They decided upon leaving this port and the sweetwater gulf formed by the
island of Trinidad and the mainland of Paria by the "Boca del Drago",
and I suspect that, as this was a place which was notoriously discovered
by the Admiral, Americo kept silence as to the name of "Boca del Drago"
intentionally. For it is certain that Hojeda and Americo were within
this port, because the same Hojeda gave evidence to that effect on
oath, as well as many other witnesses also on oath, as is affirmed in
the evidence taken by the Fiscal. Here Americo says that the voyage
had now lasted thirteen months, but I do not believe it. Even if he
tells the truth as regards the number of months, this must have been
in the second voyage, which he afterwards made with the same Hojeda, as
I think must be understood, and not in this first voyage, as is shown,
for many reasons already set forth, and for others which will hereafter
be given. Finally departing from Paria, they proceeded along the coast
and arrived at Margarita, an island sighted by the Admiral and named by
him Margarita, although he did not stop there. Hojeda landed and walked
over part of it, as he himself says, and those same witnesses who were
with them also say that he arrived there, though they neither deny nor
affirm that he landed; but there need be no doubt of it, for it is a
pleasant island. This, however, little affects the question. It may be
believed that they here bartered for pearls, although he does not say
so, for other discoverers who came after him traded at the island of
Margarita. Hojeda extended his journey to the province and gulf called
Cuquibacoa in the language of the Indians, which is now named Venezuela
in our language, and thence to Cabo de la Vela, where they now fish for
pearls. He gave it that name of Cabo de la Vela, which it still retains;
and a row of islands running east and west was discovered, some of which
were called the Islands of the Giants.
Thus had Hojeda coasted the mainland for 400 leagues, 200 to the east of
Paria, where he sighted the first land, and this was the only land that
he and those with him discovered. Paria and Margarita were discovered
by the Admiral, as well as a great part of the said 200 leagues from
Margarita to Cabo de la Vela, for the Admiral saw the chain of mountains
to the westward as he sailed along, so that all this discovery is due
to him. For it does not follow that, in order to be the discoverer of a
land or island, a navigator must have passed along the whole of it. For
instance, it is clear that the island of Cuba was personally discovered
by the Admiral, and for this it is not necessary that he should have gone
into every corner of it; and the same remark applies to Espanola and
the other islands, and also to the mainland, however large it may be,
and however far it may extend, the Admiral discovered it. From this
it appears that Americo exaggerated when he said that in his first
_Navigation_ they sailed along the coast for 860 leagues. This is not
true, as is proved by the confession of Hojeda, a man who had no desire
to lose anything of his own glory and rights, for he said, as appeared
in chapter 140, that he discovered 200 leagues beyond Paria, and the
coast from Paria to Cuquibacoa, which is now Venezuela. I have added as
far as Cabo de la Vela, because I found it so deposed in the process by
several witnesses who afterwards knew all that land well, had intercourse
with the discoverers, and went with them in their voyages of discovery,
though not in that voyage of Hojeda; but the testimony was given when the
events were recent, and consequently well known. Hojeda himself did not
mention Cabo de la Vela, because it is near the Gulf of Venezuela, and
is all one land; and of the gulf and province he made principal mention,
as a thing notable and important, and called by the natives Cuquibacoa.
Along all this land or sea-coast traversed by Hojeda, Americo, and
his company, they got gold and pearls by barter and exchange, but the
quantity is not known, nor the deeds they perpetrated in the land.
Having left Margarita, they went to Cumana and Maracapana, which are
respectively seven and twenty leagues from Margarita. There are people
on the sea-shore, and before reaching Cumana there is a gulf where the
water of the sea forms a great angle extending fourteen leagues into the
land, round which there are numerous and populous tribes. The first,
nearly at the mouth of the bay, is Cumana. A large river falls into the
sea near the village, in which there are numbers of the creatures we
call _lagartos_, but they are nothing more than the crocodiles of the
river Nile. As they were under the necessity of refitting the ships,
they being defective for so long a voyage as a return to Spain, and
also being in want of provisions, they arrived at a port which Americo
calls the best in the world. But he does not say where it was, nor does
he mention Hojeda. According to what I remember forty-three years after
having been there, and over fifty years since the voyage of Hojeda, I
suspect that it must be a gulf called Cariaco, which runs fourteen leagues
into the land, the entrance being seven leagues from Margarita, on the
mainland near Cumana. Further, it occurs to me that I heard that at
that time Hojeda entered and repaired his ships, and built a brigantine
in the port called Maracapana, but this, though a port, is not the best
in the world.
