all sails set, amidst the acclamations of an immense crowd of people
and on the 1st of October, they cast anchor at the island of Ferro,
the most westerly of the Canary group. On sailing again, the fleet
was favoured by wind and sea, and after twenty-three days of
navigation came in sight of new land. At sunrise on the 3rd of
November, being the Sunday in the octave of All Saints, the pilot of
the flag-ship, the _Marie-Galante_, cried out, "Good news, there is
land." This land proved to be an island covered with trees; the
admiral, thinking it uninhabited, did not stop; but, after passing
several scattered islets, he arrived before a second island. The
first he named Dominica, the second Marie-Galante, names which they
retain to the present day. The next day a still larger island was in
sight, and, says the narrative of this voyage given by Peter Martyr,
the contemporary of Columbus, "When they were arrived, they saw it
was the island of the infamous cannibals, or Caribbees, of whom they
had only heard a rumour during the first voyage."
The Spaniards, well armed, landed upon the shore, where they found
about thirty circular houses built of wood and covered with palm
leaves. In the interior of the huts were suspended hammocks made of
cotton. In the centre of the village were placed two trees or posts
around which were entwined the dead bodies of two serpents. At the
approach of the strangers the natives fled in haste, leaving behind
them several prisoners whom they were preparing to devour. The
sailors searched the houses, and found both leg and arm bones, heads
so newly cut off that the blood was still moist, and other human
remains, which left no doubt as to the food consumed by these
Caribbees. This island, which, with its principal rivers, the
admiral caused to be partially explored, was named Guadaloupe, on
account of the resemblance it bore to one of the Spanish provinces.
Some Indian women were carried off by the sailors, but, after having
been kindly treated on board the admiral's ship, they were sent back
to land, Columbus hoping that this conduct towards the females would
induce the men of the place to come on board, but in this he was
disappointed.
[Illustration: The sailors find some recently-severed heads.]
On the 8th of November the signal for departure was given, and the
whole fleet sailed for Hispaniola, the present San Domingo, and the
island upon which Columbus had left thirty-nine of the companions of
his first voyage. In turning again towards the north, a large island
was discovered, to which the natives who had been kept on board
after having been saved from the jaws of the Caribbees, gave the
name of Mandanino. They declared that it was inhabited only by women,
and as Marco Polo had mentioned an Asiatic country which possessed
an exclusively feminine population, Columbus was confirmed in the
idea that he was sailing upon the coast of Asia. He felt a great
desire to explore this island, but the contrary winds completely
prevented his doing so. Thirty miles from thence an island was seen
surrounded by high mountains; it received the name of Montserrat; on
the next day another, which was called Santa-Maria la Rodonda; and
on the day following two more islands, St. Martin and Santa Cruz.
The squadron anchored before Santa Cruz, to take in water. There
occurred a scene of grave import, reported by Peter Martyr in such
expressive words, that we cannot do better than quote them: "The
admiral," he says, "ordered thirty men from his ship to go ashore
and explore the island; and these men, being landed on the coast,
were aware of four dogs and as many young men and women coming
towards them, extending their arms in supplication, and praying for
help and deliverance from the cruel people. The cannibals on seeing
this fled, as in the island of Guadaloupe, and all retired into the
forests. And our people remained two days on the island to visit it.
"During that time, those who had remained with the boat saw a canoe
coming towards them from a distance, containing eight men and as
many women; to these our people made signs; but they on approaching,
began to transpierce ours with their arrows, before they had time to
cover themselves with their bucklers, so that one Spaniard was
killed by a shaft aimed by a woman, who also transfixed another with
a second arrow. These savages had poisoned arrows, the poison being
contained in the tip; amongst them was a woman whom all the others
obeyed, bowing before her. And this was, as they conjectured, a
queen, having a son of cruel appearance, robust, and with the face
of a lion, who followed her.
"Ours then, considering that it was better to fight hand to hand,
than to wait for greater evils in thus fighting at a distance,
advanced their boat by rowing, and by so great violence did they
make it move forward, that the stern of the said boat came with such
velocity, it caused the enemies' canoe to founder.
"But these Indians, being very good swimmers, without moving
themselves either more slowly or more rapidly, did not cease, both
men and women, to shoot arrows with all their might, at our people.
And they succeeded in reaching, by swimming, a rock covered with the
water, upon which they mounted, and still fought manfully.
Nevertheless, they were finally taken, and one of them slain, and
the son of the queen, pierced in two places; when they were taken to
the admiral's ship they showed no less ferociousness and atrocity of
mien, than if they had been lions of Libya who felt themselves taken
in the net. And such were they that no man could have even looked
upon them without his heart trembling with horror, so greatly was
their look hideous, terrible, and infernal."
From all this it is clear that the strife between the Indians and
the Europeans was beginning to be serious. Columbus sailed again
towards the north, going in the midst of islands "pleasant and
innumerable," covered with forests overshadowed by mountains of
various hues. This collection of islands was called the Archipelago
of the Eleven Thousand Virgins. Soon appeared the island of St. John
Baptist (now Porto Rico), a place infested by Caribbees, but
cultivated with care, and appearing truly superb from its immense
woods. Some sailors landed upon the shore, but only found there a
dozen uninhabited huts. The admiral put to sea again, and sailed
along the southern coast of Porto Rico for about one hundred and
fifty miles.
On Friday, the 12th of November, Columbus at last reached the island
of Hispaniola. With what emotions must he not have been agitated in
revisiting the theatre of his first success, in seeking to behold
that fortress in which he had left his companions! What might not
have happened in the course of a year to those Europeans left alone
in this barbarous land? Soon a great canoe, bringing the brother of
the Cacique Guacanagari, came alongside of the _Marie-Galante_, and
the Indian prince springing on board, offered two images of gold to
the admiral. Still Columbus sought for his fortress, but, although
he had anchored opposite its site, there was no trace whatever to be
seen of it. With feelings of the deepest anxiety as to the fate of
his companions, he went on shore. What was his dismay, when he found
nothing left of the fortress but a few ashes! What could have become
of his compatriots? Had their lives been the forfeit of this first
attempt at colonization? The admiral ordered the simultaneous
discharge of the cannon from all the ships to announce his arrival
at Hispaniola. But none of his companions appeared. Columbus, in
despair, immediately despatched messengers to the Cacique
Guacanagari; who, on their return brought sad news. If Guacanagari
might be believed, some other caciques, irritated by the presence of
the foreigners in their island, had attacked the unfortunate
colonists, and had massacred them to the last man. Guacanagari
himself had received a wound in endeavouring to defend them, and to
corroborate his story he showed his leg enveloped in a cotton
bandage.
Columbus did not believe in this intervention of the cacique, but,
resolving to dissimulate, he welcomed Guacanagari kindly when he
came on board the next day; the cacique accepted an image of the
Virgin, suspending it on his bosom. He appeared astonished at the
sight of the horses which they showed him, these animals having been
hitherto quite unknown to himself and his companions. When his visit
was over, he returned to the shore, regained the region of mountains,
and was seen no more.
The admiral then despatched one of his captains with three hundred
men under his orders, to scour the country and carry off the cacique.
This captain penetrated far into the interior, but found no traces
of the cacique, nor of the unfortunate colonists. During this
excursion, a great river was discovered, and also a fine sheltered
harbour, which was named Port Royal. However, in spite of the bad
success of his first attempt, Columbus had resolved to found a new
colony upon this island, which appeared to be rich both in gold and
silver. The natives constantly spoke of mines situated in the
province of Cibao, and in the month of January two gentlemen, Alonzo
de Hojeda and Corvalan, set out accompanied by a numerous escort to
verify these assertions. They discovered four rivers having
auriferous sands, and brought back with them a nugget which weighed
nine ounces. The admiral on seeing these riches was confirmed in his
idea that Hispaniola was the famous Ophir, spoken of in the Book of
Kings. After looking for a site upon which to build a town, he laid
the foundation of Isabella in a spot at the mouth of a river which
formed a harbour, and at a distance of thirty miles east from Monte
Christi. On the Feast of the Epiphany, thirteen priests officiated
in the church in presence of an immense crowd of natives.
