ii .K.. V \ i^-'U, / / K.^ .^ COLUMBUS AEB eng f iMis " LOMO IN VAIN HIS SPIRIT BBOODSD O'ZS. TH3 ATiAilTIC MAIJI ! WHZIT SUDDSN. AS CP.SATIOIT BUP^T FROM NOnGHT, STRANCJ A XETT VrOBLD THROUGH HIS STTJPBKDO'CS XnOTJGHI.' Montgomery. yROM THE LONDON RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY'S EDITION. ALBANY: ERASTUS H. PEASE, SABBATH SCHOOL AND TRACT DEPOSITORY; No. 82 State Street. 1844. ALBANY : J. MUNSELI, PRINTER, STATE STRKKT. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Difficulties of early Navigation — Invention of the Mariner's Compass — The Enterprises of the Portuguese — Christopher Columbus - 8 CHAPTER II. Early Life of Columbus— His Maritime Pursuits — The Energy and Perseverance of his Charac- ter — Speculations in reference to Land beyond the Atlantic, 17 CHAPTER III. Object of Portuguese Enterprise — Travels of Mar- co Polo— Application of Columbus to the Court of Portugal— The Visit of his Brother Bartholo- mew to England — Patronage of his Plan by Queen Isabella, 25 IV. CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. Treaty between Columbus and Ferdinand and Isa- bella — Preparations for his first Voyage — Cir- cumstances of it — Discovery of Land, - • 44 CHAPTER V. Landing on the Great Bahamas — The Island nam- ed San Salvador — Visit to Cuba — Pinzon leaves Columbus, • - 57 CHAPTER VI. The Visit of Columbus to Hispanioki — Interesting Incidents — Friendship of the Chief Guacana- gari — Columbus leaves some of his Companions on the Island and returns to Spain — A fearful Hurricane — He lands in Portugal, - • 65 CHAPTER VII. Columbus enters the Harbor of Palos — His Jour- ney to Barcelona — Splendid reception by the Sovereigns — Views taken of his Discoveries — Mortification and Death of PinzoHj . • 84 CHAPTER VIII. Preparations for a Second Voyage — Application to the Pope — Dissatisfaction of Portugal with the Enterprise of Spain — Departure of Colum- bus and his Fleet, 94 CONTENTS. Ti CHAPTER IX. Second Voyage of Columbus — Discovery of vari- ous Islands — Return to Hispaniola — Its His- tory during his Absence — Conspiracy against Columbus — Examination of the Island, - 102 CHAPTER X. Voyage of Columbus — He meets unexpectedly his brother Bartholomew — Accusations against the Admiral — He proceeds to Spain — Conduct of Bartholomew during his Absence, - • 111 CHAPTER XI. Appearance of Columbus at Court — Another Voyage — Discovery of America — Voyages of the Cabots — Discoveries of the Portuguese — Voyage of Ojeda and Vespucci, - - - 125 CHAPTER XII. Columbus arrives at Hispaniola — "Wretched State of the Colony — Conspiracy against Columbus — He is arrested and carried in Fetters to Spain, 145 CHAPTER XIII. The Reception of Columbus at Court — Another Voyage — Various Calamities — His return to Spain — His Sickness. Death and Burial — Re- VI. CONTENTS. flections — His Son becomes Viceroy — Cabals against him — Death of the Adelantado — Death of Ferdinand — Former State of the Natives of Hispaniola — Cruel Oppression — Death of Die- go — The Inquisition, - ■ - . . 156 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. CHAPTER I, DIFFICULTIES OF EARLY NAVrGATION — IKVENTIOS OF THE MAPa- NER'S compass — THE ENTERPRISES OF THE PORTCQUESE — CUR15T0PUER COLUMBT;S. In early times, the efforts of navigators were very inconsiderable ; their voyages consisted chiefly in a timid creeping along the coast, and rarely did they venture beyond sight of land. The hght of the sun by day, and of the stars by night, was their only guide; and its absence, as in the voyage of the apostle Paul from Cesarea to Rome, was productive of great perplexity and alarm. This infancy of the art of navigation con- tinued for ages; but at length the means 8 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. were found by which its maturity was se- cured. To adopt the words of Montgomery : " LoDg lay the ocean paths from man concealed ; Light came from heaven — the magnet was revealed^ A surer star to guide the seaman's eye Than the pale glory of the northern sky ; Alike ordained to shine by night and day, Through calm and tempest with unsetting ray ; Where'er the mountains rise, the billows roll, Still with strong impulse turning to the pole ; True as the sun is to the morning true. Though light as film, and trembling as the dew." The discovery of the wonderful property of the magnet, by which a needle is made to point to the poles of the earth, was a new era in the history of navigation. The ap- plication of this power to its progress was immediately perceived, and the mariner's compass, now so familiar, was at once con- structed. The north and the south could be found easily by this instrument, with suffi- cient accuracy, in every place and at all seasons, though the day were cloudy and the night were dark ; and thus the domain of the ocean was opened to mankind. But though the use of the compass, which was first employed by the Italians, might enable them to perform more safely and ENTERPRISES OF THE PORTUGUESE. ^ speedily the short voyages to which they were accustomed, nearly half a century elapsed before they ventured into any seas which they had not previously visited. The mari- time excursions which were taken, were those of pirates, or of private commercial enter- prise ; and at the beginning of the fifteenth century, there was little, if any, advance in the state of navigation prior to the downfal of the Roman empire. An all-wise providence at length put an end to this torpid condition, and gave to Portugal, one of the smallest and least pow- erful of the kingdoms of Europe, the honor of taking the lead. Various circumstances tended to this result. The hostilities carried on for several centuries against the Moham- medans, had diffused among the European nations, during the middle ages, a martial and adventurous spirit, and for this the Por- tuguese were specially distinguished. The ardor they thus manifested was increased by peculiar events in their own history. As, too, Portugal was a maritime state, having many commodious harbors, and the people 10 COLUMBUS AND HIS TDIES. having made some progress in the knowledge and practice of navigation, it was natural that they should seek to gain distinction on the sea by their enterprises. John I., vi-ho obtained a crown to which he had no right, in order to employ the rest- less spirit of his subjects, which he saw was absolutely necessary, assembled a numerous fleet at Lisbon, to attack the Moors settled on the coast of Barbary. He also sent a few vessels to sail along the western shore of Africa, bounded by the Atlantic ocean, and to discover the unknown countries situ- ated there. Nor was this expedition without success. Its navigators doubled Cape Non, beyond which their predecessors had never ventured to sail, and proceeded onwards a hundred and sixty miles, to Cape Bajador : as, however, they saw its rock}^ cliffs, stretching far into the Atlantic, they shrunk from ven- turing round it, and returned to Lisbon. This inconsiderable voyage, and the fortu- nate issue of the expedition against the Moors, increased the passion for discovery. It was further augmented by the efforts of ENTERPRISES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 11 one master mind. This was prince Henry of Portugal, son of John I. and PhiUippa of Lancaster, sister of one of the sovereigns of England, Henry IV. He presents an in- stance of the important results arising from long-continued and careful reflection ; and while he is described as a prince "full of thoughts of lofty enterprise," his benevolence it has been said, justly entitled him to as- sume a motto for his device, that described the quality by which he wished to be distin- guished, "the talent of doing good, as the only one worthy the ambition of princes." Happily this power is not confined to distin- guished rank. Every faithful follower of the Redeemer bears some resemblance to his Lord, whose " meat it was to do the w^ill of his heavenly Father." He takes his station among those who are ^ the salt of the earth,' and Uhe lights of the world.' Richly blest in his own soul, he becomes a blessing to others. Nor shall " a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple" lose its reward. Henry fitted out a single ship, directing its commander to double Cape Bajador, and 2' 12 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. thence to steer towards the south. To do so, according to the mode of navigation which at that time prevailed, would have been very difficult, if not absolutely impossible, but a squall of wind suddenly drove the mariners out to sea, and w^hen they only expected to perish, landed them on an unknown island. This they named Porto Santo, and joyfully returning to Portugal with the tidings of their discovery, were received by Henry with ap- plause and honor. In the course of the following year, he sent the same commanders, accompanied by Bartholomew Perestrello, to take possession of the island, and in doing so, they were led, it is affirmed, to the discovery of Madeira. A bolder navigation now followed, and in the space of a few years, the Portuguese ad- vanced within the tropics, discovered the river Seneg^al, and all the coast extendincr from Cape Blanco to Cape de Verd. Some remarkable circumstances attended on this enterprise. That the direct rays of the sun operated powerfully, was an opinion derived from antiquity, and this was con- ENTERPRISES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 13 firmed by their own observation. As far as the river Senegal, they had found on the coast of Africa, a people nearly resembling the Moors of Barbary, but on advancing to the south of that river, they observed the dark hue, the short curled hair, and the thick lips, now commonly known as marking the negro race. This difference they ascribed to the influence of heat, and they began to dread that if they advanced still further, its effects would appear more violent ; nor were there wanting those who w^ere disposed to exag- gerate such dangers, and to gather from them various objections to further discovery. Henry was not, however, to be moved by the dictates of ignorance, envy, or a cold and timid prudence, even assuming, as they did, the air of patriotism. Instead of slackening his efforts, he pursued them with fresh ardor, but at the same time employed means to re- press opposition, which strikingly show the spirit of the age. The thick darkness of popery w^as then spread over Europe — the darkness of ignorance, error, and supersti- tion. The pope of Rome was in consequence 14 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. .- considered the source of all civil, as well as ecclesiastical power. At his word some were exalted, and others humbled to the dust. That this statement may be duly verified, let the reader observe the bull of Pope Sixtus V. against Henry, king of Navarre, and the prince of Conde, remembering that words to the same effect might be quoted of earlier and of later date : — " The authority commit- ted to St. Peter and his successors, by the transcendant power of the King Eternal, ex- ceeds all the powers of earthly kings and potentates. It passes uncontrollable senten- ces upon them all ; and if it find any of them resisting the ordinances of God, it takes more summary vengeance upon them and hurling them from their throne, debases them, as the ministers of aspiring Lucifer, whatever may be their power, to the lowest abysses of the earth." What a fearful manifestation is here of the power of " the man of sin !" Yielding to the authority assumed by the pope, Henry represented to him, in pompous terms, his own piety and zeal, in discovering, during a long course of years, countries for- ENTERPRISES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 15 merly unknown, the inhabitants of which he described as wandering in heathen darkness, or led astray by the dekisions of Mohammed, and consequently ignorant of the religion which he considered as true. He therefore besought the pope to confer on the crown of Portugal, a right to all such countries as were thus discovered, and to forbid all the powers over whom he ruled, under the high- est penalties, to molest his people in so doing, or even to settle in any of the countries that might thus be made known. He promised, moreover, that in all their expeditions, their chief object should be to establish the au- thority, and increase the subjects of the pope. Eugene IV., to whom this appeal was made, eagerly complied with its request, applauded the efforts w^hich the Portuguese had made, exhorted them to continue their enterprises, and granted them an exclusive right to all the countries they should discover from Cape Non to the continent of India. The absurd and monstrous grant thus made, added, of course, to the prevailing en- thusiasm, but it was checked by the death of 16 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. Prince Henry, whose knowledge and patron- age had so greatly contributed to the results already secured. These, however, were not so great as might be supposed. During his life, the Portuguese, in their utmost progress towards the south, did not advance within five degrees of the equinoctial line ; and after their continued exertions for half a century, hardly fifteen hundred miles of the African coast were discovered. Still the path was opened to far greater success. The fame of the discoveries made by the Portuguese was spread over Europe. Many foreigners were in consequence allured into their service, and among them was Christo- pher Columbus, the man " by Heaven designed To lift the veil that covered half mankind." According to the genius of the Castilian lan- guage, it is said he called himself Crestoval Colon. The family name Colombo, was Latinized into Columbus, and in this form it has been adopted in the English language. / CHAPTER 11. EARLY LIFE 07 COLUMBUS— HIS MARITIME PURSUITS — THE ENERGY AND PERSEVERANCE OF HIS CHARACTER — SPECULATIONS IN RE- FERENCE TO LAND BEYOND THE ATLANTIC. The early circumstances of ChristopHer Columbus are involved in much obscurity. Several claims have been advanced in behalf of different places for the honor of having given him birth, but it appears most probable that this distinction belongs to the ancient city of Genoa, once named the superb, but now presenting only a shadow of her former greatness. Columbus was born about 1435, or 1436. Considerable doubt has also pre- vailed in reference to his lineage. "I am not," he writes in one of his letters, " the first admiral of my family ; let them call me what they may. After all, that most prudent 18 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. king, David, was first a shepherd, and was afterwards chosen king of Jerusalem ; and I am a servant to the same Lord who raised him to so great a dignity." His family are supposed by some to have ranked among the most distinguished nobility of Placenza, but to have lost their estates during the wars of Lombardy, and to have endeavored to repair their fortunes by maritime adventures. It does not appear, however, that either he or any of his contemporaries knew that there had been any nobihty in his family ; and his son Fernando, who wrote his history, rising superior to such imaginations, says, "I am of opinion that I should derive less dignity from any nobility of ancestry, than from be- ing the son of such a father." Columbus appears, indeed, to have descended from pa- rents in respectable, but humble life, his father being a wool-comber ; an occupation in which the wool, as it is taken from the back of the sheep, is prepared for spinning. It is too often supposed that great success in life is to be traced to fortunate circum- stances, as they are miscalled, rather than to MARITIME PURSUITS OF COLUMBUS. 19 the personal qualities and efforts of those who €njoy it. This error, which consideration and inquiry would refute, is amply exposed in the life of Columbus. It shows us a mind energetically and constantly employed, and thus obtaining advantages which would not otherwise have been secured, or have been allowed to pass by imimproved. In early life, he was sent to Pavia, the chief seat of learning in Italy, where his faculties, which had already yielded much promise, w^ere still further employed and im- proved. The science which treats of the construction, arrangement, and figure of the earth, called cosmography, from two Greek words, meaning " to write about the world," engaged his chief attention. He gave him- himself therefore particularly to geometry and astronomy ; and learned to draw, that he might not only be able to trace the outhnes of countries, but fill them up with their ap- propriate features. The means of improve- ment which he thus possessed were, however, but scanty, and of short continuance. He left the university of Pavia while yet very 20 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. young; and according to his own account, he began to navigate the sea at fourteen years of age. About the year 1473, he was captain of a ship-of-war, in the service of the king of Naples, and afterwards made several voyages in the Mediterranean to the east and west of Genoa. Subsequently to this, he went to Lisbon, at a time when Portugal was famous for her discoveries, and a great number of Italians, especially Genoese, resorted thither. The knowledge and maritime ardor of these people tended, as has already appeared, to the advancement of geographical science. Columbus entered fully into the spirit of the progress thus secured. He made a voy- age to the north, in which he says he " navi- gated one hundred leagues beyond Thule, the southern part of which is seventy-three de- grees distant from the equator, and not sixty- three, as some pretend ; neither is it situated within the line which includes the West of Ptolemy, but is much more westerly." The island he thus visited is generally supposed to be Iceland. He also undertook voyages HIS MARITIME PURSUITS, 21 to England, to Guinea, and to the Islands in the Western Ocean, belonging to Spain and Portugal. Unlike those who appear to pass from place to place with their eyes closed, or if open, to spend a dreamy existence without observation and without effort, he kept his powers actively and constantly engaged. Not only was he intent on observing what- ever came within his view, but he compared what he noticed with what had already been recorded. He also constructed globes and drew maps, with the greatest care, impro\-ing his mind and increasing his knowledge by all the means in his power. If, therefore, he became, as he did, the most experienced na- vigator of his time, he only reaped that which he sowed, and plucked fruit from the trees he had diligently cultured. On his marriage, while at Lisbon, with a lady of good family. Donna Philippa, the newly wedded pair w^ent to live with the mother of the bride. Seeing Columbus much given to cosmography, she stated that her late husband, Bartholomew Perestrello, had been employed with others in maritime dis- 22 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. covery in the service of the king of Portugal. She gave him also the journals and sea-charts left by her husband, and from them he ascer- tained the course taken by the Portuguese in the discoveries they had made, and also the circumstances which they found adverse or favorable. His attention to these new treasures gave fresh ardor to his mind; and as he studied the maps and read the descriptions of the new countries which Perestrello had seen, he ear- nestly desired to visit them. He therefore made a voyage to Madeira, according to some writers, and traded for several years with that island, with the Canaries, the Azores, the settlements in Guinea, and various other places discovered by the Portuguese on the continent of Africa. The experience acquired by Columbus in visiting almost every part of the globe with which there was any intercourse by sea, was of great value. With him, however, increas- ed ability was valued as the means of attain- ing higher objects. Intent on the schemes which had already issued in discovery, and ENERGY OF HIS CHARACTER. 23 on the modes in which it had been effected, he gradually formed the idea of improving the plans which had been laid down, and of making discoveries which had hitherto been attempted in vain. The existence of land beyond the Atlantic which w^as not discredited by some of the most enlightened ancients, had become matter of common speculation at the close of the fifteenth century. A singular proof of this popular belief has been given in a passage of the Florentine poet Pulce, a man of letters, but not distinguished for scientific attainments beyond his day. It is remarkable not only for the knowledge it implies of cosmography, but for its allusion to facts in physical science not established till more than a century later. One speaker alluding to the vulgar supersti- tion respecting the Pillars of Hercules, thus addresses his companion : " Know that this theory is false ; his bark The daring marinerjshall urge far o'er The western wave, a smooth and level plain, Albeit the earth is fashioned like a wheel. Man was in ancient days of grosser mould, And Hercules might blush to learn how far Beyond the limits ho had vainly sot, 3* 24 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. The dullest sea-boat 8oon shall wing her way. Men shall descry another hemisphere, Since to one common centre all things tend ; So earth, by curious mystery divine, Well balanced, hangs amid the starry spheres. At our antipodes are cities, states. And thronged empires, ne'er divined of yore. But see, the sun speeds on his western path To glad the nations with expected light !" CHAPTER III. OBJECT OF PORTUGUESE ENTERPRISE — TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO — APPLICATION OF COLUMBUS TO THE COURT OF PORTUGAL — THE VISIT OF HIS BROTHER BARTHOLOMEW TO ENGLAND PATRON- AGE OF HIS PLAN BY QUEEN ISABELLA. There was one point aimed at in all the siavigations of the Portuguese from an early period — it was to find out a passage by sea to the East Indies. The fertility and riches of India had been known for many ages. The steady progress of general society in the w^est cr^ed an increased demand for the varied products of the east. To supply it by the precarious importations of disabled war- riors, or wandering pilgrims from the Holy Land, was no longer possible. A regular European channel of communication with the east became necessary, and such a one had 26 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. been opened in the central peninsula of Italy. Various cities struggled to secure, each one for itself, the golden advantages of the eastern trade. At length, Venice, once poor, mean, and obscure, appeared in state, " throned on her hundred isles, a ruler of the waters and their powers." And how, it has been asked, came she to be thus rob'd in purple, and so luxuriously magnificent, that of " her feast Monarcbs partook, and deemed their dignity increased ?"" And to this it has been replied, because the exhaustless East had ♦' Poured into her lap all gems in sparkling showers." As yet, however, the great routes to be tra- versed by the produce of India, lay along the Red Sea, the Caspian, or the Euphrates. The chief intermediate marts, were Alexan- dria, St. Jean d'Acre, or Constantinople, and over these Venice obtained unlimited com- mand. "What was then to be done ? No alternative appeared but to attempt to open some new communication with a part of the earth which, in the overruling providence or OBJECT OF PORTUGUESE ENTERPRISE. 27 God was made to advance the civilization of western Europe, while from this portion of the globe the gospel has been sent to India, announcing the riches which are pure, satis- fying and eternal. " Heaven speed the canvass, gallantly unfurled To furnish and accommodate the world ; To give the pole the produce of the sun, And knit the unsocial climates into one. Soft airs and gentle heavings of the wave Impel the flset, whose errand is to save, To succor wasted regions, and replace The smile of Opulence in Sorrow's face. Let nothing adverse, nothing unforseen. Impede the bark that ploughs the deep serene. Charged with a freight transcending in its worth The gems of India, nature's rarest birth ; That flies, like Gabriel on his Lord's commands, A herald of God's love to pagan lands." If, however, the vast wealth of Venice, arising from a monopoly of the eastern trade, was beheld with envy by all nations, it was not easy to find out a way by which com- mercial advantages might be obtained by the people of other cities. Intent as the Portu- guese were on discovering a new route, they searched for it only by steering towards the south, in hope of reaching India after they had sailed round the farther extremity of 28 COLUMBUS AND fflS TIMES. Africa, by turning to the east. Such a course was, however, unknown ; if even it were dis- covered, the enterprise was one of great dif- ficulty, and the result was very uncertain. Columbus was therefore naturally led to con- sider whether a shorter and more direct pas- sage to India might not be found out. Here, then, was full scope for all the en- ergies of his mind, all the knowledge he had acquired, and all the experience he had gain- ed; and to this one point they were all de- voted. Some faint ideas that the shape of the earth was globular, had obtained among men of science, from observing eclipses of the moon. This fact, it may be observed, oc- curs, on an average, about twice every year, a dark shadow moving; across the face of that orb, obscuring her Hght, and giving her the appearance of tarnished copper. Sometimes this shadow covers only a small portion of her surface ; at others, the whole of it, for an hour or two, and its margin always forms a segment of a circle. This effect is pro- duced by the shadow of the earth falling on the moon, when the sun, the earth and the OBJECT OF PORTUGUESE ENTERPRISE. 