Columbus’ Second Journey in 1493—Several Islands Discovered—The
Spaniards Find their Fort Destroyed and the Colonists Dead
Hardly had the news of Columbus’ approach reached Palos before the
people rushed to the harbor to see with their own eyes whether it was
true. As the vessel drew near and they recognized upon its deck, one his
son, another his brother, a third his friend, and a fourth her husband,
a universal outburst of joy rent the air, thousands of arms were
outstretched in welcome to the loved strangers, and thousands more shed
tears of joy.
As Columbus stepped ashore he was greeted by the roar of cannon, the
jubilant clang of bells, and the enthusiastic shouts of the multitude.
Unmoved by what would have turned the heads of ordinary men, he made it
his first duty to declare that the fortunate outcome of his great
undertaking was due not to himself but to God. He went immediately to
the church in which he had implored the divine favor before his
departure, accompanied by his sailors and all the people. After publicly
acknowledging his obligations to the Almighty, he proceeded to
Barcelona, a city in Catalonia, where the King and Queen of Spain were
holding Court. Pinzon had arrived at another Spanish port several days
before Columbus, with the intention of being the first to announce the
news to the Court, but the King had ordered him not to appear except in
the company of Columbus. Thereupon the conceited Pinzon was so
disappointed that he fell ill and died in a few days.
At every place along his route Columbus was welcomed by extraordinary
multitudes from the neighboring regions and heard his name pass
admiringly from mouth to mouth. At last he reached Barcelona, where the
King and Queen impatiently awaited him. The whole Court household went
out to pay him honor. The streets were so densely crowded that it was
almost impossible for him to make his way. The procession moved in the
following order: Several Indians, in their native costumes, whom
Columbus had taken with him, were in the advance; behind them, men
carried the gold plates, gold-dust, and gold ornaments which he had
brought; then followed others with samples of the products of the newly
discovered region, such as balls of cotton yarn, chests of pepper,
parrots carried upon long reeds, stuffed animals, and a multitude of
other objects which had never been seen in Europe before; at last came
Columbus himself, the cynosure of all eyes.
[Illustration: _THE RETURN OF COLUMBUS FROM HIS FIRST VOYAGE_]
To pay especial honor to Columbus Their Majesties had caused a
magnificent throne to be erected in the public square where they awaited
him. As he approached them with the intention of kneeling as usual at
the foot of the throne, the King extended his hand to him to be kissed
and requested him to sit by his side upon a chair placed there for him.
Thereupon he modestly told the story of his discoveries and displayed
the proofs of them in the objects he had brought. When he had finished
his story, both Their Majesties and the multitude of assembled
spectators knelt and thanked God that these great discoveries, so rich
in advantage to Spain, had been made in their day. Thereupon all the
honors which Columbus had asked as reward were granted. He and his whole
family were ennobled, and whenever the King rode out, the much-loved
Admiral rode at his bridle, an honor which up to that time had been
enjoyed only by princes and the royal family. But what pleased him most
was the royal order that an entire fleet for a second expedition should
be equipped.
In the meantime the King sent an ambassador to Rome praying the Pope
that he would confirm the Spaniards in possession of the newly
discovered regions and all that might yet be discovered by them in the
ocean. The Pope, Alexander VI, drew upon a globe a line of demarcation
from one pole to another, at a distance of a hundred miles from the
Azores, and issued a bull declaring that all land discovered beyond that
line should belong to Spain. At that time it was the rule that a prince
could hold possession of a newly discovered country only when the Pope,
as the divine representative upon earth, had confirmed it.
The fleet was fitted out so rapidly that in a short time seventeen
excellent vessels waited at Cadiz in readiness to sail. The desire to
secure possessions and honor induced an incredible number of men of all
classes to apply for participation in the expedition, but Columbus, not
being able to accommodate all of them, selected fifteen hundred and paid
special attention to the provisioning of the fleet and the procuring of
all articles necessary to colonization. All sorts of implements were
provided, besides animals unknown in the new world, such as horses,
mules, and cows, all the European species of corn, and seeds of many
herbs and plants which he believed would grow in that latitude. As he
still labored under the delusion that the region discovered by him was a
part of India, he gave it the name of West Indies to distinguish it from
the real India, because to reach it he had to sail west from Europe. The
Indies lying to the eastward were at that time called the East Indies.
Everything being ready, the fleet set sail from Cadiz September 25,
1493. Columbus at first directed his course toward the Canary Islands
and arrived there October 5. There he took aboard fresh water, wood, and
cattle, besides some swine, and set sail again from Ferro, October 13.