Columbus was now anxious to send news of the colony to the King and
Queen of Spain. Twelve ships laden with gold collected in the island,
and with various specimens of the produce of the soil, were prepared
to return to Europe under the command of Captain Torres. This
flotilla set sail on the 2nd of February, 1494, and a short time
afterwards Columbus sent back one more of the five ships which
remained to him, with the Lieutenant Bernard of Pisa, against whom
he had cause of complaint.
As soon as order was established in the colony of Isabella, the
admiral, leaving his brother behind as governor, set out,
accompanied by five hundred men, to visit the mines of Cibao. The
country they traversed seemed to be splendidly fertile; vegetables
came to perfection in thirteen days; corn sown in February was in
full ear in April, and each year yielded two abundant harvests. They
crossed successively mountains and valleys, where often the pick-axe
had to be used to clear a way over these still virgin lands; at last
the Spaniards arrived at Cibao. There the admiral caused a fort to
be constructed of wood and stone on a hill near the brink of a large
river; it was surrounded with a deep ditch, and Columbus bestowed
upon it the name of St. Thomas, in derision of some of his officers
who were incredulous upon the subject of the gold-mines. It ill
became them to doubt, for from all parts the natives brought nuggets
and gold dust, which they were eager to exchange for beads, and
above all for the hawks' bells, of which the silvery sound excited
them to dance. This country was not only a land of gold, it was also
a country rich in spices and aromatic gums, the trees which bore
them forming quite large forests. The Spaniards considered the
conquest of this wealthy island a cause of unmixed congratulation.
Columbus left fifty-six men to guard the Fort of St. Thomas, under
the command of Don Pedro de Margarita, while he returned to Isabella,
towards the beginning of April, being much hindered on the road by
excessive rain. On his arrival he found the infant colony in great
disorder; famine was threatening from the want of flour, which could
not be obtained, for there were no mills; both soldiers and workmen
were exhausted with fatigue. Columbus sought to oblige the gentlemen
to aid them; but these proud Hidalgos, anxious as they were to
conquer fortune, would not stoop to pick it up, and refused to
perform any manual labour. The priests upholding them in this
conduct, Columbus, who was forced to act with vigour, was obliged to
place the churches under an interdict. He could not spare time to
remain any longer at Isabella, but was in haste to make further
discoveries; therefore, having formed a council, composed of three
gentlemen and the chief of the missionaries, under the presidency of
Don Diego, to govern the colony, he set out on the 24th of April
with three vessels, to complete the cycle of his discoveries.
The flotilla sailing towards the south, a new island was soon
discovered, which was called by the natives Jamaica. The highest
point of the island was a mountain of which the sides sloped gently
down. The inhabitants appeared clever, and much given to the
mechanical arts, but they were far from pacific in character, and
several times opposed the landing of the Spaniards, who, however,
repulsed them, and at length the savages were induced to conclude a
treaty of alliance with the admiral. From Jamaica Columbus pushed
his researches more towards the west. He imagined himself to be
arrived at the point where the old geographers placed the golden
region of the west, Chersonesus. Strong currents carried him towards
Cuba, along whose coast he sailed for a distance of six hundred and
sixty-six miles. During this dangerous navigation amongst shallows
and narrow passages, he named more than seven hundred islands,
discovered a great number of harbours, and often entered into
communication with the natives.
[Illustration: Fishermen on the coast of Cuba.]
In the month of May, the look-out-men on board the ships descried a
large number of grassy islands, fertile and inhabited. Columbus, on
approaching the shore, entered a river, of which the water was so
warm that the hand could not remain in it, a fact evidently of
exaggeration, and one which later researches have not authenticated.
The fishermen of this coast employed a certain fish called the
Remora or sucking-fish, "which fulfilled for them the same office as
the dog does for the hunter. This fish was of an unknown species,
having a body like a great eel, and upon the back of his head a very
tenacious skin, in fashion like a purse, wherewith to take the
fishes. They keep this fish fastened by a cord to the boat, always
in the water, for it cannot bear the _look_ of the air. And when
they see a fish or a turtle, which there are larger than great
bucklers, then they loose the fish by slackening the rope. And when
he feels himself at liberty, suddenly, and more rapidly than the
flight of an arrow, he (the remora) assails the said fish or turtle,
throws over him his skin in the manner of a purse, and holds his
prey so firmly, be it fish or turtle, by the part visible beyond the
shell, that none can wrest it from him, if he be not drawn to the
surface of the water; the cord is therefore pulled up, and gathered
in little by little; and no sooner does he see the splendour of the
air, than incontinent he lets go of his prey. And the fishermen
descend as far as is necessary to take the prey, and they put it on
board the boat, and fasten the fish-hunter with as much of rope as
is necessary for him to regain his old position and place; then, by
means of another rope, they give him for reward a small piece of the
flesh of his prey."
The exploration of the coasts continued towards the west. The
admiral visited several countries, in which abounded goslings, ducks,
herons, and those dumb dogs which the natives eat, as we should kids,
and which were probably either almigui or racoons. As the ships
advanced, the sandy channels became narrower and narrower, and
navigation more and more difficult, but the admiral adhered to his
resolution of continuing the exploration of these coasts. One day,
he imagined he saw upon a point of land some men dressed in white,
whom he took for brothers of the order of Santa Maria de la Merced;
he sent some sailors to open communication with them, when it proved
to be simply an optical illusion; these so-called monks turning out
to be great tropical herons, to whom distance had lent the
appearance of human beings.
During the first days of June, Columbus was obliged to stop to
repair the ships, of which the keels were much damaged by the
shallow water on the coast. On the seventh day of the month he
caused a solemn mass to be celebrated on the shore: during the
service an old cacique arrived, who, the ceremony being over,
offered the admiral some fruits, and then this native sovereign
pronounced some words which the interpreters thus translated:--
"It hath been told us after what manner thou hast invested and
enveloped with thy power these lands, which were to you unknown, and
how thy presence has caused great terror to the people and the
inhabitants. But I hold it my duty to exhort and to warn thee that
two roads present themselves before the souls, when they are
separated from the bodies: the one, filled with shadows and sadness
destined for those who are harmful and hurtful to the human species;
the other, pleasant and delightful, reserved for those who in their
life-time have loved peace and the repose of the people. Therefore,
if thou rememberest that thou art mortal, and that the future
retribution will be meted out according to the works of the present
life, thou wilt take care to do harm to nobody." What philosopher of
ancient or modern time could have spoken better or in sounder
language! All the human side of Christianity is expressed in these
magnificent words, and they came from the mouth of a savage!
Columbus and the cacique separated, charmed with one another, and
the more astonished of the two was not, perhaps, the old native. The
rest of his tribe appeared to live in the practice of the excellent
precepts indicated by their chief. Land was common property amongst
the natives, as much so as sun, air, and water. The Meum and Tuum,
cause of all strife, did not exist amongst them, and they lived
content with little. "They enjoy the Golden Age," says the narrative,
"they protect not their possessions with ditches and hedges, they
leave their gardens open; without laws, without books, without
judges, they by nature follow what is right, and hold as bad and
unjust whatever sins against, or causes harm to another."
