up the cross and took possession of the Island in the name of the King. The inhabitants appeared to be much alarmed at sight of the strangers, and it was with some difficulty that the Spaniards were able to open any intercourse with them. They ran away at the approach of the strangers, but at last they became familiar with them and show- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 61 ed themselves the kindest and most gentle crea- tures in the world, giving every thing that they had with great pleasure, and appearing perfect- ly content with whatever they received in re- turn. The countr}^ appeared very productive, the natives laboured but little, and peace and quiet, like that of Paradise, seemed to prevail in this lovely spot. But nothing but gold could satisfy the desires of the Spaniards, and the natives still pointed south and south west. After searching in vain for this region among the islands, he returned to Hispaniola. This is the same island as Hayti, and it has been at some periods called St. Do - mingo. Columbus had considerable intercourse with the natives, who were very friendly and of a handsomer appearance than any Indians he had seen. They had about them some small or- naments of gold which they were willing to ex- change for any European trifles. Columbus was visited by a young native prince who was borne on a litter and seemed to be waited on with great respect by those who accompanied him. They coasted about this Island and held inter- course with several native princes whom they called caziques. They appeared richer than 5* 62 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. those they had first met, and the ornaments of gold were more frequently seen, but they were ready to part with them for trifles, and one of them told Columbus that there was a region farther to the east which they called Cibao, where the princes had banners of wrought gold. Colum- bus thought the Cibao they spoke of must be the Cipango of which he was in search, and his hopes were revived. CHAPTER IV. On the 24th of December, Columbus left the harbor where he had been lying, intending to visit and anchor in the harbor of the Cacique Guacanagari, with whom he had had a friendly intercourse. At eleven o'clock at night they were near the residence of the Cacique, and Columbus who had always kept watch, thought, as the sea was perfectly calm, and the ship scarcely moved, he might give up his vigilance for a short time. The stearsman who was left in charge, as soon as Columbus had retired gave the helm to one of the ship's boys, and himself went to sleep, although Columbus had given positive directions that the helm should never be entrusted to boys. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 63 The boy did not perceive any rocks till the ship struck. He cried out and Columbus direct- ly rushed on deck. The master of the ship, who ought to have been on the watch, followed with the rest of the crew. Columbus ordered them to take the boat, and try to cany out an anchor, that they might if possible get the ship off the rocks. But they were so alarmed, that in- stead of obeying his orders, they rowed off to the other vessel which was half a league distant. He, supposing they were carrying the anchor out, thought that they should soon get into deep water. When they reached the other ship, they were- reproved for deserting their commander. The captain of the Nina and several of his men: went on board the boat and hastened to the re- lief of Columbus. They were too late to save the ship. The admiral finding himself deserted by his boat, had oi-dered the mast to be cut away and tried to lighten his vessel, but he did not succeed in saving the ship. She at last fell over on one side. The weather was calm or the ship must have gone to pieces, and the crew might have p e h d. Columbus and his men went on board the other vessel. He sent a messenger on shore to> 64 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. tell the Cacique, that he intended to visit him, and also relate his misfortune. The native prince ex- pressed great sorrow and even shed tears at the news. He sent all his people with their canoes to help unload the ship, and with his brothers and relations kept the strictest guard over the property which was taken out until houses could be prepared to stow it in. Considerable quanti- ties of gold were brought by the natives to ex- change for various articles, and they seem- ed to place but little value on it. They told of the rich region in the interior, and said they could get for Columbus as much gold as he wish ed. The Indian prince twice dined with Colum- bus on board his ship, and Columbus in return visited him on shore. He displayed great dig- nity and propriety in his manners, and his habits of eating, and his behaviour were extremely neat and decorous. Every thing in the appear- ance of this island and its inhabitants showed a very quiet state of society. The subjects show- ed great attachment to their rulers — and they in turn were mild and gentle in their government. The natives were all perfectly naked. They danced and performed their games for the en- tertainment of the strangers, when they visited their King. LIFE OF COLUBIBUSr. 65 Every thing which they received from the Spaniards they appeared to value from the idea that it came from heaven. Above all things they admired the little bells which the Spaniards offered them. An Indian one day gave a Span- iard half a handful of gold dust for one, and then ran off into the woods looking often behind him as if afraid the stranger would repent of his bargain. Columbus felt somewhat comfort- ed for his shipwreck, when he found the natives so friendly and also discovered that gold was so much more plenty than he had found it before. His men were well pleased at living on shore in this delightful climate, with these kind and simple people, and they begged Columbus to let them remain, in this charming abode, instead of attempting to return to Spain, crowded, as they would be, in one small vessel. Columbus, thinking it would be difficult for all of them to return in the one remaining ves- sel, and that it would be well to have a settle- ment in the new world — yielded to the wishes of his people, and concluded to build a fort and leave a number of men behind. He caused the remains of the wrecked vessel to be brought on shore, and made use of it in framing the fort. The natives were much pleased to find their new 66 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. friends were to remain with them, and did all in their power to assist them. A large vault was made, over which a strong wooden fort was built and the whole surrounded by a ditch. Columbus called his fort La Navidad, which sig- nifies the nativity, because he escaped from being shipwrecked on Christmas day. A great many of the men volunteered to remain. He selected thirty and appointed Diego de Arana to be com- mander, and named two others who were to govern in the case of his death. Among those who remained were a cooper, caulker, carpen- ter, tailor and gunner. They were supplied with seeds to sow and a quantity of articles to barter with the Indians. Columbus advised them to be careful to remain together, under the protection of the fort, to be very prudent in their intercourse with the Indians, and to collect all the gold which they could procure. He exhibi- ted some mock battles to put the natives in awe of the Spaniards. While the fort was prepar- ing, he heard a report that the Pinta had been seen, and sailed in the direction where she was said to be, but gained no intelligence of the mis- sing vessel. Columbus took a kind leave of the Cacique. He promised to return and bring him jewels. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 67 The Cacique on his side, promised to supply the Spaniards with provisions, during his absence, and render them every assistance in his power. The parting was sorrowful on all sides. The Cacique felt, or pretended to feel, sorrow at sepa- rating from his new friends, and the Spaniards felt grieved at separating from each other. On the 4th of January they set sail and had not pro- ceeded far, when they perceived their lost ves- sel, the Pinta. When they met, Pinzon pretend- ed that he had seperated from Columbus against his will, and that he had been looking for him in vain. Columbus listened patiently to his ex- cuses, and did not express the doubts he felt as to the truth of them. Pinzon was much respect- ed by his own men, and was powerful in his own ship, which was manned principally by sailors from his native town, Palos. He had in fact steered westward, in hope, of making some valuable discovery, and for some time had been trading with the natives for gold, in a port of Hispaniola. He had collected considerable quantities which he had shared with his men. He had carried off four Indian men and two girls, by force, intending to sell them in Spain. - Columbus had resolved to return to Spain, feeling that Pinzon was not to be trusted. When 68 "LIFE OP COLtMBtTS. they reached the port where Pinzon had been trading with the natives, Columbus compelled Pinzon to put on shore the persons he had ta* ken. They coasted along the island and met in one part of it some Indians who appeared fierce and warlike^ While the Spaniards were on shore a skirmish took place between th-em and the natives, and to the great grief of Columbus, blood was shed. It was the first transaction with the natives which had not ended peacefully. It was not the last, however. After some far- ther transactions with these natives who became more friendly, and sent Columbus the Wampum or belt of peace, th-e wind being favorable for Spain, Columbus began his return voyage. The wind in that part of the world blows in the same direction for a long time, at particular seasons of the year, and is called now the trade wind ; this was favorable to Columbus on his voyage to America, but it now was against him. They advanced but slowly — the Pinta was dis- ordered, and on the 12th of February, they were exposed to a dreadful storm. Columbus performed religious services and made vows to perform still more solemn ones, if they were brought safe to land. The sailors also made vows. The storm continued, and Columbus LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 69 feared that his discoveries would be buried with himself and his crew in the depths of the ocean. He wrote a short account of his voyage and what he had discovered, and wrapped it in wax- ed cloth. This he put into a cake of wax, and putting the whole into a large barrel, he threw it into the sea, he also fastened a similar account to the poop of his vessel. But at last the storm ceased, and when the weather became clear they discovered an island. During the storm they lost sight again of the Pinta. The weather was so boisterous for several days that they were un- able to reach the island. They at last succeeded, and found it to be St. Mary's, the most southern of the Azores. Three men now hailed the vessel. They said that the Portuguese governor knew about Colum- bus and his plans. Columbus reminded his men that they had vowed during the storm to make a religious procession, and return thanks to God for deliverance, on the first land they reached. The men went ashore for this purpose, but while they were so engaged they were surrounded by the Islanders and taken prisoners. The form of the country prevented Columbus from seeing the affair from his ship, and he was for several hours in some anxiety because his men remained so long 6 70 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. on shore. After a while he had an interview with the governor and succeeded in getting his men released. It appeared that the Portuguese government, out of jealousy, had ordered this governor to seize Columbus, if possible, on his return. After this affair Columbus left the island of St. Mary's, but was driven by another furious storm into the Portuguese port Rastello. The weather prevented his proceeding on his voyage. The Portuguese came on board to welcome him, and the King, who was at Valparaiso, sent a message for him to come to court. Columbus was not without suspicion that the Portuguese intended him some evil. But he went to the court and related his adventures. Some of the King's councillors pretended to believe that he had made no new discoveries, but had only visited some of the places which had been before dis- covered by the Portuguese, and they advised the King to detain him. But this he feared to do, and Columbus returned to his ship, visiting the Queen, at her request, by the way. The weather now permitted him to finish his vo3'age, and on the 15th of March he reach^ Palos in safety, seven months and a half from the time he left that port. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 71 Nothing could equal the demonstrations of joy- on the return of Columbus, and the transport that was felt at the news of his discoveries. He was treated with the greatest consideration and re- spect. The very evening of the day on which he reached Palos, Pinzon sailed into the harbor. He had separated on purpose from Columbus, and having reached some port in Spain had writ- ten a letter to the sovereigns telling his adventures and claiming all the honor of the discovery to himself. He thought to enter Palos himself first and thus deprive Columbus of all his hard-earned glory. But finding Columbus already there, and the people full of joy at receiving him, he went home silently to his house. Soon after he re- ceived a letter frem the sovereigns, blaming him for the unhandsome part he had taken with regard to Columbus. This finished his mortification, and in a short time he sickened and died. The sovereigns ordered Columbus to come immediately to court. Here they received him with the greatest pomp. A splendid procession was formed, in which were displayed all the won- ders of the new world, specimens of the birds, plants, gold, gems, and last of all the men of a new race. When Columbus detailed the strange things and the extensive countries he had discov- 72 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. ered, the sovereigns could not contain their emo- tions. They fell on their knees, and returned most solemn thanks to God. A great entertainment was given in honor of Columbus, and during the repast some ill-natured person ventured to say, that it was an easy mat- ter, after all, to discover a new world, since one had only to set sail from Europe, and steer to the west, and the thing was done. Columbus, to reprove them for this foolish talk, took an egg, and desired the person next him to stand it on one end — he not succeeding, it was passed to the next, and so on round the table. Columbus received it quietly on its return, and breaking off one end showed them how it could be made to stand, and that any thing was easy after one knew how to do it. The Spanish sovereigns now began to think that it was time that they should have some right to take possession of the new world. In Catholic countries people think the Pope is the represen- tative of God's power upon earth, and that who- ever he gives a thing to, has a right to hold it. So the sovereigns sent to the Pope to ask his leave to take this new land for their own, and to convert the natives to the Christian religion. The Pope had been before asked by the Portuguese LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 73 to give them a right to such countries as they should discover, and he was afraid that he might give to one what he had given to another, never once thinking he had no right to give away tho poor Indian's land to any body. But he thought he had, and other people at that time thought ho had too, so it was not quite so bad as such doings would be now, when people know better. He settled it, by imagining a line, on the globe, from the north to the south pole, to be drawn one hundred leagues west of the Azores and Cape de Verd. All land west of this line, dis- covered by Spaniards, and which had not before been taken possession of by the Portuguese, to belong to Spain, all east of it to belong to the Portuguese. He published this law on the 2d of May, 1493. The distance was afterwards chang- ed, by agreement between the two governments, to three hundred and seventy leagues west of the Cape de Verd island. This being settled, the sovereigns were very desirous that Columbus should fit out another expedition. Money, and men and credit were put at the disposal of Columbus. Officers of high rank were chosen to assist in fitting out the vessels, but were ordered in every thing to comply with the wishes of Columbus. The sovereigns 6* 74 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. ordered him to wear, as his coat of arms, (a sort of sign of his rank, which all noble families had,) the arms of the King and Queen which were pictures of a castle and a lion, to which was added his own, which was a number of islands sur- rounded by waves — and some Spanish words, of which this is a translation — For Castile and Leon, Columbus found a new world. Seventeen vessels were prepared for the voyage — three large ones and fourteen smaller ones. Instead of the difficulties which he before had found in getting men enough to furnish his crews, great numbers, some of high rank, pressed for- ward to get permission to make the voyage. The number had been limited to a thousand, but so many wished to go, that they at last amounted to twelve hundred. On the 25th of September, 1493, all was ready, and amid the joys and good wishes and strong hopes of a whole nation, from the sovereigns on their throne to the most ignorant sailor, they left the bay of Cadiz. At the Canary islands they stopped and took in wood and water. They also here bought calves, goats, sheep, and eight hogs — none of these animals having been seen by them on the newly discovered islands. They LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 75 also carried hens and chickens, and various kinds of seeds, among them the lemon and orange. Toward the end of October they were exposed to a very violent storm. It lightened dreadfully, and the appearance of the sky during the time, struck the sailors with terror. But they escaped without injury, and when the weather became calm they found themselves in sight of an island which Columbus called Dominica, because he was delivered from the horrors of the storm on the Lord's day, or Sunday. This island proved to be part of the group called the Antilles. They touched at this, and another island of the group, where they saw various fine fruits which they had never seen before, and landed at another which Columbus named Gaudaloup, after a con- vent in Spain, whose name he had promised to bestow upon some island. From some appearances which they met with, and from the accounts they heard from the natives they thought the inhabitants of this island were in the habit of eating human flesh. They ap- peared to be more warlike and cruel than the natives of the islands they had visited on the for- mer voyage. While they lay at anchor at this island, the men went often on shore, and on a certain day Diego Marque and eight men went 76 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. on shore and did not return at night. Columbus sent to seek them in vain. Those who searched the island saw many things which they thought showed the natives to be cruel and bloody, and they feared lest their companions should be mur- dered if they fell in their way. At last a young nobleman named Ojeda offered to go in search of them with a party of men. He wandered all over the island and sought them in vain. They were charmed with the appearance of the island, where every thing grew most lux- uriantly. They returned to the vessel, however, sadly disappointed at not finding the lost ones. After remaining some time Columbus was about leaving the island, giving up his men as lost, when they appeared on the shore. They were joyfully received on board, but were much worn out with their anxiety and wanderings. They had lost themselves and become entangled in the bushes, and had not been able to find their way to the ship. Columbus reproved them for having gone away as they had done, without giving him notice. They now left the island and went toward the fort, where he expected to find his companions whom he had left. They reached the place, but all was silent. They fired their cannon, but no LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 77 answer was returned from the shore. On landing they found the fort entirely destroyed, and hardly a trace of the settlement left. On making search they found the bodies of several men buried near the place where the fort had stood. Columbus could not for some time get any explanation of the cause of these disasters, but as far as he could learn from the accounts given by the natives, the Spaniards had behaved very badly as fsoon as he had gone — spent all their time in laziness or vicious indulgences, until at last, a warlike chief from the interior had come down and surprised them, when they were not prepared to make any defence, had destroyed the fort and the village of the friendly Indians. Columbus after a while saw again the friendly cacique whom he had left. He expressed great sorrow at the fate of the Spaniards, and told Co- lumbus it was in no way his fault. Some of the Spaniards suspected him to have been concerned in the destruction of the fort, and wished Colum- bus to seize him and punish him for it. But Columbus would not give his consent to such cruel actions. The cacique visited the Spanish vessels. He was much surprised at all he saw. His aston- ishment was great at the new kinds of animals 78 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. they had on board, more especially the horses, which greatly exceeded in size and strength any animals he had ever seen. Columbus felt no desire to begin a settlement on a spot which had proved so unfortunate ; he left the place therefore and reached another har- bor, with the appearance of which he was much pleased, and where he concluded to place his new settlement. CHAPTER VL The Spaniards were all very busy now, in un- loading their ships and in building their new city, to which Columbus gave the name of Isabella. Every one was happy to escape from the ship after so long a confinement. The climate was so delicious that they were in transports of joy — the birds were singing, although it was now De- cember. They laid out streets and squares, and began to build a church of stone, and wooden houses. But all this was very laborious. Many of the party had not been accustomed to work — their provisions were bad from having been kept so long, and all these causes made many of the men sick ; Columbus himself was also sick. Columbus thought it was best to send to LIFE OF COLUMBUS. ^79 Spain the vessels which he no longer needed. He thought it would be a good plan to send some of the natives to Spain to be sold as slaves, and the money spent in buying animals to stock the new country. He thought the Indians would be- come Christians, and this would repay them for the loss of their liberty. Though Columbus had been wise to discover the world, he was here very ignorant. He should have known that a man will have little heart to love a religion, the fol- lowers of which have torn him from his home, and sold him like an animal. He had better have let them stayed at home, and then if he and his followers had acted as Christians should do, the poor Indians would have been likely to fol- low their example. In February the fleet sailed for Spain. Co- lumbus sent home specimens of the gold they had found, and described the new and valuable plants they had discovered. The fleet had not long been gone when the men began to be un» easy and jealous of the government of Columbus* They did not like to be in subjection to him who was a foreigner, and as many of them thought, of less noble birth than themselves. Some of them pretended that the gold which had been found was not of a valuable kind. 80 LIFE OF COLTJMBt/S. Columbus having pacified these discontents as well as he could, and having before sent a party to explore the interior, or the gold region, which ;he natives called Ciboa^ himself started on an expedition to that region. He left his brother* Diego in command during his absence. Columbus penetrated into the interior, where he found every appearance of a country produc- ing gold. He began to build a fort, which he called St. Thomas. The natives were much astonished at the pomp of his party and the ap- pearance of the horses, and could hardly credit their eyes that what they saw was real when the men got off their horses, they had supposed that it was all one animal. Columbus having nearly completed his fort, and made arrangements for collecting gold, left it in charge of Pedro Marga- rite and fifty-six men, and set out on his return to Isabella, which he reached on the 29th of March. He found every thing about the appearance of the city promising. The fields and gardens were very flourishing. Wheat had ripened from the seed in the short space of two months, but sickness and discontent prevailed among the men. Labour proved very disagreeable to those who had been accustomed to an idle life. The bread LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 81 grew bad, and poor Columbus 'saw vexation about him on every side. Soon after his return he received a message from the interior, telling him that the natives seemed to be growing un- friendly. He sent more men to St. Thomas, and did ail he could to quiet the murmurs of his colony. Columbus wished to make another voyage of discovery, but he did not think it safe to leave his colony idle. lie resolved to send a party into the interior, and mustered a little army of more than three hundred men, which he sent by Ojida to St. Thomas, to be under the com- mand of Margarite. He wrote to the latter, and urged him to be just to the Indians, vigilant with his own men, and do all he could to con- vert the Indians to Christianity. On the way Ojida learned that three Spaniards had been robbed by a party of Indians. He caught one of the thieves and cut his ears off, and then seized the cacique with his son and nephew, whom he thought had favored the theft, and sent them to Columbus at Isabella, lie then went on his way to St. Thomas. Columbus thought proper to strike terror into the nation, and therefore pretended that he was going to put them to death ; but at the place of 7 82 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. execution the cacique made great promises of friendly conduct, and besought Columbus to spare his life. This he did, and suifered them to go away in safety. Thinking that these timid creatures could easily be kept in awe, he now set out to make new discoveries. He left his brother Diego and three others to govern the colony, and he also left with them the two largest ships, taking himself three smaller ones with which he thought he should be better able to explore unknown coasts and rivers. Columbus was so fond of the sea, and so desirous to make discoveries, that he probably was not sorry to leave behind him this turbulent and jealous colony, and to find himself on board his ship, where the power of the captain is gen- erally absolute. It must have been very pleasant to him to be sailing about in this unknown sea, where almost every day when it dawned, brought to his view a new and beautiful island. He left Isabella on the 24th of April, and sailed west. He visited again the place where had stood his fort Navidad. He was anxious to find out the causes of the disasters which had befallen that place. He coasted along the island with the intention of visiting the cacique Guancaragua, and trying to learn something LIFE OF COLUMUUS. 