In twenty days, aided by favoring winds, the fleet had covered a
distance of eight hundred miles. On the second of November, thirty-six
days after their departure from Spain, the fleet came to anchor off an
island which Columbus named Dominica, because he discovered it on the
Sunday which in the later Latin was called “Dies Dominica,” or the “Day
of the Lord.” Dominica is one of the Lesser Antilles or Caribbean
Islands. As he could not find good anchorage there he sailed farther on
and shortly discovered several other islands, some of them of
considerable size, such as Marie Galante, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Porto
Rico, and St. Martin.
Upon Guadeloupe they observed a magnificent waterfall plunging over a
lofty and jagged cliff with a roar that could be heard three miles away.
At first no natives were visible, as they had deserted their huts and
fled to the mountains. At last some of the Spaniards who had been sent
out brought in two boys who asserted they were not born on the island
but had been forcibly carried away, by these natives, from a neighboring
island. Soon six women were found who piteously implored help, saying
that they had been seized and condemned to slavery. The dreadful news
was learned from them that the natives of this island were in the habit
of roasting and eating male prisoners taken in their battles, and that
the women were carried off by them notwithstanding their piteous
appeals. Columbus found that what these women and the cacique,
Guakanahari, had told him previously of the barbarous practices of these
islanders, was true. Almost everywhere that he landed he met with a
hostile reception and everywhere he found traces of the inhuman practice
of cannibalism. With horror they saw the bones and skulls of slaughtered
human beings lying around almost every dwelling. This and his desire as
soon as possible to gladden the Spaniards who had been left at
Hispaniola, induced Columbus not to remain longer at these newly
discovered islands, especially as it was useless to try to communicate
with the natives. He resumed his voyage therefore and, on the
twenty-first of the same month, safely arrived at a spot which was only
a day’s journey from Fort Navidad.
Some of the crew sent ashore returned with the alarming news that they
had found the dead bodies of two men on the beach fastened to a piece of
wood in the shape of a cross. They could not decide whether they were
Europeans or natives as decomposition had made them unrecognizable. This
news made Columbus anxious as to what might be disclosed on the
following day. He passed a restless night and as soon as the morning
broke hastened to discover whether his fears were groundless or not. As
he approached the heights of La Navidad he sprang into a boat and was
rowed to the shore. How great was his astonishment not to find the
Spaniards he had left there nor the fort they had erected, only some
fragments of it, torn clothes, broken weapons, and utensils! The sight
told him all and, as further evidence of the dreadful fate of the
vanished colonists, eleven corpses were found a little distance away,
showing the signs of murder. As they were deploring the fate of these
unfortunates and considering plans of revenge, the brother of
Guakanahari met them and gave them a detailed account of the calamity.
It was substantially as follows: Hardly had Columbus sailed when the men
left behind disregarded the excellent advice and the instructions he had
given them. Instead of treating the natives in a kindly manner they
became so unjust and practised so many excesses that the natives, who
had regarded these white men as celestial visitors, found that they not
only were not better but were much worse than the dark-skinned men. The
white commander attempted to restrain them but they paid no heed to his
orders or his warnings, refused to obey him, and overran the island,
committing robberies and deeds of violence. At last they began to ravage
the territory of the cacique of Cibao, where the gold was found.
Infuriated by their atrocities, he and his people at last took up arms
and overpowered them, then surrounded the fort and fired it. Some of the
Spaniards were killed in its defence, others took to their boats but
were soon drowned. He further stated that his brother, who had remained
faithful, notwithstanding all these outrages, took up arms for the
Spaniards but received a wound in a battle with the cacique of Cibao and
was still suffering from it.
Columbus’ men were eager to take a bloody revenge but he was too wise
and humane to consent to any such scheme. He tried to convince them how
necessary it was to the safety of this island and the new colony to
conciliate and secure the good-will of the natives. He visited
Guakanahari and found him still suffering from a wound made not with
European but native weapons. The loyal, steadfast conduct of the cacique
confirmed the truth of his story. He also sought to convince Columbus in
every possible way of his unswerving loyalty and presented him with
eight hundred little shells upon which the natives set a high value,
besides a hundred gold plates, and three gourds filled with grains of
gold, for all of which Columbus gave him several European trifles.
After this, Columbus conducted his people to a more comfortable and
healthier region where, near the mouth of a little stream, he decided to
establish a regularly fortified city in which those remaining would have
a safe and convenient dwelling-place. No one was allowed to be an idle
spectator. By the united efforts of so many hands the first little city
built by Europeans in the New World arose and was named Isabella by
Columbus, in honor of his Queen.