Leaving Cuba, Columbus returned towards Jamaica, and sailed along
the whole of the southern coast as far as the eastern extremity of
the island. His intention was to attack the islands of the Caribbees,
and destroy that mischievous brood. But the admiral was at this time
seized with an illness, brought on by watching and fatigue, which
obliged him to suspend his projects. He was forced to return to
Isabella, where, under the influence of good air and repose, and the
care of his brother and his friends, he recovered his health. The
colony greatly needed his presence. The governor of St. Thomas had
aroused the indignation of the natives by his cruel exactions, and
had refused to listen to the remonstrances upon the subject
addressed to him by Don Diego, the brother of Columbus; he had
returned to Isabella from St. Thomas during the absence of the
admiral and he embarked for Spain upon one of the ships which had
just brought Don Bartolomeo, the second brother of Columbus, to
Hispaniola. When the admiral regained his health he resolved to
punish the cacique who had revolted against the governor of St.
Thomas, feeling that it would be unwise to allow his authority, in
the person of his delegates, to be set at nought. In the first place
he sent nine men well armed to take prisoner a bold cacique named
Caonabo. The leader Hojeda, with an intrepidity of which we shall
have further instances in the future, carried off the cacique from
the midst of his own people, and brought him prisoner to Isabella.
Columbus afterwards sent Caonabo to Europe, but the ship in which he
sailed was wrecked during the voyage, and he was never heard of more.
In the meantime, Antonio de Torres, sent by the King and Queen of
Spain to compliment Columbus in their names, arrived at San Domingo
with four vessels. Ferdinand declared himself highly content with
the successes of the admiral, and informed him that he was about to
establish a monthly service of transport between Spain and
Hispaniola.
The carrying off of Caonabo had excited a general revolt amongst the
natives, who burned to revenge the chief, so deeply insulted and
unjustly carried away. The Cacique Guacanagari, notwithstanding the
share he had had in the murder of the first colonists, alone
remained faithful to the Spaniards. Columbus, accompanied by his
brother Bartolomeo and the cacique, marched against the rebels and
soon met with an army of natives, the numbers of which, with
manifest exaggeration, he places at 100,000 men. However numerous it
may have been, this army was quickly routed by a small detachment,
composed of 200 infantry, twenty-five cavalry, and twenty-five dogs.
This victory to all appearance re-established the admiral's
authority. The Indians were condemned to pay tribute to the
Spaniards, those living near the mines were ordered to furnish every
three months a small quantity of gold, while the others, more
distant, were to contribute twenty-five pounds of cotton. But
rebellion had been only curbed, not extinguished. At the voice of a
woman, Anacaona, widow of Caonabo, the natives rose a second time;
and even succeeded in drawing over the hitherto faithful Guacanagari
to their side; the rebels destroyed all the fields of maize, and
everything else which had been planted, and then retired into the
mountains. The Spaniards, seeing themselves thus reduced to all the
horrors of famine, indulged their anger by terrible reprisals
against the natives; it is calculated that one-third of the island
population perished from hunger, sickness, and the weapons of the
companions of Columbus. These unfortunate Indians paid dearly indeed
for their intercourse with the conquering Europeans.
The good fortune of Columbus was by this time on the wane. While his
authority in Hispaniola was continually more and more compromised,
his reputation and his character were the objects of violent attack
in Europe. The officers whom he had sent back to the mother country,
loudly accused him of injustice and cruelty; they even insinuated
that he sought to render himself independent of the king; and
against all these attacks, Columbus, being absent, could not defend
himself. Ferdinand, influenced by this unworthy discourse, chose a
commissioner, whom he ordered to proceed to the West Indies and to
examine into the truth of the accusations. This gentleman was named
Juan d'Aguado, and the choice of such a man to fulfil such a mission,
possessing as he did a mind both prejudiced and partial, was not a
happy one. Aguado arrived at Isabella in the month of October, at
the time when the admiral was absent on an exploring expedition, and
began at once to treat the brother of Columbus with extreme
haughtiness, while Diego on his side, relying upon his title of
governor-general, refused to submit to the commands of the royal
commissioner. Aguado soon considered himself ready to return to
Spain, although the examination he had made was a most incomplete
one, when a fearful hurricane occurred, which sank the vessels which
had brought him over in the harbour. There now remained only two
caravels at Hispaniola, but Columbus, who had returned to the colony,
acting with a greatness of soul which cannot be too much admired,
placed one of these ships at the disposal of the commissioner, with
the proviso that he himself would embark in the other, to plead his
cause in person before the king.
So matters stood, when the news arriving of the discovery of fresh
gold-mines in Hispaniola, caused the admiral to put off his
departure. Covetousness was a power strong enough to cut short all
discussions; there was no longer any mention of the King of Spain,
nor of the inquiry which he had ordered; officers were sent off to
the new auriferous ground, finding there nuggets of which some
weighed as much as twenty ounces, and a lump of amber of the weight
of 300 pounds. Columbus ordered two fortresses to be erected for the
protection of the miners, one on the boundary of the province of
Cibao, the other upon the banks of the River Hayna. Having taken
this precaution, he set out for Europe, full of eagerness to justify
himself. The two caravels sailed from the harbour of St. Isabella on
the 10th of March, 1496. On board of the admiral's ship were 225
persons and thirty Indians. On the 9th of April he touched at
Marie-Galante, and on the 10th at Guadaloupe, to take in water; here
there occurred a sharp skirmish with the natives. On the 20th he
left this inhospitable island, and for a whole month he had to
contend with contrary winds. On the 11th of June land was sighted in
Europe, and on the next day the caravels entered the harbour of
Cadiz.
This second return of the great navigator was not welcomed, as the
first had been, by the acclamations of the populace. To enthusiasm
had succeeded coldness and envy; the companions even of the admiral
took part against him. Discouraged as they were, with illusions
destroyed, and not bringing back that wealth, for the acquisition of
which they had encountered so many dangers, and submitted to so much
fatigue, they became unjust, and forgot that it was not the fault of
Columbus if the mines hitherto worked had been a source of expense
rather than of profit.
However, the admiral was received at court with a certain measure of
favour, the narrative of his second voyage doing much to reinstate
him in public opinion. And who could deny that during that
expedition he had discovered the islands of Dominica, Marie-Galante,
Guadaloupe, Montserrat, Santa-Maria, Santa Cruz, Porto Rico,
Jamaica? Had he not also carried out a new survey of Cuba and San
Domingo? Columbus fought bravely against his adversaries, even
employing against them the weapon of irony. To those who denied the
merit of his discoveries, he proposed the experiment of making an
egg remain upright while resting upon one end, and when they could
not succeed in doing this, the admiral, breaking the top of the
shell, made the egg stand upon the broken part. "You had not thought
of that," said he; "but behold! it is done."
IV.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
Third Voyage: Madeira--Santiago in the Cape Verd Archipelago--
Trinidad--First sight of the American Coast in Venezuela, beyond the
Orinoco, now the Province of Cumana--Gulf of Paria--The Gardens--
Tobago--Grenada--Margarita--Cubaga--Hispaniola during the absence of
Columbus--Foundation of the town of San Domingo--Arrival of
Columbus--Insubordination in the Colony--Complaints in Spain--
Bovadilla sent by the king to inquire into the conduct of Columbus--
Columbus sent to Europe in fetters with his two brothers--His
appearance before Ferdinand and Isabella--Renewal of royal favour.
Columbus had not yet given up the hope of pursuing his conquests on
the further side of the Atlantic Ocean. No fatigue, no injustice
from his fellow-men could stop him. After having triumphed, although
not without difficulty, over the malice of his enemies, he succeeded
in organizing a third expedition under the auspices of the Spanish
government. The king granted him eight vessels, forty cavalry
soldiers, and one hundred infantry, sixty sailors, twenty miners,
fifty labourers, twenty workmen of various trades, thirty women,
some doctors, and even some musicians. The admiral obtained the
concession besides, that all the punishments in use in Spain should
be changed into transportation to the islands. He was thus the
precursor of the English in the intelligent idea of peopling new
colonies with convicts, whom labour was to reform.
