Again off Cuba--The numerous keys--Inhabitants hide--Sees a canoe--
Curious mode of fishing--Intercourse with the friendly cacique of
Ornofay--Believes that he is approaching Asia--The natives welcome the
strangers--Sailing west, the Spaniards land near some mountains--The
archer's report of white-robed natives--Columbus believes that he shall
soon reach the Indian Ocean--Error as to the extent of Cuba--Returns
eastward--Visited by a cacique and his venerable minister--Stands across
to Jamaica--Coasts along it--A cacique with his family come off to the
ships requesting to be taken to Spain--The squadron stands across to
Hispaniola--Natives show signs of hostility, but become friendly--
Columbus struck down with illness--Carried to Isabella--His brother
Bartholomew meets him--Efforts to improve the colony--Traitorous designs
formed against Columbus--Accusations sent home--Aguado sent out to
investigate his conduct--Columbus resolves to return to Spain--A rich
gold-mine discovered--Sets sail--Detained by contrary winds--Puts into
Guadaloupe--Attacked by Amazons--Huts plundered--Some of the Amazons
captured--Again sails--Prolonged passage--Spaniards propose to kill the
prisoners--Prevented by Columbus--The vessels reach Cadiz--Finds a
squadron about to sail for Isabella--Honourably received by the
sovereigns.
Standing across to Cuba, Columbus reached Cabo de la Cruz, near which,
landing, he was cordially received by the cacique and his subjects, who
had long since heard of him. The Admiral endeavoured to ascertain from
the cacique whether Cuba was an island or a continent. The reply was
such as to induce him to believe that it was the latter.
Meeting with a storm, fortunately of short duration, he soon found
himself among a labyrinth of keys and small islands, so numerous that it
was impossible to count them. To these he gave the name of The Queen's
Gardens. At first he thought of leaving this archipelago to the right,
and standing out to sea; but he recollected that Sir John Mandeville and
Marco Polo had mentioned that the coast of Asia was fringed with islands
to the number of several thousands, and persuading himself that he was
among that cluster, he hoped soon to arrive at the dominion of the Grand
Khan.
The weather became unfavourable, adding greatly to the difficulties of
navigation. These islands were generally uninhabited, but on the 22nd
of May he came to one to which he gave the name of Santa Marta. Here
was a large village abandoned by its inhabitants.
Quantities of fish were found in their dwellings, as also domesticated
parrots, scarlet cranes, and some dumb dogs, which they fattened as an
article of food. One day a number of natives were seen in a canoe,
occupied in fishing. They employed a small fish, tied by the tail, the
flat head of which was furnished with numerous suckers, by which it
attached itself so firmly to any object as to be torn to pieces rather
than abandon its hold. In this way the Spaniards witnessed the taking
of a tortoise of enormous size. The same mode of fishing is said to be
employed on the eastern coast of Africa. The natives led the Admiral to
suppose that the sea was full of islands south and west, and that Cuba
ran to the west without any termination.
Having extricated himself from this archipelago, Columbus steered for a
mountainous part of Cuba, and landing at a large village, he was
received with the same kindness which invariably distinguished its
inhabitants. He found them mild, hospitable, and pacific; even the
animals were tamer as well as larger and better than those seen
elsewhere. Here stock doves were brought to him, whose crops were found
to contain several spices. The cacique told him that the name of his
province was Ornofay, and that farther on to the west was the province
of Mangon, whose inhabitants would give him more ample information. He
was struck by the sound of the name. It resembled that of Mangi, the
richest province of the Grand Khan bordering the ocean. He understood
the Indians to say that it was inhabited by people who had tails, and
wore garments to conceal them. He recollected that Sir John Mandeville
had recorded a story to the same effect as current among certain naked
tribes, who could not conceive that people would wear clothes unless to
conceal some defect. He flattered himself, therefore, that he should
soon come to the rich province of Mangi and the long-robed inhabitants
of the empire of Tartary. He therefore sailed on, animated by one of
the pleasing illusions of his imagination, along a coast where, for
thirty-five leagues, the navigation is unembarrassed by banks or
islands. The shores were thickly populated. As the vessels glided by,
the natives came off in their canoes to offer fruits and other
productions of the land. Often too the sound of their loud music could
be heard, as they celebrated the arrival of the white men.