29 moon, are nearly in a straight line, and can only happen at the time of the full moon. The rotundity of the earth being thus sug- gested by the form of the shadow cast on the surface of the moon, some advance had been made on the ignorance of former times ; in addition to which, the comparative magni- tude of the globe had been pretty clearly es- tabhshed. It Avas therefore plain that a bar- ren waste of waters must occupy the greater portion of the earth westward, or in explor- ing it, some continents counterbalancing those already known would be found. A sense of the wisdom and benevolence of the great Creator, deepened, in some instances, the im- pression of such views, and led to the ex- pectation that there were dwelhngs for man scattered over regions hitherto unknown to the rest of the human race. Other circumstances occurred to sustain this hope. All the eastern travellers had asserted, that there were such countries stretching indetinitely beyond those which they could reach. Among these was Marco Polo, a Venitian. When this enterprising 30 COLUMBUS AND HIS TMES. man and his two brothers returned to their native city, so altered were they by time, cHmate, and association with foreigners, that they were strangers even to their kindred. As they were long supposed to have been dead, some members of their family had taken possession of their dwelling-house, and it was with great difficulty they could show that they were its lawful proprietors. A singular expedient was adopted to make known their return, and the results of their journeys. An invitation was sent to all their friends and connexions to a splendid entertainment, and on the company being assembled, the three travellers entered, richly clad in robes of crimson satin, which at the commencement of the feast were changed for similar ones of crimson damask, while the former were di- vided among the attendants. At the removal of the first course, they distributed the damask robes in like manner, and put on dresses of crimson velvet; and when the feast was ended, they changed their splendid garments for plain robes, hke those worn by their guests. The company wondered at what TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO. 31 was intended; but when the cloth was re- moved, and the servants withdrawn, Marco Polo brought forth the three coarse garments in which they had returned from their travels, and the seams and linings being ripped up, a quantity of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones, appeared to view. The company were exceedingly struck by what they deemed a countless treasure, and soon loaded their hosts with congratulations on their wealth and nobility. A powerful impression must have been produced on the minds of his contemporaries by Marco Polo's account of the kingdoms of Cathay and Cepango. He spoke of the im- mense wealth, population, and industry of China ; the Tartar mas^nificence of Kublai Khan ; the countless hordes submissive to his authority ; the numerous islands of the Indian seas, rich in natural productions, though hitherto but little known, and three other islands of the east beyond China. A new world was, in fact, exposed to view, by one intimately acquainted with most of the coun- 4 32 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. tries he described, and enjoying the pecuhar advantasres of official rank. Called on continually to narrate the his- tory of his travels, Marco Polo at length committed them to writing. He treats most fully of China, and the court of Kublai Khan. One of the palaces of the latter he describes as of mars'ellous ait and beauty, ornamented •with marble and a variety of rare stones. On one side of this edifice, and only to be entered through the palace, was an enclosed park, sixteen miles in circuit, in which were meadows, groves, and rivers, the land being well stocked with red and fallow deer, and various other animals. In the middle of the W'Oods of this park was a superb kiosk, or summer-house, supported by pillars, richly gilt. The roof w^as formed of bamboo cane, sixty feet long, also gilt. The building was supported on every side like a tent, by more than two hundred strong silken cords, and the whole was so constructed that it might be readily taken down and set up again. The Grand Khan is described as ha\ing a stud of horses and mares, all pure white. TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO. 33 nearly ten thousand in number ; of the milk of which none were permitted to drink, but the descendants of Zingis Khan, except one family, who were thus favored on account of their martial achievements. Kublai Khan is said to have always resided on the north-eastern border of Cathay, the Pekin of the present day. A new city w^as afterwards built on the southern side of the river; and on the southern side of the new city was the grand palace of the sovereign. A British writer. Sir George Stanton, speaks with equal admiration of the style and archi- tecture of the imperial palace. He says : " A hall was made opposite the treble gates, which are nearly in the centre of this north- ern side of the palace wall ; it appeared to enclose a large quantity of ground. It was not level, like all the lands without the wall, some of it was raised into hills of steep as- cent ; the earth taken to form them left deep hollows, now filled with water. Out of these artificial lakes, of which the margins were diversified and irregular, small islands rise, with a variety of fanciful edifices interspersed 34 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. with trees. On the hills, of different heights, the principal palaces of the emperor were erected. On the summit of the loftiest emi- nences were tall trees surrounding summer houses, and cabinets contrived for retreat and pleasure. The whole had somewhat the ap- pearance of enchantment." Accounts so exciting as those of Marco Polo, greatly contributed to the speculations of this period. In proportion as the regions thus described stretched eastward, it was reasonable to conclude that they would be approaching to the western shores of the known world. Pieces of carved timber had been picked up by the Portuguese naviga- tors, and, among the rest, by the brother-in- law of Columbus — pieces driving before a westerly wind. Canes, trees, and other ve- getable productions, unknown to Europe and Africa, had often floated to the Azores from the same quarter ; and at one time the dead bodies of two men, with singular features, resembling neither Europeans nor Africans, were cast ashore there. Weighing carefully the information he TKOPOSALS TO THE SENATE OF GENOA. 35 collected, Columbus arrived at the conclusion that the shortest and most direct course to the remote regions of the east, would be to sail due west. Some eminent writers among the ancients sanctioned the views he enter- tained, but not satisfied with his own argu- ments or theirs, he was desirous to test their accuracy by consulting w^ith those who were able to afford him assistance. Among these he apphed to Paul Toscanelli, a distinguished and learned physician of Florence, who warmly approved his projects, and encour- aged Columbus to persevere in the enter- prise. Perfectly satisfied with the accuracy of his conclusions, he was now impatient to set out on a voyage of discovery. But patronage w^as needed, and to secure it was the first step to be taken. The affection he bore to- wards his native country, from which he had long been separated, led him to wish that it might reap the fruhs of his laborious efforts, and of all the perils to which he might be exposed. He therefore laid his plan before the senate of Genoa, offering to sail in quest 36 COLUMBUS AND HIS TDIES. of the new regions he hoped to discover, under the banner of that repubhc. But his long absence had left them in ignorance of his extraordinary abilities; and though a maritime people, yet but little accustomed to distant voyages, they were unable to appre- ciate his designs. They therefore considered him a vain projector, thoughtlessly rejected his patriotic proposal, and lost an opportunity which was not again presented. Nor is this a solitary case. It has often happened in the histories of individuals ; allowing favorable circumstances to pass unimproved, they have returned no more. There is, however, a still greater infatuation : it is that of neglecting religious advantages; the consequences of which are described in the lamentation of multitudes : " The harvest is past, the sum- mer is ended, and we are not saved !" As one long established in the dominions of John n. king of Portugal, Columbus made the next overture to him, with every prospect of success. That monarch succeeded his father Alphonso, under whom the spirit of discovery had languished ; but he promoted TREACHERY OF THE PORTUGUESE COURT. 37 it with all the ardor of his grand-uncle Prince Henry, and with superior power. In Portugal, the personal qualities, as well as the professional skill of Columbus, were well known, and his fellow-subjects were prepared to favor his appeal. His hopes must have risen high as he contemplated his circum- stances. Most gracious too, was his reception by the king, who referred his plan to two eminent cosmographers, and his own confessor, whom he was accustomed to consult in all such matters. But unhappily, these persons had been the chief directors of the Portuguese navigations, and had advised to search for a passage to India by steering in a directly op- posite course to that marked out by Colum- bus. To condemn themselves, and admit his superiority, was too much ior them to accom- plish ; and after annoying him with much captiousness, they deferred a final decision on his scheme. Meanwhile they advised the king secretly to dispatch a vessel in the di- rection he proposed to take, thus perfidiously to rob him of his proper reward. To his 38 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. great discredit, the monarch yielded to this base design ; but the commander of the ves- sel was not a Columbus ; and, dispirited by contrary winds, and a sea in which he could descry no land, he returned, denouncing the attempt as extravagant and perilous — an issue deserved by its base projectors. Naturally indignant on the discovery of this flagrant treachery, Columbus determined to leave a nation who could be chargeable with it, and instantly quitting the kingdom, proceeded to Lisbon, taking with him his son Diego. The circumstances of Spain were by no means encouraging to his project. Its people had beheld the progress of discovery among the Portuguese, but without any dis- position to imitate their career. They were al- so engaged in a dangerous war with Granada, the central seat of Moorish power and mag- nificence, in which they found an ample field for their energies. For Columbus to make rapid progress in carrying into effect a new design, was abso- lutely impossible, and to make any was also uncertain ; he therefore despatched his brother JUAN PEREZ. 39 Bartholomew to negotiate with Henry VII. of England, who was considered one of the wisest and richest princes in Europe, while he resolved to propose his plan in person to Ferdinand and Isabella, who governed at that time the united kingdoms of Castile and Arragon. At this period his circumstances were ex- ceedingly depressed. On his first arrival in Spain he had but little reason to expect they would be otherwise. In Adalusia there is a little sea-port, called Palos, and about a half league from the town there stands now, as there stood then, an ancient convent of Fran- ciscan friars. One day, it is said, a stranger on foot, accompanied by a boy, stopped at the gate, and asked for his child a little bread and water. The favor was granted, and the prior, or chief of the convent, Juan Perez, became interested in the stranger, and heard his story. That wayfaring man was Colum- bus — that child, Diego. To this interview much was owing. Juan Perez was able to appreciate the designs of his guest, and in various ways encouraged 40 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. him in his enterprise. Through no other channel was aid either imparted or promised. No accounts arrived from his brother Bartho- lomew to soothe his disappointments, and thus his sufferings were increased. Unhap- pily, his brother had fallen into the hands of pirates, who stripped him of all that he had, and kept him as a prisoner for several years. Escaping at length, he arrived in London, but so great was his poverty, that he was obliged to employ himself for a considera- ble time in drawing and selling maps, — that he might purchase a dress in which to appear at court. He then laid the proposals entrusted to him before the sovereign, who received them with considerable approbation. Thus ignorant of what was occurring, and too poor to undertake any enterprise, Colum- bus might be expected highly to value a let- ter which Juan Perez granted him to Fer- dinand de Talavera, the confessor to the queen. But the time of his arrival with it at Cordova, was very unfavorable. The court was hke a military camp, and warlike mea- sures of unusual vigor were considered ne- QUEEN ISABELLA. 41 cessary. Ferdinand and Isabella were alike engaged in conducting them, and Talavera was not only absorbed in military affairs, but unfriendly to the cause of Columbus. In the absence of the sovereign, Columbus continued at Cordova, supporting himself, it is said, by designing maps and charts. For about six years from the time of his arrival in Spain, he kept his great object in view ; and amidst the ridicule with which he was often assailed, gradually gained friends by the evident sincerity of his conversation, and the dignity of his manners. One of these at length, on the fall of Granada taking place, urged his plans most earnestly on the attention and regard of the queen, and far from being displeased, Isabella was moved by his honest eloquence. Refusing to listen any longer to cold and timid counsellors, she gave way to the natural impulses of her own mind. " I will assume the undertaking," she said, " for my own crown of Castile, and am ready to pawn my jewels to defray the expenses of it, if the funds in the treasury shall be found inadequate." 42 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. The motives which led Isabella to this de- claration were manifestly various. She pos- sessed many noble qualities, and at the same time could not be indifferent to the increase of wealth and the extension of empire. One feeling, however, had certainly great influ- ence, if not absolute predominance — a desire to diffuse the religion she professed. Most zealous was she in the service of the church of Rome, presenting an example well worthy of imitation on behalf of the pure faith which, derived from the word of God, and accom- panied by the power of his Holy Spirit, shall ultimately triumph over the errors by which she was unhappily ensnared, in common with multitudes at that period, and in every subse- quent age. Well may every devout mind give utterance to the prayer : Father of eternal grace, Thou hast lov'd man's rebel racc^ Let thy will, through Christ thy son, As in heaven, on earth, be done. Here in vain thy law is known, Heard in thunder, graved on stone ; By thy grace thy will impart, Write thy law on every heart. QUEEN ISABELLA. 43 Let thy reconciling word By all tribes of men be heard j Give the new creation birth, Let thy will be done on earth. CHAPTER IV. TmiATT BETWEEN COLUMBUS AND FERDINAND AND ISABELLA — PREPARATIONS FOR HIS FIRST VOYAGE — CIRCUMSTANCES OF IT — DISCOVERY OF LAND. Columbus had good reason to rely on the probity of queen Isabella ; but though she was now favorably disposed towards his cause, Ferdinand was differently affected. He was indeed still opposed to the plans which were thus sanctioned. Seventeen thousand florins were advanced from his treasury towards their accomplishment, but for this sum he took care to be indenmified. The feeling he thus displayed continued, as we shall see hereafter long to operate. Little further delay now occurred, and Co- lumbus succeeded in effecting a treaty with the sovereigns, which was signed on the 17th of April, 1492, on the five following condi- TREATY WITH ISABELLA AND FERDIN.\ND. 45 tions, in virtue of which he afterwards sailed on his first voyage. 1. Spain, as mistress of the ocean, granted to Columbus the dignity of her high-admiral in all the seas he might discover, with the same power and preroga- tives which belonged to the high-admiral of Castile, within his jurisdiction ; reserving the office also to his heirs for ever. 2. Colum- bus and his family were in like manner to enjoy the title of viceroy of Spain in all isl- ands and continents he should now first ex- plore : and should separate governors be re- quired for particular districts, he was to choose three candidates, out of which the Spanish court was to select one to the office. 3. The tenth of all customs and profits whatsoever, accruing from the new discoveries was to be secured to the high-admiral. 4. He was to be the highest legal appeal in all suits re- specting any commercial transactions in the countries discovered. 5. The admiral was to advance one-eighth part of the first ex- penses of the voyage, and of opening the commerce with the new countries, which he w^as to be repaid out of the first profits that might accrue from them. 46 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. The advantages thus presented to the view of Columbus, were all to be traced to the intel- ligence and energy of Isabella, without whose strenuous support they would never have been obtained. One token of her special favor deserves to be added. The queen issued a letter-patent, appointing his son Diego page to Prince Juan, the heir-apparent — an honor bestowed only on the sons of persons of dis- tinguished rank, and also granting an allow- ance for his support. The feelings of Columbus at this period admit of no adequate description. Eighteen years chiefly passed in poverty and neglect, amidst alarms, and hopeless appeals, and bit- ter ridicule, had now elapsed since he had conceived the plan which was about to be tried. How many would have relinquished such a design for ever, after enduring but a small part of the trials he calmly suffered ! His success was the reward of energetic and persevering toil ; and while his example con- demns the multitude, who even in a good cause are timid and slothful, it encourages all to go forward, and to consider nothing PEEPARA.TION FOR DEPARTURE. 47 done, while any thing remains to be accom- plished. One element of the character of Columbus will appear as entitled to special remark. He was a zealous member of the church of Rome, which setting aside as it does the me- diation of the Son of God as the only founda- tion of the sinner's hope, and placing in its stead the quicksand of human merit, urges its adherents to various acts, as means of purchasing the divine favor. Here a great and ruinous error is discoverable : many things may be done apparently, but not truly, good, because the mind is still unenlightened, and the heart unrenewed by the Holy Spirit. He who really believes in Christ will be care- ful to maintain good works. A disregard of this distinction, arising in that church from the substitution of the vain traditions of men for the pure word of God, has to a fearful extent engendered gross su- perstition. Impelle I by this principle, some have been led to torture their bodies, others to give largely of their substance, and others to engage in arduous services, but all with 48 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. the expectation that the favor of Heaven would be by such means ensured. Of the latter class was Columbus, as is clearly ap- parent in the whole tenor of his life. The time for which he had anxiously look- ed and patiently labored and suffered had now arrived. The stranger who had appear- ed with his son, asking in necessity the humblest fare, proceeded to Palos with a bounding heart. There the ships of which Columbus was appointed by Isabella to take command, were fitted out. Juan Perez re- sided in its neighborhood, and by the influ- ence of this ecclesiastic, as well by his own efforts, he raised among its inhabitants the money he was bound by treaty to advance, and engaged some of them as companions in his voyage. The chief of these, were three brothers, named Pinzon, of great experience in navigation, and of considerable wealth, who were willing to venture their lives and fortunes in his perilous expedition. No little difficulty, however, preceded this result. Pa- los had been filled with horror when its in- habitants were aware of the nature of the in- SETTING SAIL FROM PALOS. 49 tended expedition, and formidable obstacles had attended it at every step. And what, it may be asked, was the arma- ment that was now prepared ? It consisted of only three vessels, the largest of no con- siderable burden, the other two mere caravels or light vessels without decks, scarcely supe- rior to large boats. They were victualled for twelve months, and had on board ninety men, chiefly sailors, together with a few ad- venturers, and some gentlemen of the court, appointed by Isabella to follow ColumbiLS. A mind less energetic and sanguine than his might well have shrunk from engaging in a formidable enterprise with such a fleet ; to explore seas altogether unknown, with no knowledge of their tides and currents, no chart for his guide, and no acquaintance with the perils of his course, or the means by which they might be averted. Connected, as has already been seen, with the Roman Catholic church, in a country and at a time in which popery was dominant, and avowedly engaged in an effort for its diffusion, he would not embark without engaging in 50 COLUMBUS AND fflS TIMES. services which he considered incumbent and appropriate. Accompanied by all the per- sons under his command, he marched in pro- cession to the monastery of Rabida: there they made confession of their sins to the priest, were told by him that they were ab- solved, received the consecrated wafer, and offered their prayers for the success of their enterprise. Taking the views we do of such 'services, we cannot but regret that Columbus and his companions were not guided by a pure light ; at the same time there is cause to deplore that others who might enjoy it, and who enter on the weightiest engagements with no solemnity or devotion of feeling, are condemned by the conduct which has now been described. Columbus hoisted his flag on board of the largest ship, the Santa Maria ; the second, called the Pinta, was commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, accompanied by his brother, Francisco Martin, as pilot ; the third, called the Nina, was commanded by the third of the brothers, Vincent Janez Pinzon. A little before sunrise the squadron set sail, but it SETTING SAIL FROM PALOS. 