[Illustration: Embarkation of Christopher Columbus.]
Columbus put to sea on the 30th of May, 1498, although he was still
suffering from gout, and from the various mental trials which he had
experienced since his return. Before starting, he learnt that a
French fleet was lying in wait off Cape St. Vincent, with the
purpose of hindering the expedition. To avoid it, Columbus made for
Madeira, and anchored there; from that island he dispatched all his
vessels, except three, to Hispaniola under the command of the
Captains Pedro de Arana, Alonzo Sanchez of Carabajal, and Juan
Antonio Columbus, one of his own relations, while he, with a large
ship and two caravels bore down to the south with the intention of
crossing the equator, and seeking for more southern countries, which,
according to the general opinion, must be even richer in all kinds
of productions. On the 27th of June the small flotilla touched at
the islands of Sel and of Santiago, which form part of the Cape Verd
group. It sailed again on the 4th of July, and made 360 miles to the
south-west, experiencing long calms and intense heat; on arriving
abreast of Sierra Leone, it steered due west, and at mid-day on the
31st of July, one of the sailors raised the cry of "land." It was an
island situated at the north-eastern extremity of South America, and
very near the coast. The admiral gave it the name of Trinidad, and
all the crews chanted the _Salve Regina_ in sign of thankfulness. On
the morrow, the 1st of August, at fifteen miles from the part of the
land which had been first seen, the three vessels were moored near
to the Point of Alcatraz, and the admiral sent some of his sailors
ashore to obtain water and wood. The coast appeared to be
uninhabited, but numerous footprints of animals were observed, made,
as was thought, by goats.
On the 2nd of August a long canoe, manned by twenty-four natives,
came towards the ships. These Indians, tall of stature, and paler in
colour than those of Hispaniola, wore upon the head a turban formed
of a cotton scarf of brilliant colours, and a small skirt of the
same material around the body. The Spaniards endeavoured to entice
them on board, by showing them mirrors and glass trinkets; the
sailors even executing lively dances, in the hope of inspiring them
with confidence; but the savages, taking fright at the sound of a
tambourine, which seemed to them a sign of hostility, discharged a
flight of arrows, and directed their canoe towards one of the
caravels, whose pilot endeavoured to reassure them by steering
towards them; but in vain, the canoe soon made off, and was seen no
more.
Columbus again set sail, and discovered a new island which he called
Gracia; but what he imagined to be an island, was, in reality, a
portion of the American coast, and that part of the shore of
Venezuela, which, being intersected by the numerous branches of the
Orinoco, forms the Delta of that river. On this day the Continent of
America, although unknown to him, was really discovered by
Christopher Columbus, in that part of Venezuela which goes by the
name of the Province of Cumana. Between this coast and the Island of
Trinidad there is a dangerous gulf, the Gulf of Paria, in which a
ship can with difficulty resist the currents which flow towards the
west with great rapidity. The admiral, who believed himself to be in
the open sea, was exposed to great peril in this gulf, where the
rivers, falling into the sea from the continent, and being swollen
at that time by an accidental flood, poured great masses of water
upon the ships. Columbus, in writing to the king and queen,
describes this incident in the following terms:--
"Being up on deck, at an advanced hour of the night, I heard a kind
of terrible roaring; I tried to see through the darkness, and all at
once I beheld a sea like a hill, as high as the ship, advancing
slowly from the south towards my vessels. Opposing this great wave
was a current, which met it with a frightful noise. I had no doubt
then that we should be engulfed, and even now the remembrance causes
me a feeling of horror. By good fortune, however, the current and
the wave passed us, going towards the mouth of the canal, where,
after long strife, they gradually sank to rest."
[Illustration: GULF OF MEXICO AND THE ANTILLES. After the Map of
Theodore de Bry.]
Notwithstanding the difficulties of the navigation, Columbus
continued to explore this sea, of which the waters became gradually
calmer as he sailed northwards; he discovered various headlands, one
of them was to the east of the Island of Trinidad, and called the
Cape of Pera Blanca. Another was on the west of the promontory of
Paria, and named Cape Lapa. Several harbours were also noticed,
amongst others one situated at the mouth of the Orinoco, to which
was given the name of the Port of Monkeys. Columbus landed on the
shore, west of Point Cumana, and received a kindly welcome from the
numerous inhabitants. Towards the west, beyond the point of Alcatraz,
the country was magnificent, and there according to the natives,
much gold and pearls were to be obtained. Here the admiral would
gladly have remained for some time if he could have found a safe
anchorage. But as this was impossible, he felt it best to make for
Port Isabella, especially as his crews were worn down by fatigue,
and his own health much affected, besides the sufferings he
experienced from the bad state of his eyesight. So he sailed onwards
along the Venezuelan coast, making friends as far as possible with
the natives. These Indians were agreeable in feature, and of
magnificent physique; their dwellings displayed a certain amount of
taste, their houses being built with facades in front, and
containing articles of furniture ingeniously made. The natives wore
plates of gold as ornaments upon their necks. As to the country, it
was superb; the rivers, the mountains, the immense forests made it a
real land of delight. So the admiral gave this beautiful country the
name of Gracia, and by many arguments he tried to prove that in this
spot was situated that terrestrial Paradise once inhabited by Adam
and Eve, being the cradle of the whole human race. To explain to a
certain degree this idea of the great navigator, we must not forget
that he imagined himself all this time to be on the shores of Asia.
This spot which delighted him so much, he called "the Gardens."
On the 23rd of August, after having at the expense of much danger
and fatigue, overcome the perils of this bay, Columbus issued from
the Gulf of Paria by the narrow strait to which he gave the name,
retained to this day, of the Dragon's Mouth. Arrived in the open sea,
the Spaniards discovered the Island of Tobago situated to the
north-east of Trinidad, and then, more to the north, the Island of
Conception, now known as Grenada. They next steered to the
south-west and returned towards the American coast; after sailing
along which for 120 miles, they discovered, on the 25th of August,
the populous Island of Margarita, and afterwards the Island of
Cubaga, situated very close to the mainland. At this place the
natives had established a pearl-fishery, and busied themselves in
collecting this valuable product. Columbus sent a boat on shore,
when a very profitable traffic was carried on, the natives giving in
exchange for broken pottery or hawks' bells, pounds' weight of
pearls, some of which were very large, and of the finest water.
[Illustration: Pearl-fishers.]
The admiral stopped at this point of his discoveries; the temptation
was strong to explore this country, but both officers and crews were
exhausted. Orders were therefore given to start for San Domingo,
where matters of the gravest moment demanded the presence of
Columbus. Before his departure from Hispaniola he had authorized his
brother to lay the foundations of a new town. With this end Don
Bartolomeo had explored the different portions of the island, and
having discovered at the distance of 150 miles from Isabella a
magnificent harbour at the mouth of a fine river, he there marked
out the first streets of a town which became later on the city of
San Domingo. Here Don Bartolomeo fixed his residence, while Don
Diego remained as Governor of Isabella. By this arrangement
Columbus' two brothers had the whole administration of the colony in
their hands. But there were many malcontents who were ready to
revolt against their authority, and it was while this bad spirit was
abroad that the admiral arrived at San Domingo. He approved of all
that his brothers had done, their administration having been in fact,
marked by great wisdom, and he published a proclamation recalling to
their obedience the Spaniards who had revolted. On the 18th of
October he despatched five ships to Spain, and with them an officer
commissioned to inform the king of the new discoveries, and of the
state of the colony, endangered by the fomenters of disorder.
Meanwhile, the affairs of Columbus had taken a bad turn in Europe.