83 more of the matter from him. But the cacique kept out of the way of Columbus, and he could not get any further information upon the sub- ject. Columbus pursued his way along the southern coast of Cuba for twenty leagues. On arriving at a convenient harbor he went on shore. A number of the natives had been seen from the ship, but they ran away in haste at the approach of the Spaniards. A great quantity of fish was found spread about, some of it roasting be- fore fires, and other preparations made for a feast. The Spaniards who had not been very well supplied with food, of late, took the liberty of feasting themselves on the provisions which were ready cooked before them. Columbus sent a young native whom he had taken to Spain to talk with these frightened people, who ap- peared on the rocks above. When they learned from this person, who the party were, the natives came down and were disposed to be friendly. They told Columbus that the cacique, under whose government they lived, had sent them from the inner part of the island to the sea shore, to procure fish for a great feast that he was going to give to another chieftain. They 84 LIFE OF COLUMnUS. said they had roasted and cooked tlic fish, because it would not keep good if it had been left raw. They did not mind tluit the Span- iards had devoured a part of what they had col- lected, because, they said, one night's fishing would make it up. Columbus however paid them for what he had taken, in such articles as he knew the Indians were fond of. Columbus, on leaving this harbor, sailed to the west. They saw many of the natives on the shores as they passed, who beckoned them to land, and had their hands fidl of presents, which they offered them, supposing they had come down from the skies. On questioning the na- tives, when they occasionally came to anchor, about gold, they pointed to the south, and said there was an island of great size in that direc- tion, where great quantities of it were to be found. Columbus had not sailed more than two day.s before he came in sight of the island of Jamaica. This is an island of great extent and beauty The natives were not of the peaceful character which those had shown with whom the Span- iards had lately met. They came out in a great many canoes. The Indians were painted in a LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 85 gaudy manner ; they surrounded tlie ships utter- ing savage yells and pointing their lances. But the sight of little articles of traffic and friendly signs, pacified .them, and they rowed back to the shore without attempting to molest the ship. Columbus anchored for the night, but the next morning sailed westward, in search of a harbor where he might repair his ship, which had become leaky, lie found one in a short time, but the Indians opposed his landing. They came out in boats and threw their lances, but they were too far offto reach the Spaniards. Columbus paid no attention to their insults, but anchored in the harbor. The Indians appeared on the beach in great numbers, highly painted and decorated. They showed marks of dislike to the strangers, threw their javelins at them, yelling in a very frightful manner. As it was necessary for Columbus to repair his ship, and also to procure a supply of water, he thought best to frighten the Indians away, or he should not be able to do what he wished. As he could not get close to the shore on which the Indians were assembled, in his large vessel, he sent the boats forward, and their men fired a volley of arrows from their cross bows, 7* 86 LIFE OF COLUMUUS. and wounded some of the natives. This alarm- ed the whole party, who ran off when they saw the Spaniards land. The Spaniards fired another volley, and let loose a dog upon the In- dians. This was the first time that they made use of this animal in attacking the Indians. Columbus now landed and took a formal pos- session of the country ; but it has still retained the Indian name of Jamaica. Columbus gave it another, but there are so many hard names in this story, that it is not best to put in any more than can be helped, and Jamaica is the name by which the island can be found on the map. For a day or two the shore was entirely de- serted ; but the third day the natives appeared bearing tokens of friendship from their cacique. The Spaniards received them kindly, and gave in return for them, little trinkets, which pleased the natives, and for the rest of the time they remained on shore, every thing went on very peaceably. Though the natives were warlike, they appeared to be more ingenious than most of the other Indians. Their houses were better built, their furniture and instruments were made with more skill than others. Their canoes were built with more art, and the Spaniards saw some of great length, nearly a hundred feet LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 87 long. Some of them were made of the mahog- any tree, and out of a single trunk. The ship having been repaired and supplied with water, Columbus sailed to the west. As he did not find gold in Jamaica, as he had hoped to do, he resolved to return to Cuba, and not to leave it until he had found out whether it was an island or a continent. Just before he left Jamaica a young Indian came out to the ship, and begged Columbus to carry him to his own country. He was followed by his relations and friends, who begged him not to leave them : but he resisted their prayers, and concealed himself in a secret part of the ship. Columbus was moved at this little scene, and took care of the young man ; but there is nothing more told of him. It is to be feared that he was sorry for the part he had taken before a great while, and wished himself back in his warm sunny Indian home. Columbus returned to Cuba, and touched at a cape which he called La Cruz. The natives had heard of the Spaniards from other Indians, and they received them as visiters from the skies. Columbus talked with them by means of his interpreter about the extent of the island. — They said that no one had ever seen the end of- 88 LIFE OF COLUMHUS. it, if there were any. After remaining at this village a short time, Columbus sailed west, and encountered a severe storm. This did not last long, but after it was over they found their sail- ing hindered by sand banks, and discovered that they were in the midst of a group of many small islands, which Columbus called the Q,ueen's Garden. Some of these islands had persons living on them, and others were uninhabited.— While they were sailing about among these isl- ands, they saw a singular method of fishing practised by the natives in their canoes. There was found in those waters a strange sort of fish which was furnished with a sort of feelers upon the head, by which it could fasten itself so tight upon a rock or other substance, that it would be torn in pieces before it would let it loose. The Indians tied a string to the tail of this fish, and let it swim. The fish, if it saw a turtle or a large fish at the bottom of the water, would dive down and seize it so firndy that they would both be drawn out of the water together. These fishermen were very friendly to Co- lumbus ; they came on board his ship, offered him fish and any thing he wanted. They told him that the sea was full of islands, but that they knew no end to Cuba. After having left LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 89 this bunch of islands, Columbus sailed about fourteen leagues and landed at a large village in a part of Cuba which was mountainous. Here he was treated with great kindness, and found every thing about the settlement of a better kind than he had yet seen. The natives brought large quantities of pigeons, which were gladly received by the Spaniards. Columbus continued to sail along the south- ern coast of this island, which Avas every where beautiful to the sight and fragrant to the senses. In these new seas they met constantly with new sights. At one time the sea would be thick and white as milk, being filled with fine particles of white sand. At another time it would be filled with long grass, which made sailing almost im- possible, and again they would find themselves in a group of islands so close together, and so surrounded with rocks, that it was impossible to pass between them. No wonder that the igno- rant mariners became weary and alarmed at these strange sights. Upon one occasion a party of m.en were sent ashore to get wood and water. They came back in alarm, and declared that they saw at a distance a man in a long white garment like that of a priest, and behind him two others with 90 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. short dresses, all of them being of white com- plexions like Europeans, and behind them a large number armed with clubs. They said that the man in the priest's dress came toward them to speak to them, but that they were so fright- ened that they escaped to the ship. Columbus rejoiced at this, for he thought he must be coming near that part of Asia which he so desired to find, and where he expected to find men clothed and civilized. Two parties were sent on shore in different ways to look for these people, but nothing was ever found of them, and historians who wrote about it afterwards, say that no clothed priests ever lived in this island. The men had probably become alarmed, and mistook some large birds or animals seen at a distance for men. Columbus continued to explore this coast, and thought it resembled the accounts he had read of the remote coast of Asia, his mind formed a plan by vvhich he sliould make his Vvay to Jeru- salem, take shipping at Joppa, and go to Spain through the Mediterranean Sea. But his men, though they thought Vvith him that they had reached Asia, grew tired of this expedition ; they saw that the ships had got out of repair, and they were very anxious to return. They all LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 91 signed a solemn protest in presence of a notary that they believed this land to be a continent, and it was ordered that if any one for any rea- son should deny this, he should suffer severe punishment. It has since been said that at the very spot where this declaration was made in so solemn a manner, the end of the island could have been seen. On the 13th of June he gave up exploring, and stood to the south-east. He discovered some more islands, and met with some alarms, and at last the ship in which Columbus was, ran aground and sustained some injury, before they reached the open coast of Cuba. They had been almost two months on the expedition, and had become much enfeebled. They landed on the 7th of July, in the mouth of a river, to re- fresh themselves. Here he met with an old ca- cique, who seemed to be much impressed with the ceremony which he saw the Spaniards per- form of setting up a cross, and celebrating some of the forms of the Catholic religion. He made a speech to Columbus, which was inter- preted by the Indian wjiom he had with him. — In this speech he showed that he understood that this was a religious service, and told Co- 9^ LIFE OF COLliMBlTg. lumbiis he believed that persons were happy or miserable after they were dead, according to the manner they had behaved here. Columbus replied to him, and promised to protect all good and peaceable persons. The cacique was much surprised to hear Columbus tell him of a king to whom he was subjected — he had thought the admiral the greatest being in the world, and had even asked him in his speech if he were mortal. He was much aston- ished at the accounts he heard of civilized na- tions, and expressed a strong desire to return to his country with Columbus, for it seemed to him it must be heaven itself But the tears and entreaties of his wives and children turned him from his purpose to accompany Columbus. After leaving this village, Columbus steered south, that he might find the way to Ilispaniola. His ship was struck with a violent squall, and much strained, though he was able with great exertion to gain a harbor. Here he stayed a few days, and was kindly received by the na- tives. The wind was unfavorable to carry him to Hispaniola, and he was nearly a month beat- inof about without makinix much advance. He visited again the island of Jamaica, with the appearance of which he was more than ever LIFE OF COLUMr.US. 93 delighted. The natives came off to visit him, and were very friendly. Three canoes, richly ornamented and filled with the family of a cacique, consisting of him- self, his wife, two daughters, two sons, and five brothers, came to visit the ships. They were much ornamented, after the Indian fashion, and were attended by numerous guards. They went on board the ship, and the cacique addres- sed Columbus and told him that he had heard so much of the glories of his country, that he had resolved to go with him to it on his return. But Columbus thought these simple people would not find their expectations answered, and that they would suffer a great deal, and prevail- ed on them, though with some difficulty, to re- turn to their island, promising to call again at some other time and grant their request. Toward the middle of August, Columbus came in sight of an island which proved to be Ilispaniola. A cacique came off from the shore and spoke to him, calling him admiral, and saying a few words of Spanish, This made the men all glad, because they knew now they must be near their colony, since the man had learned some of their language. Columbus land- ed some men, that they might cross the island 8 94 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. and reach the town by land. It was many days, however, and they suffered much from a storm before they reached Isabella. The great fa- tigues Columbus had undergone, the scarcity of food, for he had fared just as the rest had been obliged to do, had also worn so upon his mind and body, that he became very ill, and was de- prived of the use of all his senses. He seemed almost as if he were dead, and the crew made all the haste they could to go back to Isabella *• but poor Columbus was so sick, that he did notr know any thing when he arrived there CHAPTER VL Soon after Columbus left Isabella, three ships had arrived there from Spain, sent out by the king with supplies for that colony, and com- manded by his brother Bartholomew. He was a sailor, like Columbus, and like him had been interested in the plan of discovery. He had been sent by his brother to England, to try to engage King Henry Seventh to favor the plans of his brother. He had suffered delays and misfortunes which had taken up much time, but LIFE OF COHMBUS. 95 at last had succeeded in making the king feel interested in his plans, and was returning to tell his brotlier Christopher of his success, when at Paris be heard that his brother had returned with glory from his first voyage. He reached Spain just after Columbus had sailed on his sec- ond voyage. He was graciously received by the sovereigns, who, knowing him to be an ex- perienced mariner, sent him out to assist his brother. He did not reach Isabella till after Columbus left it ; but it was a great comfort to Columbus, when he recovered his senses, to find tlicre his l)rotlier, on whom he could depend for so much assistance. He gave him the title of Adelantado, or lieutenant governor, which he tiioiiglit lie hnd a right to do; but he afterwards fouiul out that the king did not like it very well, but wished to appoint all the important officers himself. At the time the Spaniards visited this island of Hispaniola, it appears to have been divided into five different governments, each under the head of a separate cacique. One of these was Guacanagari, upon whose territory Columbus landed and built his fort Another was Cao- nabo, who was supposed to be the head of the party who came down and destroyed the Span- 96 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. ish setllemeiit. Of the other three, two belong- ed to the Carib tribe, and were warlike in their habits. The gold region was in the dominions of Caonabo, aud it was in that country that the fort St. Tliomas had been erected. When Columbus left the island on his voyage of discovery, he gave orders to Margarite, who was placed at the head of the little army, to make a march about the island. This he thought would occupy the men, and prevent them from getting discontented. lie also thought that the sight of tlieir arms and military proceedings would awe the Indians. Margarite was directed to be very careful in his treatment of the In- dians, and to do all that he could to make them like the Spaniards. But instead of obeying these wise directions, as soon as he found himself in a pleasant and fertile part of the country, he stopped there and began to behave very badly. He and his men became very dissipated, and when the poor In- dians grew tired of supplying their voracious appetites, they seized wliat they wanted by force. Diego, the brotlier of Columbus, who was left with the authority to restrain improper conduct, sent to him to beg him to do better, and to co]n})ly with the orders which had been LIFE OF COLUMnrS. Jl/ left him. Margarite, instead of submitting to follow the orders of Diego, set himself u\) in opposition to him. He told the men tliat Co- lumbus and his brother had no right to tell them what they should do. He was encouraged to do this by Father Boil, who was a priest, to be sure, but a very wicked one, and instead of teaching the men to be quiet and peaceful, he made them by his talk more rebellious and tur- bulent. At last, Margarite and Father Boil seized upon the ships which Bartholomew Columbus had brought out, and sailed to Spain, intending to tell ptories of Columbus to the sovereigns, which would make them believe that he was a bad man. When Margarite was gone, the army had no one who had any pretence of a right to com- mand it, and the men strayed about the island in a perfectly lawless manner. When the In- dians, tired of their wicked conduct, refused to give them what they wanted, they would seize it by force, until the natives, harrassed and pro- voked, did all they could to injure the Spaniards. When they found a few together, they would fall upon them and kill them. One cacique killed ten Spaniards whom he found separated from the rest, and set fire to a place where forty white men remained who were sick. 8* 98 LIFE OF COLl MnUS. But their most powerful enemy was Caonabo. He was of the Carib tribe, and of a warlike race. He was of course vexed to find these in- truders come and build themselves a fort in the very heart of his own dominions. He felt a desire and a hope to destroy this new fort, as he had been able to do the little colony atNavidad. He formed a plan to besiege St. Thomas. But Ojida, who commanded that fortress, was a very different person from Margarite. He had been used to fighting the Moors in Spain. He was very watchful and cunning, and was able to de- feat all the simple attempts of. Caonabo to get possession of the fortress. Ojida was a very skilful warrior and a very devout man, and prac- tised very carefully all the forms of the religion in which he had been brought up. Caonabo made leagues with the neighboring caciques, and having mustered an army, he be- seiged Si. Thomas, but the fort was placed in a position which they could not reach, and the Spaniards being accustomed to all sorts of hardships, held out till the Indians became weary, and Caonabo found it impossible to keep them together. One day during the seige, a friendly Indian succeeded in getting two pige- ons, which he brought to Ojida for his dinner. LIFE OF COLUMCUS. 99 But Ojida saw all his men hungry about him, and knowing that these two pigeons could not be shared by all, he refused to taste them him- self, and let them fly out of the window. At the end of thirty days the Indians got tired of this seige and went away. Caonabo now tried to make all the natives join in a grand league against the Spaniards. — Most of the Indians were willing to do so, but Guancaragi, the early friend of Columbus on the island, refused to join against the Spaniards. This was the state of the island at the time Co- lumbus returned sick from his voyage of dis- covery. Columbus endeavored to do all in his power to quiet the disorders which had arisen from the misconduct of the Spaniards. He was visited by Guancaragi, his old friend, who told him how faithful he had been to his cause, and to how many dangers his attachment to the Spaniards had exposed him. Columbus received him kindly, and urged him to continue his friendly regards. He tried to strengthen his friendship with another of the five caciques, by persuading the prince to give his daughter in marriage to Diego Colon, the young Indian whom Columbus had taken to Spain with him, in his return voy- 100 LIFE OP COLUMBUS. age, and who bad come back with him, and was his interpreter in the voyage of discovery, from which he had just returned. But the most dangerous enemy the Spaniards had was the warlike chief Caonabo. Columbus knew his hatred to the white men, and that there was no security for their little settlements unless they could get him into their power. But this seemed impossible, surrounded as he was by a warlike tribe, who like the rest of the In-. dians with whom the Spaniards had had inter? course, seemed to be very much attached tq their cacique. But Ojida who was a very dar-? ing man, undertook to get possession of the cacique notwithstanding the difficulty of the case. He took with him ten resolute brave men, and set forth to pay the cacique a visit in his own dominions. Caonabo was charmed with the skill displayed by Ojida in all warlike exer- cises. Ojida endeavored to persuade Caonabo to visit the Spaniards in the fortress of Isabella. He told him what wonderful things they could show him there ; but finding other inducements fail, he at last promised to give him, in case he would make them a visit, the great bell of the church in Isabella, This bell had been a great source of wonder to the Indians. On their first LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 101 intercourse with the Spraiiards, they had shown great delight at the little hawks' bells which the Spaniards had given them as toys. But when they heard the sound of this large bell, and saw the Spaniards obey its summons, they thoug ht i was somethino; which belonaed to heaven, and tliat it talked words to the Spaniards which they were afraid to disobey. The caci(jue could not resist theoifer of such n ])reserit, and he made his preparations to return witli Ojida to Isabella. It seems hard to think how Ojida, who thought he was a religious m-du, and feared God and prayed to him, could think he did right to lay a plan to deceive a poor Indian in this way; but the part of the Spaniards was difficult to perform. They were surrounded by an artful and warlike people, who were of course very desirous to get rid of such visitors as the Spaniards. The Indians were more numerous than the Spaniards, and if they united themselves under some skilful chief, could probably have murde'red all the white ' men. Columbus and Ojida thought that it \ was the most certain method of preserving the colony, to get, by any means they could, the warlike chief Caonabo into their hands. Caonabo was so tempted by the thoughts of 102 LIFE OF COLUMIJUS. gaining tlie bell, that be agreed to go back to Isabella. Ojida v/as however a little startled to find that he was making preparations to take with him a large number of armed Indians. Ojida asked him why he took with him so large a company; and the cacique replied, that it was not fitting for a great chief to pay a visit without a suitable attendance. As Ojida could not prevent this guard from attending their maater, tliey ail set out together for the settlement. But on the way Ojida produced some polished steel manacles, which he pretended were ornaments worn by princes in his country, and which he had brought as a present to the cacique, Caouabo was struck with the glittering appearance of the manacles, and tried them on. Ojida then invited him to mount v/ith him on his horse. The chief con- sented, and showed great delight to find himself so splendidly decorated, and mounted on one of those animals at wliich the Indians had been so much amazed. Ojida galloped round and round, as if to display the prince to his people. They fell back to make room for the manoeuvres of the liorsemen ; at last Ojida put spurs to his j horse, and accompanied by his companions, left j the Indians far behind, to bewail the loss of | LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 103 their chief. Ojida and his party had a very fatiguing and laborious time before they reach- ed Isabella. The cacique was constantly strug- gling to escape ; they succeeded however in preventing him from getting away, and at last reached the settlement, where Ojida delivered him to Columbus. He was kept a close prisoner in the house of Columbus, and kindly treated. It was the in- tention of Columbus to send him to the king of Spain. Caonabo seemed not to be angry with Ojida for having so deceived him; the In- dians were accustomed to practice all kinds of tricks in their warfare with each other, and this was so well contrived, and succeeded so well, that he respected Ojida the more for it, and thought him a very skilful general. He always rose to welcome him when he entered his room, a respect which ho was never willing to pay to Columbus. He said that Columbus was not a great chief; for he staid quietly at home, while Ojida had the courage to go even into the middle of the dominions of a brave and u Warlike prince, and seize him away from his followers by force. The natives made several attempts to recover the chief back again, several battles took place. 