51 was in melancholy circumstances. Gloom pervaded the little town of Palos, for most of its inhabitants had some relative or friend on board; and in the vessels also, many were concerned for the sorrows and fears of those who were left behind, and felt apprehensions of voyaging they knew not whither. The day after, the rudder of one of the smaller vessels broke loose ; and to a super- stitious crew, this was a sure omen of failure and calamity. They arrived, however, at the Canary Islands, for which their command- er had steered directly, without injury, but with sufficient proof that their vessels were ill-fitted for a long and perilous navigation. Here, however, they were refitted, so far as was practicable, and proceeded on their way. On losing sight of these islands, many of the sailors became exceedingly dejected and dismayed, shedding tears and beating on their breasts, as if they were to perish in their wan- derings. Columbus promptly endeavored to soothe them by prospects of great wealth a- waiting their enjoyment in the regions to which they were proceeding. As other diffi- 62 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. culties arose, he met them with other expe- dients. Conckiding that the length of the voyage might excite their alarm, he told them that they had advanced only fifteen leagues -when they had actually run twenty ; and he employed the same device of short reckoning during the whole voyage. In like manner, when they felt apprehensive on observing that the magnetic needle varied towards the west, he declared that it did not point to the polar star, but to an object that was invisible. For such devices he has received commenda- tions, as showing his ability to control others. But let it be remembered, thnt though it is a tenet of the Romish faith that the end sanc- tifies the means, it is one which is absolutely indefensible. Only let it be assumed, that deception may be lawfully employed in a single case, and the way is opened for its adoption whenever any end that appears to be desirable is like- ly to be accomplished by such means. The highest authority declares, that " he that of- fendeth in one point is guilty of all." The only security against universal falsehood is, therefore, the invoilable maintenance of truth. DISCONTENT OF THE CREW. 53 Imminent dangers were now at hand. The crew, disaffected as they had become, were ready for mutiny. Columbus had observed the rising tumult, and labored to repress it. He succeeded in doir.g so, because they were accustomed to treat him with reverence ; but could they have discovered his habitual practice of deceit, it would probably have brought upon him a signal cha.stisement. The restoration of order was of short du- ration ; for, after seeing no object for thirty days but the sea and sky, fear became predo- minant, and impatience, rage, and despair,- were visible on every countenance. Even the officers, who had hitherto agreed with Co- lumbus, and supported his authority, now took part with the crew, and all required him in- stantly to return to Europe. Art, so long practised, was out of the question ; it only remained for him to entreat that they woul^j obey him for a short time longer. He did so,, with many hopes of the continuance and suc- cess of his enterprise. He had observed at- tentively the passage of flocks of birds. The sounding line, for some days, had reached the 54 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. bottom, and brought up soil, showing that land could not be far off. The crew of one of the small vessels saw a cane floating, which seemed to have been newly cut, and also a piece of timber artificially carved ; and the sailors of the other took up the branch of a tree, bearing red berries, and perfectly fresh. The clouds around the setting sun wore a new appearance ; the air w^as more mild and warm, and during the night, the wind became unequal and variable. Colum- bus was now so confident of being near land, that on the evening of the 1 1th of October, after public prayers for success, he ordered the sails to be furled, the ships to lie to, and strict watch to be kept, lest in the night they should be driven on the shore. The inter- val was one of suspense and expectation ; but the anxiety of no one could surpass that of Columbus. " Still self possessed, High on the deck he stood, disdaining rest ; (His amber chain, the only badge he bore ; His mantle blue, such as his fathers wore ;) Fathomed; with searching hand, the dark profound; And scattered hope and glad assurance round." \f^ DISCOVERY OF LAND. 55 About two hours before midnight, Colum- bus observed a light at a distance, and pri- vately pointed it out to Pedro Guttierez, a page of the queen's wardrobe, who, calHng to Salcedo, comptroller of the fleet, all three saw it moving, as if carried from place to place. Soon after midnight the joyful sound of "Land! land!" was heard from the Pinta, which always went before the other ships; but frequent disappointments had pro- duced a slowness of belief, and every one waited with intense anxiety the return of day. Welcome, beyond description, was the dawn of morning, which dispelled all their doubts and fears. About two leagues to the north, an island was seen by all, whose flat and verdant fields, w^ell-wooded, and watered with many rivulets, appeared as a delightful and productive country. The Te Deum was now sung, as a hymn of thanks- giving, amidst tears of joy and the most hearty congratulations. Columbus was at the same time especially remembered. Those whom he commanded besought his pardon for all past offences, and passing from one 56 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. extreme to another, declared the man whom they had so lately reviled and threatened, in- spired by Heaven to accomplish a design al- together unparalleled. At sun-rise, all the boats were manned and armed, and rowed towards the island, with their colors flying, with warlike music, and with all the pomp they could command. On approaching the coast, they saw it covered with a multitude of people, drawn together by so extraordinary a sight, and expressing by their attitudes and gestures the greatest astonishment. The first person who landed was Columbus, attired in a rich dress, and bearing in his hand a naked sword. He was followed by his men, who, kneeling down, kissed the ground they had so long desired to see, and then, after the manner of the Romish church, the fruitful source of idolatry, erected a crucifix, and prostrating themselves before it, offered their thanksgiv- ings to God for thus prospering their voyage. CHAPTER V. Landing on the great Bahama — the ist.and named san salvador — visit to cuba — pinzon leaves columbus. In proportion to the former dismay of the voyagers, was the exultation which Columbus and his followers now experienced. With all the formalities adopted by the Portuguese in their discoveries, they immediately took so- lemn posession of the country for the crown of Castile and Leon, a ceremony which the natives looking on were, of course unable to comprehend. All they witnessed, indeed, w^as calculated to fill them with wonder. The fair complexions of the Spaniards, their dress, their arms, were all surprising, while the vessels that seemed to move on the ocean with w4ngs, and uttered sounds like thunder, accompanied with flashes like lightning, struck them with awe ; so that they concluded their 58 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES, guests were superior beings — the children of the sun — who had descended to visit the earth. Scarcely inferior to the emotions of the na- tives were those of the Spaniards. The soil they traversed appeared rich, but with few marks of culture. The herbs, shrubs, and trees it bore, were all unlike those with which they had been familiar. They felt the cli- mate to be warm, though very delightful. The natives were well shaped and active, though not tall ; their complexion was of a dusky copper color ; with features singular rather than disagreeable. Their aspect gentle and timid, they were without clothing, their long and uncombed black hair floated on their shoulders, or was bound in tresses around their heads, and their faces and seve- ral parts of their bodies were fantastically painted with glaring colors. At first the natives were shy, but their fears were dispelled, and they soon became familiar with the Spaniards, who gave them, to their great joy, hawks'-bells, glass beads, or other baubles, and received in return such THE GREAT BAHAMA. 59 provisions as they had, and some cotton yarn, the only valuable commodity they could produce. Towards evening, Columbus returned to his ship ; accompanied by many of the islanders in their boats, called canoes, which, though rudely formed out of the trunk of a single tree, they rowed with great dex- terity. The parties, thus singularly brought together, were alike satisfied ; the Spaniards entertaining splendid expectations of the results they were to reap, the natives utterly ignorant of the calamities which would here- after be brought on their country. The island now discovered by the Spaniards was one of the Bahamas, which form a very extended and numerous group, of which five hundred have been counted, (but many of them are mere rocks and islets,) the group being successively parallel, first to Florida, then to Cuba and part of St. Domingo. The first part of the New World, thus made known, is called the Great Bahama. It is situated above 3,000 miles to the west of Gomera, from whence the squadron took its departure, and only four degrees to the south 6* 60 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. of it ; so little had Columbus deviated from the course he had wisely chosen to pursue. Assuming the title and authority of admi- ral and viceroy, he called the island San Salvador, employed the next day in visiting its coasts, and, seeing the natives universally poor, discovered that it was not the rich country he expected to find. Perceiving that most of the people wore in their nostrils small plates of gold, as ornaments, he eager- ly inquired where the precious metal was obtained, and gathered from the signs that were made, that it was derived from the south. In hope of finding the regions of wealth he had long been desiring, he took with him seven of the natives, that, by learning the Spanish language, they might serve as guides and interpreters. Observing several islands, he touched at three of the largest, gave them the names of St. Mary of the conception, Fernandina, and Isabella ; but as their soil, products, and in- habitants, nearly resembled those of San Salvador, he soon left them. Every where he mquired for gold, and as by signs he was VISIT TO CUBA. 61 still directed to the south, he speedily dis covered a country, not level, like those al- ready visited, but so extensive and diversifi- ed, that he was uncertain whether it would prove an island, or part of the continent. The natives who were with him, called it Cuba. With the country in which he was, Co- lumbus could not fail to be delighted. The river in which he anchored was one of trans- parent water, with its banks covered with forests of high and wide-spreading trees in all the luxuriance of a tropical clime. Some were adorned with beautiful flowers ; others were bearing fruits, and some exhibited, in rich fertility, both fruit and flowers. The trunks of the older trees were everywhere covered with a thick drapery of ferns, moss- es, and orchideous plants, which diffiised through the air the richest ordors. Here, too, were birds of brilliant plumage, and tribes of insects, arrayed in splendid gar- ments, which sparkle to the eye amidst the pure air and clear light of such regions, like so many briUiant gems. If, then, a modern 62 COLUMBUS AND HIS TDIES. visitor of one of these islands can scarcely define what most excites his admiration, the individual beauty and contrast of forms, " Or that eternal spring Which here enamels every thing," it can exite no surprise that Columbus should describe this place, which he had, at so much cost, discovered, in the warmest terms which his enthusiasm could employ. At the approach of Columbus, the inhabi- tants fled to the mountains. And as he re- solved to stop the leaks of his vessel there, he sent some Spaniards, together with one of the natives of San Salvador, to view the interior of the country. Having advanced above sixty miles from the shore, they report- ed, on their return, that the soil was richer and better cultivated than any they had be- fore seen ; that, besides many scattered cot- tages, they had found a village, containing above a thousand inhabitants^ that the peo- ple, though unclothed, appeared superior to those of San Salvador, and had treated them with the same respectful regard and rever- ence. They also stated that they had given VISIT TO CUBA. 63 them a certain root, the taste of which re- sembled roasted chesnuts, and likewise a singular species of corn called maize, w^hich, roasted whole or ground into meal, was very palatable ; that there seemed no quadrupeds in the country, — except a species of dog which could not bark, and a creature re- sembling a rabbit, but of a much smaller size ; and also, that they had observed some gold- en ornaments among the people, but of no great value. Some of the natives had been induced to accompany the messengers, who stated that the gold of which they made their ornaments was found in Cubanacan, meaning by that word the middle, or inland part of the island. But led by his own theory concerning the dis- covery of the East Indies, and by his igno- rance of their language, Columbus supposed that they spoke of the Great Khan, and that the wealthy kingdom of Cathay, described by Marco Polo, was not very remote. Still he did not find gold enough to satisfy the avarice of his followers, or the expecta- tions of the court which had sent him on its 64 COLUMBUS AND HIS TLMES. pursuit. The natives, astonished at his eager- ness for this metal, as the Spaniards were at their ignorance and simplicity, now pointed towards the east, where an island they called Hayti was situated, in which gold was more abundant than with them. Columbus ordered his vessels to proceed thither ; but Pinzon the captain of the Pinta, impatient to seize the treasures he supposed within reach, quitted his companions, regard- less of the signals of the admiral to slacken sail until they should come up with him. How important is it to avoid the first step to an evil course ! Pinzon had now taken one, the serious consequences of which will be hereafter perceived. CHAPTER VI. THE VISIT OK COLUMBUS TO HISPANIOLA— INTERESTING INCIDENTS FRIENDSHIP OF THE CHIEF GUACANAGARI — COLUMBUS LEAVES SOME OF HIS COMPANIONS ON THE ISLAND, AND RETURNS TO SPAIN — A FEARFUL HURRICANE — HE LANDS IN PORTUGAL. Columbus being abandoned by the Pinta, pursued his way, but being delayed by con- trary winds, he did not reach Hayti, or, as he called it, Hispaniola, so soon as he expected ; as he could neither meet the Pinta, nor obtain any intercourse with the inhabitants, who fled affrighted to the woods, he soon quitted St. Nicholas, as he named the first port he touch- ed at, and sailing along the northern coast, entered another harbor, which he called Con- ception. ' : Here his people overtook a woman who was fleeing from them, and after treating her with great gentleness, dismissed her with such toys as they knew were most acceptable 66 COLUMBUS AND HIS TLMES. among the islanders. The sight of these trinkets, and her description of the strangers, banished the fears of her countrymen, and so excited their desires for similar gifts, that many of them repaired to the harbor. The strange objects they beheld, and the gay baubles they received, amply gratified the cu- riosity and wishes they indulged. Like the people already visited, they were without clothing, ignorant of the common arts of hfe, and extremely credulous, especially as they, like others, considered the Spaniards descend- ed from heaven. The gold, they possessed in more abundance than their neighbors, they readily exchanged for bells, beads, and pins, the trifles by which imcivilized people have at all times been easily deluded. A cazique, or chief of the country, now visited Columbus. He appeared in all the pomp he could command, being carried in a kind of palanquin, or litter, on the shoulders of four men, and attended by many of his subjects, who treated him with great respect. His deportment was grave and stately, very reserved towards his own people, but ex- VISIT TO HISPANIOLA. 67 tremely courteous towards Columbus and his companions. He presented the admiral with some thin plates of gold, and a curiously wrought girdle, and received a piece of cloth, several amber beads, and a flask of orange flower water in return, which were very ac- ceptable. Columbus also showed the chief some Spanish coin, bearing the likenesses of Ferdinand and Isabella, and endeavored to ex- plain to him their power and grandeur. As another means of impressing his guests, the royal banner and the standard of the cross were brought forth; but they could notbeheve, in their simplicity, that such wonderful people and extraordinary things belonged to any part of the earth ; it appeared to them that the country and sovereigns of which they heard, must be in the skies. Still intent on finding mines of gold, he was directed, in answer to his urgent inqui- ries to a mountainous country, called Ciboa, at some distance from the sea and farther to the east. Struck again by this sound, which appeared to him the same with Cipango, the name given to Japan by Marco Polo and 7 68 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. other travelers, he directed his course east- ward, fully persuaded that the countries he discovered were near to the remote parts of Asia. On putting into a commodious har- bor, which he called St. Thomas, he found that district was governed by a powerful chief, one of five sovereigns among whom the whole island was divided. Guacanagari, as this chief was named, immediately sent messengers, who, in his name, presented to Columbus a mask curiously fashioned, with the ears, nose, and mouth of beaten gold, and also an invitation to visit him at his resi- dence, some leagues towards the east. Co- lumbus sent some of his officers to this prince, and they returned with such favorable ac- counts of the country and the people, as made him impatient to see them for himself With a tranquil sea and a fair wind, he left the harbor ; and as he had been too busy to sleep for the last two days, he sought re- pose at midnight, strictly charging the pilot, not, even for a moment, to quit the helm. He, however, dreading no danger, carelessly left it to an inexperienced cabinboy, and the WRECK OF THE SANTA MARIA. 69 ship, carried away by a current, was dashed against a rock. The violence of the shock awakened Columbus ; he ran up to the deck ; there all was confusion and despair ; but re- taining his presence of mind, he ordered some of the sailors to take a boat and carry out an anchor astern. They, on the contrary, made off -towards the Nigna, w^hich was about half a league distant. To lighten the ship, he commanded the masts to be cut down, but his orders were too late ; the vessel opened near the keel, and filled with water so rapidly that its loss was certain. The crew were providentially saved by the aid of boats from the Nigna, favored by the smooth- ness of the sea. The islanders no sooner heard of this disaster, than they crowded to the shore, headed by their chief, and so far from increasing the distress of the Spaniards, sincerely bewailed their calamity with tears. They also rendered them real service by put- ting to sea a number of canoes, to save whatever could be obtained from the wreck, and assisted by so many persons, almost everything of value was carried ashore. 70 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. The chief took charge of them as fast as they were landed ; hj his orders they were all deposited in one place, and armed sentinels were appointed, not only to prevent the na- tives from stealing, but from too curiously examining what belonged to the Spaniards. On the following morning, the chief visited Columbus on board the Nigna, endeavoring to console him by offering all he possessed to repair his loss. Most distressing, indeed, were the circum- stances of Columbus. As yet he had heard no tidings of the Pinta, and concluded that Pinzon had set sail for Europe, to bear the intellio^ence of the discoveries that had been made, and, as far as possible, to deprive him of the honor and reward to which he was entitled. Only one vessel remained — the smallest and most crazy of the three — to traverse so vast an ocean, and to carry so many persons back to Spain. The mind of Columbus was well-nigh overwhelmed ; but it became him to lose no time in counteract- ing the designs of one whom he deemed a most treacherous associate. He resolved, ERECTION OF A FORT. 71 however, from the difficulty of taking so many on board the Nigna, from the fertihty of the country, and from the gentleness and kindness of the people, to leave a part of his crew on the island. He considered, too, that they might learn the language of the natives, study their character, examine their country, wSearch for mines, and prepare for the es- tablishment of the colony with which he pro- posed to return. When his men heard this, they approved of his design, and some even voluntarily offered to be among those who should remain. In an interview with the chief, Columbus expressed, by broken words and signs, as well as he could, some curiosi- ty to learn why the islanders fled so hastily at the approach of his vessels. Guacanagari replied, that incmsions were often made by certain people he called Caribs, who inhabit- ed several islands to the south-east. He de- scribed them as a fierce and warlike race, who delighted in blood, and ate the flesh of their unhappy prisoners ; and as it had been supposed that the Spaniards were some of these people, the natives, who durst not face 72 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. them in battle, sought safety by retreating to the most impenetrable woods. The chief, while speaking of these terrific invaders, ap- peared so much alarmed, and so conscious of the inability of his people to repel them, that Columbus felt the opportunity he had been seeking had arrived for the proposal he wished to make. Seizing it therefore, he engaged to take the chief and his subjects under the protection of the powerful monarch whom he served, and offered to leave on the island a sufficient force to defend them from future invasion, and avenge their past wrongs. Most gladly was the proposal accepted. Ground was cleared for a small fort ; a deep ditch was thrown around it ; the ramparts w^ere fortified with palisades; and the great guns saved from the admiral's ship, were planted upon them. In a few days, the work was completed, the natives laboring diligently to erect this first instrumental means for their own bondage ; and Columbus mean- while endeavoring, by caresses and liberality, to raise their opinions of the Spaniards to a still greater height. ERECTION OF A FORT. 73 As the fortress was proceeding, the cazique gave the admiral, from day to day, fresh proofs of friendship and kindness. Columbus was treated by him, whenever he went on shore, w^ith the greatest hospitality ; the largest house in the place was made ready to receive him : it was strewed with palm leaves, and furnished with stools of a jet-like wood ; and whenever he visited it, some jewel of gold was hung around his neck, or some present made him of similar value. On one occasion, Guacanagari, attended by five tributary chieftains, each one bearing a coronet of gold, met Columbus on his landing, and conducted him with great re- spect to this dwelling. Seating him on one of the chairs, Guacanagari removed his own coronet of gold, and placed it on the head of the admiral, w^ho, in return, took from his own neck a collar of fine colored beads, with which he adorned that of the cazique, investing him with a mantle of fine cloth, which he wore, giving him also a pair of colored boots, and putting a large silver ring on his finger. 74 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. Wishing to show the Indians how signally they could punish, and destroy their foes, Columbus drew up his men in order of bat- tle, and made a display of the sharpness and power of their weapons. Strangers to the use of iron, and only acquainted with arrows of reeds pointed with the bones of fishes, w^ooden swords, and javehns hardened in the fire, these rude people wondered and tremb- led. To increase the effect he had now pro- duced, he ordered the great guns to be fired, and the sudden explosion struck them with such terror, that they fell flat on the ground, covering their faces with their hands. When they beheld the effects of the bullets on the trees towards which the guns had been pointed, they concluded it was impossible to resist men who could use such instruments, and who were armed w^ith thunder and light- ning against their foes. Having thus produced the impression he intended on the minds of the natives, Colum- bus appointed thirty-eight of his people to continue among them, under the command of Diego de Arana, a gentleman of Cordova^ PART OF THE CREW LEFT. 75 investing him with the same powers which he had received, and providing him with ample means of subsistence and defence. He offered suitable advice to the commander, and to those who were to obey him, promised to visit them soon, and favorably to mention them to their sovereign. The parting be- tween the Spaniards who embarked, and those who remained, was painful; but it w^as relieved by mutual promises and ex- pressions of good-will. At length, the se- paration took place ; those on board gave a parting cheer to their comrades on shore, and by these it was returned with feehngs it is difficult to conceive. The leaky state of his vessel, and the anxiety of his men to make know-n what they had seen, urged Columbus to hasten his voy- age to Europe. He had on board some of the natives, whom he had taken from the different islands he had discovered ; and be- sides the gold, the chief object of pursuit, he had specimens of the productions likely to become useful in commerce, as w^ell as many unknown birds and other natural curiosities. 76 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. After being at sea about two days, the Pinta was descried at a distance, and soon after came sailing towards them. As Colum- bus saw it was vain to contend with the wind that was adverse, he put back into a bay, and was followed by the other vessel. Pinzon endeavored to find excuses for his conduct, but Columbus was satisfied that it was to be traced to selfish motives. Avarice had be- come his ruling passion. He had obtained a large quantity of gold, one half of which he had kept as captain, and the other he had given to his men to secure their secrecy and fidehty. He had also forcibly carried off four Indian men and two girls whom he in- tended to sell in Spain. Not long after, they arrived at the river where Pinzon had been trading, when Columbus obliged him, though very reluctant, to restore these persons to their homes ; and they were, therefore, dis- missed, well clothed, and w^ith many presents. A little beyond the headland now known as Cape Cabron, they cast anchor in a vast bay, or rather gulf. On landing, the natives appeared of a ferocious aspect and a warlike A FEARFUL HURRICANE. 