Since his departure calumnies against himself and his brothers had
been ever on the increase. Some rebels who had been expelled the
colony, denounced the encroaching dynasty of the Columbus family,
thus exciting the jealousy of a vain and ungrateful monarch. Even
the queen, until now the constant patroness of the Genoese navigator,
was indignant at the arrival on board the vessels of three hundred
Indians who had been torn from their country, and who were treated
as slaves. Isabella did not know that this abuse of power had been
carried out unknown to Columbus and during his absence; he was held
responsible for it, and to inquire into his conduct, the Court sent
to Hispaniola a commander of the order of Calatrava, named Francis
de Bovadilla, to whom were given the titles of Governor-general, and
Intendant of Justice. He was in reality meant to supersede Columbus.
Bovadilla, invested with discretionary powers, set out with two
caravels towards the end of June, 1500. On the 23rd of August, the
colonists sighted the two ships, which were then endeavouring to
enter the harbour of San Domingo.
At this time Christopher Columbus and his brother Bartolomeo were
absent, engaged in superintending the erection of a fort in the
province of Xaragua; Don Diego was commanding in their absence.
Bovadilla landed and went to hear mass, displaying during the
ceremony a very significant ostentation; then, having summoned Don
Diego before him, he ordered him to resign his office into his hands.
The admiral, warned by a messenger of what was occurring, arrived in
great haste. He examined the letters patent brought by Bovadilla,
and having read them, he declared his willingness to recognize him
as intendant of justice, but not as governor-general of the colony.
Then Bovadilla gave him a letter from the king and queen, couched in
the following terms:--
"Don Christopher Columbus, our Admiral in the ocean,
"We have ordered Commander Don Francis Bovadilla to explain to you
our intentions. We command you to give credit to, and to execute,
whatever he shall order on our part.
"I, THE KING, I, THE QUEEN."
In this letter, the title of Viceroy appertaining to Columbus by the
solemn conventions signed by Ferdinand and Isabella, was not even
mentioned. Columbus, suppressing his just indignation, quietly
submitted. Then arose against the fallen admiral a whole host of
false friends. All those who owed their fortune to Columbus turned
against him; accusing him of having desired to render himself
independent. Foolish calumnies! How could this idea have occurred to
the mind of a foreigner, a Genoese, alone in the midst of a Spanish
colony!
Bovadilla found the moment propitious for harsh measures. Don Diego
was already imprisoned, and the governor soon ordered Don Bartolomeo
and Christopher Columbus himself to be put in fetters. The admiral,
accused of high treason, was placed with his two brothers on board a
vessel bound for Spain, under the command of Alphonso de Villejo.
That officer, a man of feeling, and ashamed of the treatment to
which Columbus was exposed, wished to strike off his chains; but
Columbus refused. He, the conqueror of a new world, would arrive
loaded with chains in that kingdom of Spain, which he had so greatly
enriched!
[Illustration: Columbus bound like a felon.]
The admiral judged rightly in thus acting, for public opinion was
revolted by the sight of him in this depth of humiliation, bound
like a felon, and treated as a criminal. Gratitude towards the man
of genius asserted itself against the bad passions which had been so
unjustly excited, and there arose a cry of indignation against
Bovadilla. The king and queen, swayed by the feelings of the people,
loudly blamed the conduct of the commander, and addressed an
affectionate letter to Columbus, inviting him to present himself at
court.
Thus a bright day again dawned for Columbus. He appeared before
Ferdinand, not as the accused, but as himself the accuser; then, his
fortitude giving way under the remembrance of the unworthy treatment
he had experienced, this unfortunate great man wept, and caused
those around to weep with him. He pointed proudly to the story of
his life. He showed himself to be almost without resources, he whom
they accused of ambition, and of enriching himself out of the
government of the colony! Verily, the man who had made the discovery
of a world, did not possess a roof to shelter his own head!
Isabella, ever good and compassionate, wept in company with the old
sailor, and for sometime could not make him any answer, so choked
was she with her tears. At length she was able to utter some
affectionate words; in assuring Columbus of her protection, she
promised to avenge him of his enemies; she excused the bad choice
they had made in sending this Bovadilla to the islands, and she
declared he should expiate his guilt by an exemplary punishment. In
addition, she desired the admiral to allow some time to elapse
before returning to his government, in order that the minds
prejudiced against him might return to sentiments of honour and
justice.
The mind of Christopher Columbus was calmed by the gracious words of
the queen; he showed himself content with his reception, and
admitted the necessity of the delay enjoined upon him by Isabella.
The chief wish of his heart was again to serve his adopted country
and its sovereigns, and he sketched out grand designs of what still
remained to be attempted in the way of discovery. His third voyage,
in spite of its short duration, had not been without fruit, but had
enriched the map with such new names as Trinidad, the Gulf of Paria,
the coast of Cumana, the Islands of Tobago, of Grenada, of Margarita,
and of Cubaga.
V.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
Fourth Voyage: A Flotilla of four vessels--Canary Islands--
Martinique--Dominica--Santa-Cruz--Porto-Rico--Hispaniola--Jamaica--
Cayman Island--Pinos Island--Island of Guanaja--Cape Honduras--The
American Coast of Truxillo on the Gulf of Darien--The Limonare
Islands--Huerta--The Coast of Veragua--Auriferous Strata--Revolt of
the Natives--The Dream of Columbus--Porto-Bello--The Mulatas--
Putting into port at Jamaica--Distress--Revolt of the Spaniards
against Columbus--Lunar Eclipse--Arrival of Columbus at Hispaniola--
Return of Columbus to Spain--His death, on the 20th of March, 1506.
Christopher Columbus saw himself now reinstated in favour, as he
deserved to be, at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Perhaps the
king may have still evinced a certain degree of coldness towards him,
but the queen was his avowed and enthusiastic protectress. His
official title as viceroy had not, however, been restored to him,
but the admiral, with his usual magnanimity, did not demand it. He
had the satisfaction of seeing Bovadilla deposed, partly for his
abuse of power, and partly because his conduct towards the Indians
had become atrocious; his inhuman proceedings towards them being
pushed to such a length, that under his administration the native
population of Hispaniola, sensibly decreased.
During this time the island began to fulfil the hopes of Columbus,
who had prophesied that in three years the crown would derive from
it a revenue of sixty millions. Gold was obtained in abundance from
the best worked mines; a slave had dug up on the banks of the Hayna,
a mass, equal in weight to 3600 golden crowns; it was easy to
foresee that the new colonies would yield incalculable riches.
The admiral, who could not bear to remain inactive, earnestly
demanded to be sent on a fourth voyage, although he was by this time
sixty-six years of age. In support of his request he adduced some
very plausible reasons. One year before the return of Columbus, the
Portuguese navigator, Vasco da Gama, had returned from the Indies,
after having doubled the Cape of Good Hope. Columbus felt certain
that by sailing to India by the much safer and shorter western route,
the Spaniards might enter into profitable competition with the
Portuguese traders. He constantly maintained, believing as he did
that he had been alongside the Asiatic territory, that the islands
and continents discovered by him were only separated by a strait
from the Moluccas. He therefore wished, without even returning to
Hispaniola and the colonies already settled, to direct his course at
once to the Indies. It is evident that the ex-Viceroy had again
become the hardy navigator of his earlier years. The king agreed to
the admiral's request, and placed him in command of a flotilla
composed of four vessels, the _Santiago_, _Gallego_, _Vizcaino_, and
a caravel, as admiral's galley. These ships were of small tonnage,
the largest being only of seventy tons, and the smallest of fifty;
they were in fact, little better than coasting-vessels.