At last they left the port, wherever it may have been, within those 200
leagues of mainland from Paria onwards. They were received and served by
the people of that region, who were innumerable, according to Americo,
as if they had been angels from heaven, and as Abraham had known the
three, so they were recognised as angels. They unloaded the ships and
brought them to land, always helped by the labour of the Indians. They
careened and cleared them, and built a new brigantine. They say that
during all the time that they were there, which was thirty-seven days,
they never had any need of touching their Castillian provisions, because
they were supplied with deer, fish, native bread, and other food; and
if they had not been so provided, says Americo, they would have been in
great distress for provisions in returning to Spain. During all the time
they were there they went on shore among the villages, in which they
were received with hospitality, honour, and festivity. This is certain
(as will be seen further on in the course of the history, if it please the
all-powerful God), that all these people of the Indies, being by nature
most simple and kind, know well how to serve and please those who come
to them, when they look upon them as friends. When after having repaired
their ships and built the brigantine they determined to return to Spain,
Americo here says that their hosts made great complaints of another cruel
and ferocious tribe, inhabiting an island at a distance of 100 leagues;
saying that they came at a certain time of the year over the sea, to
make war, and that they carried off their captives, killing and eating
them. They showed their grief with so much feeling and persistency,
says Americo, that it moved us to compassion, and we offered to avenge
them. This made them rejoice greatly, says Americo, and they said they
would like to go also. But the Christians, for many reasons, would only
consent that seven natives should accompany them, on condition that they
should not be taken back to their country in the ships, but that they
should return in their own canoes, and to this, he says, both parties
consented. I do not know what interpreter made these agreements, nor who
understood all that was said, but it is obvious that they could not have
known the language in thirty-seven days. And how could Hojeda and Americo,
and those of their company, know whether the islanders had just cause
for war or not? Were these men so certain of the justice of the natives
that, without further delay, merely because they made complaints, they
offered to avenge them? Pray God that they did not make this war to fill
up their ships with natives, with a view to selling them for slaves, as
they afterwards did in Cadiz; work too often done by our people against
these unfortunate tribes and lands. They set out, and after seven days
they came upon numerous islands, some peopled and others uninhabited, says
Americo, at last arriving at their destination. These islands cannot be
others than those we reach in coming from Spain, such as Dominica and
Guadalupe, and the others that lie in that line. Presently they saw,
he says, a great crowd of people, who, when they saw the ships and the
boats approaching the shore well armed with guns, sent a body of 400 to
the water's edge, with many women, naked and armed with bows and arrows
and shields, and all painted in different colours, and adorned with wings
and feathers of large birds, so that they appeared very warlike and
fierce. When the boats had approached to the distance of a cross-bow
shot, they advanced into the water, and discharged a great number of
arrows to prevent their advance. The Christians discharged the firearms
and killed many of them, and fearing the discharge and the firing, they
left the water and came on shore. A body of forty-two men then landed
from the boats and attacked them. The natives did not fly, but stood their
ground manfully, and fought valiantly like lions, defending themselves and
their country. They fought for two long hours, first with their guns and
cross-bows, and afterwards with their swords and lances, killing many;
and that they might not all perish, those of the natives who were able,
fled into the woods. Thus the Christians remained victorious, and they
returned to their ships with great joy at having sent so many people to
hell who had never offended them. On another day, in the morning, they
saw a great multitude of natives, making the air resound with horns and
trumpets, painted and armed for a second battle.
The Christians determined to send fifty-seven men against them, divided
into four companies, each with a captain, intending, says Americo, to make
friends with them if possible, but if not, to treat them as enemies, and
to make slaves of as many as they could take. This is said by Americo,
and it is to be noted here how he makes a pretext of truth and justice
and legality, when the Spaniards had promised to go a hundred leagues on a
message of war and vengeance. Yet they would come to treat of friendship
with the natives, seeking occasion to gratify their covetousness, which
was what they came for from Castille. Such are the pretexts and unworthy
artifices that have always been used for the destruction of these natives.
They went on shore, but the Indians, owing to the fire from the guns,
did not venture to oppose their landing, yet they awaited them with great
steadiness. The naked men fought against the clothed men with great valour
for a long time, but the clothed made a fearful slaughter among the naked
men, the swords taking great effect on their naked bodies. The survivors
fled when they saw that they were being cut to pieces. The Christians
pursued them to a village, capturing all they could, to the number of
twenty-five. They returned with their victory, but with the loss of one
killed and twenty-two wounded. They then sent away the seven natives who
had come with them from the mainland. They departed, says Americo, taking
with them as prisoners seven natives given to them by the Spaniards,
three men and four women, as their captives, and they were very joyful,
admiring that deed performed by the forces of the Christians. All this
is related by Americo, who adds that they returned to Spain and arrived
at Cadiz with 222 Indian captives, where they were, according to him,
very joyfully received, and where they sold all the slaves. Who will
now ask whence they stole and carried off the 200 natives? This, as
other things, is passed over in silence by Americo. It should be noted
here by readers who know something of what belongs to right and natural
justice, that although these natives are without faith, yet those with
whom Americo went had neither just cause nor right to make war on the
natives of those islands and to carry them off as slaves, without having
received any injury from them, nor the slightest offence. Moreover, they
were ignorant whether the accusations of those of the mainland against
the islanders were just or unjust. What report, or what love would be
spread about and sown among the natives, touching those Christians,
when they left them wounded and desolate? But we must proceed, for,
touching this matter, _grandis restat nobis via_.
* * * * *