It is sad to think that this whole district was soon depopulated, the
simple inhabitants destroyed by the ruthless hand of the cruel and
bigoted Spaniard. Again the vessels were entangled among sand-banks,
and the water appeared as white as milk. This appearance was produced
by fine sand raised from the bottom by the agitation of the waves and
currents, but the seamen, unable to account for it, entreated that they
might return to the east. Columbus, however, would not consent to
relinquish his voyage, believing, as he did, that he was on the eve of a
brilliant discovery. The caravel was sent ahead to explore. Only by
the greatest caution, toil, and peril did he succeed in making his way
through the narrow channels.
At length, with a fair wind, he steered towards some mountains seen
rising close to the coast, and came to an anchor near a beautiful grove
of palm-trees. Here a party was sent on shore to obtain wood and water.
While they were thus employed an archer, who had gone into the forest
with his crossbow in search of game, came hurrying back, declaring that
he had seen, through an open glade, a man in a long white dress, two
others following in white tunics reaching to their knees, their
complexions as fair as those of Europeans. Behind these appeared many
more, to the number of thirty, armed with clubs and lances. They gave
no signs, he confessed, of hostile intentions, the man in the long white
dress alone advancing.
The watering party having no wish to encounter so many armed men,
hastened back to the ship. Columbus, on hearing the story, was fully
persuaded that they were the clothed inhabitants of Mangon.
The following day he sent a strong force to penetrate into the interior.
They, however, found it impossible to get far on account of the matted
grass and creeping vegetation, and at length returned, wearied and
exhausted, to the ships. The next day another party was dispatched, but
they came back, some declaring that they had seen the tracks of a lion,
others of a griffon. Probably the marks were produced by alligators,
while the supposed white-robed natives were no doubt tall white cranes,
of which the bold archer had suddenly come in sight. The only
inhabitants seen on the coast were perfectly naked. Columbus attributed
this circumstance to their being mere fishermen, and supposed that the
civilised regions lay in the interior.
For several days Columbus continued exploring the coast, until he
perceived that it took a bend to the south-west. This accorded with the
descriptions given by Marco Polo of the remote coasts of Asia. He was
now sure that he was on that part of the Asiatic continent beyond the
limits of the Old World laid down by Ptolemy, and that by continuing his
course he should arrive at the point where this range of toast
terminated in the Aurea Chersonesus of the ancients. Doubling this, he
would emerge into the seas bordered by the luxurious nations of the
East. Stretching across the Gulf of the Ganges, he might continue on to
the Straits of Babel Mandel, and arrive on the shores of the Red Sea.
Thence he might make his way by land to Jerusalem, taking ship at Joppa,
and traverse the Mediterranean to Spain, or sail round the whole coast
of Africa, and thus circumnavigate the globe.
These notions, though not his enthusiasm, were shared by many of the
able navigators on board; but they considered the vessels, strained and
leaky, with rigging worn out, totally inadequate to the undertaking. Of
this Columbus himself became convinced, and after exploring the coast
for four days longer, and finding it still trending to the south-west,
all declared that it was impossible so extensive a continuity of land
should belong to a mere island.
That no one might afterwards blame him for abandoning the enterprise, he
made each pilot and master sign a document expressing his opinion on the
subject, and as he had no other opportunity of verifying this idea, he
died in the belief that Cuba was the extremity of the Asiatic coast.
From this point, escaping numerous perils, he now again steered
eastward, until on the 7th of July he anchored in the mouth of a fine
river, intending to give the crews rest and recreation after their
confinement of two months on board. He was here visited by the cacique
and his venerable minister of fourscore years, who brought a string of
beads, to which he attached a mystic value, and a calabash of a delicate
kind of fruit. These he presented in token of amity.
The people also brought utias, large pigeons, bread, and rich fruits;
indeed, they and the chief cacique received him with mingled
demonstrations of joy and reverence.
In all remarkable places Columbus visited he erected crosses in
conspicuous situations. Here a large one of wood was elevated on the
bank of a river. Mass was then performed, and after it was concluded,
the old counsellor approached, and expressed his satisfaction that the
strangers thus gave thanks to God.
"Be not vainglorious," he added, "at all you have accomplished. Know
that there are two places to which the souls of men go: the one dismal,
foul, and dark, prepared for those who have been unjust and cruel; the
other pleasant and full of delight for such as have promoted peace on
earth. Beware, then, that you wrongfully hurt no man, and do no harm to
those who have done no harm to thee."
The Admiral, greatly moved, assured him that he rejoiced to hear his
doctrine respecting the future state, and told him that he had been sent
by his sovereigns to teach them the true religion, and to help them
subdue their enemies the cannibals, and therefore that all peaceable men
might look to him as their protector.
The old man then offered to embark with the Admiral, seized with a
desire to visit the wonderful country from which he and his followers
came, and only with great reluctance, moved by the lamentations of his
wife and children, would he abandon his project.