Columbus left Cadiz on the 9th of May, 1502, with crews numbering in
all 150 men. He took with him his brother Bartolomeo, and his son
Fernando, the child of his second marriage, and at this time
scarcely thirteen years old. On the 20th of May, the vessels stopped
at Gran Canaria, and on the 15th of June arrived at Martinique, one
of the Windward Islands; afterwards they touched at Dominica,
Santa-Cruz, and Porto-Rico, and at length, after a prosperous voyage,
reached Hispaniola, on the 29th of June. The intention of Columbus,
acting on the queen's advice, was not to land upon the island whence
he had been so unworthily expelled; but his badly-constructed ship
was scarcely sea-worthy, and repairs to the keel were greatly needed.
Therefore the admiral demanded permission of the governor to enter
the harbour.
The new governor, successor to Bovadilla, was a just and moderate
man, a knight of the order of Alcantara, named Nicholas Ovando. His
excessive caution, however, made him fear that the presence of
Columbus in the colony might be a cause of disorder; he therefore
thought it right to refuse the request. The admiral concealed the
indignation which such treatment could not but cause him, and
returned good for evil, by offering wise counsel to the governor in
the following instance. The fleet which was to take Bovadilla back
to Europe, and to bear with it, besides the enormous lump of gold
already mentioned, other treasures of great value, was ready to put
to sea. But the weather was very threatening, and Columbus, with a
sailor's penetration, having observed the signs of an approaching
storm, implored the governor not to expose the ships and passengers
to such danger. Ovando would not listen to the advice, and the ships
put to sea; scarcely had they reached the eastern point of the
island before a terrible hurricane arose, causing twenty-one of the
ships to founder with all on board. Bovadilla was drowned, and with
him the greater part of the enemies of Columbus, but by an exception
which may be called providential, the ship which carried the poor
remains of the admiral's fortune, escaped destruction. In this storm
ten millions' worth of gold and precious stones was engulfed by the
ocean.
Meanwhile, the four caravels of Columbus, denied access to the
harbour, had been driven before the storm. They were separated one
from the other, and disabled, but they succeeded in meeting together
again, and by the 14th of July, the squall had carried them within
sight of Jamaica. Arrived there, strong currents bore them towards
the islands called the Queen's Garden, and then in the direction of
east-south-east. The little flotilla contended for sixty days
against the wind without making more than 210 miles, and at length
was driven towards the coast of Cuba, which led to the discovery of
Cayman and Pinos Islands.
Columbus then steered to the south-west, sailing upon seas hitherto
unvisited by any European ship, and throwing himself once more into
the course of discovery with all the passionate ardour of a
navigator. Chance conducted him towards the southern coast of
America; he discovered the island of Guanaja, on the 30th of July,
and on the 14th of August he touched at Cape Honduras, that narrow
strip of land, which, prolonged by the Isthmus of Panama, unites the
two continents of America. Thus, for the second time Columbus,
without being aware of it, approached the real soil of America. For
more than nine months he followed the windings of these shores, in
the face of all kinds of perils and difficulties, and succeeded in
laying down the chart of the coast from the part since named
Truxillo, as far as the Gulf of Darien. Each night he cast anchor,
that he might not be driven far from the shore, and at length
reached that eastern extremity of the coast where it ends abruptly
in the Cape Gracias a Dios.
This cape was doubled on the 14th of September, but the ships
encountered contrary winds so violent, that even the admiral,
himself the oldest sailor of the crews, had never before experienced
the like. He relates this terrible episode in his letter to the king
of Spain in the following terms: "During eighty-four days the waves
continued their assaults, nor did my eyes perceive sun, nor stars,
nor any planet; the seams of my vessels gaped, my sails were torn;
tackle, boats, rigging, all were lost; my sailors, ill and
frightened, devoted themselves to the pious duties of religion; no
one failed to promise pilgrimages, and all confessed to each other,
thinking that each moment might prove their last. I have seen many
tempests, but never have I experienced any of such duration and
violence. Many of my men who passed for intrepid sailors, lost
courage; but that which broke my heart, was the pain of my son,
whose tender age added to my despair, and whom I saw the prey of
greater suffering, greater torments, than fell to the lot of any one
amongst us; but it was doubtless no other than God, who bestowed
upon him such energy, that it was He alone who animated the courage,
and reawakened the patience of the sailors under their severe toil;
in a word, looking upon him, one might have fancied him a sailor who
had grown old in contending with storms, an astonishing fact, almost
incredible, but one which awakened some gleam of joy amidst the
sorrows which overwhelmed me. I was ill, and several times I thought
my last hour was near.... To complete my misery comes the thought
that twenty years of service, of fatigues and perils, have brought
me no profit, and I find myself to-day unpossessed of even a roof to
shelter me in Spain, and forced to betake myself to an inn when I
would obtain repose or food; and when there I often find myself
unable to pay my reckoning." Do not these lines indicate clearly the
intensity of sorrow which overwhelmed the soul of Columbus? In the
midst of such dangers and anxieties, how could he preserve the
energy needful to command an expedition?
Throughout the duration of the storm, the ships had been following
the line of coast which successively bears the names of Honduras,
Mosquito, Nicaragua, Costa-Rica, Veragua, and Panama, the twelve
Limonare Islands being also discovered at this time, and at last, on
the 25th of September, Columbus cast anchor between the small island
of Huerta and the continent. On the 5th of October he again set sail,
and after having taken the bearings of the Bay of Almirante, he
anchored opposite to the village of Cariaz. There he remained until
the 15th of October, the repairs of the vessels meanwhile going
actively forward.
Columbus now believed himself to be arrived near the mouth of the
Ganges, and from the natives speaking of a certain province of
Ciguare, which was surrounded by the sea, he felt himself confirmed
in this opinion. They declared that it was a country containing rich
gold-mines, of which the most important was situated seventy-five
miles to the south. When the admiral again set sail, he followed the
wooded coast of Veragua, where the Indians appeared to be very wild.
On the 26th of November, the flotilla entered the harbour of El
Retrete, which is now the port of Escribanos. The ships battered by
the winds, were now in a most miserable plight; it was absolutely
necessary to repair the damage they had sustained, and for this
purpose to prolong the stay at El Retrete. Upon quitting this
harbour Columbus was met by a storm even more dreadful than those
which had preceded it: "During nine days," he says, "I remained
without hope of being saved. Never did any man see a more violent or
terrible sea; it was covered with foam, the wind permitted no ships
to advance, nor to steer towards any cape; I was kept in that sea,
of which the waves seemed to be of blood, and the surges boiled as
though heated by fire. Never have I seen so appalling an aspect of
the heavens: on fire during one whole day and night like a furnace,
they sent forth thunder and flame incessantly, and I feared each
moment that the masts and sails would be carried away. The growling
of the thunder was so horrible that it appeared sufficient to crush
our vessels; and during the whole time the rain fell with such
violence that one could scarcely call it rain, but rather a second
Deluge. My sailors, overcome by so much trouble and suffering,
prayed for death as putting a term to their miseries; my ships
opened in all directions, and boats, anchors, ropes, and sails were
once again lost."
During this long and painful navigation, the admiral had sailed one
thousand and fifty miles. His crews were by this time quite
exhausted; he was therefore obliged to turn back and to regain the
river of Veragua, but not being able to find safe shelter there for
his ships, he went a short distance off to the mouth of Bethlehem
river, now called the Yebra, in which he cast anchor on the feast of
the Epiphany in the year 1503. On the morrow the tempest was again
renewed, and on the 24th of January, a sudden increase of water in
the river caused the cables which held the ships to snap, and the
vessels were only saved with great trouble.
In spite of all this, the admiral, who never forgot the principal
object of his mission in these new countries, had succeeded in
establishing regular intercourse with the natives. The cacique of
Bethlehem showed a friendly disposition, and pointed out a country
fifteen miles inland, where he said the gold-mines were very rich.