104 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. in one of which a brother of Caonabo was killed ; but the skill of the Spaniards in war, and their arms and horses, gave to them the victory over these naked Indians, and Caonabo still pined in captivity. He gloried in the injuries he had done the Spaniards, told how he destroyed the settlements at Navidad, and said he had watched about the new one at Isabella, and had hoped to be able to destroy that, and had laid plans for its ruin. The subjects of Caonabo were enraged at having their prince seized and kept a prisoner in such a manner. They excited the rest of the natives to form a league, and drive the Spaniards from the island, or entirely overpower them. The favorite wife of Caonabo was named Anacoana. She was the sister of a powerful cacique named Behechio. Her brother entered very zealously into the war against the whites. All the caciques on the island joined in the alliance except Guancaragua, the old friend of Columbus, who still remained faithful to him, and gave him information of all the movements of his countrymen. The Indians being all mustered made a very great number, and Co- lumbus thought it best to go out and meet them, rather than to wait until they miglit come and LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 105 attack him, in his own fort. On mustering his army Columbus could not number more than two hundred and fifty foot soldiers and twenty horsemen. Columbus marched out to meet the Indians The Indians who could not count higher than ten, sent out spies to find out the number of their enemies. The spies were to take a ker- nel of Indian corn for every Spaniard they could count. When the messengers returned with only a handful of corn, they took courage, thinking they could easily conquer such a small army. They were not in the habit of arraying themselves in a body to make war, but were scattered about, under the command of different chiefs ; the Spaniards therefore divided their little army into several parties; they were clad in armor, and the horsemen could dusli about and drive the poor naked Indians before them; they had also guns and cannon, and moreover they had blood-hounds which they let loose upon their enemies. Against these new forms of war, the Indians could not stand for a mo- ment ; tliey fled in every direction, and having gained the rocks and mountains, made signs that they would submit. All laid down their arms with the exception of the brothcr-iu-hiw of 9 106 LIFE or COLUMIUrS. Caonabo, who retired with his sister to his do- minions, which were in a remote part of the island. Guancaraguahad brought his people to help Columbus, but his services were not needed, so soon did the dreadfid weapons of the Span- iards strike terror into the Indians ; he retired to his home, but all his countrymen hated him, for having deserted them and joined these new comers. Just before this battle, four ships arrived from Spain with provisions for the colonies ; these were very much needed, and afforded great re- freshment to the colonists. The sovereigns sent letters to Columbus approving of every thing he had done, and another letter was sent ]>y them, which was to be read to the colonists, in which every body was commanded to obey Columbus, as if he were the King, and heavy fines were imposed on every one who refused to do so. They sent word to Columbus that the difficulties about the right to newly discovered countries had been all settled between Spain and Portugal, and that a line was agreed upon, to be drawn, to fix the matter finally. As Columbus knew more about such things than any one else, they wished him to return to Spain to arrange it, but if he could not leave the colony they wished him to send his brother Bartholomew, LIFE OF c(n,ui\inrs. 107 Cojumbus had not then recovered from his sickness, and therefore could not go to Spain himself; he needed his btother Bartholomew's assistance to govern tli-e turbulent colony, and he therefore sent his brother Diego. Columbus sent back the ships \iith all the gold he could collect, and specimens of fruit, plants, 6lc.; he also sent five hundred Indians to be sold in Spain as slaves. It is hard to imagine how Columbus could think it right to do so, but it was the fashion at that time to sell as slaves, persons who belonged to a con(juered nation, and Columbus thought too, that by sending them to a Christian country, they would become Christians. He ought to have remembered that we must never do evil that good may come. He had certainly no right to take the natives from their own country and send them to anotlier land to be slaves. It is possible hov/ever, that they found tlieir own country becoming so very disngreeabie from the bad conduct of the Span- iards, that they were not unwilling to go away from it. Colund)?i^ inuk: a tour of the island, that he might bring it entirely into subjection. Some opposition occasionally showed itself, but the Indians were easily subdued. As the natives hnd begun tlie war, and Columbus had con- lOS LIFE OF COLUMBUS. quereil them, he thought he might treat them as it was usual then to treat conquered nations, and he therefore hiid a tax upon them. Every body was to furnish a certain quantity of gold dust every three months, except in the districts where gold could not be procured ; in those places the tax was to be paid in cotton. One cacique, who could not get gold, offered to cul- tivate a strip of land all across the island with grain ; this would have furnished an immense quantity of food. But Columbus knew that the sovereigns would value nothing but gold, and he refused the offer of the cacique. It was found so difficult for the natives to find the gold, that Columbus reduced the amount required. But still to get even this, the poor Indians, instead of passing their days as they had formerly been accustomed to do, in reposing in their beautiful groves, or in sing- ing and dancing, were now forced to be bending and groping and searching for gold dust. Their spirits became broken, and they sunk under this severe labor to which they had never been accustomed. They saw that the Spaniards depended in some manner for their food upon what was rais- ed by the natives. They resolved to cut off that source of sup})ly, hoping that they might starve i.ij'i: oy {'«>i,f':Vi!njs. 109 the Spaniiirds, and compel them to quit the island. They therefore left off cultivating the corn and other articles of food with which tliey liad been accustomed to supply the Span- iards, and retired to caves and mountains where tliey supported themselves on roots and wild berries. But although the Spaniards did suffer inconvenience from losing this source of supply, the Indians suffered still more. The Spaniards were relieved by the food which was brought out from Europe. They would also hunt out the poor Indians and compel them to work, so ill at the natives at last ceased to ofler any resist- ance to the -sad fate which had befallen them, and dragged out a miserable existence of toil on a land which had once been the abode of quiet and luxurious indolence. Guancaragua always remained faithful to Co- lumbus, but his people were not exempted from the hard tax to which the rest of the islanders were subjected. In after times when Columbus was distant from the island, he suffered some ill usage from the Spaniards who were in command, and at last he retired to the mountains in dis- gust, whei-e he ended his days, being hated and despised by his own people for having deserted them in the hour of danger, and not rewarded 9* liO LIFE OF COLUMUUS. as he tliought he deserved to be by those strangers to whom he seems to have been really attached, for his regard, and the services he had rendered them. CHAPTER VII. While Columbus was engaged in these trou- blesome wars, and in tryinor to cure the evils which the bad conduct of Margarite had caused on the island, that person, with father Boil, who, it will be remembered had been an enemy of Columbus, arrived in Spain. They told stories that were not true about Columbus, and the way in which he managed the colony. They said, that instead of being a source of profit to Spain it was only an expense ; that Columbus was very tyrannical and oppressed the people ; that he would not allow them their right pro- portion of the food which was sent out to supply the colony. They did not tell the necessity there had been for great care lest all tlie food should have been consumed, before more could arrive. Some discontented persons, who had returned with them, declared that these stories LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Ill were true. These stories had some effect in making the sovereigns suspicious that Columbus was not a good man. Ferdinand resolved to send out a person to examine the state of the colony, and to take command of it, if Columbus should be absent. Leave- was also given to any native of Spain to go out to the colony to settle, and make voyages of discovery ; such persons were to pay two thirds of all the gold they found to the government of Spain, keeping the rest themselves, and to have a right to all the houses, they should build and the lands they should cultivate, and be allowed to be supported by the public fund for the first year. Permission was also given to persons to fit out voyages of dis- covery, and this was done without consulting Columbus, which was a great vexation to him when he came to hear about it. Before the new agent had been appointed^ the four ships under the command of de Torres arrived in Spain. The letters and gold and slaves they brought from Columbus restored the confidence the King and Queen had felt in him. The five hundred natives which were brought out excited a good deal of attention, and there was much doubt and discussion as to what should be done with them. The priests who, 1\2 I.IFE OF COLUMIUTS. were consulted, thought that there would be no harm in selling them for slaves ; but Isabella who was really kind, and who had always felt a great interest in the natives, and hoped to be able to convert them to Christianity, thought it was not right that they should be so cruelly treated, and insisted that they should be sent back to their native country. The sovereiorns concluded to send out Acruado as agent to the colony. Columbus had thought him a good man, and had recommended him to the sovereigns; but he was a vain man, and was puffed up by this honor of being sent out as a sort of inspector of Columbus. When he arrived at Isabella, Columbus was absent in the interior. Aguado proclaimed himself as superior to Columbus, and declared that he was sent out to examine into his conduct. All those persons who were tired of the authority of Columbus, joined the new commander, and told him their complaints against Columbus. Columbus re- turned inmiediately to Isabella, when he heard of the arrival of the new agent. His enemies thought there would be a great quarrel when the two leaders met ; but Columbus had a very high respect for the sovereigns, and as this man came by their orders, he thought proper to show him all due marks of respect. Aguado was sur- LIFE OF COLUMBLS. 113 l>rised at this. He thought that his conduct would have made Columbus very angry, and that he would have done something wrong which he could have made use of to prejudice the King and Queen against him. The natives were not sorry to see the Spaniards divided among them- selves, because they thought it might be the means of driving them away from the island. Aguado proposed to return to Spain. And Columbus thought it would be better for him to go also, that he might tell his own story, and contradict the false ones that had been told about him. But before their preparations for sailing were made, there came on a furious storm of wind, more dreadful than had ever been knov.n on the island. Trees were torn up by the roots, and all the ships in the harbor were destroyed, excepting the Nina, which was much injured. The three ships which came out under Aguado were sunk, Columbus ordered the Nina to be repaired and one other ship to be built ; but jthis delayed his departure. The Indians thought this storm, which they said was more furious than any which had been ever known was sent to punish the Spaniards for their wicked conduct. They called it furican or urican, which is something like the word 114 LIFE OF COLFMBUS. hurricane, by which we now call a violent storm of Mand. While they were waiting for the ships to be ready, Columbus was cheered by the discovery of some gold mines. A young Spaniard belong- ing to the settlement, Ji.-d some time before wounded another in a quarrel, and fearing thnt he should be punished if the young man should die, he escaped from Isabella and took refuge in an Indian village. Here he remained some time and became attached to a young Indian woman, whom he married. But after a while, he grew sad in thinking of his native country and his friends, and his wife to' cheer him told him the secret of some gold mines which u^ere in their neighborhood. She urged him to per- suade his friends to leave the place where they had settled, and come and fix themselves in the neighborhood of the gold, and of her village, which was situated near the place which is now called St. Domingo. Diaz, which was the name of the Spaniard, visited the region she spoke of, and from the appearance of the country judged that her account of the gold mines was cor- rect, lie determined to go bnck to Columbus, thinking that the good news he brouglit, w^ould be the means of his obtaining a pardon for the otfence he had committed. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 115 When he came near to Isabella he heard from some Spaniards, that the person he had wounded had recovered, so he proceeded to tell his story to Columbus. He was much pleased at the in- formation, and went inniiediately to visit the mines. There was some appearance of their having been worked, and this made Columbus think that they were near Asia, and that it was from these mines that Solomon had obtained the gold to ornament his temple. That this was the gold of Opliir. The whole appearance of the country seemed to shew that gold was very abundant. Columbus ordered a fort to be built in the neighborhood of the mines, and imme- diately took measures for obtaining the gold. Diaz remained faithful to his Indian wife - It was said that she was baptised and married to him after the forms of the Catholic religion, and 4hat they had two children. At last the new ship was built, and Columbus called it the Santa Cruz, or Holy Cross. The Nina was repaired, and Columbus was glad to embark for Spain. Aguado had been so proud i and arrogant, and had done so much to make the people dissatisfied with the government of Co- lumbus, that he was glad to get him away from i the colony at any rate. Columbus embarked in I one vessel, and Aouudo in the other. Bartholo- 116 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. mew was left in command of the colony at Isa- bella, and in case he should die before the return of Columbus, Diego was to take his place. It was on the 10th of March 1496 that the ships sailed for Spain, Any persons who were discontented, or who, having wives or rel- atives in Spain, wished to visit them, were allowed to return, permission for them to do so, had been sent out by the sovereigns. Among those wliom Columbus carried out was Caonabo, the warlike chief. He had from the first arrival of the Spaniards had wisdom enough to per- ceive that they were dangerous neighbors to the native islanders. He had used all the means in his power to drive them awny. He had borne the captivity into which he had been entrapped with a gloomy silence. He did not live to reach Spain, but died on board the ship daring th< passage. There was nothing known then about the navigation of that part of the ocean except what knov/ledge Columbus got in his former voyages; He had not learned enough to steer his ship in such a direction as to avoid the trade winds, when they were contrary, as mariners do now. In consequence of this the passage proved long and tedious ; they were exposed to many storms, dnd beat about for a long time without hil'E Oi' COLUMBUS. 117 'Halving much advance. They were obliged to .op at seme islands for food ; here they saw women armed with bows and arrows. They showed a warlike disposition ; at first Columbus thought there were only women on the island, but they afterwards saw the men assembled at another part of the island. They sailed for a Jong time after leaving these islands, and the men began to grow discouraged ; the provisions became scarce, and Columbus was obliged to put the men on an allov/ance, that is, give to each man a certain quantity every day, so that the stock of food might last as long as possible. Some of the men proposed killing the Indians, because they only ate upon the food and dimin^ ished the quantity ; but Columbus told them that this would be very wrong ; that the Indians loved to live as well as the Spaniards, and that they ought all to share alike. He begged them to have patience, as he was sure from his know- ledge of where they were, that they should reach land the next day. The men did not believe him, but when the next day came, they found they were off Cape ^ St. Vincent. They then changed their minds about Columbus, and thought he was wiser than other men. At last on the 11th June, they an-- 10 118 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. chored in the bay of Cadiz, having been three months in beating about the ocean, to make a voyage which now rarely takes longer than a month, and is frequently made in much shorter time. The landing of Columbus at this time was very different from what it was, when he returned before; then everybody was pleased and astonished at the accounts he brought of a new world, and he was received with the great- est joy. — now the men who returned with him, were sick and tired and discontented, and told all sorts of bad stories about the colony and about Columbus. He, instead of dressing him- self in scarlet raid gold as he did before, felt so humbled at the troubles he had experienced, that he clothed himself in the plain dress worn by monks, with only a cord round his waist. He found at Cadiz three vessels ready to sail and carry out supplies to the colonies. These were under the command of a man named Nino. Columbus read the letters which had been pre- pared for him by these ships, and wrote to his brother, to use all his efforts to keep the island in peace, to be diligent in working the mines, and collecting all the gold he could procure. Nino then sailed with his three ships. Columbus received a very kind letter from the King and Queen, desiring him to come to LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 119 visit them, as soon as he was rested from the fatigue of his voyage. He accordingly set out for the court. He had in his train the son and nephew of Caonabo; he made some display of them on his journey, dressing them in their col- lars and ornaments of gold, when he was passing through the large places. He was kindly re- ceived by the sovereigns, and they did not speak of the stories they had heard against him from Margarite and father Boil. Columbus described in the most favorable manner the further dis- coveries he had made of new islands, and of what he thought wastlie main land, which how- ever was only tlie island of Cuba. Columbus told them that he wished to be rarnished with eight ships, in order to carry out supplies, and to make further discoveries. He described to them the. gold mines which had been found, and expressed his opinion that these were certainly the mines of Ophir, from which Solomon obtained the gold Vv^ith which he decorated the temple and houses which he '•liilt. The sovereigns promised to do what Colum- is wanted : but they had no n^ioney in their T:-easury. Their children had grown old enough to be married, and they were trying to arrange •>'!r marriages so that they sliould increase the 120 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. wealth and power of Spain, by uniting with ii, in marriage contracts, other powerful nations. Expensive embassies and treaties had exhausted all the money they had. At last' after great delays a certain sum was appropriated to the use of Columbus. Before any arrangement was made for his voyage, so much time passed that Nino, who went out with the three ships at the time Columbus returned, got back. He behaved in a very proud manner ; he did not come to court himself, but went to visit his family and sent word that his ships v/ere richly laden with gold. The sovereigns therefore on hearing this, concluded to take the money they had promised Columbus to repair a fort which had been destroyed by the French, and told him that he might take the gold which Nino had brought, to fit out his new expedition. But after a while when Nino came in person to court it turned out that the only wealth he had brought was a great number of the Indians whom he intended to sell as slaves. The ill success of this voyage made the people feel vexed, and they thought it was a very troublesome business and that the money which had been already expended, had been thrown av/ay. When the patience of Columbus had almost got worn out with waiting, some hope of the accom- LIFE OP COLUMBUS. l'2l plishmciit of his wishes cheered his anxious mind. Queen Isabella who had always been the real friend of Columbus, had at last got her family affairs settled to her mind, and had some leisure to think of her new world. Several measures were taken, which showed that the government still had confidence in Columbus, and that he had not lost their favor. The per- mission was given to him, to have the same titles and honors which had been bestowed on him, belong to his son. In Spain, and in most of the countries in Europe, the oldest son in a family takes the title of honor which belonged to his father when his father dies, so that for a long succession of years, these titles and honors remain in the same family, and it is thought a great honor. Columbus had been born of a family in the lower rank of life, who had no honors to give to their sons ; he thsrefore, and people of his time and nation, thought it a great privilege, that he should be created Admiral, and be allowed not only to bear this honor himself, but to have it borne by his son, and his son's son after him, and so on for ever. He made his will about the time that this honor was conferred upon him, and gave par- ticular directions about this title of Admiral. 10* 122 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. The one of his descendants to whom it belonged was never to sign himself, that is, to write his name to any paper of importance, with any other name than "Admiral." In this country there are none of these titles and honors which descend upon a man only because he happens to be his father's son. The children of parents v/ho are distinguished by any remarkable good- ness or talent, or wealth, have only to be thankr ful that they were placed by God in tiie hands of persons who can educate them well ; and any who may be less fortunate, have only the more reason to try and conduct themselves so well, that people may have occasion to honor their parents for being connected with good and useful children. The sovereigns had two years ago given any persons who wished to do so, leave to make dis- coveries, without referring to the privileges which had formerly been given to Columbus. They now altered the law, saying that they had always felt the greatest confidence in Columbus, and that they had not intended to do any thing to interfere with his rights. By the first agree- ment with the sovereigns he was to bear an eighth part of the expense of these voyages, but as these voyages had so far cost more than they had produced, they made Columbus free LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 123 from tills obligation, excepting for the first voyage. They agreed to fit out as he desired, six ships for discovery, and to carry out supplies. They allowed him to take a number of persons to be in the pay of the government ; there were to be forty esquires or gentlemen, one hundred foot soldiers, thirty sailors, thirty ship boys, twenty miners, twenty mechanics of different trades, and thirty women ; he was afterwards allowed to increase the number. These per- sons were to be allowed to cultivate land, which was to become theirs on certain conditions, and they were to be encouraged and assisted tp build houses and make settlements. They offered Columbus a large tract of land in Hispaniola, to remain forever in his family, and to be joined with his title of Admiral; but he thought that tliis would make the people more jealous of him, and he refused to accept it. The queen was very urgent in her advice that every thing should be done to convert the Indians to Christianity, that they should be gently treated, that they should not be used roughly to compel them to pay their tax, and that kind and moderate measures should be used, as far as possible, toward them, and towards the colonists. Columbus took out in addition a physician, 124 UFE OP COLUMBUS. surgeon, and apotbecary. lie also took a band of musicians to cbeer and sustain tbe spirits of his colonists. But after having gained tbe per- mission of the sovereigns it was found very dif- ficult to get people who were ready to go. The novelty of the thing was over ; tbe people who had returned had told sad stories of the suffer- ings of the colonists, and people thought they were better situated at home. In this difficulty, Columbus proposed that persons who had committed crimes for which they were sentenced to be punished, should be sent out in the ships instead of being shut up in prison, or compelled to work chained in galleys, w'hich was a common punishment at that time. This turned out badly; for people who act ill at home, do not generally behave well when they go abroad : however it served to fill up the ships, and at last they got ready to sail, though the patience of the Admiral was almost worn out. The person who was the agent to manage the preparations for the voyage, a high officer under the sovereigns named Fonseca, hated Columbus, and did all he could to hinder and vex him. At last, just as he was about to sail, a clerk who was employed by Fonseca named Ximeno, who had been formerly a Jew, and who like his LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 125 li^aster, hated Columbus, spoke to Columbus and s'lid such impertinent and provoking things to him, that Columbus did not restrain his tem- per as he generally did, but became so angry that he knocked Ximeno down and kicked him several times. This was a great pity, because the sovereigns could now easily believe the stories which people had told of his violence and cruelty, when they found that he did so im- proper a thing in a harbor in Spain, and to an officer of the government. Columbus was very sorry for it, as every wise man is, when he has yielded for a moment to his anger, and wrote to the sovereigns begging them to excuse him and not to believe the hard things that might be said about him when he was gone. On the thirtieth of May, 1498 the six ships sailed on the third voyage of Columbus. He resolved to steer further south than he had yet done, thinking the nearer he could come to the equator, the more likely he should be to find gold, and spices, and precious stones. When he reached Cape Ferro he divided his squadron, sending three vessels with supplies to Hispan- iola, aad taking with him the other three to sail in a more southern direction. The three vessels for Hispaniola were commanded by Caravajal, Arana, and Juan Columbus ; the two 126 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. last being relatives of the Admiral, and all three persons on whom he thought he might depend. He gave them the most particular directions how to steer, in order to reach Ilis- paniola; they were to attempt to land on the south side, where he supposed the new colony was already established, Colunjbus sailed for the Cape de Verd Islands, and was disappointed that they did not answer to their name, which means green ; they were parched and dry. He could not obtain here the provisions which he had hoped to get ; so with- out remaining long he