77 character. They were hideously painted, decorated with the gaudy feathers of birds, and armed with various weapons. One of them came on board the ship, where he w^as regaled, and sent on shore with various presents, in the hope of opening a trade for gold with his companions. As the boat ap- proached the land, upwards of fifty armed savages appeared lurking among the trees, but a sign from the Indian led them to lay down their arms, and to come forth to meet the Spaniards. The latter tried to purchase some of their weapons, and obtained tw^o bows, but a collision arose, — two of the Indians were wounded, and the rest put to flight. The day after, a multitude appearing en the beach, Columbus sent a large and well-armed party ashore, but the natives showed no sings of either fear or mahce. On the contrary, the chief, who was among them, sent a string of shells, which the Spaniards understood was a token of peace, and entering the boat with only three attendants was conveyed to the vessel. All appeared highly gratified 78 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. with their entertainment, and as he could not repeat his visit, the chieftain sent the admiral his coronet of gold. The voyage was prosperous for nearly a month, but, at length, the wind began to rise, and increased until there was a furious hurri- cane. Columbus employed all his skill and experience to save the ships ; but as they were still far from land, and exposed to the fury of the storm, destruction seemed inevit- able. The sailors had now recourse to vows and charms, and the invocation of saints, vainly expecting from them deliverance. "What a fearful error was this ! " There is one God," says the apostle Paul, " and one meditator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." But the title which Scripture assigns to Christ alone, is transferred by the Romish church to created beings, or, at the least, is shared by them along with him. Thus they are invested with a part of his special dignity, and he is robbed of his glory. Nor is the practice so palpably crimi- nal, free from the grossest absurdity. How can a merely human being be present with A FEARFUL HUKRICAXE. 79 more than one votary at a time ? And yet it is supposed that thousands may be heard at the same moment, and also be assisted. Columbus now ordered a number of beans equal to that of the persons on board, to be put into a cap, one of them being marked with the sign of the cross. Each one made a vow that if he drew forth the marked bean, he would go as a pilgrim to the shrine of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, bearing a wax taper of five pounds weight. The lot fell on Columbus, the first to put in his hand, and from that moment he felt bound to per- form his vow. Other lots were cast in the same way, in the hope, by such engage- ments, of securing the favor of that God who demands not Ihe outward service, but the offering of the heart. How different to the condition of these superstitious mariners, are the circumstances of those who have boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the precious blood of Christ, looking only to the atonement of an almighty Saviour, and not seeking the intercession of those who were men of like passions with 80 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. ourselves! Truly and beautifully has our poet Montgomery said — " A sigh can waft them to His feet in prayer, Not Gabriel bends with more acceptance tbere^ Nor to the throne from heaven's pure altar rise The odors of a sweeter sacrifice, Than when before the mercy-seat they kneel. And tell Him all they fear, or hope, or feel ; Perils without, aad enemies within, Satan, the world, temptation,, weakness, sin.*,. Yet rest unshaken in his sure defence, Invincible through his omnipotence. * Oh ! step by step,' they cry, ' direct our way, And give tby grace, like manna, day by dayv The store of yesterday will not suffice ; To-morrow's sun to us may never rise ; Safe only, when our souls are stayed on Thee ; Rich only, when we know our poverty.* " In addition to feelings common to men in such fearful circumstances, Columbus dread- ed the loss of all knowledge of his discover- ies, and of all the benefit that might accrue from them, and also that he should hereafter be considered as a rash and deluded adven- turer, instead of receiving the honor to which he was fairly entitled. In these considera- tions he lost all sense of personal danger ; but, anxious to preserve the knowledge of what he had attempted and achieved, he wrote on parchment a short account of the voyage he A FEARFUL HURRICANE, 8 1 had made, the situation and riches of the coun- try he had discovered, and of the colony he had left, and having wrapped it up in an oil- ed cloth, which he enclosed in a cake of wax, he put it into a cask carefully stopped up, and threw it into the sea, in the hope that it might thus be preserved, even if the ships were lost. Columbus was at no great distance from the coast of Spain, when another storm arose, little inferior to the former in violence, and after being driven before it during two days and two nights, he was compelled to take re- fuge in the river Tagus. On applying to the King of Portugal, he was allowed to proceed to Lisbon, and though the Portuguese were envious of the success of another nation in an enterprise which they had considered pe- culiarly their own, Columbus was received with special marks of distinction. Still there were some w^ho cherished very different feelings to those which might thus be supposed to be exercised. Though Co- lumbus, so far from entering the Tagus by choice, was compelled to take shelter in it 82 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. 3oreIy against his inclination, yet a Portu- guese historian states that he entered Lisbon with a vain-glorious exultation, in order to make Portugal fee], by displaying the tokens of his discovery, how much she had erred in not acceding to his proposition. Another Portuguese writer, in describing this visit, says, that the king, being informed of his arrival, commanded him into his pre- sence, and appeared to be annoyed that the discovery of Columbus had been made Avith- in the seas and boundaries of his seigniory of Guinea, which might give rise to disputes. He also describes the king as vexed by the exaggerations of the admiral, and as accus- ing himself of negligence in having declined the enterprise from a want of confidence in it, when his assistance was first besought. He then adds: "And notwithstanding the king was importuned to kill him on the spot, since, with his death, the prosecution of the undertaking, so far as the sovereigns of Cas- tile were concerned, would cease, from want of a suitable person to take charge of it ; and notwithstanding this might be done without RECEPTION AT PORTUGAL. 83 suspicion of the king's being privy to it, (for, inasmuch as the admiral was overbear- ing and puffed up by his success, they could easily bring it about that his own indiscre- tion should appear the cause of his death,) yet the king, as he was a prince greatly fearing God, not only forbade this, but even showed the admiral much favor, and dismiss- ed him." It is painful to record the sugges- tions of such great depravity; but man, wherever he is found, exhibits corruptions which, unrestrained, will plunge him into the most atrocious crimes. How important is it, then, that every one of us should seek " a new heart, and a right spirit!" May the reader say in sincerity and truth — " Redeemer of the lost, Thy blood the ransom's cost, Thy ^race afford ; The faith, the virtue give, On Thee, to Thee to live. My life, my Lord. '^ Spirit of quickening might, Fountain of love and light, Thyself impart; And with thine influence sweet, Most blessed Paraclete, Possess my heart." CHAPTER VII. COLUMBUS ENTERS THE HARBOR OF PALOS— HIS JOURNEY TO BAR- CELONA— SPLENEID RECEPTION BY THE SOVEREIGNS — VIEWS TAKEN OF HIS DISCOVERIES — MORTIFICATION AND DEATH OF PINZON. On the 15th of March, 1493, exactly seven months and eleven days after his de- parture, the well-known vessel of Columbus was observed by the little community of Pa- los entering the harbor. To describe the feelings now so strongly excited, is absolute- ly impossible. The dwellers in that incon- siderable port had experienced the most stormy and disastrous winter within the re- collection of the oldest mariners; and as most of them had relations and friends on board, imagination had long since consigned them to a watery grave. With the greatest eagerness, therefore, RECEPTION IN SPAIN. 85 they had hastened to the shore. In propor- tion to the prevalence of fear, was now that of their dehght ; and as they beheld not only the countenances of their kindred and com- panions, but abundant proofs that their en- terprise had been successful, they burst forth in loud acclamations of joy. As soon as Columbus had landed, the whole population accompanied him and his crew to the principal church, w^here thanks- givings were presented for their auspicious return ; an example which it would be well if those who see the wonders of God in the deep would generally follow, on their return from a long and dangerous voyage. Pinzon had been separated from Colum- bus during the storm, and had made the port of Bayonne. Anxious to secure his own in- terests, he wrote to the sovereigns, appriz- ing them of the discovery he had made, and requesting permission to come to court to communicate the particulars of his enterprise. He had felt some doubts whether Columbus had survived the tempest, but, on entering the harbor of Palos, he beheld his vessel 86 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. riding at anchor. By a singular coincidence, Columbus had gained the port in the morn- ing of the same day, and at the sight, the heart of Pinzon died within him. It might have been otherwise ; but he had taken his own course, and his villany was deservedly punished. His conduct reminds us of the proneness of man to change. He was one of the first to aid Columbus in carrying out his enterprise — he was the first to abandon him. How important is the charge, " Cease from man !" how desirable is it that we should trust in the Lord for ever ! Columbus was too anxious to present him- self to the sovereigns, to stay long at Palos. He was accompanied by several of the island- ers, arrayed in the native costume, and de- corated with collars, bracelets, and other ornaments of gold, rudely fashioned. He exhibited also considerable quantities of the same metal in dust, or crude masses; and among them, it is said, a lump of gold, fashioned into a vessel for containing the wafer used in the sacrement of the Romish church. In addition to these specimens of RECEPTION IN SPAIN. 87 the precious metal, there were numerous exotic plants, both aromatic and medicinal, several species of quadrupeds unknown in Europe, and birds, whose varieties of splen- did plumage gave brillancy to the singular and striking spectacle. Multitudes collected through the country to behold objects so extraordinary, and the more extraordinary individual, who, in the emphatic language of that period, but which familiarity has deprived of its force, first ex- hibited to view a "new world." As he passed through the populous and busy city of Seville, every window, balcony, and house- top, which could afford a glimpse of him, is described as being crowded with spectators. It was the middle of April before Colum- bus reached Barcelona ; at the gates of which he was received by the nobility and cavaliers attending the court, accompanied by the au- thorities of the city. Escorted by them to the royal presence, Ferdinand and Isabella, who were seated, with their son Prince John, under a superb canopy of state awaiting his arrival, rose on his approach, and extend- 88 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. ing their hands for him to salute, caused him to be seated before them. These were un- precedented marks of condescension to a per- son of the rank of Columbus, in the ceremo- nious and haughty court of Castile. But the honors hitherto reserved only for rank, or fortune, or military success, purchased by the tears, groans, and blood, of thousands, were now rendered to him, who long suppli- cated aid, and could obtain no audience. After a brief interval, the sovereigns ask- ed Columbus for a recital of his adventures, and he proceeded to detail them, in a manner at once sedate and dignified ; but at length, glowing with the warmth of his enthusiasm, he enumerated the various islands he had visited, expatiated on the character of the climate, and described the capacity of the soil for agricultural purposes, appealing at the same time to the samples he had brought as specimens of its natural fertility. He dwelt more at large on the precious metals to be found in these islands, inferring less from the specimens actually obtained, than from the uniform testimony of the natives to ACTS OF ATTENTION. 89 their abundance in the unexplored regions of the interior. He alluded also to the wide scope afforded for the influence of the doc- trines, which he, in common with those whom he addressed, had received. The emotions of his hearers were exceedingly various, as they w^ere impelled by the pros- pects of ambition, the longings of avarice, or a concern to diffuse the system of popery. At the close of his address, the king and queen, together with all present, fell on their knees to offer thanksgivings, while the choir of the royal chapel sang the Te Deum, as in commemoration of some signal victory. Columbus, during his residence in Barce-> lona, continued to receive the most honora- ble distinctions which the Spanish* sovereigns could confer. When Ferdinand rode abroad, he was accompanied by the admiral, w^ho proceeded by his side. The courtiers also, emulating their master, gave frequent enter- tainments, at which he was tieated as a noble of the highest class. Among the various acts of attention he received, Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, the 90 COLUMBUS AND HIS TBIES. grand cardinal of Spain, invited him to a banquet, and had him served with the cere- monies usually offered to sovereigns. A courtier, dissatisfied with this treatment, ab- ruptly asked Columbus whether he thought other men would not have discovered the Indies if he had failed. Columbus is said to have made no immediate reply, but taking an egg, to have invited the compa:iy to make it stand on one end. All attempted to do so, but in vain ; on which, striking it on the table, he left it standing on the broken part; thus showing, that, when he had pointed out the way to the new world, it was very easy to follow it. What a contrast was presented in these circumstances to those of former days ! The difference is great between the stranger at the convent of Rabida, and the favored one of the court of Spain; but other vicissitudes were afterwards to be experienced. Truly, " man, at his best estate, is altogether vani- ty." "Would that a full conviction of this pervaded every mind ! DIFFUSION OF HIS FAME. 91 " Ah ! when did wisdom covet length of days ? Or seek bliss in pleasure, wealth, or praise ? No : wisdom views, with an indifferent eye, All infinite joys, all blessings born to die. The soul on earth is an immortal guest, Compelled to starve at an unreal feast ; A spark that upward tends by nature's force; A stream diverted from its parent source { A drop dissevered from the boundless sea; A moment parted from eternity ; A pilgrim panting for a rest to come ; An exile anxious for his native home." The fame acquired at this time by Colum- bus, was not limited to Spain or Portugal ; it was diffused throughout Europe. The multitude, struck with amazement at what they heard, could hardly believe that a new world had been discovered ; but men of sci- ence, able to understand the character and results of such enterprise, received the ac- count of it with admiration and joy. They spoke of it with great delight, and congra- tulated one another on having lived at a time when the boundaries of human knowledore were so far extended, that mankind would be led to a full acquaintance with the struc- ture and productions of the globe. Various opinions were formed as to the 9 92 COLUMBUS AND HIS TMES. newly- discovered countries, and the division of the earth to which they belonged. Co- lumbus considered, as he had done before, that they should be reckoned a part of those vast regions of Asia, to which had been assigned the general name of India. The productions of the countries he had discover- ed confirmed this sentiment. In India, gold was known to abound ; and the samples he had gathered from the island he had ^^sited, led him to believe that rich mines of the pre- cious metal might there be found. There, too, cotton, another production of India, was common; the pimento of the islands, he supposed to be a species of Indian pep- per ; and he mistook a root resembling rhu- barb for that valuable drug, which was then supposed to be peculiar to India. The birds he had brought home were adorned with the same rich plumage which arrayed those of India ; and the alligator of the one country appeared the same with the crocodile of the other. On weighing these circumstances, the opinion of Columbus seems to have been adopted throughout Europe ; the countries. DEATH OF PINZON. 93 which he had discovered being considered as a part of India. In consequence of this no- tion, the name of Indies was given to them by Ferdinand and Isabella, in ratifying their former ao;reement. And thouojh the error was afterwards detected, and the true posi- tion of the New World was ascertained, the name was continued, and the appellation of West Indies became familiar, as it is to this day. To the popularity of Columbus at this period, there was a great contrast in the cir- cumstances of Pinzon. From some motive, either of shame or fear, he sought refuge in privacy, waiting the reply of the sovereigns to his letter. Its arrival served only to increase his mortification ; for it severely re- proached him for his vile conduct, and for- bade his appearance at court. Most bitterly did he feel this communication; it greatly increased a malady from which he was suffer- ing, and a few days after he died. CHAPTER Vm. PREPARATIONS FOR A SECOND VOYAGE — APPLICATION TO THE POPE — DISSATISFACTION OF PORTUGAL WITH THE ENTERPRISE OF SPAIN— DEPARTCRE OF COLUMBDS AND HIS FLEET. Preparations were now made for prosecut- ing the discoveries of Columbus on a scale proportioned to their supposed importance. A board was established for the direction of Indian affairs, at the head of which was Juan de Fonseca, archdeacon of Seville, an active and ambitious ecclesiastic, who was afterwards raised to high episcopal office, and whose ability for business enabled him to control the department he thus superin- tended during the whole of the present reign. An office for the transaction of business was instituted at Seville, and a custom-house placed under its direction at Cadiz, in which originated the important establishment of the India House. PREPARATIONS FOR A SECOND VOYAGE. 95 The commercial regulations adopted, were, however, of a narrow kind. Instead of the new territories being allowed free intercourse with nations, they were opened only, under strict limitations, to Spanish subjects, and were reserved, as forming in some way part of the exclusive revenue of the crown. All persons, of whatever description, were inter- dicted, under the severest penalties, not only from trading with, but even visiting the Indies, without license from the constituted authorities. And so strong and minute were the regulations made, that it would seem to have been impossible to evade them. In reference to the support of the infant colony, a more sagacious spirit prevailed. Grain, plants, the seeds of numerous vegeta- ble products, which, in the genial climate of the Indies, might be desirable for domestic consumption or export, were liberally afford- ed. All kinds of commodities for the supply of the fleet were exempted from duty. Ar- tizans of every sort, provided with the im- plements they needed, and miners prepared for their work, were enrolled in the expedi- 96 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. tioii. An ordinance somewhat arbitrary too, required the owners of all vessels throughout the ports of Andalusia to hold them in readi- ness for the expedition, and orders were issued to impress officers and men, if neces- sary, into the service. Coercion at this time appears to have been unnecessary. The Spaniards, little accus- tomed to naval expeditions, yet excited by what they saw and heard, were impatient to set out on this enterprise. Volunteers of every rank solicited to be employed, allured by the prospects which opened to their am- bition and avarice. Ferdinand, cautious as he was, and adverse to every thing new and adventurous, appears to have caught the spirit of his subjects. Preparations for the expedition were therefore carried on with great rapidity. The gross superstition that prevailed, led to an application to the pope, who was sup- posed to have a right to all the kingdoms of the earth, for a grant of the territories it was wished to occupy. The pontiff at this tune was Alexander VI. APPLICATION TO THE POPE. 97 As the pope was born the subject of Fer- dinand, and was anxious to secure the pio- tection of Spain, to accomplish his own purposes, he promptly complied with this request. The act was not only without cost, but likely to prove very profitable to himself, yet in the blasphemous style that was adopt- ed, he, "out of pure liberality, infallible knowledge, and plenitude of apostolic pow- er," confirmed the Spanish monarchs in the possession of all lands discovered, or here- after to be discovered, by them in the West- ern Ocean ; comprehending the same exten- sive rights as those formerly conceded to the kings of Portugal. To prevent any confusion in the two grants, it was ordered by the pope that a line supposed to be drawn from pole to pole, a hundred leagues to the westward of the Azores, should serve as a limit between the two kingdoms; and thus he granted all to the east of this imaginary line to the Portu- guese, and all to the west of it to the Span- iards. The motive assigned for seeking and also 98 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. for granting this favor, was zeal for the pro- motion of Christianity. Several friars, un- der the direction of father Boyle, a Catalo- nian monk, as vicar apostolic, were appoint- ed to accompany Columbus, and the Indians had administered to them the rite of baptism. Effort was then apparent, as it often is on the part of the church of Rome, to hold the consciences of men in the direst bondage. The court of Lisbon meanwhile beheld with secret disquietude the increasing enter- prise of its neighbors. The Portuguese had been only timidly creeping along the shores of Africa, while the Spaniards, boldly launch- ing into the deep, had secured the possession of unknown realms, which teemed, as they supposed, with inestimable treasures. The mortification they felt was greatly increased by the reflection, that all this success might have been their own, had they but accepted the proposals of Columbus. No sooner, therefore, was the success of the admiral established, than John II. sought some pretence to check the career of dis- covery, or, at least, to secure some of its DISSATISFACTION OF PORTUGAL. 99 spoils. In his interviews with Columbus at Lisbon, he intimated that the discoveries of the Spaniards might interfere with the rights secured to the Portuguese by the sanction of the pope; but the admiral, without entering into discussion, simply declared that he had been instructed to steer clear of all Portuguese settlements on the African coast ; and that his course had been in an entirely different direction. John professed himself satisfied with the explanation; but the following cir- cumstances will show that this was merely pretence. Soon after this conversation, he despatch- ed an ambassador to Barcelona, who, after dwelling on various irrelevant topics, touch- ed, as it were incidentally, on what was the real object of his mission. He congratulated the Spanish sovereigns on the success of their enterprise, alluded to the civilities of the court of Lisbon to Columbus, acknowl- edged the satisfaction of his master with the directions to him to hold a westerly course from the Canaries, and expressed a hope that there would be no interference with the 100 COLmiBUS AND HIS TDIES. rights of Portugal, by any deviation to the south. This was the first occasion on which the existence of such claims had been inti- mated. Ferdinand and Isabella now heard that John was equipping a considerable armament to anticipate or defeat their recent discover- ies. This led to immediate communication ^^*ith the court of Lisbon, and to hastening the departure of Columbus. The comple- ment of the fleet was originally fixed at 1,200 souls, which was eventually swelled to 1,500 ; and the whole squadron consisted of seventeen vessels, three of them of one hundred tons burden each. As soon as every arrangement was complete, Columbus, who was accompanied by his two sons Diego and Ferdinando, dropped down the Guadalquiver, and left the bay of Cadiz on the 25th of September 1493, presenting a striking con- trast to the commencement of his first voyage only a year before. When the fleet had weighed anchor, the Spanish sovereigns immediately despatched an embassy composed of two persons of dis- PLOT OF THE PORTUGUESE. 