On the 6th of February, Columbus despatched a force of seventy men
to the spot indicated, under the command of his brother Bartolomeo.
After travelling through a very undulating country, watered by
rivers so winding that one of them had to be crossed thirty-nine
times, the Spaniards arrived at the auriferous tracts. They were
immense, and extended quite out of sight. Gold was so abundant that
one man alone could collect enough of it in ten days to fill a
measure. In four hours, Bartolomeo and his men had picked up gold to
an enormous amount. They returned to the admiral, who, when he heard
their narrative, resolved to settle upon this coast, and to have
some wooden barracks constructed.
[Illustration: Gold-mines in Cuba. _From an old print_.]
The mines of this region were indeed of incomparable richness; they
appeared to be inexhaustible, and quite made Columbus forget Cuba
and San Domingo. His letter to King Ferdinand evinces his enthusiasm
on the subject; one may feel some astonishment at reading the
following sentiment from the pen of this great man, one indeed which
is neither that of a philosopher nor of a Christian. "Gold! gold!
excellent thing! It is from gold that spring riches! it is by means
of gold that everything in the world is done, and its power suffices
often to place souls in Paradise."
The Spaniards set to work with ardour to store up this gold in their
ships. Hitherto the relations with the natives had been peaceable,
although these people were of fierce disposition. But after a time
the cacique, irritated by the usurpation of the foreigners, resolved
to murder them and burn their dwellings. One day the natives
suddenly attacked the Spaniards in considerable force, and a very
severe battle ensued, ending in the repulse of the Indians. The
cacique had been taken prisoner with all his family, but he
succeeded with his children in escaping from custody, and took
refuge in the mountains in company with a great number of his
followers. In the month of April, a considerable troop of the
natives again attacked the Spaniards, who exterminated a large
proportion of them.
Meanwhile, the health of Columbus became more and more enfeebled;
the wind failed him for quitting the harbour, and he was in despair.
One day, exhausted by fatigue, he fell asleep, and heard a pitying
voice which addressed him as follows:--words which shall be given
verbatim, for they bear the imprint of that kind of ecstatic
religious fervour which gives a finishing touch to the picture of
the great navigator.
"'O foolish man! why such unwillingness to believe in and to serve
thy God, the God of the Universe? What did He more for Moses His
servant, and for David? Since thy birth, has He not had for thee the
most tender solicitude; and when he saw thee of an age in which His
designs for thee could be matured, has He not made thy name resound
gloriously through the world? Has He not bestowed upon thee the
Indies, the richest part of the earth? Has He not set thee free to
make an offering of them to Him according to thine own will? Who but
He has lent thee the means of executing His designs? Bounds were
placed at the entrance of the ocean; they were formed of chains
which could not be broken through. To thee were given the keys. Thy
power was recognized in distant lands, and thy glory was proclaimed
by all Christians. Did God even show Himself more favourable to the
people of Israel, when He rescued them from Egypt? Did He favour
David more, when from a shepherd boy He made him king of Judah? Turn
to Him, confessing thy fault, for His compassion is infinite. Thine
old age will prove no obstacle in the great actions which await
thee: He holds in His hands a heritage the most brilliant. Was not
Abraham a hundred years old, and had not Sarah already passed the
flower of her youth when Isaac was born? Thou seekest an uncertain
help. Answer me: who has exposed thee so often to so many dangers?
Is it God, or the world? God never withholds the blessings promised
to His servants. It is not His manner after receiving a service to
pretend that His intentions have not been carried out, and to give a
new interpretation to His desires; it is not He who seeks to give to
arbitrary acts a favourable colour. His words are to be taken
literally; all that He promises He gives with usury. Thus does He
ever. I have told thee all that the Creator has done for thee; at
this very moment He is showing thee the prize and the reward of the
perils and sufferings to which thou hast been exposed in the service
of thy fellow-men.' And I listened to this voice, overcome though I
were with suffering; but I could not muster strength to reply to
these assured promises; I contented myself by deploring my fault
with tears. The voice concluded with these words:--'Take confidence,
hope on; the record of thy labours will, with justice, be engraved
on marble.'"
Columbus, as soon as he recovered, was anxious to leave this coast.
He had desired to found a colony here, but his crews were not
sufficiently numerous to justify the risk of leaving a part of them
on land. The four caravels were full of worm-holes, and one of them
had to be left behind at Bethlehem. On Easter day the admiral put to
sea, but scarcely had he gone ninety miles before a leak was
discovered in one of the ships; it was necessary to steer for the
coast with all speed, and happily Porto-Bello was reached in safety,
where the ship was abandoned, her injuries being irreparable. The
flotilla consisted now of but two caravels, without boats, almost
without provisions, and with 7000 miles of ocean to traverse. It
sailed along the coast, passed the port of El Retrete, discovered
the group of islands called the Mulatas, and at length entered the
Gulf of Darien. This was the farthest point east reached by Columbus.
On the 1st of May the admiral steered for Hispaniola; by the 10th he
was in sight of the Cayman Islands, but he found it impossible to
make head against the winds which drove him to the north-west nearly
as far as Cuba. There, while in shallow water, he encountered a
storm, during which anchors and sails were carried away, and the two
ships came into collision during the night. The hurricane then drove
them southwards, and the admiral at length reached Jamaica with his
shattered vessels, casting anchor on the 23rd of June in the harbour
of San-Gloria, now called the bay of Don Christopher. Columbus
wished to have gone to Hispaniola, where he would have found the
stores needful for revictualling the ships, resources which were
absolutely wanting in Jamaica; but his two caravels, full of
worm-holes, "like to bee-hives," could not without danger attempt
the ninety miles' voyage; the question now arose, how to send a
message to Ovando, the governor of Hispaniola.
[Illustration: The Admiral is obliged to run the caravels aground.]
The caravels let in water in every direction, and the admiral was
obliged to run them aground; he then tried to organize a life in
common upon shore. The Indians at first gave him assistance, and
furnished the crews with the provisions of which they were in need,
but the miserable and much tried sailors showed resentment against
the admiral; they were ready for revolt, while the unfortunate
Columbus, exhausted by illness, was confined to a bed of pain. It
was in these trying circumstances that two brave officers, Mendez
and Fieschi, proposed to the admiral to attempt to cross from
Jamaica to Hispaniola in Indian canoes. This was in reality a voyage
of six hundred miles, for it was necessary to row along the coast as
far as the port where the colony was established. But these
courageous officers were ready to face every peril, when it was a
question of saving their companions. Columbus, appreciating the
boldness of a proposal, which under other circumstances he would
himself have been the first to make, gave the required permission to
Mendez and Fieschi, who set out, while he, without ships, almost
without provisions, remained with his crew upon this uncultivated
island.
[Illustration: Indian Boats. _From an old print_.]
Soon the misery of the shipwrecked people--for so we may fairly call
them--became so great that a revolt ensued. The admiral's companions,
blinded by their sufferings, imagined that their chief dared not
return to the harbour in Hispaniola, to which Ovando had already
denied him entrance. They thought this proscription applied to them
equally with the admiral, and said among themselves that the
governor, in excluding the flotilla from the harbours of the colony,
must have acted under orders from the king. These absurd reasonings
irritated minds already badly disposed, and at length on the 2nd of
January, 1504, two brothers named Porras, one the captain of one of
the caravels and the other the military treasurer, placed themselves
at the head of the malcontents. Their wish was to return to Europe,
and they rushed towards the admiral's tent, crying, "Castille!