continued his voyage. He soon found himself in a very warm latitude; a calm came on, which lasted eight days, the air was dreadfully hot, tar melted, the pro- visions were spoiled from the great heat. The men became very much exhausted, and to add to their misfortunes Columbus grew very sick, though he were able to keep the reckoning of the ship, and to give the necessary directions for its management. He resolved to steer westward, because he remembered on his former voyages, that after sailing for a certain time west, he had reached a delightfully clear and fine climate. He was not disappointed in his hopes, but soon found himself in a more temperate region ; his ships LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 127 however had become considerably injured, and he concluded to steer directly for Hispaniola. The supply of water was almost gone, and they felt very anxious to reach the land, and were therefore much rejoiced when the tops of three mountains were discovered at a distance. The next morning it appeared that the three moun- tains united in one at the bottom. Columbus gave to the island the name of Trinidad, which it bears to this day. He coasted along by the side of this island for some time before he reached a place in which he thought he might safely come to an- chor. He sent boats ashore for water, which was found gocd and in plenty. They saw no inhabitants, but there were traces of fishing, and other marks of men having been lately there. As he continued his voyage he discovered, on the first of August, land lying at the south. He supposed it to be another island, to which he gave the name of La Gracia. It was in fact a part of the continent, but it was the fate of Co- lumbus never to know how great was the extent of his discoveries. Some canoes filled with Indians came out toward the ships ; they were armed with bows and arrows, and bucklers, which the Spaniards had never before seen car- ried by the Indians. Columbus tried to attract 128 LIFE OF COLUMBUS, them by showing them the usual articles with which he had gained the regards of the Indians ; they did not offer however to come close to the ship. At last he ordered the musicians to play and the ship boys to dance, after the Spanish fashion, on deck. The Indians seem.ed to con- sider this as a declaration of war, for they im- mediately fired a volley of arrows at the ship ; the Spaniards returned the salute from theii cross bows, and the Indians rowed off. In a short time however they went up toward one of the smaller ships, and the pilot reached to them a cap and mantle for the chief; with which they were much pleased. The chief made signs to them to come ashore ; the pilot went towards the ship of Columbus to ask him if they might land. The people in the canoe seemed to be afraid of the great ship, and as soon as they saw the pilot approach it, they made haste back to the shore, and disappeared. The climate was very pleasant in thi& region^ though the evenings and nights were cool. .The natives they saw appeared of a fairer complexion than any Indians Columbus had yet seen ; this surprised Columbus, for he thought he was in the same latitude as Africa, and expected to find the people more like the negroes. He continued his voyage round the island, LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 129 and found himself in some narrow straits, where the current was so strong that his ships were in some danger. He saw here the land on each side, on one a cape on the island of Trinidad, and the other the projecting point of the con- tinent, which however he supposed to be part of another island. To avoid the current he kept along the shore of the main land ; the country on the coast was very pleasant, but he saw no inhabitants. Having found a safe place he an- chored his ships. Some natives appearing, he offered them the usual presents, with which they were pleased. These people were finely formed, of a large size. They wore thin hair long and straight for the most pari, though some of them had it cut short, some of them had it dressed like the inhabitants of Hispaniola. They had bows and arrows and targets; the men were partly clothed with cotton cloth handsomely worked in colors ; the women were entirely naked. They brought bread and Indian corn, and several different kinds of drink, one of a greenish color like beer, and others more like wine. Every thing they wished to examine they put to their nose, that they might discover its smell. They were much pleased with every thing made of brass. They called their country II 130 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Paria; they said the people were more numer- ous in the country toward the west. But what most attracted the attention of the Spaniards were strings of pearls with which some of the natives were adorned. The natives told them that these were found at the north of Paria. They showed mother of pearl shells in which they said they were found. Columbus sent some boats ashore to fmd out something more about the pearls. The men were met by a cacique and his son, by whom they were received with great respect; the father treated them to a feast, after his simple fashion, consisting of bread, fruits, and their' different drinks : and afterwards the son gave them another entertainment. The natives were very social, and of a much fairer complexion than the natives of Cuba, They had about them a great many tame parrots, some of very brilliant colors. They were willing to ex- change them and their strings of pearls, for bells or any thing made of brass. Columbus pro- cured in this way several very valuable pearls, which he intended for ^the sovereigns. The natives seemed to be very sorry that they could not talk with their visitors, and they seemed so kind that the Spaniards were also sorry thr.t they could not talk to them. LIFE OF COLUMRUS. 131 Columbus continued to sail along the shore of Paria, still believing it to be an island. Pie reached the mouth of the great river Paria, wiiere he found the water fresh, but he did not understand that it was a great river ; but thought it a gulf, and called it the Gulf of Pearls. He wished very much to continue his southward voyage, as every thing appeared so promising and so full of interest ; but the food of the ship was almost gone, he was suffering from the gout, and also from disease in his eyes, which had become sore from his great watchfulness ; he therefore turned his course westward, and passed through the dangerous straits, which he had called the Dragon's Pvlouth. They suffered some alarm during this passage, but got through it safely, and bent their course towards Ilispaniola. CIIAPTEH VIII. As Columbus sailed towards the west he dis- covered two islands, which are now known by the nnmes of Tobago and Grenada, and several other islands of a smaller size.' Columbus was 'i very loth to leave this region, he began to think 132 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. that Paria was the main land and that the Gulf of Pearls must be the mouth of a large river pour- ing down fi-om a great distance from the interior of a large country. As he sailed on he saw the islands of Margarita and Guabaga. Here were Indians fishing for pearls; Columbus thought that pearls must be very abundant in those seas, he had read in some old books that pearls v/ere produced by the dews becoming solid in the shell of oysters. Here oysters were very abundant and the dew was very heavy ; he saw oysters hanging on the branches of trees that dipped into the water, and supposed that pearls would be found abundantly in those shells ; it has since been found that pearls of the valuable kind are found in very deep water and that it is necessary to dive or hsh for them. When he saw the natives procuring the pearls, Columbus sent a boat to enquire about them and try to get some. They met an Indian woman who had several strings of pearls about her neck ; they offered her in exchange for them the pieces of a Valencia ware plate highly colored and var- nished ; she gave them a large number and was much pleased with her bargain. The next day the Admiral sent again a boat to the shore, with a quantity of Valencia plates, hawk's bells and other trinkets which they were in the habit of giving LIFE OF COLUMBT S. 133 to the Indians, nnd got in exchnnge for these tri- fles, in a short time, three pounds weiglit of pearls, some of them of a very large size, which he afterwards sent to the sovereigns. But Columbus was forced to leave this lovely climate and this tempting traffic. He was sick, and his eyes had become so diseased that he could not make observations or keep the reck-' oiling of the progress of the ship. They con- tinued to steer for Hispaniola, which he reached after five days sailing to the North ^Vest. He anchored at a place fifty leagues west of St. Domingo, and was surprised to find himself below where he thought to be ; he supposed he had been carried from his course by the violence of the current at the Dragon's Mouth. The wind was not fair to take him to St. Domingo, and he sent a man on shore to carry a letter to his brother by land. As soon as he was able, he sailed toward the settlement and met at the mouth of the river a small vessel with his brother Bartholomew on board. The meeting of the two brothers after so long a separation and so many troubles was a very joyful one. Columbus had o;re:it dependence on the o;ood iudn-mf^nt and activity and discretion of his brother, and Bartholomew reg^irded his brother with great 11 * 134 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. affection, and dso lield him in great reverence, and entered with a great deal of enthusiasm into all his glorious plans. Columbus had gained new courao;e from having discovered what he now thought must be the main land, and from the aburidance and beauty of the pearls which he had been able to procure, so that though sick and worn out in l)ody, h,e still kept up good courage and hoped for great things. Instead of being able to rest after his long troubles he found that tliere was need of great energy and diligence to manage the colony, which had been in a very troubled state ever since he had left it in March 1496 — more than two years before. At that time he left Barthol- omew in the command of tlie colony, with di- rections to try to get gold from the newly dis- covered mines as fast as possible. Bartholomew therefore left his brother Diego to take care of Isabella and went to the place where the mines had been discovered ; he chose a place, and built a fort which he at first named after his brother Christopher, but when the men v/ere preparing to build it, they found grains of gold mixed vrith tlie earth and gave it the name of the Golden Tovver. He stayed at tliis place three m.onths, but ihe provisions became scarce ; it was found very diilicult to gc{ supplies from LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 135 tlie Indians who had found their kindness to the strangers so poorly repaid, that they refused to give supplies unless they were taken from them by force. Bartholomew therefore took a party of men and went into a fertile part of the interior of the island, called the Vega, to procure supplies. lie always treated the Indians with great kindness and judgment and succeeded during the month of June in getting some supplies from the na- tives. In July the sliips commanded by -Nino arrived. This was the fleet which sailed just jafter the arrival of Columbus in Spain, and by which he sent letters to his brother with direc- tions to work the mines with all diligence and to begin a town at the mouth of the river Exama which was near the gold mines. The supplies brought out by Nino being much needed, v/ere gladly received, but they also car- ried m.uch disappointment. It was discovered that a part of the food had been spoiled on the passage, so the men found fault with Columbus for this misfortune as they did for every thing that happened wrong because he was the first wlio || had begun the voyage of discovery. Columbus wrote to Bartholomew that if any caciques or natives caused death to any of the colonists, the priests had given their opinion that it would be 136 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. lawful to send them to Spain to be sold as slaves. When Nino returned he carried three hundred Indians under this pretence, and this was the gol- den cargo of which Nino boasted on his return, and which was the means of depriving Colum- bus of the money which had been promised him for his voyage ; and so delaying for a long time his preparations, as was told in a former chapter. Bartholomew in compliance with his brother's request, selected a place for the new town which was first Isabella, and afterward St. Domingo; it was near the spot where the Indian wife of Diaz had lived, who had first told the story of the mines to her husband. The tribe to which she belonged always kept good faith with the Span- iards, and treated them in a kind and friendly manner. When Bartholomew had got the fort comr pleted, he left twenty men to guard it and to su- perintend the mines, and went with a party to visit Behechio, a powerful cacique and the broth- ler of Anacoana who lived in a distant and fertile part of the island, and from v/hom Bartholomew wished to collect the tribute, lie also thought that the men were more contented when they were moving about than when they were inac- tive in the settlement. In passing through the LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 137 country he made some display of his horses and warlike instruments, in order to awe the na^tives. When they approached the dominions of Behe- chio, he met that cacique with a large number of his followers armed. He received Bartholo- mew kindly ; said he was not coming out to fight with him, but to punish another chief who had done him some injury. Bartholomew answered him with kindness, and said he had come to make him a visit. A party of thirty ' women came out to meet the Spaniards ; they belonged to the household of Behechio, and performed various dances. Anacoana followed, being borne in a sort of litter. She was very handsome and graceful, her head was decorated with fragrant and beautiful flowers, and some parts of her body were cover- ed with cotton cloth. She received Bartholo- mew kindly ; she did not seem to feel angry with the Spaniards, on account of what they had done to her husband Caonabo. The cacique made for them a fine feast, after the ' manner of the Indians. A favorite article of food with them was a sort of serpent, called y guana; this the Spaniards had seen before at Indian feasts, but had felt such disgust at it that they had never tasted it. At this time how- ever, Bartholomew, seeing it so much liked by 138 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. the Indians, ventured to taste it, and at once found it so agreeable, that he fell to eating it with a great relish, and the others followed his example, and declared that the taste of these serpents, was more delicious than the pheasants or partridges which they had been accustomed to eat in Spain. They passed a day or two in a friendly man- ner with the Indians and then Bartholomew told the cacique about the king his master, that he was a great sovereign, and that he would pro- tect the cacique and all others who submitted quietly to him, but that he demanded of them a certain tax or tribute which must be paid. The cacique said he knew that the Spaniards wished much to get gold, but that there v/as no gold in all his dominions. Bartholomew comforted him by telling him that it was not necessary that the tax should be paid in gold, that his master would be well pleased to have cotton, cassava or any thing else which tlie cacique could get. This pleased him very much, and he immediately sent out orders that cotton should be planted to supply the demand. They parted in a friendly mnnner, Brutholomew, liaA'ing by his good policy and kind manners made a friend of this powerful chief and his sister, who seemed to have equal powder with the chief himself. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 139 When Bartholomew:^ returned to Isabelhi he found the people as usual in a discontented state. The provisions brought out by Nino were gone. The men had cared for nothing but gold and had neglected to cultivate the land which was so fertile that it would have supplied them abundantly with food if they had worked upon it. They complained that Columbus was loitering in Spain to follow his own pleasures and that he neglected them, and that they had not the consolation of having a ship by which they could send to Spain on account of their troubles. Bartholomew to employ the men, and to re- move one ground of this complaint, ordered two ships to be built ; he distributed the men as much as he could about ; allowed some to go and refresh themselves in the Indian villages, and for the greater safety of the island, he es- tablished forts at distances of five or six leagues from each other, between Isabella and St. Do- mingo, so that if any thing happened at one place news of it could be easily carried along the country, and help could be got in time of danger. There were five of these forts, or for- tified houses. Having arranged these things, he went back to St. Domingo. But he could not long remain quiet, a new 140 LIFE OF COLUMliUS. and serious trouble arose; some Catholic Priests who had taken the place of Father Boil and others who had left the island, had been very zealous in trying to make the Indians be- come Christians. One of these priests was named Pane, the other Borgonon. They went to live among the Indians, and succeeded as they thought in converting a family of sixteen persons. The chief of this family was baptised and called Juan Mateo. The cacique of the Vega, a fertile district of the island named Guarionex, showed himself somewhat inclined to' the new religion, learned to repeat some of the forms of prayer, and caused them to be repeated every day by his family. The other caciques however laughed at him, for leavino- his old re-" ligion, and turning to that of a people whom they disliked so much. But what was worse, a favorite wife of the cacique received some in- jury from a Spaniard. This made Guarionex very angry and he refused to listen to the priests any more. The two priests left this part of the island but before they went away they built a little chapel for the use of Mateo and his family, and orna- mented it with images after the fashion of Cath- olic churches. The Indians as soon as they were gone, destroyed the chapel, broke up the LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 141 images, and buried them in the ground. Now at that time it was considered a very great crime to do any injury to a church, and any one who had done such a thing in Spain, wouhi have been punished with death ; and that in a very cruel manner. The Spaniards thought Guarionex had been the cause of this outrage, though they had no proof of it. An account of the affair was sent to Bartholomew; he enquired ; into it, and some of the Indians were tried, found guilty and burnt to death. The natives I were very much shocked at this ; they probably did not understand why this was so dreadful a crime, and why it was punished in so dreadful a manner. Guarionex was enraged at such thinirs beino; done in his dominions, and was persuaded by the other caciqnes to join an alliance, and make an attack upon the fort called Conception, which was the nearest to his district. Several caciques assembled their subjects and intended to rise at once and attack ths fort on all sides. The Spaniards at Conception by some means found out their plot ; they wished to send word i to Bartholomew at Saint Domingo, that he might come and help them. They were afraid if they sent a letter, and the natives should meet 12 142 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. their messenger, they would take it away from him ; because, though tlie Indians could not read themselves, they had found out that written papers were often of great importance. To prevent this difficulty the commander sent his letter to Bartholomew, enclosed in a hollow staff. The messenger set off, pretended to be deaf and dumb and lame, and went hobbling along, leaning upon his staff, which was in more ways than one important to him to keep safe. He was met by some of the natives, but they did not suspect the truth, and let the poor crip- ple, as they thought him, go on his way. He reached the fort at St. Domingo safely, and Bartholomew, who was very active and always ready, immediately set out with a body of troops, and reached Conception before the Indians had made the attack. The Indians did not arrange themselves in a regular army, as more civilized nations do, but were scattered round in different villages, each tribe under its own cacique. Bartholomew thought as the Indians had so many more men than the Span- iards that it was not safe to wait till they were attacked, but concluded to divide his men into different parties, and fall upon the different par- ties of Indians at the same time, at midnight, and seize upon the caciques. LIFE OF C0LTJ3IBUS. 143 The plan succeeded : the Indian villages were entirely undefended, and in the middle of the night, the Sjianiards entered them, went directly to the houses where they had found out that the caciques were, and seized upon them and car- ried them into the fort. The natives, who regarded their caciques with the greatest respect, were terribly fright- ened when they found out w^hat had happened ; they surrounded the fort, making the most dis- mal cries, and promised any submission if they might have their chiefs restored to them. Bar- tholomew examined into the business of the league, and the intended attack upon the Span- iards. A cacique who had been most active in raising the rebellion, was ordered to be put to death, and the rest were set at liberty, Bar- tholomew expressed his sorrow for the injuries which had been done to the wifeof Guarionex, and caused the Spaniard who had committed them to be punished. Guarionex v/as greatly pleased with this con- duct of Bartholomew ; he made a speech to his people, in uhich he praised the Spaniards. The natives listened to liiui with attention, and when he had done they bore him off in triumph, on their shoulders, to his dwelling; and thus 144 LIF3 OF COLLMDUS. tills diificiilty was settled by tlie activity and prudence of Bartholomew. He soon received a message from the cacique Behechio, telling him that he had got his tribute ready, and desiring Bartholomew to visit him and receive it. lie collected a party of men, who were well pleased to make an excursion to this agreeable country, where they knew they should be well enter- tained. They were received in the kindest manner, w^ith songs and dances : thirty two caciques were assembled to meet with them and join the feast. The cotton which the chief had collected to pay his tribute, filled the whole of one of their houses, and they offered to give Bartholomew besides, as mueh cassava bread as he pleased. This offer was very acceptable to the Sp'an- iards, as they were not very well supplied with provisions. Bartholomew found it necessary to send to Isabella for one of the ships, which were now nearly finished, to come and take the tribute. While they waited for the arrival of the ship, the Spaniards were constantly feasted, and entertained with sports after the fashion of the Indians, who in this region, seemed to en- joy to the utmost their peculiar kind of life. LIFE or COLUMIU'S. 145 The sliip arrived at last, and anchored about six miles distant from the residence of the cacique. Anacoana, his sister, wished very much to go and see the great canoe of the white man. They proceeded in great pomp to the sea shore ; they stopped for the night on the way at a house belonging to Anacoana, where were collected a great many curiosities belonging to her, such as ebony chairs and tables. When they reached Ihe ship, Anacoana was very much amazed at its great size. Her brother had prepared for her and for himself a separate canoe in which they were to row out to examine the ship, bat she chose to go in the boat belonging to the ship, with Bartholomew. As the boat came near, the ship fned a salute. This overpowered Anacoana, and she fell sense- less into the arms of Bartholomew ; but she soon revived, and the kind words and looks of those about her made her know she had nothing to fear. She examined the ship, and gave signs of great pleasure at every thing she saw, and at last, when the ship spread its sails and moved gracefully away, her wonder knew no bounds. Bartholomew now took leave of the chief and his sister, being about to go to Isabella by land. 12 * 146 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Anacoana wanted to go with Bartholomew to Isabella, but he put off the visit to another time, promising to come again and see her and her brother. If all those who had dealings with the poor Indians had treated them as kindly as Bartholomew did, how much suffering might have been spared both to the Indians and to the Spaniards, CHAPTER IX. While Bartholomew was absent from the settlement, a new disturbance arose. The leader of this rebellion was named Roldan ; he was an ignorant and uneducated man, early in life, but of good talents and active habits. He was at first one of the lower officers in the execution of the laws ; but he rose by degrees to the office of Chief Justice ^f the colony, Columbus had been pleased with his activity and shrewdness, and had favored his being pro- moted. He now forgot the kindness which had been shown him by Columbus, and tried to make the people dissatisfied with the rule of the Admiral and his brothers. While Bartholomew LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 147 was present, he did not dare to do much in op- position to the family, but when he was gone to collect the tribute, he began to make a disturb- ance, not being so much afraid of Diego, who, though a good man, had not §o much energy as the two others. Roldan had been engaged in overseeing the building of the ships, and other public works in which the men of the settlement had been engaged. He told stories against Columbus and Bartholomew to the sailors and builders whom he met with in the course of his business. He said that Columbus did not care any thing about the colony, but that while they were working there so hard, he was enjoying himself in the luxurious court of Spain ; and that Bartholomew, instead of staying at the set- tlement to share their labors, had gone away, into the most delightful part of the island, to be feasted by a rich cacique. He pretended to pity the men who had to work so hard, and called Columbus and his brothers tyrants. The men were discontented with their situ- ations, and glad to have some one to complain of, they formed a conspiracy to kill Bartholo- mew when he should return ; they did not however find the opportunity which they had expected, to put this part of their plot into ej^» 148 MFE (>F COLUMBUS. ecution. The people were in this excited state when the vessel returned from the other part of the island, bringing the tribute from Behcchio. Diego thought best to have the vessel drawn up on shore; Roldan complained of this, and told the men that Bartholomew and Diego would not have the ships in a state ready to sail, be- cause they were afraid that the men would seize them and go to Spain, to carry their com- plaints to the sovereigns. He advised them to take the power into their own hands, they could then do what they liked, and live as the Indians did, in a lazy manner, without hard work. Diego thought that the best way to put a stop to this disturbance was to send Roldan away; he therefore desired him to take a party of men and go into the interior to quiet some disturbance among the natives. Roldan com- plied with his request, but instead of quieting the Indians, he made them more noisy by telling them that all the evils they had sutfered, were owing to the tyranny of Columbus. The Indians were not sorry to hear that those who had caused them so much trouble, were divided among themselves ; they hoped it would be the means of makinor them leave the island. LIFE OF COLWVIBUS. 