101 tinguished rank, to communicate its depart- ure to the king of Portugal. After stating various circumstances connected with what had been done, and the security to the Span- iards by the pope of the exclusive right of discovery in the western ocean, they offered to refer any matter of dispute to the court of Rome, or any common umpire. John was deeply chagrined at the departure of Co- lumbus, of which he was now apprised : he saw that, while he was amused with nego- tiation, his rivals had acted with energy, and throwing out hints of an immediate rupture, attempted, it is said, to intimidate the am- bassadors, by bringing them as if by acci- dent into the presence of a splendid array of cavalry, ready for immediate service. He then vented his spleen on the embassy, and treated those who composed it w^ith personal disrespect. It was long before this misunder- standing was adjusted. CHAPTER IX. SECOND VOYAGE OF COLCMBUS — DISCOVERY OF VARIOCS ISLA.VDS — EETCRN TO HISPANnOLA— ITS HISTORY DCRIXG HIS ABSE^•CE CONSPIRACY AGAl-NSr COLCMBCS — EXaMINaTIOX OF THE ISLAND. The voyage of Columbus proceeded hap- pily, and he soon made land. It was one of the Caribbee or Leward Islands, which he called Deseada, from the impatience of his- crew to discover some part of the New" World. He visited after this, Dominica, Marigalante, Guadaloupe, Antigua, San Juan de Puerto Rico, and several other islands, scattered in his way, as he advanced to the north-west. All these islands he found in- habited by that fierce race of people, whose character and expeditions rendered them the terror of these seas. As Columbus was eager to known the state of the colony he had planted, and to SECOND VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS. 103 furnish it with the supphes he supposed it needed, he proceeded, without any tarry- ing at these islands, to Hispaniola. On arriving off the station where he had left his men under the command of Aran a, he expected that they would receive their coun- trymen with the greatest joy ; but to his astonishment none of them appeared. Anx- ious about their safety, and fearing some evil had befallen them, he rowed directly to land, but the natives who might have given him information, had fled, the fort he had built was entirely demolished, and tattered gar- ments, and broken arms and utensils, were scattered about. The loss of the garrison now appeared obvious. The Spaniards were weepincr over this supposed catastrophe, when a brother of the cacique appeared, and described what had occurred since the departure of Columbus from the island. The people he had left had totilly disregarded the instructions he had given them, and every one had supposed himself at liberty to gratify his own desires. Divided into small parties, they roamed over 10 104 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. the whole island, with the greatest insolence and rapacity, until the people, gentle and timid as they were, had their patience ex- hausted, and their courage roused, by in- juries so great and unprovoked. One means of summary punishment appear- ed. The cacique of Cibao, whose country the Spaniards chiefly infested on account of the gold it contained, surprised and cut off several of them while thinking themselves as secure as if they had committed no evil He then assembled his people and set the fort on fire, in the defence of which some of the Spaniards were killed, while the rest perished in an arm of the sea, while striving to make their escape. What a contrast to these wretched men appeared in Guacanagari ! Though their exactions had been great, his fidelity was unshaken ; he took arms in their behalf, and in endeavoring to defend them had received a wound, which confined him to his dwelling. The Spaniards were not without suspicions of the fidehty of this chief, but Columbus rejected the advice w^hich several of them RETURN TO HISPANIOLA. 105 offered, to seize his person, and avenge the death of their countrymen, by attacking his subjects. Taking precautions against future injury, he chose a situation more heahhy and commodious than Navidad, the first one se- lected, traced out the plan of a town in a large plain near a spacious bay, and obliged every person to aid in a work on w'hich their common safety depended. The houses and ramparts were consequently so far advanced by united labor, as speedly to afford them shelter and defence, and this rising city, the first that the Europeans founded in the New World, he named Isabella, in honor of the queen of Castile. Many difficulties were encountered in carry- ing on this work, not only in common with all such labors, but particularly from the cir- cumstances of the Spaniards. Not a few of them, from their rank in life, were unaccus- tomed to bodily toil, and the minds of all were excited by the exaggerated represen- tations of their countrymen, who returned from the first voyage, or by the mistaken opinions of Columbus. He supposed that 106 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. the country he had discovered was either the Cipango of Marco Polo, or the Ophir from which Solomon imported so many precious commodities. Bat now his companions who expected to reap a golden harvest without toil or care, seeing that the prospect of wealth was remote and uncertain, and only to be obtained by slow and persevering ef- forts, sunk into despondency. In vain did their commander point to the fertility of the soil, and to the specimens of gold daily brought in from the different parts of the island ; for the returns which the land might yield they had no patience to wait, and they despised these portions of the precious metal as scanty and inconsiderable. So far did discontent and disaffection spread, that a conspiracy was formed, which might have proved fatal to Columbus and the colony; but he happily discovered it, and, seizing the ringleaders, punished some of them, and sent others as prisoners to Spain. Thither he dispatched twelve of the ships which had served as transports, with an urgent request EXPEDITION TO CIEAO. 107 for a large supply of provisions and a rein- forcement of men. As an antidote to the evils produced by in- activity, Columbus determined to send seve- ral expeditions into the interior of the country. One detachment proceeded under the com- mand of Alonzo de Ojeda, a vigilent and enterprising officer, to visit the district of Cibao, which was said to contain the great- est quantity of gold. Columbus followed him in person with the main body of his troops, displaying all the military pomp he could command ; marching with flying colors, and martial music, while a small body of cavalry paraded sometimes in front, and at others in the rear. As horses had never before been seen in the New World, they were received with mingled feelings by the Indians, who supposed that the horse and the rider formed one animal, surprising in speed, and irresistible in strength. Aiming in this way to impress the natives with a dread of his power, he treated them also with integrity and kindness. The dis- trict of Cibao proved to be what it had been 10« 108 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. described, mountainous and uncultivated, yet in every river and brook, gold in dust or grains, some of which were of a considerable size, might be gathered. The Indians had employed no other means to obtain it ; the skill of the miner and the refiner was to them unknown; — but the Spaniards saw enough to persuade them that beneath the surface of the earth there were treasures of which they hoped to be masters. To secure so valuable a province, Columbus erected a small fort, which he called St. Thomas, to ridicule the incredulous among his followers, who would not believe that the country yielded gold, till they saw it with their eyes, and touched it with their hands. The natives appeared generally well dis- posed towards their visitors. When any of them came near a village, the most elderly and venerable of the Indians, or the cacique himself, came forth to meet them, and con- ducting them into their habitations, seated them on stools of ebony, which were curi- ously carved. These appear to have been seats of honor, for the natives throwing KLVDNESS OF THE NATIVES. 109 themselves on the ground, and kissing the hands and feet of the Spaniards, offered them fruits, and the choicest food they could pre- sent. At the same time, they entreated them to prolong their stay, with so much solicitude and reverence, as showed that they consider- ed them beings of a superior order. The discovery of gold might be pronounc- ed seasonable; for serious evils were being experienced. The slock of provisions brought from Europe, were either nearly consumed, or rendered by the climate unfit for use ; the produce obtained from the ground by the natives was scarcely sufficient for their own subsistence ; and the Spaniards at Isabella had not the means of reaping any consider- able fruit of their own industry. All were therefore reduced to a scanty allowance, and famine stared them in the face. Sickness, at the same time, prevailed ; and, alarmed at the unusual symptoms of the maladies by which they were attacked, the Spaniards ex- claimed against Columbus and his former companions, who had allured them to a bar- barous region, to be cut off by famine or 110 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. disease. Several of the officers and other persons of note, so far from checking, joined in, these violent complaints, and father Boyle, the vicar-apostolic, was one of the most tur- bulent and outrageous. The address and authority of Columbus were therefore called into action, threats and promises were also employed ; but nothing contributed more to allay discontent than the hope of finding in the mines of Cibao an ample compensation for all that had been endured. CHAPTER X. VOYAGE OP COLD.MBUS — HE MEETS D.VEIPECTEDLY HI3 BROTHER BARTHOLOMEW ACCUSATION AQAINST THE ADMIRAL — HE PRO- CEEDS TO SPAIN — CONDUCT OF BARTHOLOMEW DURING HIS AB- SENCE. As soon as order and peace were restored, Columbus resolved to pursue his discoveries, and appointed his brother Diego, with the assistance of a council of officers, to govern the island during his absence. He also gave the command of a body of soldiers, who were to visit different parts of the island, and endeavor to establish the authority of the Spaniards among the inhabitants, to Pedro Margarita. Having giving them full instruc- tions as to their conduct, he weighed anchor with one ship and two small barks, and during a voyage of full five months, attended 112 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. by numerous hardships, he only discovered the island of Jamaica. Ranging along the southern coast of Cuba, he was entangled by a great number of small islands, which he called the Queen's Garden, and in this unknown course among rocks and shelves, he was delayed by contrary winds, assailed by furious storms, and alarm- ed by the thunder and lightning so very pre- valent between the tropics. The necessities and sufferings of his crew exposed him to the most imminent peril, and on no occasion w^re his skill and experience as a navigator more severely tried. It cannot excite sur- prise that he should acutely suffer from such continued and unremitted exertion as he had now to endure ; an attack of fever was fol- lowed by a lethargy that deprived him of sense and memory, and nearly proved fatal. Some incidents that occurred during his stay are worthy of notice. On one occasion, a venerable old man, a native of Cuba, ap- proached Columbus with great reverence, and presenting a basket of fruit, thus ad- dressed him ; " Whether you are divinities FERTILITY" OF THE COUNTRY. 113 or mortal men, we know not. You are come into these countries with a force against which, were we inclined to resist it, resist- ance would be folly. We are all therefore at your mercy; but if you are men, subject to mortality like ourselves, you cannot be unapprised, that after this life there is an- other, wherein a very different portion is al- lotted to good and bad men. If therefore you expect to die, and believe with us that every one is to be rewarded in a future state, according to his conduct in the present, you will do no hurt to those vrho do none to you." Such is the statement made by more than one credible historian. If it be asked how Columbus understood the cacique, the answer is, that he had carried with him to Spain, in his former voyage, several of the Indians ; one of whom, who remained with him, had acquired the Spanish language. This man, named Didacus, acted, on this and other oc- casions, as a guide and interpreter. Columbus speaks of the fertility and beau- ty of the country, in one of h; s letters to king Ferdinand, written from Cuba, in terms 1 14 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. of the highest admiration. "There is a river," he says, " which discharges itself into the harbor which I have named Porto Santo, of sufficient depth to be navigable. I had the curiosity to sound it, and found it eight fathoms. Yet the water is so limpid that I can easily discern the sand at the bottom. The banks of this river are embellished with lofty palm-trees, whose shade gives a deli- cious freshness to the air ; and the birds and the flowers are uncommon and beautiful. I was so delighted with the scene, that I had almost come to the resolution of staying here the remainder of my days ; for, believe me, sire, these countries far surpass all the rest of the world, in beauty and conveniency ; and I have frequently observed to my people, that, with all my endeavors to convey to your majesty an adequate idea of the charming objects which continually present themselves to our view, the description will fall greatly short of the reality." On the return of Columbus to Hispaniola, an event greatly contributed to his recovery, of which, productive, as it was, of great joy, ARRIVAL OF BARTHOLOMEW. 115 he could not have expected — it was bis meet- ing with his brother Bartholomew. Though united in tender and mutual regard, they had been separated for thirteen years. After ending his negotiation with the court of England, Bartholomew had set out for Spain, by way of France, and heard, while at Paris, of his brother's extraordinary discoveries and preparations for a second voyage. He hast- ened onwards, but the admiral had sailed before he reached Spain ; here, however, he was received by Ferdinand and Isabella with great respect, and was persuaded by them to take the command of three ships appointed to bear provisions to the colony. Most opportune was his arrival, for Co- lumbus stood in the utmost need of counsel and support. The relief afforded by the supplies that had been sent was only tem- porary, and a danger still more formidable than scarcity was threatning. The soldiers left under Margarita had, during the absence of Columbus, thrown off all control, and treated the Indians with the greatest oppres- sion. These people had quietly submitted 12 116 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. for a time to the tyranny under which they groaned, but when they saw that the Span- iards had built a town and surrounded it with ramparts ; that they had erected forts in dif- ferent places, and that they had enclosed and sown several fields, it was evident to them that they had come to settle there. Satisfied with a handful of maize, or a little of the insipid bread made of the cassida root, they looked with amazement at the quantity eaten by the Spaniards, and supposed that they had left their own land because it did not yield enough to satisfy appetites so voracious. Self-preservation urged them to wish for the departure of their guests, while the injuries they suffered, roused their courage, and they waited only a signal from their leaders to fall upon the colony. A sense of danger restored the authority of Columbus, who considered it necessary to have recourse to arms, which he had hitherto avoided with the greatest solicitude. In doing so, however, there was considerable peril; the vast superiority of the natives in number compensating for the want of dis- RECOURSE TO ARMS. 117 cipline, and of any weapons except those in use among a barbarous people. The Span- iards, too, were greatly reduced by disease, two-thirds of the original adventurers being dead, and many of the survivors incapable of service. Columbus felt, therefore, that, in circumstances so formidable, he must look to the vigor and rapidity of his operations, and immediately assembled his forces. The mind is pained as it dwells on such a con- test — a contest brought on chiefly by the in- dulgence of the worst passions — a contest which threatened results the most disastrous and afflicting. On the one side appeared two hundred Spaniards on foot, twenty horse, and twenty large dogs, the last part of the force proba- bly not the least formidable and destructive when employed against naked and timid In- dians. On the other were all the caciques of the island except one, the faithful Gua- canagari, and it is said a hundred thousand men. Destitute of martial skill, they took their stalion in the most open plain of the country; and Columbus, seeing their error, 118 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. attacked them during the night, when undis- ciplined troops are least capable of acting unitedly, and obtained an easy victory. The onset of the dogs, the force of the cavalry, and the noise and havoc of the fire-arms, caused the greatest consternation among the Indians, who threw down their weapons and fled without attempting resistance. Many were slain, more were made prisoners, and a considerable number were sent as captives to Spain, and sold publicly at Seville as slaves; the rest were so intimidated, that they gave up all thoughts of further resist- ance, and abandoned themseves to despair. Columbus now employed several months in marching through the island, subjecting it to the Spanish government, and imposing a tribute on all the inhabitants above the age of fourteen. Each person who lived in the districts where gold was found, was obliged to pay quarterly as much gold dust as filled a hawk's bell ; from those in other parts of the country, twenty-five pounds of cotton were demanded: and thus a regular taxation TAXATION Or< THE NATIVES. 119 of the Indians commenced, which served as a precedent for still greater exactions. The impositions that then took place were contrary to the ordinary maxims of Columbus himself, which he now abandoned from an erroneous policy. Unfavorable accounts of his conduct, and of the countries he had dis- covered, had been transmitted to Spain. Margarita and father Boyle, now at court, did all they could to his disadvantage, in order to justify their own conduct ; and the archdeacon Fonseca listened with partiality to every invective against him. Columbus thought, therefore, that, to silence his ene- mies, he must produce such a quantity of gold as would establish his own assertions as to the richness of the country, and encourage Ferdinand and Isabella to persevere in pro- secuting his plans ; and hence the course of exaction on which he now entered. But an infliction of wrong on others, though it may establish our own declarations, is not to be justified. Sooner than our neighbor shall suffer injury, let us confess we have erred. We should aim to do what is right, leaving 12* 120 .COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. the result. Christianity takes the highest ground. It demands a constant and practi- cal regard to whatever things are " true, honest, lovely, and of good report." It re- quires that every one who names the name of Christ shall depart from iniquity. And it is only to a patient continuance in well-doing, that it promises " eternal life." Toilsome, indeed, w^ere the labors required by Columbus of the Indians, who had been accustomed to an improvident indolence ; and they determined, if possible, to starve out their oppressors. They therefore sowed no maize, pulled up the roots of cassida which were planted, retired to the most in- accessible parts of the mountains, and thus reduced the Spaniards to extreme want. Supplies from Europe, and the products of their own ingenuity and industry, however, prevented, on their part, any great loss of men, while the Indians suffered from famine ; and, in a few months, a large number of the inhabitants perished, after enduring the most acute sufferings. The territories of Guacanagari, like those PERSECUTED BY HIS ENEMIES. 121 of the other caciques, were subjected to a tribute, which the people, in common with others, had felt it difficult to pay. In the absence of Columbus, the Spaniards forgot the sevices of that chief, and exacted harsh- ly what they considered due. His freindship for them had severed him from his countrymen; and now those he had succored were his grievous oppressors. Unable to bear these accumulated woes he took refuge in the mountains, and died in obscurity and misery. Meanwhile, the most insidious misrepre- sentations of the proceedings of Columbus were made at the court of Spain, and so far were they credited, that a commissioner was appointed to visit Hispaniola and examine his conduct. At the recommendation of his enemies, Aguado governor of the bedchamber, was appointed to this office, it would seem rather from his obsequious regard to their in- terest than for any ability to discharge his trust. Elated by his appointment, he acted with all the insolent self importance so com- mon to vain men, eagerly listening to every accusation against Columbus, and encourag- 122 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. ing; the Indians to produce their grievances, he fomented dissension without conferring the slightest benefit. Columbus resolved, therefore, to return to Spain, and lay a full account of his proceedings before Ferdinand and Isabella, from whose judgment he an- ticipated a favorable decision against all the charges of his adversaries. He committed the administration of affairs during his absence to his brother Bartholomew, with the title of adelantado, or lieutenant-governer, and ap- pointed Francis Roldan chief-justice, with very extensive powers. As experience had not yet discovered the more certain and speedy course of stretching to the north to fall in with the south-west winds, he steered unhappily almost due east, and so difficult was the navigation, that he w^as three months without seeing land. His provisions at length began to fail; the ad- miral fared equally with the meanest sailor ; and so desperate did some of the crew become that some of them proposed to feed on the Indian prisoners they were carrying over; and others insisted on throwing them over- RETURN TO SPAIN. 123 board, to prevent their diminishing the small stock of food. Columbus now displayed his humanity. He represented that they were entitled to their share in the common calam- ity, and soon his authority prevailed, and all fears were chased, by the coast of Spain being visible. Meanwhile the adelantado w^as traversing the island, to levy tributes from the several caciques, who manifested not only kindness and submission, but sometimes a high degree of politeness. Such of them as possessed any gold, willingly presented all they had to the adelantado ; and others who had not the means of obtaining the precious metal, brought provisions and cotton in great abundance. Among the latter was Behechio, a powerful chief, who invited him and his attendants to his dominions. As they approached his abode, they were met by his wives to the number of thirty, carrying palm branches in their hands, who received the Spaniards with dance and song. They were followed by a train of younger women, w^ho delivered their branches with lowly obeisance to the adelan- 124 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. tado, who, entering the dwelling of the ca- cique, found a plentiful, and according to the Indian mode of living, a splendid repast already provided. As night approached, the Spaniards were conducted to separate cotta- ges, wherein each was accommodated with a cotton hammock. Next morning, various amusements took place, after which two great bodies of armed Indians unexpectedly appeared ; and a mock engagement ensued, showing their modes of attack and defence in their wars with the Caribs. For three days the Spaniards were thus entertained, and on the fourth, the Indians regretted their depart- ure. Had they been able to judge aright, they would have felt far otherwise. • rapacious Spain Followed her hero's triumph o'er the main, Her hardy sons in fields of battle tried, Where Moor and Christian desperately died ; A rabid race, fanatically bold, And steel'd to cruelty by lust of gold, Traversed the waves, the unknown world explored. The cross their standard, but their faith the sword ; Their steps were graves ; o'er prostrate realms they trod : They worahipp'd Mammon, while they vowed to God." CHAPTER XL APPEARA.NXE OF COLUMBUS AT COURT — ANOTHER VOYAGE — DIS- COVERY OF AMERICA — VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE — VOYAGE OF OJEDA AND VESPUCCI. The appearance of Columbus at court was marked by the modest confidence of a man who felt that he had been maligned though he had performed great services ; and the sovereigns, as if ashamed of receiving tri- fling, or ill-founded accusations, treated him with so much respect as to silence and con- found his enemies. Columbus appealed to the gold, the pearls, the cotton, and other valuable commodities, he had brought, in proof of the condition of the country; he affirmed that he had secured to Spain a large accession of new subjects ; he pointed out a source of wealth to that country, in the rev- enue he had established, and the mines he 126 COLUMBUS AM) HIS TIMES. had opened; and he intimated that all this was but the prelude and earnest of more im- portant discoveries. The impression made by the admiral was, as might be expected, considerable ; Isabella was flattered with the idea of being the pat- roness of all Columbus's discoveries, and even Ferdinand was moved. The result was, they determined to supply Hispaniola with all that could render it a permanent colony, and to provide Columbus with a fleet sufficient for new enterprises. A plan was formed of a regular colony, to serve as a model for others ; settlers of diff'erent ranks and professions were to proceed thither ; husbandmen were to prevent the distresses which had been previ- ously experienced ; and emigrants were, for some years, to receive pay and subsistence at the public expense. As it was foreseen that few persons would willingly settle in a country the climate of which had been fatal to many of their coun- trymen, Columbus proposed to transport to Hispaniola such malefactors as had been con- victed of capital, but not the most atrocious COLONIZATION OF HISFANIOLA. 