Castille!" Columbus was ill and in bed. His brother and his son
threw themselves between him and the mutineers to defend him. At the
sight of the aged admiral, the rebels stopped, and their violence
abated; but they would not listen to the admiral's remonstrances and
counsels; they did not understand that nothing could save them but
general concord, and each, in unselfish forgetfulness, working for
the public good. No! their decision was taken to quit the island, no
matter by what means. Porras and his followers ran down to the shore,
took possession of the canoes of the natives, and steered for the
eastern extremity of the island. Arrived there, with no respect left
for anything, and drunk with fury, they pillaged the Indians'
dwellings--thus rendering the admiral responsible for their deeds of
violence--and they dragged some unfortunate natives on board of the
canoes which they had stolen. Porras and his companions continued
their navigation; but when several leagues from shore, they were
struck by a gust of wind which placed them in peril: with the object
of lightening the canoes, they threw their prisoners overboard.
After this barbarous execution, the canoes endeavoured, following
the example of Mendez and Fieschi, to gain the island of Hispaniola,
but in vain, they were continually thrown back upon the coasts of
Jamaica.
Meanwhile the admiral, left alone with his friends and the sick,
succeeded in establishing order in his little world. But the
distress increased, and famine threatened. The natives wearied of
providing food for these foreigners, whose sojourn upon their island
was so prolonged; besides, they had seen the Spaniards fighting
amongst themselves, a sight which had much destroyed their prestige,
and convinced the Indians that these Europeans were nothing more
than ordinary mortals; thus, they no longer respected nor feared
them. The authority of Columbus over the native population was
diminishing day by day, and an accidental circumstance was needed,
of which the admiral cleverly took advantage, to bring back a renown
which was necessary for the safety of his companions.
A lunar eclipse, foreseen and calculated by Columbus, was due on a
certain day. On the morning of this day, the admiral sent to request
an interview with the caciques of the island. They accepted the
invitation, and when they were assembled in the tent of Columbus,
the latter announced to them that God, desirous of punishing them
for their inhospitable conduct, and their bad feeling towards the
Spaniards, would that evening refuse them the light of the moon. All
came to pass as the admiral had foretold; the shadow of the earth
began to conceal the moon, whose disc had the appearance of being
eaten away by some formidable monster. The savages in terror cast
themselves at the feet of Columbus, praying him to intercede with
Heaven on their behalf, and promising to place all they had at his
disposal. Columbus, after some well feigned hesitation, pretended to
yield to the prayers of the natives. Under pretext of supplicating
the Deity, he remained in his tent during the whole time of the
eclipse, only reappearing at the moment when the phenomenon was
nearly over. Then he told the caciques that God had heard his prayer,
and extending his arm he commanded the moon to reappear. Soon the
disc was seen to issue from the cone of the shadow, and the queen of
night shone forth in all her splendour. From that day forward, the
grateful and submissive Indians accepted the admiral's authority as
one manifestly delegated to him by the celestial powers.
While these events were passing at Jamaica, Mendez and Fieschi had
long ago arrived at their destination. These brave officers had
reached Hispaniola after a voyage of four days, little short of
miraculous, accomplished as it was in a frail canoe. They
immediately made the governor acquainted with the desperate
condition of Columbus and his companions. Ovando, in a spirit of
malice and injustice, detained these officers, and after a delay of
eight months, under pretext of ascertaining the real condition of
affairs, he despatched to Jamaica one of his own followers, a man
named Diego Escobar, who was an especial enemy to Columbus. Escobar,
on his arrival at Jamaica, would not communicate with Columbus; he
did not even land, but contented himself with putting on shore, for
the use of the distressed crews, "a side of pork and a barrel of
wine;" then he again set sail without having allowed a single person
to come on board. This infamous behaviour is but too real, although
humanity almost refuses to believe in it.
The admiral was indignant over this cruel mockery; but he showed no
violence, used no recrimination. The arrival of Escobar somewhat
reassured the shipwrecked men, for at least it proved that their
situation was known. Deliverance was therefore only a matter of time,
and the _morale_ of the Spaniards gradually improved.
The admiral was desirous of bringing about a reconciliation with
Porras and the rebels, who, since their separation, had incessantly
ravaged the island, and been guilty of odious cruelties towards the
unfortunate natives. Columbus proposed to restore them to favour,
but these foolish people only answered his generous overtures by
advancing to attack him in his retreat. Those Spaniards who had
remained faithful to the cause of order, were obliged to take up
arms, and they valiantly defended the admiral, losing but one man in
this sad affair. They took both the brothers Porras prisoners, and
remained masters of the field of battle: then the rebels threw
themselves on their knees before Columbus, who, in compassion for
their sufferings, granted them pardon.
At length, just one year after the departure of Mendez and Fieschi,
a ship appeared, equipped by them at the expense of Columbus, which
was destined to restore the shipwrecked company to their homes. On
the 24th of June, 1504, every one went on board, and quitting
Jamaica, the theatre of accumulated miseries, both moral and
physical, they set sail for Hispaniola. Arrived in harbour, after a
prosperous voyage, Columbus, to his no small surprise, found himself
at first received with much respect, the governor Ovando, as a
shrewd man not willing to go against public opinion, doing him
honour. But this happy temper did not last. Soon the quarrels
recommenced, and then Columbus, unable as well as unwilling to hear
more, humiliated, and even maltreated, freighted two ships, of which
he shared the command with his brother Bartolomeo, and on the 12th
of September, 1504, he for the last time set out for Europe.
His fourth voyage had increased geographical knowledge by the
discovery of the Cayman Islands, Martinique, Guanaja, the Limonare
Islands, with the coasts of Honduras, Mosquito, Nicaragua, Veragua,
Costa-Rica, Porto-Bello, and Panama, the Mulatas Islands, and the
Gulf of Darien.
During this, his last voyage across the ocean, Columbus was destined
to be again tried by storms. His own vessel was disabled, and he and
his crew were obliged to go on board his brother's ship. On the 19th
of October, another fearful hurricane broke the mast of this vessel,
which had then to make more than two thousand miles with incomplete
sails. At last, on the 7th of November, the admiral entered the
harbour of San-Lucar. Here a sad piece of news was awaiting him.
Isabella, his generous protectress, was dead. Who was there now to
take an interest in the old Genoese?
The admiral was coldly received by the ungrateful and jealous king
Ferdinand, who did not even disdain to use subterfuges and delays,
hoping thus to evade the solemn treaties given under his sign
manual; he ended by proposing to Columbus the acceptance of a small
Castilian town, Camon de los Condes, in exchange for his titles and
dignities. This ingratitude and faithlessness overwhelmed the aged
man; his health, already so much impaired, did not improve, and
grief carried him to the grave. On the 20th of May, at Valladolid,
at the age of seventy, he rendered up his soul to God with these
words: "O Lord, into Thy hands I resign my soul and body."
The remains of Columbus were at first laid in the monastery of St.
Francis; in 1513, they were removed to the Carthusian monastery of
Seville. But it seemed as if, even after death, repose were to be
denied to the great navigator, for in 1536 his body was transported
to the cathedral of San Domingo. Local tradition affirms that when,
after the Treaty of Basle in 1795, the Spanish government, before
giving up to France the eastern portion of the island of San Domingo,
ordered the removal of the ashes of the great sailor to Havana, a
canon substituted some other remains for those of Christopher
Columbus, and that the latter were deposited in the choir of the
cathedral, to the left of the altar. Thanks to this manoeuvre of the
canon, whether dictated by a sentiment of local patriotism or by
respect to the last wishes of Columbus who had indicated San Domingo
as his chosen place of sepulture, it is not the dust of the
illustrious navigator which Spain possesses at Havana, but probably
that of his brother Diego. The discovery so lately made in the
cathedral of San Domingo, on the 10th of September, 1877, of a
leaden chest containing human bones, and bearing an inscription
stating that it encloses the remains of the _Discoverer of America_,
seems to confirm in every particular the tradition which has been
just mentioned.
But after all, it matters little whether the body of Columbus be at
San Domingo or at Havana; his name and his glory are everywhere.