140 Roldan soon returned to Isabella, where he found Bartholomew, who had got back from his visit to Behechio. Roldan demanded that the ship should be launched ; Bartholomew refused to have it done, as it was not yet ready. Rol- dan collected a party of his followers, and leav- ing Isabella went to the Vega, the territory of Guarionex. He meant while there to make an attack on Fort Conception which was in that district. On the way he did all he could to ex- cite the natives, and get them to join him against Columbus and his brothers ; he did not succeed however in his plans against the fort. It was commanded by a brave old soldier, named Ballaster, who remained faithful to Columbus. The fort was situated in a good position for defence, and Ballester succeeded in keeping himself safe from Roldan. He being disappointed, left the fort and wan- dered about the country of Guarionex. He found a party of thirty soldiers who had been sent there for some purpose. He tried to make them join his party, and on their refusing, he seized upon their provisions, and returned to Conception. Bartholomew received news that Roldan was 150 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. in the neighborhood of the fort ; he wished to go to the help of the fort, but he did not know how many of the men at Isabella were friendly to the plans of Roldaii, and he did not like to leave the settlement, for fear the disturb- ances should arise again as soon as he was gone. But Ballester, the faithful commander of the fort, wrote to him for help, and he did not then delay to go to him He did not wish to attack Roldan with violence if it could be helped. He summoned him to hold conversa- tion with him, through a window in the fort. Bartholomew ordered Roldan to give up the office of Judge; this Roldan refused to do, but said he was willing to go away into some other part of the island with his followers. Bartholo- mew gave his consent to this, and desired him to go to the territories of Diego Colon, he was the Lucayan Indian whom Columbus took to Spain on his first return voyage, and who had been baptised, and received the name of the son of Columbus. This man had returned to His- paniola and married the daughter of Guarionex. Roldan refused to go, because he thought there was not provisions enough in that region for his men. He then proposed to his men to go to the LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 151 province of Xaragiia, the dominions of Behe- cliio. He repeated to his men that they would be able to enjoy themselves in this luxurious climate and happy country. His followers were pleased with this and Roldan went back to Isa- bella to make preparations for his expedition. They entered the town by night, and tried to launch the ship ; in this they did not succeed. Diego endeavored to restrain them, but they only tried to make him join their party; he re- fused with indignation to join such lawless men. The fortress was too strong for the rebels to get possession of it, and they were not able to launch the vessel. They felt afraid that Bar- tholomew might return and punish them for their riotous proceedings. They broke open the warehouse, with shouts of, " long live the King," and stole arms, clothes and other articles. They went to the pastures where the cattle were feed- ing, and seized on what they wanted, and killed some of those which they left behind. They then left the town, and went to Concep- tion. Here Roldan attempted to entice some of the men, but Bartholomew found out his plans, and did all he could to prevent his suc- cess. He felt afraid the men would be tempted to join Roldan when they saw his followers 152 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. leading an idle life, and travelling about the country at their ease. Bartholomew treated his men with great indulgence, and Roldan finding he did not succeed, went away. He persuaded many of the Indians to join his party ; and they, glad to see a division among their masters, did all they could to help Roldan, and brought him all the gold they could collect. Bartholomew was obliged to remain shut up in Conception, because he feared if he left it, it would immediately fall into the hands of Rol- dan. But just at this time when the affairs of the colony were in such a sad state, a squadron arrived from Spain commanded by Coronal, and .bringing supplies to the colonists. This was a great relief to Bartholomew ; he left Con- ception and went to St. Domingo. Bartholo- mew knew that it w^as very bad to be obliged to fight with his own countrymen, and he was very desirous to settle the disturbances which had been caused by Roldan. He sent Coronal, who had just arrived with the ships, to converse with Roldan, and to persuade him to give up his lawless conduct; but Roldan had acted so very badly, that he was afraid Bartholomew would punish him, if he placed himself within his reach. When Coronal went to meet Roldan, LIFE OF COLtJMBUSo 153 he first came to a body of armed men. At last he held a parley with Roldan, who said he was willing to obey Columbus when he was present, but that he was now absent, and he did not like Bartholomew, and would not be in subjection to him. Coronal not being able to pursuad^ him to go to St. Domingo with him, returned to Bartholomew and informed him of his ill success. Bartholo- mew then declared publicly, that Roldan was a disobedient man and would be liable to be punish- ed as a traitor, that is, a person who refused to obey his sovereign. Roldan then went towards Xaragua. As he passed through the country, he told such stories to the caciques about Columbus and his brothers, that he made them think they were very bad men, and made them hope that if they all united together, they could destroy these men and rid the island of its tyrants. They formed a league, and agreed to attack the fort Conception. It was settled that they should fall upon the Spaniards in the fort on the night of the full moon. One of the caciques, who was engaged in the plot was not very careful in his watching the moon ; he mistook the night, and made his attack one night too soon. The Spaniards repulsed the cacique. He having found out his mistake, was sorry he had gone too 13 154 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. soon, and went to Giiarionex to tell him about it. Guarionex was so angry with the poor Indian, that he killed him on the spot. Guarionex thinking that Bartholomew, now that he had found out about their plot, would make war upon the Indians, retreated to the mountainous part of the island. The inhabit- ants of these districts were a very robust and warlike people. They were a people who, when they first saw Columbus and his follow- ers, showed a disposition to fight with them, but afterward became friendly. Guarionex, being afraid to remain longer in his own do- minions, went to the cacique of this region and begged his protection for his wife and children and a few faithful friends. The ca- cique not only agreed to protect him and assist him in his difficulties, but excited other natives to join him in attacking the Spaniards. Parties of the natives would come down from this mountainous region into the plain, and attack the people in the village^ which were faithful to the Spaniards. In order to stop these proceedings Bartholomew, with a party of about ninety men and a few horsemen, went toward this region. He met with some Indian spies who told him that there were six thousand Indians lying hidden, who were LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 165 ready to fall upon the Spaniards. Bartholo- mew, however, passed on, but kept a pretty careful look out for his enemy. At last they came to a river, and while they were crossing a great number of Indians made their appear- ance ; they were painted and decorated in the most gaudy manner, and gave frightful yells, at the same time firing their arrows so thickly that some of the Spaniards were wounded, not- withstanding their armor. Tlie Spaniards returned the fire and the na- tives took flight. Bartholomew still went for- ward toward the place where the Indian guides told him that the caciques were concealed. They were frequently attacked by Indians who kept themselves hidden until the moment they shot their arrows at the Spaniards. This, with the tangled and heaving state of the paths they were taking, and the weight of their armor, made it difficult for the Spaniards to advance. In one of these skirmishes Bartholomew took a prisoner, and sent him with a message to Mayonabex, the cacique of the region where the cacique Guarionex had taken refuge. He directed the messenger to tell the cacique that if he would give up Guarionex, he should re- main unmolested in his dominions. The cacique refused. He said the Spaniards were wicked 13# 156 LIFE OF COLUMBUS, and cruel men, but that he had promised to pro tect his friend in his misfortunes, and that ho should keep his word. Bartholomew, who was a hard soldier when he thought it was his duty, in order to make Mayonabex give up Guarionex, set fire to the Indian village, in which he was quartered. This troubled the Indians, and they begged Guarionex to give up his friend. He still refused, and said he would not hear any more messages from Bartholomew, and that he would kill any messengers that came, that they need not make the people uneasy. A messenger came soon after and he was shot on the way. Bartholomew, who was but a little way behind the messenger, when he came up, was very angry to find his man with an arrow in his breast. He pressed on to the place where the ca- cique was stationed. The Indians, alarmed, took flight, and the cacique finding himself deserted, re- tired to the secret part of the mountains^ The In- dians, who thought that all their trouble came from Guarionex, tried to find him, that they might give him up to the Spaniards« Finding themselves pressed on every side by their powerful enemies, they fled to the mountains, the country was desert- ed, the men could hardly find food enough to eat; they had ^many of them farms in the neigh- borhood of the for* that they wanted to go back LIFE OF COLUMBUS. U7 and take care of. So Bartholomew gave leave to a part of the men to return to their labor, keep- ing only thirty with him. At last he found his way to where Mayonabex was concealed. He came upon the cacique be- fore he had any notice of the approach of the Spaniards. He found him surrounded by his wife and children and took them all prisoners. Having got possession of them, Bartholomew gave up his search for Guarionex, and went back to Conception. The cacique had with him, at the time he was taken prisoner, his sister, who was a very beautiful woman, and the wife of a neighboring cacique. He was much troubled to find his wife a prisoner to the Spaniards. He came to Bartholomew, and promised that his peo- ple should submit themselves to the Spaniards if his wife was restored to him. To this Bartholo- mew consented. He restored to the cacique his wife, who kept his promise to remain faithful to the Spaniards. This kindness encouraged the subjects of Mayonabex to beg very earnestly that he and his family might be released. Bartholo- mew gave up the wife and children of the ca- cique, but kept possession of the chief as a secu- rity that the people should be in subjection to the Spaniards. Bartholomew having thus brought this war to a close, returned to St. Domingo, 158 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. where, to his great joy, his brother Columbus soon arrived. All these events, which it has taken some time to relate, happened in the island while Columbus was absent for the first part of the time in Spain, trying to make the government fit out a new expedition, and afterward in mak- ing discoveries on the coast of Paria. The reader will remember that he had become very sick, and very much exhausted during this voyage, and hoped to be able to rest himself after his labors. But instead of quietly re- posing, the news of the disasters and troubles which had occurred on the island during his absence, filled him with sorrow. The island was in a very sad state. Many Indian villa- ges were deserted by the inhabitants — some had been burned, or wasted during wars be- tween the Spaniards and Indians. The peo- ple at Isabella were idle and discontented, the farms were left uncultivated, and every thing looked discouraging. He immediately made a proclamation that Roldan was a traitor, and disobedient to the sovereigns. Roldan had of late been living at Xaragua, passing his time with his followers in the most idle and lawless manner, doing just as he pleased. He was one day surprised LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 159 to see three ships arrive and come to anchor. He supposed them to be ships come with sup- plies of food and other necessaries. He thought he would try to get possession of some of the good things they had brought. He made his men promise to keep secret who he was, and what his party had been doing. He went on board the ship, and told the commander that he had been placed in this part of the is- land by Columbus, to keep the Indians in or- der. The commander gave him some supplies of arms, provisions, Stc. These ships were, in fact, the three ships from which Columbus had parted on his voyage, and sent with sup- plies to Hispaniola. It was three days before the commander, Caravajal, found out that Rol- dan had been behaving so badly, and that he was now in a state of rebellion to the regular governors of the island. When he found out about it, he tried to persuade Roldan to give up his lawless ways, and return again to his duty. Roldan said he was willing to sub- mit to Columbus himself as soon as he return- ed, 'but that he would not obey his brother. He told stories to the men in the ship about Columbus and his brothers, pretended that he and the other men had been obliged to bear great hardships, and tried to make these new 160 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. comers join them in opposing the family of Columbus. It was decided that one of the commanderSj named Colombo, who was a relation of the admiral, should go by land to St. Domingo and give information of the arrival of the ships, the weather being not favorable for the ships to go there. When he was ready to set out on his journey, all his men, excepting eight, deserted him, and went to join the party of Roldan. Colombo then returned to the ships, not feeling sure enough of his men to venture on his journey by land. Caravajal remained, endeavoring to persuade Roldan, who seemed somewhat disposed to listen to him, to return to his duty. The ships at last sailed, and reached St. Domingo, though they suffered some delays on the passage. Caravajal also reached the town by land. He said he could not persuade Roldan to submit himself imme- diately but that he had promised to return to his obedience as soon as Columbus arrived in the island. Columbus had now returned, and Caravajal thought that Roldan and his follow- ers would lay down their arms and become peaceable subjects again. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 161 CHAPTER X. Columbus was very much troubled at this state of things ; he thought that if Roldan and his followers, being armed, should come to St. Domingo, that others might be tempted to join them, and all the settlement would be thrown into confusion. The rebels had said, among other things against the admiral and his broth- er, that they had prevented the ships from be- ing launched, because they were not willing the men should go to Spain. He therefore re- solved to get some ships ready to sail immedi- ately, and he proclaimed that any one who wished, might go back to his native country. He thought that he might in this way get rid of some of those persons who had thrown the island into such confusion. He sent to Ballis- ter, the brave old soldier who commanded fort Conception, and desired him to talk to Roldan and ask him to come to St. Domingo. He promised him that he should be certainly safe in doing so. Roldan and his followers came near to fort Conception and the good old Bal- lister, with his gray hairs, and his stout, faith- ful spirit went out to visit these lawless men. ^e offered them the pardon sent by the ad^ 162 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. miral, but the provisions and arms they had got from the ships had made Roldan and his followers more powerful, and they refused the pardon unless some Indians should be set at liberty who had been made prisoners during the late skirmish, and whom Columbus had intended to send to Spain. Roldan did not care about the Indians, but he thought he should make people like him better than they did Columbus, if he could make it seem that he was more kind to the Indians than Columbus was. Columbus was a little troubled at this answer ; he wished to appear as if he did not fear the power of Rol- dan, and he made some preparations for fight- ing. He ordered all the men capable of fight- ing in St. Domingo, to appear in readiness for battle. The men did not want to go and fight their fellow-countrymen ; some kept out of the way, others pretended to be sick or lame, and Columbus was vexed to find how few made their appearance. Columbus thought it best to hasten the sail- ing of the ships. He wrote to the sovereigns a letter, telling about the troubles in the isl- and which had been caused by his long ab- sence, the want of supplies, and other causes which he told them of He begged the sove- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. l63 reigns not to listen to the bad stories that were told about him. He said that many of the colonists were very idle, and he begged the government to send them out some priests to instruct the Indians, and also to preach to the Spaniards, who stood quite as much in need of counsel. He sent another letter, tell- ing of his new discoveries of Paria and its neighboring islands, of the beauties of that region, and gave an account of the pearl fish- ery carried on there. He also sent specimens of the pearls he had obtained. Roldan also wrote an account of his con- duct ; he excused himself and blamed Colum- bus. Columbus consulted with those persona whom he thought most wise in th» colony about what he had better do. He sent Cara- vajal to consult with Roldan, and to try to make him lay down his arms. Roldan was very insolent, but at last, after much talking, he agreed to go to Spain with his followers, in two ships, with papers written by Columbus sayimg that they had behaved well, and advis- ing the sovereigns to pay him what would have been due to him as an officer of the crown, if he had continued in the discharge of his duties. Columbus hated to do this because it was 164 LIFE OF COLUMBUS not true ; but he thought the place was in such confusion and these men so bad, there was no hope hardly for their lives if they re- mained, while he had not strength enough to compel them to give up their wicked ways. He intended to send another letter by a care- ful person in the same ship, telling how badly they had acted, and that he had been com- pelled to give them these certificates as the only means of getting rid of them. While the ships were in a state of preparation Columbus went to visit some other parts of the island. Some delays arose in fitting out the ships, and when at last they were ready and on the way to Xaragua to take in their lawless crew, they met with a storm, and were so injured that it was necessary for one to go back to St. Do- mingo. At last, when they reached Xaragua Roldan refused to go ; he probably felt afraid he should be punished if he went back to Spain, and preferred staying in the island and passing his time in an idle and lawless manner, with a troop of wild men about him with whom he could io what he pleased, Columbus, in order to persuade them to go, and with the advice of those on whose judg- ment he thought he •ould rely, offered them still farther privileges. He felt very anxious ilFE OF COLUMBUS. 165 to get rid of these men, who not only would submit to no authority theaaselves, but, by the example of their idle ways, made the rest of th» men discontented. At this time, ships arrived bringing letters from Fonseca, who hated Columbus, but who had the direetion of the new countries in Spain, saying that noth- ing must be done about Roldan ; that the sove- reigns would think of his conduct and decide what must be done with him. Roldan finally refused to go to Spain, but sent in the ship some of his followers. These carried out slaves and some of them the daughters of ca- ciques, whom they had enticed to follow them, Roldan claimed large tracts of land to be given him, and insisted that he should be replaced again in the office of judge, of which he had been deprived ; he also demanded tracts of land for one hundred of his followers. Co- lumbus was so situated that he was obliged to bestow on Roldan every thing that he demand- ed. H© tried to distribute the men round in dif- ferent parts of the island, where he thought they would do the least mischief Roldan having gained all he wished for, and provided himself with a quantity of provisions, went 14 166 LIFE OP COLUMBUS, to visit his new territory where he began to build his fort. When the ships sailed, knowing that the followers of Roldan would tell bad stories about him in Spain, Columbus sent out two of his faithful friends, Barantes and Ballister. He charged them to tell the sovereigns that he had been obliged to make these concessions to Roldan ; but that he was a very wicked man, and that the sovereigns were not obliged to show him any favor on account of any writ- ings that he might produce from Columbus, because he had been obliged to make them or rua the risk of having the whole island fall into the power of the rebels. He begged to have a judge sent out to the colony, since so many complaints had been made of his judg- ments, though he had tried always to do jus- tice with great exactness. He also desired that his son Diego might be sent out to him. He wanted him to help him, because he suf- fered from sickness and approaching age. Columbus would have been glad to go to Spain himself and tell his own story, but the island was in such a state he did not like to leave it. These ships had but just sailed, when Co- lumbus heard the news that four ships had an- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 16? cliored in a harbor at the west part of the isi- ]and, and that the ships were commanded by Ojeda, the same man who had been so active in the early part of the time when the Span- iards were upon the island. It was necessary that some messenger should be sent to find out what he had come for, Columbus chose Roldan, thinking he would be less dangerous if he were actively employed. He now pre- tended to have given up his lawless proceed- ings, and professed to be under the direction of the Admiral. Roldan was well pleased to go. He went in a ship, and on reaching the part of the isl- and where Ojeda was, he came to anchor. He landed and met Ojeda, who. had come on shore to get cassada bread. Ojeda told Rol- dan that people in Spain had become dissat- isfied with Columbus ; that the queen, who had always taken, his part, was sick and not expected to live. He said that when the accounts of the dis- covery of Paria had reached Spain, Fonseca had fitted out an expedition of discovery, without caring that it interfered with the grants which had been made to Columbus. Ojeda had the command of the expedition given to him ; it consisted of four ships, and sailed 168 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. from Seville. Many rich men engaged in the expenses of the expedition, some of them join- ed in it themselves. Among these was a mer- chant from Florence named Americo Vespu- cia, from whom the continent of America was afterward named. Fonseca had allowed them to make use of the maps and charts of Colum- bus. He ordered them not to interfere with the discoveries of the Portuguese, and the early discoveries of Columbus. Ojeda had sailed according to these charts, directly to the gulf of Paria, had coasted along the conti- nent, and had now come to Hispaniola for supplies. Ojeda said he should go to St. Do- mingo to tell Columbus about his voyage. Roldan went back to inform Columbus of all the&e matters about which he had heard from Ojeda. Columbus was very much grieved that the sovereigns had so forgotten their promise to him, that he should have some profit for every ship which was fitted out for the new world, as to allow another expedition to sail under the direction of other persons, who were to have the help x>f his maps and charts, and that he was to have no profit from the concern. He waited with as much patience as he could, however, until Ojeda should come to St. Do- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 169 mingo, in hopes that he would be able to give him some reasons for his conduct and that of the sovereigns. But Ojeda knew he had done wrong to Co- lumbus, and he did not wish to go where he should see him ; and instead of keeping the promise he had made to Roldan to go to St.. Domingo, he went into the district of Xara- gua. The Spaniards who were living there were, many of them, followers of Roldan when he was opposed to the government of Colum- bus ; and though he had made up his quarrel with the government, and had been richly re- warded for laying down his arms, they were still discontented, and were constantly com- plaining that they had been unjustly treated ; that ColumbHs did not pay them the money which was due to] them. Ojeda pretended to be friendly to them, and promised to take their part against Columbus, and be their leader in the place of Roldan, who, they said, had de- serted their cause. Ojeda placed himself at the head of a party of these men, and others who had landed with him from the ships, and proposed to them to march to St. Domingo, and demand of Colum- bus to pay them what money was due to them from ihe government on the spot^ or that they 14=^ 176 LIFE OF 'COLUMBUS. would drive feim from the island. The reason Columbus had not been able to pay these m-en, and •thers, the wages which was due to them from the government, was, thnt very little money was sent out from Spain, and the isl- and had been in such confusion that the lands had been left uncuUi^^ated, and the mines were not worked, and very little could be raised from the island itself, so that he had not the means to do it. Some of the men were much pleased that they had found one who was ready to join them and take such a bold step ; others did not like such rash counsels. So they quar- reled, fought, and several men on both sides v/ere killed. When men refuse to obey the laws of their country, they will not long agree to keep peace with each other. But the party who wanted to go to St. Domingo prevailed. Before they set out, however, Roldan ar- rived, with Escobar, an old comrade of his, and some sturdy followers. The men under Ojeda no longer cared for their ©Id leader, who had been the first to teach them not to mind the laws, and finding he was opposed to them they laid plans to kill him. But Roldan was pretty artful, and he contrived to keep himself safe from their plots. Ojeda finding himself LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 171 opposed by so skilful a commander as Rotdany rettrrned to his ships. Roldan wrote to him and tried to persuade him to give up his law- less ways. He invited Ojeda to come ashore and tulk the matter over with him, but Ojeda was afraid to trust himself in the power of Roldan. He came on shore, however, and seized two of Roldan 's men, whom he kept as security for a sailor, with one arm, of his own who had deserted to Roldan. Roldan contrived, by a cunning plot, to get possession of a boat be- longing to Ojeda 's ship, and he was at last obliged to enter into a parley. Roldan prom- ised that Ojeda should be safe if he would go to St. Domingo, and Roldan finally gave up the boat and Ojeda the prisoners, and all re- mained as it did before, except that the one armed sailor did not make his appearance on either side, but kept himself out of the way of two such lawless leaders. Ojeda sailed the next day, pretending that he was going to leave the island. He said, however, he would come again another time, and bring more ships and men, Roldan heard from him soon, as having anchored in another part of the island, and set out with a party of men in canoes to watch his proceedings ; but 17:2 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. before he came to the place of anchor Ojida had sailed, having landed and carried off a parcel of the natives in order to sell them as slaves, and this was the last they heard of him. This trouble was no sooner over than anoth- er arose. This was caused by a young knight of the name of Guevara. He had been one of the lawless men who had followed the example of Roldan. He had behayed so very badly that Columbus had resolved to send him out of the island. There was no ship ready to sail, so he begged leave to settle in a province near Xaragua. He had become very fond of a young Indian woman, the daughter of Anacuana, who has been mentioned before in this story. When Roldan heard of this, he ordered the young knight to go away to the place which had been fixed on for him, as his residence. He might have tried to separate him from the young woman, because he thought he was not really kind to her, and that by and by, when she had got used to him and liked him, he would go away and leave her ; or, as some persons thought, he sent the young man away because he wished to marry the young girl himself. Guevara was not willing to go away, and sent for a priest, by whom the young woman was baptized, thus showing that she was willing to be a Christian. LIFE OF COLUMBUS'. 