After remaining several days here, Columbus put to sea; but unable to
fetch Hispaniola, stood over to Jamaica, intending to finish its
circumnavigation. The inhabitants came off, exhibiting the most
friendly disposition whenever the vessels neared the shore, and Diego
Colon, the interpreter, never failed to expatiate on the wonders he had
seen in Spain, and the prowess of the Spaniards who had defeated the
dreaded Caribs.
As the ships were one day standing along the coast under easy sail, with
a light wind, three canoes came off. In the largest, handsomely carved
and painted, sat a cacique, his wife, two daughters, two sons, and his
five brothers. One of the daughters, eighteen years of age, was
beautiful in form and countenance, and though destitute of clothing, was
of modest demeanour. In the prow stood the standard-bearer, clad in a
mantle of variegated feathers, with a tuft of gay plumes on his head,
while he bore in his hand a fluttering white banner. Two Indians, with
caps of feathers, their faces painted, beat upon drums, while two
others, with caps of green feathers, blew their trumpets of black wood
ingeniously carved. There were six others in caps of white feathers,
who appeared to be guards to the cacique.
Having arrived alongside the Admiral's ship, he came on board with all
his train. He wore on his head a band of small green stones, joined in
front by a large jewel of gold; two plates of gold were suspended to his
ears; to a necklace of white beads hung a large metal plate, resembling
gold, in the form of a _fleur de lys_, while a girdle of variegated
stones completed his costume; though his wife and daughters, with the
exception of girdles, to which were suspended tablets of coloured
stones, were unadorned.
The chief, warmly greeting the Admiral, told him that his object in
coming was to accompany him to Spain, to do homage to the King and
Queen. Columbus, knowing the dangers that the simple savage and his
people would be exposed to, was touched with compassion, and determined
not to take them from their native land. He therefore told him that as
he had many places to visit, he could not take him then, but would at
some future time fulfil his desire. Reluctantly the cacique and his
family re-embarked in his canoe and returned to the shore, while the
ships continued their cruise.
Columbus now stood across to Hispaniola. On sending a boat on shore
near a large village, the inhabitants issued forth with bows and arrows,
while others came provided with cords to bind their expected prisoners.
These were the natives of the eastern province. Their hostility,
however, was only in appearance, for directly the crew landed they threw
aside their arms, and readily brought provisions, asking for the
Admiral, whose fame had spread over the whole island. Shortly after
this he was weatherbound for several days in a harbour formed by an
island close to the coast.
When once free, and in seas now well known, being relieved from all
anxiety and the excitement which had so long existed, his mind and body
sank exhausted by his almost superhuman exertions. He was struck by a
sudden malady, which deprived him of his memory, sight, and all his
faculties, and he fell into a deep lethargy, resembling death itself.
In that state he was borne back to Isabella. Soon after arriving there
he recovered consciousness, and his heart was cheered by seeing his
much-loved brother Bartholomew, from whom he had been separated many
years, standing over him.
Bartholomew had in the meantime made a voyage to Africa, and visited
Henry the Seventh of England and Charles the Eighth of France, and on
his arrival in Spain had been sent out in command of three ships,
freighted with supplies for the colony.
He had arrived just after his brother had sailed, and since had been
waiting for his return. On his recovery, aided by his two excellent
brothers, Bartholomew and Diego, Columbus took the most energetic steps
for the benefit of the colony. A turbulent spirit existed among the
settlers, and many of the natives had been driven into hostility. By an
inexcusable stratagem of Ojeda, one of the most powerful caciques,
Caonabo was captured. Several others were afterwards taken prisoners.
The Spaniards, however, quarrelled among themselves, and neglecting the
excellent regulations of Columbus, set his authority at defiance, while
some of those he had most trusted openly rebelled. Margarite, one of
the principal officers, and the cunning friar Boyle, with other
worthless men, sent home insidious reports regarding his administration
of the government. He, aware of the accusations against him, forwarded
counter reports, and, in the meantime, endeavoured to obtain all the
gold to be procured to satisfy the cupidity of Ferdinand. He built
several fortresses, both in the gold region and other parts of the
country, and in a short time the whole of the inhabitants were reduced
to a helpless state of slavery, for, though he intended that they should
be treated with justice and kindly, the heartless and greedy Spaniards
thought only how they could obtain the largest amount of profit from
their labours.
In spite of all his representations, his enemies so contrived to poison
the mind of Ferdinand, that a commissioner, Juan Aguado, armed with
supreme authority, was sent out to investigate the behaviour of
Columbus, and to administer the government.