127 crimes, and to condemn some of the offenders usually sent to the galleys, to labor in the mines. The advice thus hastily given, was inconsiderately adopted, and the consequences were exceedingly pernicious. Though the royal approbation was readily given to all the measures he proposed, there were delays in carrying them out sufficient to have w^earied all ordinary patience, attri- butable to various causes, but chiefly to the malicious arts of his enemies. By the aid of Fonseca, now promoted to the bishopric of Badjados, they raised so many obstacles, that a year elapsed before he could procure two ships to carry over a part of the supplies des- tined for the colony, and almost two years were spent before a squadron of six ships only^ indifferently fitted for the service was equip- ped. As Columbus was fully persuaded that the fertile regions of India lay to the south-west of the countries he had discovered, he proposed to stand directly south from the Canary, or Cape de Verd Islands, till he came under the equinoctial line, and then stretch to the west, 13 128 COLUMBUS AND HIS TLMES. befo re the favorable wind which blows in- variably between the tropics. From the Ca- nary Islands he despatched three vessels with supplies for Hispaniola ; and, proceeding on his way, no remarkable occurrence took place until they arrived within five degrees of the line. There they were becalmed, and Ihe heat was so excessive, that many of their wine casks burst, the liquor in others was sour, and their provisions became corrupt ; and the Spaniards, who had never been so far south, were afraid that the vessels woukl take fire. Some relief was afforded by a season- able fall of rain, but still it was inconsiderable, and the admiral was so much exhausted, that he became very ill. He yielded, therefore, to- the urgent requests of his crew, and altered his course, to reach some of the Caribbee Islands, where he might refit, and be supplied with provisions. At length the man stationed in the round top, surprised those on board, with the joyful cry of " Land !" Standing towards it, they discovered a considerable island, which Co- lumbus called Trinidad, a name it still retains. TRINIDAD THE ORONOCO. ] 29 It lies in the coast of Guiana, near to the mouth of the Oronoco. The Oronoco rolls towards the ocean such a vast body of water, and rushes into it with such impetuous force, that when it meets the tide, which rises to a great height on that' coast, a surprising and formidable swell and agitation of the waves is occasioned. In these adverse currents, and tempestuous waves? Columbus was entangled before he could con- ceive of danger, and it was with the greatest difficulty he escaped through a narrow strait. As soon as he was able to reflect on an ap- pearance so extraordinary, he justly concluded that so vast a body of water could not be sup- plied by any island, but must flow through a country of immense extent, and therefore that he had now arrived at the continent he had so long wished to discover. Animated by this conclusion, he stood to the west along the coast of these provinces, since known by the name of Paria and Cumano, and landing in several places, found that the people resembled those of Hispaniola in appearance and manner of life. They seemed to possess a better un- 130 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. derstanding and greater courage than the in- habitants of the other islands, and wore, as ornaments, small plates of gold, and pearls of considerable value, which they willingly ex- changed for European toys. The country produced quadrupeds of various kinds, and a greater variety of fowls and fruits. The shattered condition of the ships, the scarcity of provisions, his own infirmities, and the impatience of his crew, prevented his pursuing his discoveries further, and made it necessary to bear away for Hispaniola. On his way thither, he discovered the islands of Cubagua and Margarita, which afterwards became remarkable lor their pearl fisheries. Much as been written with ability and zeal, to show that the American continent was discovered by different persons ; but for these various and conflicting statements there is no space in the present volume. There can, however, be no doubt, that it had con- tinually been visited by the Northmen, dur- ring the four preceding centuries, from Mel- ville Sound down to Virginia. A few par- ticulars in reference to others, as more par- THE CABOTS. 131 ticularly connected with " the times of Columbus," must now be given. It has ah'eady been stated, that his brother Bar- tholomew visited England for the purpose of laying his plans before the ruling monarch, Henry VII., who, notwithstanding his cau- tious and penurous habits, appears very readily to have closed with the proposition. Before, however, Bartholomew returned to Spain, his brother, under the auspices of Isa- bella, had sailed on the voyage, from which he returned in triumph. Henry, though he had missed this first prize, was disposed to encourage those who were inclined to embark in the brilliant ad- venture, and an offer was soon made to him from a respectable quarter. It is a singular fact, that Englishmen, who have since be- come so distinguished for their maritime power, did not venture at that period to un- dertake distant voyages, except under the guidance of Italians, whose vessels are now never seen beyond the Mediterrnnean. En- couraged by the rising spirit of the nation, John Cabot, a Venetian, came over w4th his 13* 132 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. three sons to settle in England, and by him a plan for a western voyage, to undertake the discovery of lands and regions unknown, was presented to the sovereign. The Cabots were allowed, in consequence, to carry out ships and men, at their own expense, with an ample commission. They were empowered to discover all the parts, re- gions, and bays, of the eastern, western, and northern seas. They were to fix the royal banners of England in any city, castle, town, island, or firm land, which might be by them discovered. John and his sons, their heirs and assignees, w^ere to conquer, occupy, and rule the said cities, castles, towns, islands, and firm lands, as governors and lieutenants un- der the king, and no one was to approach or inhabit the said places or buildings without their permission. They were to enjoy the exclusive trade of these newly discovered re- gions, being only bound to bring all their pro- ductions to the port of Bristol. These goods were to be exempt from all the ordinary du- ties of customs ; but a fifth part of the net profits arising from the sale was to be paid over to the king. CHART OF CABOT." 133 With this warrant, Cahot set sail, and on the 24th of June, 1497, saw land, which he called Prima Vista, but to which the English have since given the name of Newfoundland. He afterwards sailed a considerable extent of coast, both to the north and south ; when finding a continuous range of coast, and no opening to the westward, he returned to Eng- land. In this voyage we observe, therefore, the first discovery of the American continent of that period ; for it was not till the third voy- age of Columbus, in the following year, that he saw the coast of South America, where the Oronoco pours its vast flood into the ocean. It is remarkable that while the Spanish dis- coverers found many historians, not a single narrative should exist of this memorable voy- age. The most authentic document is con- tained in a writing made in a map drawn by Sebastian Cabot, and engraved by Clermont Adams, which was kept in London, and of which it is said there were copies in the houses of many of the old merchants. It is Y£r}' brief, and merely states the discovery of 134 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. Newfoundland, and some particulars respect- ing it. It describes the land as barren, and in consequence filled with white bears and stags of an unusual size, and the waters as abounding in fish. It also mentions that the natives are clothed in the skins of wild beasts, on which they set a great value ; and that in war, they used bows, arrows, darts, w^ooden clubs, and slings. This chart is said to have been preserved, at one time, in the queen's private gallery at Whitehall, but to have been afterwards de- stroyed by fire. The only other meagre tes- timony is that^of one who saw three natives brought over by the Cabots from Newfound- land. These he describes as " clothed in beasts' skins," as eating raw flesh, and as speaking a language which no one could un- derstand. Two years after he saw them dressed like Englishmen, in Westminster Palace, "which," he says, " that time I could not discern from Englishmen, till I was learn- ed what they were ; but, as for speech, I heard none of them utter one word." These are the only records preserved by SEBASTIAN CABOT. 135 England of her earliest and one of the most illustrious maritime adventurers. It appears that John Cabot soon died ; and Sebastian, the most intelligent of his sons, finding no sufficient encouragement or honor in England, repaired to Spain, where the ardor of discov- ery still continued. He was readily received by the sovereign of that country, and sent to the coast of Brazil, where he made the im- portant discovery of the Rio de la Plata. He became the most eminent person of his age for the sciences connected with his favourite pursuits, the construction of maps, geography, navigation ; and when unfitted by age for the active exertions of a sea-faring life, he was the guide and director of others, and obtained the honorable title of Piloto, Mayor of Spain. On the accession of Ed ward VI to the throne of England, the nation at last caught the spirit of maritime adventure. Cabot was in- vited back to this country, and constituted Grand Pilot of England, with an ample salary. In this capacity he formed a plan, and drew up the instructions for an expedition, 136 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. sent under Sir Hugh Willoughby and Chan- cellor, to attempt the discovery of India by the north-east. With all his knowledge, and in the course of a long life, Sebastian never committed to writing any narrative of the voy- age to North America. The curious on the continent, however, obtained in conversation with him various particulars which gave a general idea of the extent and tenor of his discovery. From this it appears that the Ca- bots, like Columbus, made their cheif object the reaching of Cathay, and the golden re- gions of India, which had still attached to them all the European ideas of wealth. Sebastian proceeded first to the north, in the hope, that by turning on that side, the bound- ary of the continent, he might find himself in the expanse of ocean which led to the eastern regions. He reached the latitude of about fifty-six degrees ; but finding the sea encum- bered with floating ice, and the coast tending back to the eastward, he was either discou- raged, or as some say overpowered by a mutiny of the sailors, perhaps both causes. Retracing his course, and reaching his former VOYAGE OF CABOT. 137 point, he thence proceeded to the south-ward, still keeping the same object in view ; but though this, like the former coast, tended steadily to the westward, it appeared as un- broken, and gave as little hope as ever of the passage to find which had been his chief object. Worn out with so long a voyage, for that age, he returned to England. In this southern course, he stated himself to have reached the latitude of Gibraltar, and the longitude of Cuba, which would place him near the en- trance of the Chesapeakes. Once, as has already been seen, the efforts of navigators were limited and timorous ; but the compass had gradually wrought a mighty change. " Then man no longer plied with timid oar And failing heart, along the windward shore ; Broad to the sky, he tamed bis fearless sail, Defied the adverse, wooed the favoring gale ; Bared to the storm his adamantine breast, Or soft on ocean's lap lay down to rest ; While free, as clouds the liquid ether sweep, His wliite-winged vessels coursed the unbounded deep ^ From clime to clime the wanderer loved to roam, The waves his heritage, the world his home." During the occurence of the events which have now been detailed, the spirit of dis^ 138 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. covery was not allowed to slumber among: the Portuguese. Emanuel, who inherited the enterprising genius of his predecessors, pur- sued their plan of opening a passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope ; and soon after his accession to the throne, equip- ed a squadron for the voyage. The command of it was committed to Vasco de Gama, a man of noble birth, and of prudence and courage, which fitted him for the station.- Setting sail from Lisbon, and standing to- wards the south, he had to struggle for four months, before he could reach the Cape of Good Hope. His difficulties arose from the little acquaintance at that period with the course of the trade winds, and monsoons,, which render navigation in the Atlantic, as well as in the sea that separates Africa from India, at some seasons easy, and at others dan- gerous and almost impracticable. Another time would have been more propitious ; but when the violence of the winds began to a- bate, Gama doubled the formidable promon- tory of the Cape, so long the boundary of navigation. He now directed his course to- SUCCESS OF GAMA. 139 wards the north-east, along the African coast, touched at several ports, and, after various adventures, he came to anchor before the city of MeHnda. In the vast countries which extend along- the coast of Africa, from the river Senegal to the confines of Zanquebar, the Portuguese had found a race of men, rude and uncultured, strangers to letters, arts, and commerce ;. and differing no less in their features and com- plexion, than in their manners and institu- tions, from the inhabitants of Europe. As they advanced beyond this point, they observ- ed, to their great joy, that the human form ap- peared gradually to improve ; the Asiatic fea- tures began to predominate, marks of civili- zation were obvious, and commerce was car- ried on. At that time several vessels from India were in the port of Melinda, and Gama now pur- sued his voyage, with almost absolute certain- ty of success. Conducted by a Mohammedan pilot, he arrived at Calicut, on the coast of Malabar. The view he now had of the populousness,, 14 140 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. the industry, the civilization, and the arts of the country he visited, far surpassed his ex- pectations ; but his squadron was feeble, like all those who fitted out for early discoveries, consisting only of three vessels, of neither force nor burden adequate to the service. Not having, therefore, sufficient power to attempt a settlement, nor proper commodities for com- merce, he hastened back to Portugal, with ti- dings of a successful voyage ; the longest and most difficult that had ever been made since the invention of navigation. The success of Vasco de Gama induced the king of Portugal to fit out a fleet not only adapted to carry on trade, but to attempt conquest. The command of it was given to Pedro Alvarez Cabral, who, to avoid the coast of Africa, where he was certain of meeting variable breezes, or frequent calms, which might retard his voyage, stood out to sea. The consequence of this was very remarka- ble ; for he kept so far to the west, that, to his surprise, he found himself on the shore of an unknown country, in the tenth degree be- yond the line. He at first supposed it was TOYAGES or OJEDA AND VESPUCCI. 141 seme island in the Atlantic Ocean, hitherto unobserved ; but proceeding along its coast for several days, he was gradually led to be- lieve that a country so extensive formed a part of some great continent. His conclu- sion was correct ; the country he thus acci- dentally reached being that province of South America, now known by the name of Brazil. Here Cabral landed, and, thinking very high- ly of the fertility of the soil and the salubri- ousness of the climate, he took possession of it for the crown of Portugal, and despatched a ship to Lisbon with the tidings. Spain was at this time the scene of consid- erable activity. Private adventurers, allured by the magnificent descriptions of Columbus, as well as by his specimens of wealth, offer- ed, at their own risk, to fit out squadrons, and go in quest of new countries. One of the first propositions of this kind was made by Alonzo de Ojeda, who accompanied Colum- bus in his second voyage. The merchants of Seville, confiding in his rank and character, undertook to equip four ships, if he could ob- tain the royal license, a favor easily secured ; 142 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. and, without consulting Columbus, or consid- ering his rights, Ojeda was allured to set out for the new world. To direct his course, the bishop of Badajoz gave him the admiral's journal of the last voyage, and his charts of the countries he had discovered. Adhering servilely to the route previously tal<:en, he ar- rived on the coast of Paria, traded with the people, and, standing to the west, ranged a- long a considerable extent of coast beyond that on which Columbus had touched. In do- ing so, he carried off numbers of the natives, and on arriving at Cadiz, having his ships crowded with captives, he sold them as slaves. It is said, however, that when all the expenses of the expedition w^ere deducted, there were not more than fifteen hundred dol- lars to be divided among fifty-five adventurers. Ojeda was accompanied in this voyage by Amerigo Vespucci, who seems to have acquired so much influence that he was willingly allow- ed to have a chief share in directing the voy- age. On his return, he had the address so to frame his narrative, as to make it appear that he had first discovered America. GRANDEUR OF AMERICA. 143 As this was the first published account, it was calculated to gratify the passion for what is new and marvellous ; and being ra- pidly circulated was read with admiration. The country of which Amerigo was supposed to be the discoverer, came gradually to be called by his name. Within the last few years, a collection of voyages has been issued by Navarette, con- taining, among other things, the original letters recording the voyages of Vespucci to America, illustrated by all the authorities and facts that could be collected by an indefatiga- ble writer. This mass of evidence shows clearly that Columbus is entitled to the honor of discovering the southern continent, as well as the islands of the western hemisphere. The discovery of America has had a most powerful influence in calling forth the ener- gies, and modifying the condition, of Europe- an nations. America greatly differed from the w^orld with which the eyes of its discoverers had been familiar. Nature appeared in sav- age and primaeval grandeur, having no trace of the results of art and culture to which 14' 144 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. Europe owes its fame and aspect. Nearly its whole surface was covered by a forest which no human hand had planted. Every object was on a noble and subhme scale. Its mountains w^ere more lofty and extended than those of the old world Rivers, travers- ing the entire breadth of the continent, pour- ed such a profusion of waters, that streams, considered great in Europe, ranked here only as creeks and rivulets. Man was a still more singular object than the region which he oc- cupied — a stranger to art, to science, and even to the rude forms of social existence. CHAPTER XII. COLT'MBUS ARRIVES AT HISPaNIOLA — WRETCHED STATE OP THE COLONY — CONSPIRACY AGAINST COLUMBUS HE IS ARRESTED AND CARRIED IN FETTERS TO SPAIN. On arriving at Hispaniola, Columbus was greatly reduced by sickness and fatigue ; but the state of the colony forbade all propects of repose. The adelantado, according to his advice, had removed the colony to a more commodious station on the opposite side of the island, and laid the foundation of St. Domingo, long the most considerable town in the new world. On the establishment of the new settle- ment, the adelantado marched into those parts which had not before been visited or reduced to obedience ; and the people, unable to re- sist, submitted every where to the tribute he imposed. The burthen soon became intole- 146 COLTJMBUS AND HIS TIMES. rable ; they took arms against their oppress- ors, but these insurrections were soon brought to an end. At this time, a mutiny really alarming broke out among the Spaniards ; the leader of it being Francis Roldan, whose office re- quired him to be the guardian of order and tranquility, but whose thoughtless ambition plunged him into this desperate measure. He accused Columbus and his brothers of arrogance and severity, asserted that they aimed at founding an independent dominion, and represented it as unworthy of Castillians to continue the passive slaves of three Gene- vese adventurers. These insinuations had with the Spaniards considerable weight; a number of them chose him as their leader, and taking arms against the adelantado and his brother, seized the king's magazine of provisions, and endeavored to surprise the fort at St. Domingo, but in this they were foiled by the courage and vigilance of Don Diego. Compelled to retire to the province of Xaragua, they not only disclaimed the WRETCHED STATE OF ST. DOMINGO. 147 authority of the adelantado, but excited the Indians to throw off the yoke. Columbus landed at St. Domingo in this distracted state of the colony, and was as- tonished at finding that the three vessels he had despatched from the Canaries had not arrived. From the violence of currents, and the unskilfulness of the pilots, they had been driven a hundred and sixty miles to the west of St. Domingo, and compelled to take shel- ter in a harbor of the very province to which the mutineers had repaired. Roldan care- fully concealed from the commanders of the ships his insurrection; and, making every effort to gain their confidence, persuaded them to set on shore a considerable part of the new settlers they had brought over, that they might proceed by land to St. Domingo. The refuse of the jails of Spain, to whom idleness, licentiousness, and deeds of violence were familiar, required but few arguments to espouse the cause of Roldan, and they eager- ly returned to a course like that to which they had been accustomed. The command- ers of the vessels saw when it was too late 148 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. their imprudence in disembarking so many of their men, stood away from St. Domingo, and reached the port a few days after the admiral ; but their stock of provisions, wast- ed during so long a voyage, brought little relief to the colony. Roldan, aided by a band of such bold and desperate associates, became extremely form- idable, and no less extravagant in his de- mands; but Columbus, though enraged at his ingratitude, and exasperated at the inso- lence of his followers, delayed to take the field. He dreaded the breaking forth, and the bitter consequences of a civil w^ar; and he determined to negociate rather than fight. A seasonable proclamation, offering a free pardon to such as would return to obedience, impressed the minds of some of the mutineers. Engaging to grant to all who should desire it the liberty of returning to Spain, he al- lured all those unfortunate adventurers, who, from sickness and disappointment, — were disgusted with the country. Promising to reinstate Roldan in his office, he soothed his pride j and, complying with most of his de- ROLDAN'S INSURRECTIO>f. 149 mands in behalf of his followers, he satisfied their avarice. Thus, after many tedious ne- gotiations, but gradually and without blood- shed, he put an end to this dangerous con- federacy, and restored the appearance of order and tranquility. Lands were now allotted to the mutineers in different parts of the island, and the Indi- ans settled there were appointed to cultivate a certain portion of new ground for the use of their masters. This arrangement substi- tuted labor for the payment of tribute, but it brought heavy calamities on that unhappy people. It also prevented Columbus from prosecuting his discoveries on. the continent, as self-preservation compelled him to keep near him the adelantado and the sailors whom he intended to employ in that service. As soon as he could, he sent some of his ships to Spain, with a journal of his voyage, a description of the new countries he had dis- covered, a chart of the coast along which he had sailed, and specimens of the gold, pearls, and other valuable or curious productions which he had obtained from traffic with the 150 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. natives. He described, at the same time, the insurrection in St. Domingo, and propos- ed several regulations for its better govern- ment. Roldan and his associates did not neglect to send to Spain, by the same ships, a defence of their conduct, and various accu- sations against the admiral and his brothers ; and unhappily the latter gained most credit, and produced unexpected effects. Great difficulties still attended the course of Columbus. Though the pacification with Roldan broke the union and weakened the force of the mutineers, yet several of them continued in arms, and refused to submit to the admiral. He and his brother were there- fore obliged alternately to take the field in order to check their incursions, or to punish their crimes, and constant occupation and disquiet prevented his giving due attention to the plots of his enemies in Spain. A con- siderable number of the most dissatisfied had returned with the ships which he despatched from St. Domingo, their disappointments having inflamed their rage, and their poverty and distress exciting compassion. They an- FRANCIS DE BOBADILLA. 