173 But Roldan, though he had been so disobe- dient to the laws and the rulers himself, did not like to have others refuse to obey him. He ordered the young man to go away, and at last he obeyed. But he loved the poor In- dian girl so much that he came back in three days, and took refuge in the house of her mother, who seems to have liked him. Rol- dan sent for him and told him he was wrong not to obey his orders. The young man re- plied to Roldan in an impudent manner. Rol- dan then threatened to send him to St. Do- mingo. Guevara begged him not to do this, and at last Roldan gave him leave to stay where he was. Guevara, however, had got so angry with all this, and being before a lawless and bold man, made a plot to kill Roldan, or to put out his eyes. There were joined with him some of the disorderly men who had formerly been un- der the command of Roldan. But Roldan heard of their plot, and seized Guevara in the house of Anacoana, and sent to St. Domingo to inform Columbus of their doings. Colum- bus directed that they should be brought to St. Domingo. These things stirred up new confusion, and a man named Moxica, a cousin of Guevara^ 174 LIFE OF COLUMBUS, raised a rebellion, and collected a number of followers. The old confusion and disorders returned. They took their station in the neighborhood of Conception. But the old Admiral who had borne so many insults, seems now to have been aroused, and laying aside his usual gentleness, he resolved to take the most severe measures to restore peace to this unhappy island. He set out in the night with a party of only seven or eight trusty men. He fell upon the leaders of the rebellion very suddenly, made them all prisoners and carried them to fort Conception. He thought that if he punished this rebellion severely, it would put a stop to the lawless spirit which prevailed. He or- dered Moxica to be hung upon the top of the fort. The wretched man kept delaying on dif- ferent pretences the execution of the order until Columbus got very angry, and ordered him to be pushed from the battlements and killed. It seems in these things that Colum- bus acted too hastily and passionately ; he had had, to be sure, a very great many things to provoke him, but a man who cannot govern himself and restrain his own temper, is not fit to govern other men. Several of the followers of Moxica were con- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 175 «lemned to die ; they were not executed, but kept as prisoners. Columbus followed up his measures against the rebels, and several more of them were taken prisoners. Those who had been plotting against Columbus and the laws, began to get frightened. They retreated into the hidden parts of the country, and or- der beemed once more restored. The Indians submitted quietly to Columbus ; some of them embraced the Christian religion, and wore clothes like the Spaniards. These began to cultivate the land, and poor Columbus began to think that he should finally see the island in a quiet and flourishing condition. While these things had been going on at Hispaniola, great complaints against Colum- bus had ceen carried to Spain. The followers of Roldan represented him as very cruel and unjust, and crowded about the palace of the sovereigns, begging them to pay to them the money which was due to them, and which Co- lumbus had refused to pay. They pretended that Columbus meant to take the government of the island to himself, and that he did not care for the sovereigns. The king got tired of the new discoveries ; instead of bringing wealth into the country he was constantly called upon for supplies to help support the colony. 176 LIFE OF COLUMBUS* The queen was grieved at the manner iii which the Indians were treated, and she did not hke it that Columbus proposed that, for several years the natives should be sold as slaves, in order to pay the expenses of the colony. Roldan's followers had brought to Spain a great many slaves. Some of them had with them the daughters of caciques, whom they had cruelly deceived by pretending that they were going to marry them, when they only intended to sell them as slaves. For all this Columbus was blamed, though these followers of Roldan had taken away the natives they had brought without the consent of Columbus. The queen, however, ordered them all to be sent back, and several priests to go with them to instruct and take care of them. The friends of Columbus, Barantes and Ballister, said all they could in his favor, and told the sovereigns how badly Roldan and his followers had acted, and what difficulties had beset Columbus, and how he had been pre- vented from getting gold from the mines, and drawing any profit from the island by the con- stant exertions which he had been obliged to make to keep these bad men in order. But there were so many of the enemies of Colum- LIFE OF COLUMBUS, 177 bus, and the clamor about his conduct was so great, that the sovereigns concluded to send out a commissioner to inquire into the state of the island. For this purpose they appointed a man named Bobadilla. They gave him very great powers. He was ordered to examine into the conduct of all the public officers ; to inquire into the affair of Columbus and Roldan, and if either of them were guilty to deprive him of his office and take it himself He had also power to seize upon persons and take posses- sion of estates, and in fact rule everything in the colony. CHAPTER XI. Columbus was at port Conception arrang- ing affairs after the late rebellion of Moxica — • Bartholomew was watching the rebels in Xara- gua, and Diego was at St. Domingo, when two vessels appeared in sight. It was thought they came with supplies, and Diego sent out a canoe to learn the news, and see if his nephew Diego, the son of Columbus, whom he had sent for, was on board the ship. Bobadilla answered that he had been sent out as coramis- 15 its LIFE OF COLUMBUS. sioner to inquire into the state of affairs and to settle difficulties. He v/as told about the late rebellion, and informed that seven of the rebels had been hanged, and five more were prisoners awaiting their execution; among them was the young cavalier Guevara. Boba- dilla found that Columbus and Bartholomew were both absent from St. Domingo, The arrival of Bobadilla caused great ex- citement in the colony. When the ships sail- ed up to the town, on each side appeared a Spaniard hanging on a gibbet. Many people came on board, and the conduct of Columbus was much talked of, and blamed by many. Bobadilla, before he landed, thought Colum- bus had acted very wrong. He went to church, and after the service was over, he read aloud to the people the orders he was furnished with. He then desired Diego to give up to him the prisoners who were confined in the fort. Diego refused to comply with his orders, saying that they were condemned by the law, and had been placed under his care by Columbus, who acted under the authority of the sovereigns. Bobadilla then read the patent by which he had authority to take the command. Diego and the other officers refused to obey, and he then read his third paper, by which the offi- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 179 cers were ordered to give up to him the forts, ships and all public property. In order to make himself liked by the people, he read the orders which he hacj received, to pay all per- sons the money which was due to them. This pleased the people very much, and made them feel disposed to take the part of the new gov- ernor. Bobadilla again demanded that the prisoners should be given up to him, and when Dian, under whose care they were placed, re- fused again to comply with the orders, Boba- dilla collected a band of people and attacked ^he fort where they were kept. No resistance was made by the officers, and he took possession of the premises. Bobadilla then established himself in the house of Colum- bus, siezed all his gold, jewels, books, papers {jnd writings. He spoke in the most disre- spectful manner of Columbus; said he had the power to send him hom.e in chains; and that none of his race should ever govern in the isl- and. He also proclaimed that any one might have permission to collect gold for the next twenty years, only being obliged to pay an eleventh part to the government, instead of a third, which had been the rule before, Columbus went to Bonao, to be nearer to St. Domingo, and to find out more about Bob- 180 ^ LIFE OF COLUMBUS. adilla. He did not think it possible that the sovereigns had given this man power to act as he had done; but thought he was some im- pudent person who was acting in the same manner Ojeda had done. Since the sovereigns had given leave to any one to make voyages of discovery, many ships had been fitted out. One squadron, under the command of one of the Pinzon family, had touched at the island since Ojeda had left it. Columbus thought he might be deprived of much of the reward of his labors, which he had looked forward to, by other discoveries; but he did not think the sovereigns would send out a person to judge him, without hearing his defence; and take away all the power he possessed in the island which had been so solemnly given to him, and to his children after him. He wrote a letter to Bobadilla, telling him he was welcome to the island; advised him to be careful about giving persons leave to col- lect gold, and telling him that he was soon go- ing to Spain, and would leave him in the com- mand during his absence. Columbus also wrote to some of the priests who had come out with Bobadilla. To these letters he received no answers; but in a short time a messenger wag sent to him from Bobadilla, carrying the LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 181 written authority of the sovereigns, by which he acted, and ordering Columbus to go to St. Domingo. On seeing that the new governor acted under the real order of the king, Colum- bus said nothing more, but immediately went to St. Domingo. As soon as he arrived at St. Domingo, he was seized and chains put upon him. Every body had been accustomed to respect him so much that it was some time before any one could be found willing to fasten the chains up- on the venerable man. He was confined in the fortress. His brother Diego had before been seized, and was now confined in one of the ships in the harbor. All the bad people in the island now flocked to St. Domingo, and tried to gain the favor of the new ruler, by finding fault with what Columbus had done. All those persons whom Columbus or his brothers had been obliged to confine for their disorderly conduct were set loose by the new governor. He felt afraid that when Bartholo- mew, who was in Xaragua at the head of an army, heard what was done, he would come and fight with him, and try to deliver his brother. Bobadilla wrote to Columbus and ordered him to command his brother to give up his authority and come immediately to St. 15^ IPfZ LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Domingo. Bartholomew obeyed the order, gave up his authority and came to St. Domin- go, where he was seized as his brothers had been, and confined on board a ship. The brothers were not allowed to see each other, and they were not told with what crimes they were charged, nor what Bobadilla intended to do with them. Bobadilla listened to all the complaints that were made against Columbus, and wrote them down to send to Spain. He was very much to blame in the manner he behaved, to make up his mind so hastily that Columbus was wrong, before he had landed, and to believe every thing bad that was said of him, without giving him a chance to prove that the stories were not true. But it was still worse in the sovereigns to send out Bobadilla with the powers which they did, to examine into the difficulties of Columbus and Roldan, and if he found either of them were to blame, to turn them out of their office and take it himself. It was something the same thing, as for a teacher when he saw two boys quarelling about an apple, to send a third and tell him he might see who was to blame, and if he found out, he might take the apple away from them, and eat it himself. Unless he were a very honest boy, he would be pretty apt LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 133 to find out that one of them was to blame. Bobadilla not only did this, but took the apple first and then condemned the innocent one be- fore he had time to inquire properly into the matter. The ships were ready to sail, and Bobadilla had collected what he thought was proof enough of the guilt of Columbus, to send out to Spain. Villejo was selected to take charge of the prisoners and carry them to Spain. He was ordered to carry them to Cadiz, and give them up to Fonseca, who had always been an enemy to Columbus. But this Villejo was a good man, and performed this office as kindly to Columbus as he could. He was sent with a guard to take the admiral from the prison to the ship. Columbus had been so harshly treat- ed, that he thought he was about to be put to death. 'Villejo,' said he, ' whither are you taking me ? ' ' To the ship, your excellency, to embark.' ' To embark? ' said Columbus, * Villejo, do you speak the truth ? ' ' By the life of your excellency, said the officer, ' it is true.' Vv^ith these words the admiral was com- \^ forted, and as one restored from death to life. The people hooted and shouted and abused poor Columbus as he went on board the ship. They had a favorable voyage. Villejo and the 184 LrFE OF COLUMBUS. captain, Martin, were much grieved that Co- lumbus should suffer such treatment. They offered to remove his chains, but he would not suffer it. lie said he wore them by the com- mands of Bobadilla, whom the sovereigns had ordered him to obey, and he would wear them until they should command them to be taken off. And so he did. And afterwards kept them hanging in his closet, and begged when he died that they might be buried with him. It is no wonder that he felt very deeply the cruel injustice and injury with which he was burden- ed. But if he had been taught more tliorough- \y the spirit of the religion of Christ instead of its forms and ceremonies merely, he would have put away out of sight every thing that kept alive a spirit of revenge, and tried to for- give his persecutors, and forget the injuries they had done him. When it was known in Spain, that Columbus was brought home in a shameful and disgrace- ful manner, loaded with chains, every body was very much grieved. Columbus did not like to write to the king and the queen, since it was by their authority that he had suffered all the troubles that had come upon him. But during his voyage he had written a long ac- count of his trials and the injustice which had LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 185 been done him, in a letter to a lady at court. This letter Villejo sent off privately by a quick messenger, and it reached the court before the charges of Bobadilla could find their way there. Isabella was sadly grieved when she read this letter; and Ferdinand, though he was sel- fish, and did not much like Columbus, was afraid to say any thing in favor of his persecu- tors, so much did every body in Spain take the part of Columbus. Without waiting until they got the papers which were sent by Bobadilla, they sent orders to Cadiz that the prisoners should be directly set at liberty, and treated with respect. They also wrote a very kiad let- ter to Columbus, saying, that they were very sorry for what he had suffered, and desiring him to come to court. They also sent him some money to pay his expenses. Columbus was much comforted when he found himself restored to the favor of the king and queen, for whom he had a greater respect than we can imagine in this country where we do not have kings and queens. He went to court dressed very handsomely, and was re- ceived with great distinction. He had borne all his trials meekly, and had not been cast down when wicked men had iH treated him: but when he found himself so kindly received, 186 LIFE OF COLtJMBUS. and saw that the queen had tears in her eyes, he could no longer command his feelings, but fell down at the feet of the queen, and the brave old admiral was so moved that his tears and sobbings took from him the power to speak. The sovereigns spoke kindly to him and raised him up. They told him that they were very sorry for his wrongs, and blamed Boba- dilla. They said that he had acted contrary to their orders, and that they should dismiss him from his command. They took no notice of the charges he had «ent out, and assured Co- lumbus that his sufferings should be redressed and his property restored. Since permission faad been given to persons to fit out voyages of discovery, there had be«n many ships sent out from Spain. Some hacf sailed down the coast to Paria, and others had touched on the shore ofBrazii. Other nations, too, had tried to reap some of the advantages which had fallen to the lot of Spain. Sebas- tian Cabot, a Venetian, living in England, had gone with some ships fitted out from that coun- try, and had discovered Newfoundland and sailed down the coast of what is now North America as far as Florida. The Portuguese ships, commanded by De Gamaj had sailed LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 1S7 round the south point of Africa, and at last reached India. There they had made a profit- able trade, and had returned, bringing the spices and other valuable productions of the east. Another squadron of sixteen vessels had sailed for the same place. Owing to the wind, the captain had gone farther to the west than be- fore, and discovered land which proved to be within the line of latitude which the Pope said should belong to Portugal. The captain sent home a ship with the good news that he had made a discovery, and went on his way. This was the country which has since been called Brazil, and whichlias been governed by Portugal, while the rest of South America came within the limits which the Pope said should belong to the king of Spain. Ferdinand finding that it was so easy now to discover new countries, and that by the help of the experience of Columbus any body could cross the ocean, felt sorry that he had promised that the Admiral should have some of the profit of every voyage. It had become so easy, that persons were willing to fit out ships at their own expense, and pay to the king something for the privilege of making the voyage ; so that probably the king was not very sorry to have an excuse to quarrel with Columbus. He may, also, have really sup- 188 LIFE OF COLUMBtrS. posed he had been very cruel and unjust, there had been so many stories told about him» As so many islands, and even the continent, had been discovered, he thought it would be best to have some government established at St. Do- minofo, which should take care of the other coun- tries and of 'the colonies which were now arising. This general government he did not like to put into the hands of Columbus, about whom so much complaint had been made» Yet as he had in for- mer times given to him the command of the island, he hardly knew how to manage. He promised to take away the government of the island from Bobadilla, and to send out some other person who should take care of the colony for two years, at the end of which time Columbus should be restored to all his power over it. He pretended to think that there was so much dis- satisfaction with Columbus at that time, that he would not be able to govern the island peaceably. The person he chose was named Ovando. It was some time before things were arranged so that he could leave Spain, and in the mean time news arrived that everything in the island was in disorder under the rule of Bobadilla. Every thing went badly, and he oppressed the Indians so much and made them work so hard in the mines, that they sunk under their labors. LIFE OF COLUMBtS. 