The Admiral received him with calmness and courtesy, and gave him no
opportunity of creating a quarrel. All the rebels and dissatisfied
spirits, however, thronged round Aguado and brought their accusations
against Columbus, who, finding that Aguado was about to return to Spain,
resolved likewise to go there, in order to defend himself.
As Aguado was about to sail, a fearful hurricane burst over the island
and destroyed his four ships. Columbus on this ordered that the _Nina_,
which was in a shattered and leaky condition, should be prepared, and
another vessel constructed out of the wrecks.
At this juncture a young Spaniard, who, in consequence of wounding a
man, had fled from the settlement and concealed himself among the
natives near the mountains, where he married, had, by the aid of his
wife, discovered a rich gold region.
Knowing that he should be pardoned, he returned and reported the
discovery to Columbus, who, highly elated, fully believed that the mines
were those of the ancient Ophir.
The _Santa Cruz_, the new caravel, being finished and the _Nina_
repaired, Columbus appointed his brother, Don Bartholomew, as
Adelantado, to govern the island, and going on board, set sail on the
12th of March, 1496. Aguado went on board the other vessel, and between
the two were two hundred and twenty-five passengers, all those who
wished to return to the old country, as well as thirty Indians, with the
cacique Caonabo, one of his brothers, and a nephew. Even captivity
could not crush the spirit of the haughty chief till he fell ill, and
died before the termination of the voyage.
After meeting with baffling winds for a long time, on the 6th of April
Columbus found himself still in the neighbourhood of the Carib Islands,
his crew sickly and his provisions diminishing. He bore away,
therefore, in search of supplies, and after touching at Maregalante,
made sail for Guadaloupe. Here a boat going ashore to obtain wood and
water, a large number of females, decorated with tufts of feathers and
armed with bows and arrows, as if to defend their shores, were seen
issuing from the forest. The natives on board having explained to these
Amazonian dames that the object of the Spaniards was barter, they
referred them to their husbands, who, they said, were in a different
part of the island.
As the boats pulled along the beach numbers of natives approached,
shouting and yelling, and brandishing their weapons, and discharging
flights of arrows.
A few shots from the firearms of the Spaniards drove them off. The boat
when landing met with no further opposition, and, contrary to the
injunctions of the Admiral, they plundered and destroyed the native
huts. Honey and wax were found in the houses, and hatchets made of hard
and heavy stone. One of the seamen declared that he found a human arm
roasting, but this statement was probably made to excuse himself and his
companions for the wanton mischief they had committed.
While some of the men were obtaining wood and water, Columbus dispatched
a strongly-armed party of forty into the interior. Here they
encountered a number of women of large and powerful form, their long
hair flowing loose upon their shoulders, and their heads decorated with
plumes of various colours. Ten women and three boys were brought back.
Among the former was a woman of great strength and of proud spirit, who
endeavoured to escape, but being pursued by a Spaniard, was overtaken
while attempting to strangle him, and was captured.
After they were brought on board Columbus ordered them to be restored to
the island, but the chieftainess, whose heart had been touched by the
misfortunes of Caonabo, insisted on remaining to comfort him, and was
thus carried captive to Spain.
Guadaloupe was left on the 20th of April, but a whole month was spent
beating against contrary winds and currents, so that water and
provisions began to fail, and the people were put upon short allowance.
So reduced were they at last that some of the Spaniards proposed, as an
expedient, that they should kill and eat their Indian prisoners. Others
suggested that they should throw them into the sea.
Columbus had to exert all his authority to prevent this atrocious act.
He urged them to wait with patience, and assured them that in a short
time they would see Cape Saint Vincent.
Many scoffed, declaring that they were on a different part of the coast,
but on the 10th he ordered that sail should be taken in at night, and on
the next morning they were in sight of the very land he had predicted.
After a dreary voyage of three months, on the 11th of June the vessels
anchored in the Bay of Cadiz. He found three caravels on the point of
sailing, to carry provisions to the colony. Nearly a year had passed
without relief of any kind having been sent out, as four vessels which
had sailed in January had been lost. By this squadron he wrote to his
brother, the Adelantado, urging him to bring the island into a peaceful
and productive state, and to send to Spain all Indians who should injure
any of the colonists.
Columbus was honourably treated by the sovereigns, although the mind of
Ferdinand was evidently poisoned by the representations of his enemies.
Notwithstanding the cruel opposition of his foes, the great navigator,
refusing to take the repose his health so much required, bent on
prosecuting his discoveries, employed all his energies to obtain
forthwith the command of another expedition.