151 noyed Ferdinand and Isabella incessantly with memorials filled with the detail of their grievances and their charges against Colum- bus ; and whenever the sovereigns appeared in public, clamorously demanded the redress of their wrongs. They insulted the admiral's sons whenever they met them ; and as these endeavors were seconded by the secret, but more dangerous insinuations of the courtiers,- who had always thwarted his schemes, they were the more formidable. Ferdinand was disposed to listen partially to these accusations. The remittances fell far short of the expenses of the armaments, and the honor of the discovery, with a pros- pect of remote commercial advantage, was the only return for the' efforts that had been made. This was not enough to satisfy the mind of Ferdinand ; he considered, therefore, that Spain had lost by the enterprise of Co- lumbus ; and imputed it to his misconduct and incapacity for government, that a coun- try abounding in gold, had yielded nothing of value to its conquerors. Even Isabella began to suspect that a disaffection so gene- 15 152 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. ral must have been caused by real grievances, and the bishop of Barlajoz encouraged and confirmetl these suspicions. The yielding of the queen led to a fatal resolution against Columbus. Francis de Bobadilla was appointed to inquire into the conduct of the admiral, and if he should find the charges proved, to supersede him, and assume the government of St. Domingo. As it was thus the interest of the judge to find Columbus guihy, so it was impossible for him to escape «_ondemnation. Totally disregard- ing all he had done and was doing:, Bobadilla determined, as soon as he landed, to treat him as a criminal. He took possession of the admiral's house during his absence, and seized his effects as if his guilt were fully proved. He rendered himself master of the fort, and of the king's stores, by violence ; he required all persons to acknowledge him as chief governor, and set at liberty all who W'ere confined as prisoners. He also sum- moned Columbus before him to answer for his conduct, transmitting him, at the same time, a copy of the royal mandate by which COLUMBUS A PRISONER. 153 he was enjoined to yield him implicit obedi- ence. Columbus though deeply affected by such treatment from his sovereigns, submitted to their will with a respectful silence, and re- paired directly lo the court of his partial and violent judge. Bobadilla, without admitting him into his presence, ordered him instantly to be arrested, laden with chains, and hurried on board ship. Conscious of his own in- tegrity, the admiral yielded to so afflictive a reverse with a dignified composure. There was no sympathy to mitigate his suffering-s ; for Bobadilla made himself so popular by va- rious favors, that the Spaniards, whom indi- gence or crime had chiefly impelled to aban- don their country, expressed the most inde- cent satisfaction at the imprisonment and dis- grace of Columbus. From among these per- sons Bobadilla collected materials, however inconsistent and improbable, for a charge against him, and, rejecting no source of in- formation however infamous, transmitted the result to Spain. At the same time, he ordered Columbus 154 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. with his two brothers to be carried thither in fetters, and, that they might not have the smallest comfort from intercourse, confined them in different ships. One idividual is, however, worthy of remembrance for the sym- pathy which he displayed for the admiral; this was Alonzo de Valejo, the captain of the vessel in which he was confined. As soon ^s he was clear of the island, he approached his prisoner with great respect, and offered to release him from the fetters with which he was unjustly loaded, " No," replied Co- Jumbus, " I wear these irons in consequence of an order from my sovereigns. They shall find ngie as obedient to this as their other in- junctions. By their command I have been confined, and their command alone shall set ipe at liberty. Distressing, indeed, were now the circum- stances of Columbus. He was greatly in need of consolation. Well would it have been for him, if under the guidance of Divine truth, he had been led to God as a Father, through the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ, and had thus been enabled to say : — COLUMBUS A PRISONER. 155 " When galh'rinp clouds around I view, And days are dark, and friends are few, On Him I lean, wlin not in vain, Experienced every human pain : He sceft my griefs, allays my fears, And counts and treasures up my tears. If wounded love my bosom swell, Deceiv'd by those I prized too well. He shall his pitying aid bestow, Who felt on earlh severer woe ; At once betrayed, denied, or fled, By those who shared his daily bread. When vexing thoughts within me rise, And sore dismayed my spirit dies ; Yet he who once vouchsaf'd to bear The sick'ning anguish of despair, Shall sweetly soothe, shall gently dry The sorrowing heart, the sti earning eye. And oh ! when I have safely past Through every conflict but the last. Still, still, unchanging, watch beside My painful bed — for thou hast died ; Then point to realms of cloudless day, And wipe the latest tear away." 15« CHAPTER Xm. THB RECEVTION Of C0LUMBU3 AT COrRT — ANOTHER VOYAGE — VARiocs Calamities — his return to spain — his sickness, DEATH, AND BCRlAL — REFLECTIONS — HIS SON BECOMES VICEROY — CABALS AGAINST HIM — DEATH OF THE ADELaNTADO — DEATH OF FERDINAND — FORMER STATE OF THE NATIVES OF HISPaNIOLA — CRUEL OPPRESSION — DEATH OF DIEGO — THE INQDISITION. The voyage to Spain was extremely short, and Ferdinand and Isabella began to reflect on the impression that would be made on Europe to their disadvantage by the disgrace and bondage of their prisoner. Ashamed of their conduct, and anxious to repair the in- jury they had done, they set him at liberty, in- \ited him to court, and remitted him money to appear there in a manner suited to his rank. On entering the royal presence, he threw himself at the feet of his sovereigns, remained for some time silent from the vari- ous feelings by which he was agitated, and RECEPTION AT COURT. 157 at length gave the most satisfactory account of his own integrity, and evidence no less clear of the malice of his enemies. Ferdin- and treated him with decent ci\ility, and Isabella with tenderness and respect. They both expressed their sorrow for w^hat had happened, disavowed their knowledge of it, and united in promising him future favor and protection. In order to free themselves from suspicion, they instantly degraded Bobadilla ; but they did not reinstate Columbus as vice- roy of the countries he had discovered. An illiberal jealousy led them to fear trusting a man to whom they were so highly indebted. They retained him at court under various pretexts, and appointed Nicholas de Ovando governor of St. Domingo. Columbus was deeply affected by this new injury which came from those who seemed to be employed in relieving his sufferings. He could no longer conceal the feelings of his bosom. Wherever he w^ent, he carried about with him the fetters with which he had been loaded ; they were constantly hung 158 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. up in his chamber, and he ordered that, when he died, they should be buried in his grave. On the arrival of the new governor, with a powerful reinforcement to the colony, Bo- badilla resigned his charge, and was required instantly to return to Spain to answer for his conduct. Roldan and the other leaders of the mutineers were commanded to leave the island at the same time. A proclamation was issued, declaring the natives to be free subjects of Spain, from whom no service was to be exacted unwillingly, or without just payment for their labor. Various regu- lations were also made, tending to suppress the licentious spirit of the Spaniards, which had been so fatal to the colony ; and, to es- tablish a reverence for law, and to limit the exorbitant gain which private persons were supposed to make by working mines, it was ordered that all the gold should be brought to a public smelting-house, and one-half de- clared the property of the crown. While these measures were taken, Co- lumbus was appealing to the court of Spain for a just settlement of his own claims. He LAST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS. 159 demanded, according to the original capitu- lation, to be reinstated as viceroy over the countries he had discovered ; but Ferdinand considered such a concession extravagant and impolitic, and was afraid of entrusting a subject with such a jurisdiction. He awak- ened in Isabella the same suspicions ; and thus, after attending as a suitor at court for two years, Columbus found that his appeals were in vain. Still he was not discouraged from pursuing the great object which first excited his gen- ius, and urged him to attempt discovery — a new passage to the East Indies. He enter- tained an idea that beyond the continent of America there was a sea extending thither, and he hoped to find some strait or neck of land by which a communication might be opened with it and the part of the ocean al- ready known. He very happily conjectured that this strait or isthmus, was situated near the gulf of Darien ; and, as if he were young again, he offered to undertake a voyage by which the grand scheme he proposed from the beginning to accomplish might be com- 160 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. pleted. Ferdinand and Isabella were dispos- ed to regard this proposal favorably, not merely from feelings they indulged in refer- ence to Columbus, but from the recent suc- cesses of the Portuguese in the east. Fer- dinand was even roused by the opening pros- pect, and warmly approved of the undertak- ing- ^ Prior to his embarkation, Columbus, op- pressed with growing infirmities, and per- haps a sense of the dechne of popular favor, discovered unusual depression. He even talked of resigning the task to his brother. " I have established," he said, " all that I proposed — the existence of land beyond the west. I have opened the gate, and others may enter in at their pleasure; as indeed they do, arrogating to themselves the title of discoverers, to which they can have but little claim, following, as they do, in my track." Interesting as this voyage was, Columbus could only procure four small barks, of which, however, he did not hesitate to take the command. Accompanied by his brother Bartholomew, and his second son Ferdinand, SHIPWRECK OF BOE.IDILLA. 161 he sailed from Cadiz, May 9, 1502, and touched, as usual, at the Canary islands, from whence he proposed to have stood out directly for the continent. But his largest vessel was so unfit for service, that he bore away to St. Domingo, in hopes of exchang- ing her for some ship of the fleet that had carried out Ovando; and, on arriving there, found eighteen of these vessels ready laden, and about to proceed to Spain. Columbus acquainted the governor with his circum- stances, and. anticipating the approach of a violent hurricane, asked that he might ex- change his vessel for another, and advised the delay of the departure of the fleet for a few days. Ovando refused his request, de- spised his counsel, and actually denied him admittance into a country of which he had discovered the existence, and acquired the possession. The fleet set sail for Spain. On the follow- ing night the hurricane came on with fearful violence. Of eighteen ships two or three only escaped ; and in the general wreck perished Bobadilla, Roldan, and the greater part of 162 COLUMBUS AND fflS TIMES. those who had been most active in persecuting Columbus, and oppressing the Indians. All the wealth they had acquired by injustice and cruelty was swallowed up, illustrating the saying of the prophet : " As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not, so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." Jer. xvii., 11. The precautions taken by Columbus were the means of saving his little squadron. After a tedious and dangerous voyage, he discovered Guanaia, an island not far from the coast of Honduras. Some inhabitants of the conti- nent, who arrived in a large canoe, appeared to be a more civilized people and to have made greater progress in the knowledge of the use- ful arts, than any he had before discovered. In reply to the inquiries made by the Spaniards witli their usual eagerness, for the places where the Indians obtained their gold which they wore for ornament, they were directed to countries situated in the west, in which gold was said to be abundant. Instead of steering in quest of regions so inviting, which ATTEMPT TO COLONISE VERAGUA. 163 would have conducted him along the coast of Yucatan to the rich empire of Mexico, Co- lumbus bore away to the east, towards the gulf of Darien, intent on his favorite scheme. He thus discovered all the coast of the conti- nent, from Cape Gracias a Dios, to a harbor which he called, from its beauty and security, Porto Bello. He searched in vain for a strait through which he expected to make his way Into an unknown sea : and though he ad- vanced into the country, he did not penetrate so far as to cross the narrow isthmus which separates the gulf of Mexico from the great southern ocean. So dehghted, however, was he with the fertility of the country, and its apparent wealth, that he resolved to leave a small colony in the province of Veragua, un- der the command of his brother and to return to Spain, to procure all that was necessary for a permanent establishment. The ungovernable spirit of the people un- der his command, however, deprived Colum- bus of the honor of planting the first colony on the continent of America. Their insolence and rapacity provoked the natives to take 16 164 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. arms ; and as these were more hardy and warhke than the islanders, they cut off some of the Spaniards, and obliged the rest to abandon the station as untenable. This re- pulse (the first that had been met with from the American nations) was followed by a succession of disasters to which navig'ation is exposed Furious hurricanes, with violent storms of thunder and lightning, threatened the leaky vessels with destruction, while the discontented crew, destitue of provisions and exhausted with fatigue, were unwilling or unable to execute the commands of Colum- bus. One of his ships perished; another was necessarily abandoned as unfit for service, and with two that remained he quitted that part of the continent, which he named, in his anguish, the coast of Vexation, and bore away for St. Domingo. In this voyage, new distress awaited Co- lumbus. A violent tempest drove him back from the coast of Cuba ; his ships fell foul of one another, and were so much shattered, that with the utmost difficulty they reached Jamaica ; where he was obliged to run then^ VIOLENT TEMPEST. 165 aground, to prevent them from sinking. The measure of calamity seemetl now to be full. Cast ashore on an island, at a considerable distance from the only settlement of the Spaniards in America, his ships were ruined beyond the possibility of being repaired. His active mind now suggested the only ex- pedient which afforded any prospect of de- liverance. Availi*-g himself of the kindness of the natives, who, considering the Span- iards were beings of a superior nature, were eager to reheve their wants, he obtained two canoes, each formed of the trunk of a tree, hollowed with fire. In these wretched boats, ^lendez, a Spaniard, and Fieschi, a Genoese, and two gentlemen particularly attached to Columbus, bravely offered to set out for St. Domingo, a voyage of above thirty leagues. They accomplished their design in ten days, after encountering incredible dangers, and enduring such fatigues, that several of the Indians who accompanied them sunk under their sufferings, and died. Pitiable as was their condition, the atten- tion paid to them by the governor of the 166 COLUMBUS AND fflS TIMES. colony was neither such as their courage de- served nor the distress of the persons from "whom they came required. Jealous of Co- lumbus, Ovando was afraid of allowing him to set foot in the island he governed; his heart was therefore absolutely insensible, and Mendez and Fieschi spent eight months in soliciting relief, without any prospect of ob- taining it. The feehngs of Columbus and his companions during this interval were ex- ceedingly various. At first, the hope of speedy deliverance cheered even the despond- ing ; after some tnne, the more timorous be- gan to expect that the effort had failed ; at length, the last hope of the most sanguine was quenched; and despair, heightened by disappointment, settled in every breast. The seamen, now transported with rage, rose in open mutiny, threatened the life of Columbus, as the author of all their calami- ties, seized ten canoes which he had purchas- ed from the Indians, and, despising alike re- monstrance and entreaty, made off with them to a distant part of the island. Other evils arose from the natives; for as their industry MUTINY OF THE SEAMEN. 167 was not greater than that of their neighbors in St. Domingo, like them, they found the burden of supporting so many strangers in- tolerable. Provisions were brought in with reluctance, threats were held out of their be- ing withdrawn altogether ; a resolution which must have been fatal to the Spaniards. Such a combination of difficulties was truly formi- dable. To relieve himself from difficulty, Colum- bus, as he had often done before, resorted to artifice, availing himself of his skill in as- tronomy, by w^hich he knew there would shortly be a total eclipse of the moon. On the day before it was to happen, he assem- bled all the principal persons in the district, and, after reproaching them for their fickle- ness in withdrawine; their affection and as- sistance from men whom they lately revered, made a powerful appeal to their fears. He told them that the Spaniards were the ser- vants of the great Spirit, who dwells in heaven, who made and governs the world ; that he, offended at their refusal to support men w^ho were the objects of his special fa- 16« 168 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. vor, was prepared to punish their crimes with exemplary severity. He declared that, on that very night, the moon should withhold her hght, and appear of a bloody hue, as an emblem of the vengeance they were about to endure ; some listening with careless indiffer- ence, and others with credulous surprise. But when the moon began gradually to be darkened, and at length appeared of a red color, all were struck with astonishment. They ran to their houses, and returned instant- ly, laden with provisions, to Columbus, threw them at his feet, conjuring him to en- treat the great Spirit to avert the destruction with which they were threatened. Colum- bus appeared to be moved by their entreaties, promising to comply with their request ; the moon, of course, soon recovered its splendor, and from that day the Spaniards were plen- tifully supplied. The mode adopted by Columbus in this instance, has often been praised for its inge- nuity-, but, in accordance with the principles laid down in a former page, it ought to be pronounced highly censurable, as entirely at ERROR OF COLUMBUS. 169 variance with the truth and sincerity that should be invariably maintained. It is also worthy of remark, that the plea of necessity which some might consider should be urged in behalf of this device, has absolutely not the slightest foundation. Shnply availing liimself of his knowledge, and announcing what would be, but of Avhich to an ordinary mind there was not the slightest intimation, he would have gained his object, his superi- ority would have been established, and even savages would have pronounced him the friend of the great Spirit. Be it ours never to do evil that good may come ; and in every time of trial, as well as in the season of ease and prosperity, to take the word of God as our only guide. *' O child of sorrow, be it thine to know That Scripture only is the cure of woe 1 That field of promise, how it flings abroad Its perfume o'er the Christian's thorny road ! The soul, reposing in assur'd beliff. Feels herself happy amidst all her grief, Forgets her labor, as she toils along, W'eeps tears of joy, and bursts into a song." Havins: re-embarked with his shattered crew in a vessel freighted at his own ex- pense, Columbus was driven, by a succession 170 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. of frightful tempests, across the ocean, until, on the 7th of November, 1504, he anchored in the little port of St. Lucar, twelve miles from Seville. In this quiet haven he hoped to find repose for his broken constitution, and a balm for his wounded spirit, and to obtain a speedy restitution of his honors and emoluments from the hand of Isabella ; but at this time the queen was on her death-bed, and in a very few days he heard she was no more. In the midst of the deep affliction he suf- fered on the loss of the queen, he was dis- abled by the gout, to which he had long been subject, from undertaking a journey to Segovia, where the couit was. He lost no time, however, in laying his situation before the king, through his son Diego, who was attached to the royal household. He urged his past services, the original terms of the capitulation, their infringement in almost every paiticular, and his own necessitous condition ; but he had to complain of great inattention. At length, he was able to pre- sent himself before the monarch. Ferdinand DEATH OF COLUMBUS. 171 received him Avith the outward marks of courtesy and regard, and assured him that *' he fully estimated his important services ; and far from stinting his recompence to the precise terms of the capitulation, intended to confer more ample favors on him in Castile." What assistance Columbus received at this time from the crown, or whether he received any, does not appear. He continued to re- side with the court, and accompanied it in its removal to Valladolid. At length he wrote to a friend from his bed of sickness : " It ap- pears that his majesty does not think fit to fulfil that which he, with the queen, who is now in glory, promised me by word and seal ; for me to contend to the contrary would be to contend with the wind. I have done all that I could do ; I leave the rest to God, whom I have ever found propitious to me in my necessities." His health now rapidly sunk, but his mental vigor was not impaired by the ravages of disease ; and, having made his will, he died, with little apparent suffer- ing. May 20, 1506. The superstition which beclouded the mind 172 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. of Columbus often forces itself on our atten^ tion. He believed his great discovery was announced in the prophecies of Isaiah and the book of .Revelation. He identified the mines of Hispaniola with the golden quarries w^hich supplied Solomon with the materials for the temple. He fancied he had discover- ed the site of the garden of Eden in the new- ly found reigon of Paria. But his greatest extravagance was his project of a crusade for the recovery of the holy sepulchre, which he cherished from the first hour of his dis- covery, urged almost earnestly on the sove- reigns, and provided for in his will. His remains, first deposited in the convent of St. Francis, at Valladolid, were, six years later, removed to the Carthusian monastery of Las Cuevas, at Seville, where a costly monument was raised over them by Ferdin- and. In the year 1436, they were transport- ed to the island of St. Domingo ; and on the cession of that island to the French, in 1795, were again removed to Cuba, where they rest in the cathedral church of its capital. In closing this sketch of a very remarkable TRUE RICHES. 