189 Ovando was to be placed at St. Domingo^ Wt his rule was to extend over the islands and the main land. He had power to build towns and forts, and very particular directions were given him as to how he should manage the colonies. The queen gave him orders to treat the Indians kindly, and to collect the money which was to be gathered from them with great mildness. Priests were sent out to instruct them. But at this time permission was given to persons to carry out ne- groes who were in slavery in Spain, to work in the mines. Thus was begun a trade which has been the cause of so much suffering and cruelty, and the evil consequences of which still remain. Ovando was to examine into the accounts of Columbus, and he was to restore to him his prop- erty which had been taken from him by Bobadil- la. The brothers of the admiral were also to have what had been taken from them given back. Columbus was allowed to have a person reside in the island who was to take care that he should receive the proportion of gold to which he had a right from the mines. Ovando had the means given him to make a pompous appearance. He carried out a number of respectable families, as well as physicians, sur- geons, and other useful persons, whom it was hoped would take the place of the idle and disso- 16 190 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. lute creatures with which the island was filled. The squadron sailed in Feb. 1502. They suf- fered from a severe storm on the coast of Spain, and there was a report that all the ships were lost. The sovereigns were greatly troubled at this report. But it proved not to be true ; only one ship was lost, and the others continued their voyage and reached St. Domingo on the 15th of April. Since Columbus could not return to the care of his island, he was desirous to attempt to make further discoveries. The Portuguese had contin- ued to make their voyages round the cape of Good Hope to the East Indies, and the rich and strange productions of that distant part of the world were brought in abundance to Europe. Columbus thought that by sailing west it would certainly be possible to find a shorter passage to India. The place where he supposed this pas- sage would be found is said to have been near the Isthmus of Darien. The sovereigns were pleased with this proposal. He was allowed to fit out an expedition. He took with him his son Fernando, then fourteen years old, and his broth- er Bartholomew. He also took persons acquaint- ed with the Arabic language, as he felt sure he should at last arrive in the countries of Arabia. He was not allowed to stop at St. Domingo as he LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 191 sailed out, because they said he had many ene- mies there, and the island was probably in com- motion from the change of rulers. They gave him leave, however, to stop there on his return for a short time, when it was supposed the island would have become quiet. The sovereigns sol- emn promises in writing, that the privileges they had given him should be secured to him, and con- tinued to his children and heirs forever. These promises Columbus took care to have copied, and properly fixed so that no one could deny that they were true, and placed them in the hands of a public officer before he sailed. The letter from the sovereigns which contained their promises was a very kind one, and was the last he ever re- ceived from them. When Columbus sailed on his fourth and last voyage, he was sixty-six years old. It was on the 9th of May, 1502. He had under his com- mand four ships of a small size, and in them about one hundred and fifty men. They enjoyed favorable winds, and on the 15th of June they reach the Caribbee islands, at one of which they stopped for water. One of the ships had proved to be a poor one, and Columbus concluded to go to St. Domingo and try to get a stronger one in exchange for it. He had not received permis- sion to touch at St. Domingo, though he had ask- 192 LIFE OF COLUMBUS^ ed leave to do so, and he had not intended it. But the state of one of the ships, he thought would excuse his acting contrary to the orders he had received. Before he gets there it will he necessary to tell a little about the state of things in the island, Ovando, the new governor, reached St. Domingo on the 15th of April. He was received with cer- emony, and proclaimed to be governor. He knew how to behave much better than Bobadilla had done, and instead of imitating his rude conduct towards the admiral, he treated his predecessor with civility. But people had not liked Bobadil- la for himself, but only paid him court because he was the governor, and had power to bestow favors on those who flattered him ; and now that he was turned out of his office, and had nothing more to give, nobody cared for him, or took any notice of him. Bobadilla was not called upon to explain why he acted so much beyond his orders, and treated Columbus so badly, but Roldan's conduct was examined, and it was determined to send him to Spain to be tried. Great numbers of persons were to return in the shipsr-Roldan and many of his followers, troops of idle and wicked men who were tired of the new world, and Bobadilla him- self, with an immense quantity of gold, which ho LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 193 had obtained by urging and compelling the poor Indians to work for him. One solid mass of gold was on board this ship, of immense weight, which had been found by an Indian woman, and exchanged for some European article. This was to be sent to the king. Roldan and his followers had amassed great quantities of gold which they were about to carry home with them. Caravajal, the agent of Columbus, sent four thousand pieces of gold belonging to him. And along with this treasure, which had been drained from his once peaceful and happy kingdom, went Guarionex, the cacique of the Vega, whose name has so often been mentioned in this story, and who had been a prisoner at fort Conception ever since the con- clusion of the war of Bartholomew with the In- dians in the mountains. Just as this fleet was ready to sail the ships of Columbus appeared in the harbor. He sent one of his captains on shore to tell Ovando that one of his ships was out of order, and to ask his per- mission to come into port and exchange it for a better. He also said that he saw there was a storm approaching, and that he wished to find shelter for his ships until it was over. Ovando refused his requests ; he said that St. Domingo was filled with his enemies, and that he feared disorders would arise if Columbus came 16* 194 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. on shore. Poor Columbus felt very badly to be refused admittance into the country he had first discovered, and the rule over which had been giv- en to him by the sovereigns in the most solemn manner. However, he tried to bear it as patient- ly as he could, but he begged Ovando not to let the ships which were ready to sail for Spain set out until the storm was over. But the weather was then fair, and these people were not so much ac- quainted as Columbus was with the weather in this region. They thought he did not know any bet- ter than they did. They laughed at what he said, and the richly loaded ships began their voyage. Columbus, on his guard against the storm, which he felt sure was approaching, kept close to the shore and stopped in a wild bay on the coast of the island. The storm came on in about two days. In the beginning of it they kept close to the shore, but as it became more violent some of the ships went out to sea for safety, Bartholo- mew, who was in the weak and disabled ship, was obliged to exert all his skill, which was very great, to save his vessel. He succeeded, howev- er, and at last they all reached in safety the har- bor of Hermoso, which was west of St. Domin- go. Bobadilla's fleet sailed proudly, laughing at the predictions of Cokimbus, whom they considered LIFE GF COLUMBUS. 19^ as a foolish old man. But they had hardly- reached the outer point of the island, when the hurricane came on. The ship in which were Bobadilla, Koldan, and many others of the most bitter enemies of Columbus, went to the bottom of the sea with all their treasures — many other ships were lost, and but one reached Spain in safety, and that the weakest of the fleet, but which car- ried out the gold belonging to Columbus. When Columbus heard of the destruction of these men, who had treated him so wickedly, he was deeply moved, and with many of his friends he thought that their dreadful fate was a punishment to them for their wicked conduct. But the storm which cut off these bad men, ended also the troubled life of the poor old Indian cacique Guarionex, who was in the same ship. Better was it for him so to perish than to be dragged to a foreign country and sold for a slave. CHAPTER XII. ^ After remaining for a short time to get over the fatigues of the storm, Columbus sailed to the west. After some days he approached the island of Jamaica, then he saw again those islands to 196 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. which he had given the name of the Gardens. The wind having changed, he sailed forward, and came to^ an island covered with pine trees, on which account he called it the Isle of Pines. Here Bartholomew went ashore with two large boats and a number of men. The inhabitants re- sembled the natives they had seen, though in gen- eral better looking. Bartholomew saw the arri- val of a very large canoe, which seemed to have returned from a long voyage. It was very large, though made of the trunk of a single tree, and eighty feet wide. It had an awning of palm leaves which sheltered the boat from the storm and rain. Under this, sat the cacique, his wives and chil- dren. The natives did not seem to fear the Span- iards, but approached the ships. Columbus was very much pleased to see the productions of these distant countries, for their canoes had been far away to the main land to trade with other In- dians. They had various weapons made with considerable skill, and partly of copper. Cotton clothes dyed and worked, copper balls, and many other articles, which displayed more skill than the Spaniards had yet seen. They had also the ca- cao, which the Spaniards had never before seen, and which the Indians used both as food and money. Columbus exchanofed some of the usual articles LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 197 with the natives, for some of these new and curi- ous productions. They expressed no surprise at what they saw. The women were clothed in a kind of mantle of cotton cloth, some of which was dyed and worked. They made Columbus under- stand that they had been making a voyage to a distant country to the west, which they called Yucatan, and where they said the people were rich and cultivated ; they advised Columbus to go to that region, promising that he would find gold and other valuable things there. If Columbus had followed their advice, he would have had the glory and the profit of discovering the rich empire of Mexico. But he was so desirous of finding a passage to Asia, that he would not turn his at- tention to any thing else ; he thought that he must be very near the place where this passage would be found. It is very curious to think that he was then very near the strip of land called the Isthmus of Darien, and where a very small space separates two great oceans. It seems a pity that when he had formed a judgment so nearly right, he could not have known the certain truth. Whoever reads this story must look at a map of North and South America, and they will understand better the situation of Columbus. They will find the little Isthmus, which is just about the place where Columbus hoped to sail, and arrive at the coun- 198 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. tries of Asia. He was sailing about among the islands in the ocean, between North and South America, and landed near the Isthmus. One old Indian who seemed to know a good deal about the country, was persuaded by Colum- bus to stay with him as a guide. He dismissed the rest of the party with presents. He sailed towards the south, and discovered a cape, which is now called Cape Honduras. Columbus landed here and performed a solemn religious service. He was very devout, and was very careful to per- form all the ceremonies of the religion in which he had been educated. A few days after, Bar- tholomew landed not far from this place, and found a party of a hundred or more Indians, who seemed prepared to meet and entertain the stran- gers. They had brought bread made of maize, or what we call Indian corn, abundance of fish, fruits and vegetables, which they offered as pres- ents to Bartholomew and his party. He in re- turn gave them trinkets, with which they were much pleased, and came the next day bringing more articles of food. Some of the Indians were dressed, others were naked. In some places they had their ears bored in a very curious manner. Columbus continued to sail along the coast of Honduras. The weather became stormy and continued so for many days. The sailors grew LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 199 very tired, and Columbus thought that in all his voyages he had never known such a long and tiresome storm. The vessels were very much in- jured and strained by the tempests. Beside this, Columbus suffered from severe pain and sickness. He did not, however, give up the cares of his sta- tion ; he caused a little chamber to be built up on the deck, at the stern of the vessel, where he could look out, and direct the sailing of the ships. He grew very sad, and was sorry that he had ; brought out his brother and his young son, to meet such dangers, and the labors of such an un- fortunate voyage. At last when they were al- most exhausted, he came to a cape where the I coast turned to the south. Here they found a pleasant, gentle wind, and the sailing was easy. ' They were relieved and delighted at this change in their situation, and Columbus named the Cape, Gracios a Dios, which means, thanks to God. On leaving this harbor, Columbus sailed direct- I' ly south, passing along what is now called the I? Musquito shore ; on one occasion a boat was sent F ashore to obtain water, and as it returned, a sud- !| den swell of the sea meeting the current of the I river, the boat was swallowed up and the men i perished. Columbus and the men were much s distressed at this event, and he called the stream jf the River of Disasters. After leaving this spot 200 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. he anchored at several places along the coast. At some places the natives seemed hostile at first, but became afterward friendly. At one place the natives were very desirous to make acquaintance with the strangers, and sent two young girls on board the ship as security for their kindness. Co- lumbus caused them to be kindly treated and clothed, and when they sent them back gave them many presents. The girls did tiot appear to be afraid of any thing they saw on board the ship. At this place, at another time, when Bartholo- mew was going ashore, several of the Indians waded out to the water, and took him on their shoulders and carried him to a grassy bank where they seated him. He carried with him a man to write down such information as he should get about the country. Having found out something which he wished to remember, he desired the clerk to write it down. He took out his pen and ink to do so, when the Indians all ran away in great fright, thinking it must be something which would bewitch them. They came back, throwing in the air some sweet smelling powder, probably to take away the evil which they thought these frightful instruments, the pen and ink, would do them. The Spaniards, though they ought to have known better, were a little afraid that this powder LIFE OF COHTMBTO. 201: Was something which would bewitch them. They found no gold in this region. On leaving this harbor they sailed along the coast called Costa Rica, or rich coast, from the gold found near it. After sailing 22 leagues they anchored, and found gold in abundance. The Indians wore it made into large plates for orna- ments. They came out in canoes ornamented with flowers. They told Columbus that two days journey from there, gold was much more abun- dant. They told the names of several places where it could be found, particularly Veragua. The Spaniards were much pleased with the peo- ple here, and with the climate, and especially with the great plenty in which they found gold, which the natives were willing to exchange for trinkets. The men would have liked to remain there and traded with the natives for gold ; but Columbus did not wish to waste time here, when he was so near, as he thought, to the place where he should find the strait, so he did not mind the wishes of the sailors, but sailed on still farther. They occasionally stopped, and in this region they generally found the natives hostile at first, but becoming gentle and willing to trade. If they showed signs of hostility, to fire the cannon gen- erally frightened them so much that they laid down ' their arms. Once they did not appear 17 S02 LIFE OP COLTjMBUS. alarmed at the firing, but ran away when the cannons were loaded and fired. In one place the Spaniards saw a large building of stone and lime, this was the finest thing of the kind they had seen in the new world. Gold was plenty all along this shore, and the guides pointed out several towns where it could be got in abundance ; but Columbus cared more for his strait than for the gold, and having taken possession of the country, he thought he could come back and get treasures from it ; he left the rich promises behind him, and sailed on still farther. He anchored after many days, at Porto Bello. This was a charming spot. Houses were near each other, surrounded by cultivated fields. The natives brought maize, cotton, veg-etables, the rich pine-apples, but no longer gold. On looking at the map, it will be seen that Columbus was now on one side the narrow piece of land which unites North and South America. Columbus did not know this, however, and so he sailed on still far- ther, but his ships had got disordered. There is a certain worm in those seas which pierces boles in ships, this unfortunate fleet was sufl^ering from this evil. It was necessary to repair the ships, and they took refuge in a port which was small and not very convenient The ships were very near to the shore, and at first they were in some LIFE OF COLUMBUS. SOS' danger from the attacks of the Indians, who ap- peared unfriendly, but they were frightened by the cannon and became friendly. The ships were so near to the land that the men could go ashore when they pleased, and they behaved bad- ly to the natives, and quarrels and difficulties of- ten arose. The natives grew angry and attacked the ships, but the firing of the cannon drove them off. The wind had b-sen for some time unfavorable, and the men, who could not understand the rea- sons Columbus had for thinking he should soon find the strait, were very unwilling to go any far- ther. At last Columbus concluded to yield to their wishes and return to Veragua and search the country for gold. After he had sailed a few days westward, the wind changed, and was favorable for him to go on his discovery, he had waited long for this wind, and now when he had given up the pursuit of that for which he had been seeking, it suddenly changed. He kept on, however, his return toward Veragua, but a dreadful storm arose, and he was obliged to go back to Porto Bello. He succeeded at last in reaching the river Veragua, and anchor- ed at a place which he called Belen, or Bethlehem. Near this port was the dominions of a cacique, call- ed Quibia* Bartholomew went up the rivei; in S04 LIFE OK CfOLUMBUS. boats to explore the country. He saw Quibia, and was kindly received by him. The cacique sent persons with Bartholomew to explore the country. The Spaniards were charmed with the proofs they saw that it was a gold country. They went three days journey, and the men obtained consid- erable quantities. They returned in safety to the ship, and Columbus was much pleased with the favorable accounts they brought. They found out however afterward, that Quibia had deceived them, and had carried them into the country of a neighboring cacique, while there were much rich- er mines in his own dominions. He probably saw that these strangers would be troublesome visitors, and he was sufficiently cunning to try to fix them at a distance, instead of having them in his own dominions. Upon hearing that gold was so plenty in this region, Columbus resolved to build some houses, and make a settlement at this harbor. Here he intended to leave a part of his men, with some of the provisions, and one of the vessels, and return himself to Spain, to give an account of his new discovery and get more men and supplies. They made haste, and built some houses, and made preparations for those who were to be left behind. The country about the settlement was very fertile, and there was an abandant supply of fruits and LIFE OF COLUMBUS, 205 vegetables, and the rivers furnished great quanti- ties of fish. Columbus made presents to Quibia, and everything seemed to be going on favorably. It will be remembered that they had anchored some distance up the river. When they were nearly ready, however, to return to Spain, Colum- bus was troubled to find that the water had fallen so low in the river, that it was not sufficiently deep to carry his vessels down to the sea, and he was obliged to wait until there should fall some heavy rains, which would raise the water. The cacique of the country, Quibia, did not like, however, to see these strangers preparing to fix themselves down upon his land. He was wise enough to see that it was easier to drive them away now, that they were few and weak, than it would be if they staid long and became strong and well established. He therefore laid plans with the neighboring chiefs, and intended to at- tack the little new town and destroy it. But he managed the matter so secretly that Columbus had no suspicions of the matter. There was a man on board the fleet named Diego Mendez, who was very sharp in looking about, and from some things he saw, he began to suspect that the Indians were planning an attack. He told Columbus that if he would give him leave he would go and try to find out the truth of the 17# '206 LIFE OE COLUMBUS. matter. Columbus gave him leave, and he took with him a party of armed men, and went in some boats up the river. They had not gone a great way, when they saw a great body of Indians armed and prepared after their manner for battle. Men- dez asked them where they were going, and they said that they were going to fight a neighboring chief with whom they had some dispute. Men- dez asked them tc show him where their enemies were, that he might help them, but this they would not do. He continued to watch their move- ments, and they, finding their plans were discov- ered, went away. Mendez went back to Columbus with this news. They now felt sure that a deep scheme was laid to destroy them, though Columbus did not like to think it could be so. They wished to find out more about it, and the brave Mendez offered to go with a companion to the very camp of Quibia, and spy out the state of his army. He went with a friend named Escobar. After going some dis- tance, they reached the mouth of the Veragua, and persuaded some Indians to carry them in boats up to the residence of Quibia. The Indians consented, though not willingly. They reached his dwelling which was surrounded by the heads of his enemies, which he had killed in battle, and which were stuck up on posts. LIFE OF COLUUjIBUS. 207 Notwithstanding this appearance, Mendfez in- sisted upon seeing Quibia. He sent them a message, desiring them not to come into his house. Mendez said he was a doctor, and had brought some medicine to cure the wound which he had heard the cacique had on his arm. As he ad- vanced toward the dwelling, a young and strong Indian came to meet Mendez, and gave him a blow which nearly threw him down. Mendez, however, saved himself, and succeeded at last in softening the Indian, by giving him combs and looking glasses, and showing them how the Spaniards dressed their hair. Mendez could not succeed in reaching the chief, but he found that there were preparations making for a general at- tack upon the Spaniards. He went back to the harbor to tell the admiral. It was concluded that it would be the best way to attack the Indians immediately, and not to wait until they were all assembled. They knew that the Indians could do nothing without their chiefs, and Bartholomew made a plan to go and seize Quibia and send him off to Spain. He thought in this way to put an end to the trouble^ He took a number of armed men with him, and went to the residence of the chief. He left the greater part of his men at a distance, and took only three with him. The chief came out into '208 LIFE OF COLUMBIJS. the door-way to meet him. Bartholomewtold liis men, when they saw him touch the arm of the cacique, they must rush forward and seize him. After talking with him a little while, he pretended to examine the wound on his arm, and tookjjhold of his arm for that purpose. That be- ing the sign agreed on with his men, they rushed forward, and notwithstanding the cries and yells of his family, they seized the chief and his prin- cipal companions, and tied them tightly, and car- ried them down to put them on board the ship. The cacique was given to an old stout pilot, •and he was charged not to let him escape. He tied him with strong cords to the bench of the boat, but the chief groaned and complained so of the pain he suffered that the pilot loosened the cord and held the end of it in his hand. The cunning Indian watched when the pilot looked the other way, and gave a violent spring into the water and almost pulled the pilot after him into the stream. It was dark, and he had otherprison- ers, so he could do nothing to retake the cacique, but went with the rest to the ship, and was very sorry and much ashamed that he had suffered this most important of his prisoners to escape, Columbus was sorry for this accident, but he thought the cacique must have perished, and that the Indians would be so frig^htened at the seizure LIFE OF COLULBTIS, 209^ of their prince and his family, and beside havings no one to direct them, that the settlement would no longer be in any danger ; he therefore pre- pared to sail for Spain. The rains had caused the river to rise so much, that by the help of boats, they were able to get the ships down to the ocean. Here they were obliged to wait for a favorable wind. After a short time Columbus sent a boat with some men up the river to get wood and wa- ter. It was very fortunate for the men who had been left behind, that he did so. It turned out that Quibia did not drown when he threw himself into the water, but was so skillful a swimmer, that, though his limbs were confined with cords, he was able to get safely to the shore. The poor chief was almost frantic at the miseries which the strangers had caused him. He knew that his wives and children, and those most dear to him, were confined in the ship of these strangers, and were to be carried he knew not where. He aroused the Indians, and collect- ed a great number of them together, and rushed down upon the settlement before the Spaniards had any knowledge of their being near. They defended themselves, but the Indians fought most desperately. One Spaniard was killed and sev- eral wounded. Bartholomew was among the number of wounded. The naked Indians howey-- 210 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. er, could not long stand against the arms of the Spaniards, and when at last a furious bloodhound was let loose upon them, they could fight no long- er, and ran away making the most dreadful howl- ings. CHAPTER Xm. When the boat which had been sent for water, had come in sight of the settlement, this fight was going on. The captain was afraid to go ashore near the place of action, but resolved lo go farther up the river for water. Bartholomew made signs to him that it was not safe, but not- withstanding this, he went up the river. He landed to get the water, and while doing so, a large party of Indians fell upon them, and a des- perate fight followed, in which all the Spaniards were killed but one. He swam down the Tiver to the settlement to tell of what had happened. The men were filled with terror at .their situa- tion. They knew not how many Indians were collected, and they dreaded every moment that they would come and attack their little settlement. They felt afraid to stay in it, and they retreated iio the shore, making a little fort for themselves of LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 211 boxes and such things as they could find, behind which they placed themselves, and which they hoped to defend with their cannon. The Indians kept near, and they heard constantly iheir whoops and yells. Columbus in his ships was in a very anxious state. The boat had not come back, and the sea rose and foamed so furiously that no boat could reach the shore. To add to the horrors of his situation, one night the prisoners who were Con- fined in the ship, by placing themselves all to- gether, succeeded in breaking open the hatchway and getting on deck. Some of them jumped over, and swam away. Others were taken and again confined. But the next morning, those who were put back were all found dead, they had either hung or strangled themselves. It was cer- tainly a very cruel and wicked thing in Colum- bus to take these poor Indians, and tear them suddenly from their homes, and stow them down in the ship, and he must have felt very sorry when he saw to what his cruelty and their de- spair had driven those poor creatures whom, but a short time before, were happy and free in their country, from which he had first torn them. In this distress, one of his men named Ledes- ma, offered to go in a boat as near to the shore as he could, and then try to reach the land by ?2l% LITE OF COLtJMBTJS swimming, and gain news of the settlement. He succeeded in reaching the land, and found his countrymen in their little fort on the shore. They prayed him to go back and tell Columbus what a sad state they were in, and beg him to come and take them off. Ledesma got safely back to the ship. Columbus could not leave the men, with his dear brother in this dangerous sit- uation, where he feared they would perish, and though he was very sorry to give up the settle- ment, he resolved to do so, hoping to be able to come back another time, and begin a new town. The weather was bad and the ships were in great danger. But after nine days the sea became so calm that Columbus was able to send ashore. It was impossible to get the remaining ship out of the river. But they took every thing out; of it, cut up the sails into bags, in which they stowed things which they wanted to carry away, and left nothing but the bare hull. At last, after great labor, in which Mendez was very active, and showed great wisdom in planning what should be done, they all got safe on board the ships. Co- lumbus was so pleased with the e>xertions Mendez had made, that he appointed him captain of one of the ships in the place of the captain who had been killed in commanding the boat which went up the river for water. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 213 He now set sail for Hispaniola. He kept along near the coast, sailing to the east. His ships became disordered, and he was obliged to leave one, which was unfit for use, at Porto Bello. They were now all stowed into two ships, and these were in a very bad condition. The crew thought he was not sailing right to reach Hispaniola, and begged him to turn north. He thought he had not yet got far enough to the east to find Hispaniola, by going north, and he was right. When they had sailed northerly for a time, he found himself among the group of islands he had called the Gardens, in a former voyage. The winds were not favorable for them to reach Hispaniola ; the ships became rery much disordered, and the men were obliged to work constantly at the pumps. The weather was very stormy ; at one time three anchors were carried away, and the ships were almost wrecked. For these reasons Columbus tried to reach some harbor in Jamaica where they would be safe. They came, after various difficulties, to a harbor which has since been called Christopher's Cove. The ships were near sinking as they entered the harbor. They succeeded in getting them to the land, and built a sort of cabin on the decks of the ship. for the crew to live in. No one was 214 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. allowed to go on shore without leave, and Co- lumbus took great care to keep the men as much as he could from getting into difficulties with the Indians. The natives were very friendly and hroiight them provisions, which they willingly exchanged for Spanish articles. But Columbus knew that he had no means of leaving the island, and that he should probably have to stay there a long time. He therefore thought best to establish a regular trade with the natives, and engage them to furnish a constant supply of food. Diego Mendez went with some men over the island^ and made bargains for supplies, and fixed places where the natives should bring their provisions, and exchange them for such things as they wanted. Mendez went in this way to the end of the island. He made friends with the natives, and bought a canoe of a chief, and got some Indians to row it. In this canoe, loaded with provisions, he came round the island by water, and reached the ships, where he was joyfully received. Though their wants were supplied for the present, yet Columbus dreaded the future. He saw no way in which they could be relieved from their present situation but by sending to St. Domingo, and obtaining from thence a vessel LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 215 to take them off. He mentioned this thought to Mendez. He at first supposed it would be im- possible, as St. Domingo was forty leagues dis- tant, and there was nothing but the canoe to make the voyage in. But as there seemed to be no other hope of relief, Mendez offered to go, and try, if possible, to reach Hispaniola. He drew his canoe on shore, and tried to fix it for the long voyage. When he had got it ready he embarked in it with six Indians and one Spaniard. They met with some difficulties, and were taken prisoners by a party of Indians, They contrived however to get away, but were obliged to return to the place which they had left, at the end of fifteen days. But Mendez was not easily discouraged. He resolved to make another trial. He fitted up two canoes, and took with him six Spaniards and ten Indians to each boat. Fiesco, a native of Genoa, had the command of one boat, Mendez of the other. They began their hazardous voy- age. The weather was very hot, and they were exposed without shelter to the burning sun. The Indians suffered much from the heat, but they would occasionally jump out into the water to cool themselves, and then get into the boat again refreshed by their bath. But at last, however, they could bear it no longer, but lay down in 216 LIFE Oy COLUMBUS. the canoe exhausted. Their stock of water was gone and they seemed ready to perish. It was night, and they were alone in this weak canoe» entirely out of sight of land ; but when the moon rose, to their joy they saw that it came up from behind something dark, so they thought ,hey must be near some| island, and with their hopes revived, they waited for the morning. When day dawned, they discovered the little island of Navasa. It proved to be a mass of rock, with no trees, shrubs, nor any springs of water ; they found, however, water which had remained in the crevices of the rocks, with which they quenched their thirst. They had been so long suffering for water that it was impossible to prevent the men from drinking too much. One Indian died in con- sequence of it. They were able, however, to get shell fish, which they cooked on the island and were after a time quite refreshed. They were cheered by the sight of Hispaniola which was visible from Navasa. When they had rest- ed, they began their voyage again, and on the fourth day reached Cape Tiburon, a point of Hispaniola. Mendez immediately took with him six Indians of the island, and set out to go along the coast to St. Domingo. When he had gone about eighty leagues he heard that Ovan- LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 217 do was in Xaragua. He went to that place and found the governor ; he was kindly receiv- ed by him. Ovando pretended to be very sorry for the situation of Columbus, but said he could not do any thing to help him, — that he was obliged to use all his time and his money in fighting the Indians. He kept promising to try to make some effort to get relief to him, and under various pretences kept Mendez waiting in Xaragua for seven months. But Mendez at last resolved he would be tri- fled with no longer, he sat out on foot for St. Domingo, intending if possible to get a ship at the expense of the admiral. This he did, and when Ovando found Mendez had got one ship ready, he procured another and sent with him. It was while Mendez was gone to St. Domin- go for this purpose, that Ovando, without hav- ing told Mendez what he was going to do, sent out a ship, which only stayed one night, and carried Columbus the trifling present of some wine and bacon, and did not ofler him any re- lief. While Mendez was thus waiting at Xara- gua, Columbus had been enduring the great- est vexations and trials. The men grew sick from being confined in such a small space, and often suflering for want of provisions. Colum- 18* 218 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. bus himself was afflicted with dreadful pain. At this time a mutiny arose. Two brothers by the name of Porras incited the men to rise. They blamed Columbus for staying in this place though they knew that they had no ship to leave the sland in. Columbus tried to argue with them, and make them patient. He told them, he wished as much as they to leave this spot, but that it was impossible to do so until some ship should arrive, which he hoped would be soon. But the mutineers would not listen to any reason ; they seized on ten canoes, which Columbus had bought of the Indians, and de- clared they would leave the island. Forty eight of his men left the admiral, and joined them- selves to these rebels, in the hope of getting away from this place where they were so tired of staying. After they were gone, Columbus did all he could to comfort and console those who remain- ed with him. Porras and his party, coasted along the shore of the island. They often landed and behaved very badly to the Indians, taking by force everything they could get, and telling the natives that Columbus had ordered them to do so. The wind and weather was so unfavorable that they did not dare to go out to sea, so they landed and roamed about the island doing all the mischief they could. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 219 The Spaniards had been so long upon the island that the Indians had got tired of provid- ing them with food. The Spanish arti- cles which they received in pay had be- come common and they did not care much about them. At last the Spaniards were in great want. Columbus knew that it was near the time when there would be an eclipse of the moon. He sent word to several of the chiefs that they had done wrong in ceasing to bring provisions to him and his people, and if they did not immediately bring them some supplies, at a certain hour of a certain night the moon would grow dark and cease to give them light. The Indians did not pay much attention to this message, but when the night and the hour came which Columbus had pointed out, and they saw a dark shade slowly spreading over the moon, they were dreadfully frightened. They thought Columbus must be something more than a man, and they made haste and beg- ged him to pray to his God, that the moon might be allowed to shine forth again in her own brightness, and promised to bring in future as much provision as they needed. Columbus promised he would try to obtain for them this favor. When the dark shadow therefore pass- ed off from the moon, the poor Indians were overjoyed. They thought Columbus must be 220 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. very wise, and they brought their simple stores in abundance and laid them before him. But the time dragged heavily along. Eight months had passed since Mendez left the is- land ; perhaps his weak canoe had sunk, and no one knew the story of their sufferings. At last to their great joy a ship came in sight. It was the spy ship sent out by Ovando, no one can think why. It was commanded by Es- cobar. He came near to the ship where Co- lumbus was, and gave him a letter from Ovan- do, with a barrel of wine and some bacon. He asked Columbus to write to Ovando if he wanted anything. He then went away to some distance so that the poor sufferers could not reach his ship, and when the morning came, the ship was gone. Though this message was so insulting and cruel, Columbus wrote to Ovan- do, telling his sufferings. When the ship was gone without giving them any relief, the men were still more dishearten- ed. But Columbus tried to encourage them. He told them since it was known where they were they would certainly soon get relief. He pretended that the reason he did not leave the island was because there was not room in the ship which had just left them, for all the party, and he was not willing to leave any behind. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 221 He thought this was a good chance to try to make the mutineers return to their !^duty. He sent word to Porras that he had heard from Hispaniola and expected soon a vessel which would take them all off. Porras was very insolent. He told his men that he did not believe any real ship had been there, but that Columbus had bewitched the people and raised up a ship which was not a real one. He got his party together and made an attack upon Columbus and his men. But Bartholomew made so brave a stand, that he conquered the rebels and took Porras a prison- er. It was impossible to keep all the mutineers confined in their little dwelling place, so to em- ploy them, they were sent in parties about the island to buy food. At last when they had been in Christopher's Cove for a whole long year, two ships came into the harbor. One of them had been hired and well furnished with food by Mendez,at the expense of Columbus,and the other was sent out by Ovando. After Men- dez had seen this ship fairly on the way to re- lieve the admiral, he went to Spain, as he had been desired by Columbus to attend to his af- fairs. He arrived safely in Spain. When he relat- ed his adventures, he was much praised by the 222 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. king for his courage and perse verence in help- ing Columbus, and he was allowed to place a canoe in his coat of arms in token of his daring passage from Jamaica to Hispaniola. He also received some more solid rewards,and Colum- bus always expressed the deepest gratitude to him for his services, and in his will recommend- ed to his heirs to provideforthe faithful Mendez. On the twenty-eighth of June the whole par- ty, rebels and faithful, friends and foes, left the island together. While they are on their way to Hispaniola it will be well to give a short account of what Ovando had been doing on the island. The troop of persons who had come with him from Spain had no desire but to get gold. They went, therefore, directly towards the mines, thinking they could pick it up in hand- fuls. But they found getting it from the mines was very hard work; they did not like to do it themselves, and notwithstanding the queen had urged on all those who went to Hispaniola to take tender care of the indians, and not abuse those who were her subjects, yet they drove and urged them to labor in the mines until the poor creatures were exhausted in body, and their minds driven almost to madness. Sometimes they would resist their oppres- sorSjand Ovando would make this an excuse for LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 223 vkiting them with the most cruel warfare. On some such an account he went into Xara- gua, and pretended to have come to make a friendly visit to Anacoana, who has been so of- ten mentioned. He was received with untired kindness by this princess, and in return Ovan- do invited her and the neighboring chiefs to witness some warlike sports; when they were all assembled, he gave a sign and his warriors seized all the the chiefs and the princess Ana- coana. The chiefs were tortured to make them tell the plans of the Indians of which Ovando had suspicion. Anacoana was carried to St. Domingo, and there hung. Much in this way did Ovando go round the island. Hunting out and torturing and destroy- ing the unhappy natives, till they were almost wasted away, and those who remained were in the depth of despair. After Columbus left Jamaica he had contrary winds, but at last reached St. Domingo in safe- ty. Ovando, who was very deceitful, pretended to be glad to see him. Columbus did not be- lieve the fair pretentions of this man who had left him to suffer for so long a time, the horrors of his Jamaica abode, when he might have sent to his relief. Columbus was grieved at the desolation of the island, but as he had no pow- 224 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. er to alter any thing there, he felt in haste to get back to Spain. He prepared the ship in which he had reached the island to take him to Spain. Most of those who had been with him chose to stay in St. Domingo. He gave them money of his own to relieve their wants. Ovando fitted out a ship to go with Columbus. He had but just sailed on his homeward pas- sage, when a squall arose which carried away the mast of the ship in which was Columbus, and he was obliged to send it back to St. Do- mingo, and all the company went on their way in the single remaining ship. Columbus suf- fered dreadfully with the gout. The weather was tempestuous and stormy, but at last the ship anchored safely at St. Lucas. Columbus was thankful to gain the shore. He was car- ried to Seville to rest himself after his many labors, and in the hope of recovering his health. Beside the pains of body under which he was suffering, the affairs of Columbus were in a bad state. Care had not been taken to collect what was due to him in Hispaniola. It had taken all the money he was able to get there, to pay the expense of the ship which he had provided to bring him home. Though all this was very vexatious to him, troubled as he was by sickness and the weakness of old age, yet LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 225 he thought more of the seamen who had gone out with him, and who still remained unpaid. He wrote to the King, begging very earnestly that they might be paid the sums which were duetto them. His faithful friend Mendez was at Court as well as his son Diego, and they did all they could to interest Ferdinand in the affairs of Co- lumbus, and make him do something to relieve as far as was possible the grievances of this man who had given him the knowledge of a new world. But Ferdinand was very cold and heart- less, and the firm friend of Columbus, Isabella was very sick and not able to take charge of public affairs. Nothing was done about Porras, though Columbus wrote very pathetic letters, telling the story of what he had done during his last voyage, and the bad conduct of Porras and his companions. He also reminded Ferdinand of the solemn promises which he had received and which had not been kept. While he was urging his claims in this way his health failed more and more. He was not able to go to court. Queen Isabella who had also long been sick died on the twenty sixth of November 1504. She was fifty four years old. She was a very good woman, and was beloved by all her sub- jects. Columbus grieved much at her loss, for 226 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. he knew that he was indebted to her for all the assistance he had received from the govern- ment. His sickness still kept him at Seville, and his brother Bartholomew went to court to urge the claims of the admiral. But noth- ing was done for Columbus. Some new in- structions were sent out to Ovando, and nothing was said to Columbus about it. Columbus wished very much to go to Court, thinking that he could prevail on the King to have justice done to him. So much regard however was paid to him, that he was permitted, when he got a little better, to ride on a mule, which was ea- sier for him than a horse. A law had been made that persons should not ride on mules, be- cause they had been formerly so much used that no attention was paid to the race of horses. But Columbus received an especial permission to use a mule, and his health improving in some measure, he was at last able to reach the Court. But when he arrived there, the kind Queen was gone who used to encourage and assist him. Ferdinand was cold and'selfish, and thought he should have no farther occasion for the ser- vice of Columbus, and was so wicked as to for- get all he had done for him. Columbus set before him the new continent|which he had partly explored in his last voyage, and told him LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 227 of its great wealth, of the rich mines of Vera- guay. He told him of his disasters and his suf- ferings, but the King was cold and inattentive to him. Columbus reminded him that his life had been devoted to the public service, and now he was old, sick, and poor, and the great prom- ises which had cheered him through his labors were forgotten. The King at last was forced to own that something was due to the admiral, and agreed that some one should be chosen who should decide what ought to be done. Columbus con- sented to this, and named the archbishop of Se- ville to the office of arbiter, the King accepted him. Bufstill month after month passed away the days of Columbus were drawing to an end, and nothing was done to make him think that he would ever receive his promised rewards. At last he was cheered by a gleam of hope. Queen Isabella's daughter Juana was to suc- ceed her mother as Queen of Castile. This princess was married, and was expected with her husband to take possession of her kingdom. Columbus thought when she arrived, she would take an interest in one who had been protected and loved by her mother, during her life. He tried to be as patient as he could. He felt him- self growing so weak that he no longer cared 228 LIFE OF COLUMBUS for himself, but he begged the King that his son Diego might receive after his death what had been withheld from him. He presented many- petitions — but Ferdinand did not do any thing for him. The new Queen arrived, the king went out to meet her and her husband. Bartholomew went with him and the Court. He was kindly received by the new sovereigns and they prom- ised to pay attention to the claims of Columbus. But it was too late for either hope or fear of any thing in this world, to move the mind of Columbus. He drew near to the hour of his death. He examined his will, and added some things to it. He directed that his son Diego should be his heir ; and gave orders about the disposal of his property, which he hoped his children would be allowed to enjoy. After having arranged his worldly affairs, he received the Sacrament of the Lord's supper, which is customary among Catholics when a person is near dying, and then died as he had lived, fearing God and trusting in him. He died on the twentieth of May 1506, at about the age of seventy. He was buried with great pomp at Vallado- lid. In the year 1513, his body was removed to the Island of Hispaniola, and buried again LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 229 in the principal chapel there. His remains have ag^ain been removed to the city of Havana in the Island of Cuba, and buried there with great pomp and ceremony. Ferdinand who had done so little for Colum- bus during his life, ordered a monument to be erected to his memory when he was dead. It had this inscription, — For Caslilla y por Leon, Nuevo Mundo Hallo Colon. " For Castile and Leon Columbus found a New World." ' This monument serves to show not only the merit of Columbus, but the wickedness of Fer- dinand, who while he acknowledged the great- ness of the services of Columbus, had neglect- ed to keep the promises which he had solemnly and repeatedly made to him. After the death of his father, Diego, as his heir, still pressed the King to allow his claims. He followed the Court as his father had done, and like him his hopes were put ofT. At last the matter was tried in a court of law, and after a minute examination it was decided in favor of the son of Columbus. He had in the mean time married a lady who belonged to a very rich and powerful family, and his cause being sup- ported by her relations, Diego at length suc- ceeded in compelling the King to restore to him the rights which had been withheld from his 230 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. father. He was allowed to have the govern- ment of the Island of St. Domingo. The King recalled Ovando, at this late time, though he had promised the Queen on her death bed, that it should be immediately done. Die- go v/ith his wife, his brother Fernando and his uncles went out to St. Domingo. The Vice Queen took with her a large train of young la- dies, and gentlemen of high rank. The ladies were many of them married to the rich inhabi- tants of the Island, and the manners of the peo- ple became much more gentle in consequence. Ferdinand would not allow the son of Colum- bus to be Viceroy, though he was generally called so. The King divided the newly discovered con- tinent into two governments, one of which was given to Ojeda, and the other, the coast of Ve- raguay, to a man named Nicuessa. Diego thought his uncle Bartholomew ought to have had this last, and was much vexed that the King passed him by. Diego was tormented as his father had been by faction and disorder in the Island. Under his direction the Island of Cuba was brought under the rule of King Ferdinand. He informed the King that he had gained for him the largest and most beautiful island in the world, without having lost a man. LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 231 Bartholomew still retained the title of Ade- lantado or Lieutenant of the Indias which his brother had given him. He had returned to Spain after a time, and the King who was jeal- ous of him, thought best to keep him at home while he sent out much less capable men to make voyages of discovery. But the King af- terwards gave to him the property and govern- ment of the little Island of Mona, with some privileges in regard to the Indians, and the of- fice of superintending the mines in Cuba. This office gave Bartholomew a great deal of money. The King gave orders to Diego that the la- bor of the natives should be a third less. The priests who had been sent out to teach the In- dians had complained that they were made to work too hard. The King also gave orders that Negro Slaves should be taken from Africa and carried to St. Domingo, that they might la- bor in the mines and save the Indians from be- ing exhausted. So cruel were the people of that day, even when they meant to be kind and humane, as after they had destroyed all the peace and happiness of the natives of St. Do- mingo, to try 10 make the matter better, by tear, ing other innocent persons from their homes, and carrying them to this new world to lessen the labors of the Indians. In this Island where 232 LIFE OF COLUMBUS. Negro Slaves were first introduced, they have since become very powerful, have risen upon the white inhabitants, and the goverment is now in the hands of the blacks. Many complaints were made from time to time of the manner in which Diego managed his government. He was recalled, that his conduct might be examined. He was so fortunate as to be able to prove himself innocent, but he could not for some time recover his rights. He fol- lowed the court, as his father had done, and like him suffered all the pains of hopes defer- red, and finally died without being in the peace- able enjoyment of what really belonged to him. Diego left behind him two sons and three daughter. His wife was very active and main- tained the rights of her children. But after a good deal of disputing, her son gave up his claim to be Viceroy of the new world which had been promised to Columbus and his heirs, and accepted the title of duke of Veraguay and Marquis of Jamaica, — and the descendants of poor Columbus, who in his old age followed tM court and prayed in vain for the reward of his labors, have since been among the richest fam- ilies in Spain, though late disturbances in South America have deprived the Duke of Ve- raguay of a part of his wealth. In reading the adventures of Columbus we LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 233 /can hardly help wondering that many of the cruelties which are mentioned in it should ever have been permitted. And it seems strange that the Spaniards should have been allow- ed to cross the ocean and land upon these beau- tiful and quiet Islands, and fill them, and their .simple inhabitants with sorrow and pain. But we cannot but see that all the good is from the hand of God, and the evil that arose sprang from the wicked and ungoverned pas- sions of men. The intentions of Columbus were good, and God gave to him the wisdom which helped him to find a way across a migh- ty ocean to an unknown world. The desire for gold, and the love of power turned these great Islands into scenes of guilt and woe. There is much that we cannot understand in the course of events in past time and in the present. But we know that God is allvvise, and governs all for the best, and when we come to know the whole of his dealings with his children, we shall learn that what now seems the most dark and cloudy, really beams with his own gracious light though our eyes are too feeble to see it in all its clearness. And we should be taught by this history to restrain and govern all the passions of our na- ture, since when left unbridled they can lead to so much suffering and desolation. i e- 4 1 ^°^ * . . . • •^. ..♦ •^'•* "^c .^'■x -•^.- /\ •.^/ .*--. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 294 118 6