173 person, the mind is impressed by the vanity which marks the objects men are so intent on pursuing. It is a singular fact, that Co- lumbus considered, even to the last, that he had merely opened a new way to the ancient resorts of successful commerce, and had dis- covered some of the w^ild regions of the east. Of the real character and probable results of his discovery of America, he had no idea. The honors and emoluments which were properly his due he did not possess. How frequently does man appear walking in a vain shew, and disquieting himself in vain ! Disappointment often attends his fa- vorite plans and his most strenuous efforts ; and even when he succeeds, how small is the product ! Miserable at best, was the re- w^ard for the toils and sufferings of Colum* bus. What a contrast to his circumstances ap- pears in those of the believer in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Numbered among " the wise," he " inherits substance ;" he has " gold tried in the fire that he may be rich," and to him is granted the honor that 174 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. cometh from God. He has not to complain of disappointed expectations, of mortified de- sires, of the violation of solemn engagements, but to acknowledge that the Sovereign to whom he renders a happy and grateful ser- vice, is able to do for him " exceeding abun- dantly above all that he can ask or think." He has in possession a peace that passeth all understanding, and in prospect, " a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." The last hour comes, but for this he is prepared ; for the evil of death there is an- antidote, for its conflict a victory, " When Bature sinks beneath diseaBe^ And every earthly hope is fled, What then can give the sinner ease, And make him love a dying bed ? Jesus ! Thy smile, bis heart can cheer ;■ He's blest e'en then, if thoa art near. The gospel- does salvation brings And Jesns is the gospel theme ; In death redeemed sinners sing, And triumph in the Saviour's name; * O death, whcie is thy sting ?' they cry * O grave, where is thy victory? Then let me die the death of those Whom Jesus washes in his blood, Who on his faithfulness repose, And know that he indeed is God. Around his throne they all shall meet, And cast their crowns beneath his feet."" TRUE RICHES. 175 Reader, have you never employed this language? Adopt it now. The blessings of a present and eternal salvation are not limited to distinguished rank, or to great at- tainments in the science of this world. They are connected with faith in Christ, with a reliance on his atoning sacrifice, an imita- tion of his example under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and zeal for the honor of his name. While they may be enjoyed by the wearers of coronets, they may be — they are, the portion of many in humble life, and all are invited, in the proclamation of the gospel, to be " rich in faith," and " kings and priests unto God." " Seek then first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," and all things that are desirable '• shall be added unto you." " For the Lord God is a sun and shield : Tbe Lord will give grace and glory : ^ '■ No good thing will he withhold From them that walk uprightly. Psalm Ixxxiv. 11. On the death of Columbus, his son Diego succeeded to his rights as viceroy and go- vernor of the New World, according to the 17 176 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. express arrangements that were made be- tween the sovereigns and his father. To his talents, integrity, and urbanity, honorable testimony is borne by various historians. "Without delay, he appeared as the successor of Columbus, and urged the restitution of the offices and privileges which had been suspended during the latter years of his pa- rent's life. He had been, it will be remem- bered, a page in the royal household, and though any difficulties which might have originated in ignorance of, or a partial ac- quaintance with him, could not exist, yet for two years he pressed his claims in vain. As he found, at length, that an appeal to generosity and equity was wholly unsuccess- ful, he solicited permission to apply to the courts of law ; a request too reasonable for even Ferdinand to refuse. His suit, com- menced in 1508, was continued for several years, during which his claims were strongly disputed, on various grounds ; but ultimately the council of the Indies pronounced an unanimous decision in his favor. The wily monarch, however, used all the means he DIEGO MADE VICEROY. 177 could employ to delay the cedinoj of those powers, to which Diego had thus been pro- nounced fully entitled. At length he embarked as the new admi- ral, attended by his wife, Dona Maria, seve- ral of his relatives, and a large retinue. He commenced his rule at St. Domingo, with a splendor which hitherto had been unknown in the colony. The king had not granted Diego the dignity of viceroy, but the title w^as generally given him by courtesy, and his wife was universally addressed by that of vice-queen. The measures adopted by Fer- dinand were, at the same time, very annoy- ing, and seriously infringed the capitulations repeatedly confirmed to Columbus and his heirs. Factions also rose, the enemies of the father becoming foes of his son ; and thus, amidst a court which threw a degreee of lustre over the half savage island, there was not only much to be done, but also much to be endured. On the subjugation and settlement of the island of Cuba, the admiral congratulated the monarch on acquiring the largest and 178 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. most beautiful island in the world without the loss of a single man. This intelligence, so pleasing to the king, was, however, ac- companied by various complaints against Diego. For him Ferdinand must have cared but little ; but, knowing that the accusations chiefly originated in envy and jealousy, he sent out Don Bartholomew Columbus, with instructions to his nephew, the admiral. Bartholomew, though dishonorably detain- ed in Spain by Ferdinand, who employed in- ferior men in his voyages of discovery, still held the office to which he had been long before appointed, as adelantado of the Indies. Other appointments, were now given him, and among them he had the superintendence of the mines which might be discovered in Cuba. Dissatisfied, and that justly, with the treat- ment he received, Diego requested permission to repair to court, that he might vindicate his conduct. On obtaining it, he left the ade- lantado with the vice-queen, and was receiv- ed by Ferdinand with great honor, to which, indeed, he was fairly entitled. It appears DEATH OF BARTHOLOMEW. 179 that he had succeeded in all his enterprises, firmly established a pearl fishery on the coast of Cubao:ua, and brought the islands of Cuba and Jamaica under culture without bloodshed, and acted with rectitude as a governor. The accusations against him were to be traced to his efforts to lessen the oppression of the natives. In some respects, favor was shown him ; but in others, he was treated with in- justice : so that Herrera, the historian, says, " Don Diego w^as always involved in litiga- tions with the fiscal ; so that he might truly say he was heir to the troubles of his father." While he was thus defending himself at home, and seeking what was justly his due, his uncle, the adelantado, died, there is rea- son to think, at a great age. '• He was a man," says Herrera, " of not less worth than his brother, the admiral ; and who, if he had been employed, would have given great proofs of it ; for he was an excellent seaman, valiant, and of a noble mind." Ferdinand appears to have detained him in Spain, not only from parismony, but jealousy. He doubtless fancied the family too powerful, n* 180 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. and that the full employment of Bartholomew ■would further increase their distinction and influence. Of his talents and character the monarch appears to have had a high opinion, and he expressed great concern at the death of the adelantado. Soon after his decease, Ferdinand was also called to his last and solemn account. Well would it be, did the mightiest and the mean- est anticipate their summons at the tribunal of God ! " For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, ac- cording to that he hath done, w^hether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. v. 10. Diego obtained from the emperor Charles v., the successor of Ferdinand, a recognition of his innocence as to all the charges against him. This was accompanied by an acknowl- edgment of his rights to exercise the office of viceroy and governor of St. Domingo, and of all places discovered by his father. He suffered, however, a diminution of his authority; for a supervisor was appointed, wnth power to give information against him. BEAUTY OF ST. DOMINGO. 18 1 In these circumstances, he returned to his vice-royalty ; but the course he considered it right to pursue, raised against hira a host of enemies both in Spain and the colonies. That the state of things at this period ex- isting in St. Domingo may be understood, it is necessary to recall some particulars already mentioned. It has been stated, that, when the Euro- peans first visited the islands of the Avest, they were believed by the simple inhabitants to have descended from heaven, and it has been intimated also, that the scenes witness- ed in this part of the world have lamentably proved the contrary. Nature appeared, in- deed, in all her loveliness, adorned with every form of beauty, and exhibiting the richest fertility ; but, from the first period of the discovery of these islands to very recent days, they were degraded by the most shock- ing depravity and heart-sickening misery. Almost as soon as they were known, the ori- ginal inhabitants became the victims of the sordid avarice and wanton barbarity of their invaders ; their beautiful isles resounded with 1S2 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. the cries of the tortured natives, and the earth was dyed with their blood. Of this cruel oppression, St. Domingo furnishes an affecting instance. Its climate, like that of all tropical countries, is hot in the plains and on the sea-coats, but the mountainous districts of the interior are de- lightfully cool and salubrious. Among these, from which the name Hayti is derived, sig- nifying in the language of the aborigines, ^' mountainous land," and which form by far the largest portion of the island, an almost endless variety of hills and valleys, woods and rivers, appear. From this circumstance, as well as the great productiveness of its soil, St. Domingo has been called the Queen of the Antilles. And yet here has been perpetrated enor- mous evils. The thirst of gold, which ac- tuated the Spanish adventurers, was gratified, while the aborigines continued to labor in the mines for their unfeeling conquerors. Most tyrannical was such treatment. The earth was cursed indeed for the sin of man ; but had it been equally affected in every part, OPPRESSION OF THE NATIVES. 183 the natives of the Torrid Zone would have felt it more than the rest of their species. Incessant and arduous toil would then have been pre-eminently theirs. But God has mercifully interposed to prevent the endu- rance of so grievous a yoke. The glowing atmosphere, that renders long continued la- bor so wearisome, greatly lessens the need of it, by giving to the soil, with little cul- ture, much more fertility than laborious till- age will impart in temperate climates. Many nutritious fruits, grateful to the taste, and well adapted to the support of man, either grow spontaneously, or, when once planted, require scarcely any further toil, but yield a constant and copious supply of food. To doom man, then, to constant labor, is an act of gross oppression, in defiance of the pro- visions and purposes of the great Lord of all. This tyranny, however, was chargeable on the Spaniards ; and the indolent and simple people, who were their victims, unaccustom- ed to the laborious exertions of industry, and naturally of feeble constitution, soon sunk beneath their cruel toils. An early naviga- 184 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. tor, named Benzoni, states, that of two mil- lions of inhabitants contained in the island, when discovered by Columbus in 1492, scarcely one hundred and fifty were left alive in 1545. Most revolting is such a statement, ■which there is, unhappily, far too much rea- son to believe. And yet it was a race having the strongest claims that the Spaniards inhumanly butch- ered by thousands and myriads. To supply the ravages of this frightful waste of life, the idea was suggested of transporting negro slaves from Africa, who, being of stronger habit of body than the Indian natives, might sustain the toils under which they had sunk. A poet asks, as he contemplates the ne- gro— ♦' Is he not man, though knowledge never shed Her quickening beams on his neglected head? Is he «ot man, though sweet religion's voijCe, Ne'er made the mourner in bis God rejoice? Is he not man, by sin and suffering tried? Is he not man for whom the Saviour died ? Belie the negro's power, in headlong will, Christian, thy brother thou shalt prove him still : Belie his virtues ; since his wrongs began, His follies and his crimes have stamp'd him Man." OPPRESSION OF THE NATIVES. 185 Having described the negro as a man, the poet adds, most truly and forcibly : — " The Spaniard found him such : the island race His foot had spurn'd from earth's insulted face. Among the waifs and foundlings of mankind, Abroad he looked, a sturdier stock to find ; A spring of life, whose fountain should supply His channels as be drank the river dry : That stock he found on Afric's swarming'plains^ That spring he opened in the negro's veins ; A spring exhaustless as bis avarice drew,. A stock that like Prometheus' vitals gre\*' Beneath the eternal beak his heart that lore, Beneath the insatiate thirst that drained his gore. Thus, childless as the Charibeans died, Afric's strong sons the ravening waste supplied j Of hardier fibre to endure the yoke. And self renewed beneath the severing strotej As grim oppression crush'd them to the tomb, Their fruitful parent's miserable womb Teem'd with fresh myriads, crowd'd o'er the wayee, Heirs to their toil, their sufferings, and their graves." Soon after the accession of laborers thus gained, the mines of St. Domingo became of less importance than they had been, those on the continent yielding a richer supply of the precious metaL This circumstance, to- gether with the difficulty of making the ne- groes efficient miners, induced the Spaniards to divert their attention to the culture of the soil. No relief, however, came from this 1S6 COLOIEUS AND HIS TIMES. change, to the victims of their awful cupid- ity. " ♦' Among the bowers of paradise, that graced Those islands of the world-dividing waste, "Where towering cocoas waved their graceful locks, And vines luxuriant clustered round the rock ; Where orange groves perfumed the circling air, With verdure, flowers and fruit, for ever fair ; Gay myrtle-foliage iracked the winding rills, And cedar forests slumbered on the hills ; — An eastern plant, engrafted on the soil, Was tilled for ages with consumi ng toil : No tree of knowledge with forbidden fruit. Death Jn the taste, and ruin at the root ; Yet in its growth were good and evil found — It blessed the planter, but cursed the ground : While with vain wealth it gorged the master's hoard, And spread with manna his luxurious board, Its culture was perdition to the slave, It sapp'd his life, and flourish'd on his grave." It may easily he supposed that the Span- iards, w^ho had been used to regard the Indi- ans as little, if at all, better than beasts of burthen, would not estimate more highly those of whom they w^ere thus possessed. Had it not been, indeed, for the greater hard- ihood of the negroes, and the constant sup- plies obtained from the coast of Africa, the wreck among them would have been as ap- parent as that of their wretched predecessors. REVOLT OF THE NEGROES. 187 Meanwhile He who sitteth in the heavens, was saying, " Vengeance is mine ; I will re- pay, saith the Lord." One means of punish- ment, to a certain extent, may be traced to the conduct of these infatuated tyrants. The first African revolt began in a sugar planta- tion of the admiral Don Diego, where about twenty slaves, joined by an equal number from a neighboring plantation, got posses- sion of arms, rose against their masters, mas- sacred them, and then sallied forth upon the country. It appears they intended to pillage certain plantations, to kill the Spaniards, and to increase their strength by freeing their countrymen. No sooner did Diego hear of th's revolt, than he pursued the rebels, accompanied by several of the principal inhabitants. Stop- ping on the second day, for rest and rein- forcements, on the banks of a river, one of his companions, Melchor de Castro, found that the negroes had ravaged his plantations, sacked his house, killed one of his men, and carried off his Indian slaves. Without delay, herefore, the insurgents were piu-sued, rout- 188 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. ed, and many were hanged on the nearest trees, to deter their countrymen from revolt. Meanwhile, the enemies of Diego, in the colonies and in Spain, were actively and suc- cessfully employed. He therefore received a severe letter from the council of the Indies, accusing him of various abuses and excesses, and requiring him, under penalty of losing all his privileges and titles, to restore things to their former state. All persons were, at the same time, commanded to conform to the royal mandate, and to see it fully obeyed. He was also summoned peremptorily to court, to give information as to various matters at issue. On arriving in Spain, he fearlessly present- ed himself before the court, and not only as- serted, but completely established his inno- cence. He nov/ hoped to obtain a just and speedy settlement of all his claims ; but as these involved a share in the profits of vast and richly-productive provinces, his path was still beset by delays and difficulties. A com- mission was formed to examine his claims, but its movements were exceedingly tardy. SICKNESS AND DEATH OF DIEGO. 189 For two years he followed the court, during its migrations from Vittoria to Burgos, Val- ladolid, Madrid, and Toledo. At length, the emperor set out for Seville. The admiral determined to follow him, though his consti- tution was broken by the heavy trials of his life, and he w^as wasting away under the at- tack of a slow fever. His friends attempted to dissuade him from such a journey in the season of winter, but he persisted in his course. He left Toledo in a litter, and ar- rived the same day at Montalvan, about six leagues distant. There his illness greatly increased, and he expired the day following, being little more than fifty years of age. "He was worn out," says Herrera, "by fol- lowing up his claims, and defending himself from the calumnies of his competitors, who, with many stratagems and devices, sought to obscure the glory of the father and the virtue of the son." The subsequent history of St. Domingo cannot now be traced. The revolt already described was the precursor of another, arising from the same cause. Oppression became 190 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. again intoleralle ; the negroes rebelled ; nnd, though in the end the insurrection was quelled, a serious, and, in some respects, irreparable loss was sustained by the infant colony. In ad- dition to this, a horde of buccaneers, w-retches utterly lawless and desperate, established themselves on the small island of Tortuga, and afterwards on the mainland. This band of pirates carried on a most destructive war- fare with the Spaniards, devasting their plantations and houses, and almost annihilat- ing their commerce. Nor did they confine themselves to one place : on the contrary, these outlaws waged with success a preda- tory warfare along the whole circuit of the Spanish main. These circumstances led to the loss, on the part of the colonists, of a part of the island, and ultimately of the whole. It may here be mentioned, as a singular fact, that the emancipation of the Spanish colonies in America has stripped the heirs of Columbus of all their proptrty, insomuch thai his last direct descendant and represent- ative, the Duke of Veraguas, was reduced SPANISH INQUISITION. 191 to extreme poverty. He has since obtained a pension of 24,000 dollars on the revenues of Cuba and Porto Rico. There remains now only one topic, con- nected with " the times" of Columbus, to which allusion can be made. The influence of the church of Rome, has been clearly seen throughout this volume. " Evil men and seducers wax more and more," and in Spain itself there was a manifestation of its gross- est superstition, and its bitterest cruelty. There appeared — "The Inquisition, model most complete Of perfect wickedness, where deeds were done — Deeds ! let them ne'er be named — and sat and planned Deliberately, and with most musing pains, How, to exlremest thrill of agony, The flesh, and blood, and souls of holy men. Her victims, might be wrought : and when she saw New tortures of her laboring fancy born, She leaped for joy, and made great haste to try Their force, well pleased to hear a deeper groan." The tribunal, thus faithfully described, was erected by the popes, for the examination and punishment of those deemed heretics. As soon as it was founded, orders were issued to excite the princes and people of the Ro- mish church to extirpate such persons. As 192 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. they were thus enjoined to search into the number and quahty of all who could be so denominated, ajid to transmit a faithful ac- count of them to Rome, they were called In- quisitors. That nothing might be wanting- to render this court formidable and trerticn- dous, the pontiffs induced the European prin- ces, not only to enact the most barbarous- laws against heretics, and to commit to the- flames those who were pronounced heretics; by the inquisitors, but also to maintain these officers in their service, and to grant them their protection in the most solemn manner. This tribunal had nearly fallen into disose in the kingdom of Aragon, in the fifteeBtL century, in consequence of heresy being sup- posed to be extinguished in the soutk of France. Towards the end of that period^ it was introduced into Spain, under a new and more appalling form, and there became con- sohdated and permanent, and more absolute and independent, than in any other country of Europe. In 1478, a bull, despatched from Rome, authorized Ferdinand and Isabella to appoint SPANISH INQUISITION. 193 two or three bishops, or other dignitaries of the church, to seek and discover throughout the dominions of the Spanish sovereigns, all apostates, heretics, and their abettors, with full power to proceed against them. Isabel- la, however, suspended the execution of the bull for two years, desiring at the same time that means should be taken to warn those in peril of their dangers. At length, the re- quired appointment was made. The inquisi- tors established their court in the Dominican convent of St. Paul, at Seville ; but the num- ber of prisoners soon became so great, that it was removed to the Castle of Triana, in the neighborhood of that city. In the course of one year, 298 persons were burnt alive in Seville alone, 2,000 in other parts of Anda- lusia, and 17,000 were subjected to various penalties. Fearful as this statement is, it is only a specimen of deeds of cruelty and blood which stain the records of an institu- tion most fearfully exhibiting the depravity of man. One remarkable characteristic of the Span- ish inquisition was, its independence of aU 194 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. other authorities. The inquisitor-general, appointed for life, was proposed by the king, and approved by the pope. He appointed all inferior inquisitors, as well as visitors and other agents. The papal bulls gave him full and discretionary power in all matters of re- puted heresy. Thus placed as a distinct power between the king and the pope, he became, in reality, independent of both. He could refuse to submit to those papal decretals and bulls which he did not approve, by stating that they infringed on the rights of the sove- reign; and he. could also evade the ordi- nances of the monarch, by asserting that the papal bulls forbade the inquisitors to tamper W'ith the secular power, under pain of ex- communication. A strong proof of this assumed irresponsi- bility appears in the trial of Carranza, arch- bishop of Toledo, who had attended Charles V. in his last moments, and whom neither the briefs of the pope, nor the remonstrances of the prelates, could save from being con- fined in the prisons of the Spanish Inquisition or more than seven years, without a termin- CONCLUSION. 195 ation of his trial. And when, at last, the pope demanded of the Spanish inquisitor and of the king, that the archbishop and the papers of his trial should be sent to Rome, all kinds of obstacles were thrown in the way of his departure and of his final acquittal. The Inquisition has been happily abolished in our own day ; but the principles which originated and long sustained it, are still in operation. Soon may corrupt Christianity be utterly overthrown by the power of Divine truth, and the energy of the Spirit of God ! And, as we revert to that part of the globe, to which our attention has been chiefly di- rected in this volume, we may add, in the words of the poet : " Nor in the isles and Africa alone Be tlie Redoemer's cross and triumph known ; Father of mercies, speed the promised hour; Thy kingdom come with all restoring power; Peace, virtue, knowledge, spread from pole to pole, As round the world the ocean waters ndl 1 Hope waits the morning of cele>tial light; Time plumes his wings for everlasting flight ; Unchanging seasons have their march begun ; IMilleniiial years are hastening to the sun ; Seen through thick clouds, by Faith's transpiercing eyes, The new creation shines in purer skies. All hail ! — the age of crime and suffering ends ; 196 COLUMBUS AND HIS TIMES. The reign of righteousness from heaven descends ; Vengeance for ever sheathes the afflicting sword ; Death is destroyed and paradise restored ; Man, rising frora the ruins of his fall, Is one with God, and God is all in all." THE END. UCSB LIBRART UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY B 000 007 851 9 i! ill iillilll ^-'^,;i :; ■ li; !i; !" Ill i^';!:- ; '-li*' :! I, J m