left Veragua, with three ships, intending to make our passage homeward
to Spain, but as the ships were all pierced and eaten by the teredo, we
could not keep them above water; we abandoned one of them after we had
proceeded thirty leagues; the two which remained were even in a worse
condition than that,[214] so that all the hands were not sufficient with
the use of pumps and kettles and pans to draw off the water that came
through the holes made by the worms. In this state, with the utmost toil
and danger, we sailed for thirty-five days, thinking to reach Spain, and
at the end of this time we arrived at the lowest point of the island of
Cuba, at the province of Homo, where the city of Trinidad now stands, so
that we were three hundred leagues further from Spain than when we left
Veragua for the purpose of proceeding thither; and this, as I have said,
with the vessels in very bad condition, unfit to encounter the sea, and
our provisions nearly gone. It pleased God that we were enabled to reach
the island of Jamaica, where we drove the two ships on shore, and made of
them two cabins thatched with straw, in which we took up our dwelling,
not however without considerable danger from the natives, who were not
yet subdued, and who might easily set fire to our habitation in the
night, in spite of the greatest watchfulness. It was there that I gave
out the last ration of biscuit and wine; I then took a sword in my hand,
three men only accompanying me, and advanced into the island; for no one
else dared go to seek food for the Admiral and those who were with him.
It pleased God that I found some people who were very gentle and did us
no harm, but received us cheerfully, and gave us food with hearty good
will. I then made a stipulation with the Indians, who lived in a village
called Aguacadiba, and with their cacique, that they should make cassava
bread, and that they should hunt and fish to supply the Admiral every
day with a sufficient quantity of provisions, which they were to bring to
the ships, where I promised there should be a person ready to pay them in
blue beads, combs and knives, hawks’-bells and fish-hooks, and other such
articles which we had with us for that purpose. With this understanding,
I despatched one of the Spaniards whom I had brought with me to the
admiral, in order that he might send a person to pay for the provisions,
and secure their being sent. From thence I went to another village, at
three leagues distance from the former, and made a similar agreement with
the natives and their cacique, and then despatched another Spaniard to
the admiral, begging him to send another person with a similar object to
this village. After this I went further on, and came to a great cacique
named Huareo, living in a place which is now called Melilla, thirteen
leagues from where the ships lay. I was very well received by him; he
gave me plenty to eat, and ordered all his subjects to bring together
in the course of three days a great quantity of provisions, which they
did, and laid them before him, whereupon I paid him for them to his full
satisfaction. I stipulated with him that they should furnish a constant
supply, and engaged that there should be a person appointed to pay them;
having made this arrangement, I sent the other Spaniard to the admiral
with the provisions they had given me, and then begged the cacique to
allow me two Indians to go with me to the extremity of the island, one to
carry the hammock in which I slept, and the other carrying the food.
In this manner I journeyed eastward to the end of the island, and came
to a cacique who was named Ameyro, with whom I entered into close
friendship. I gave him my name and took his, which amongst these people
is regarded as a pledge of brotherly attachment. I bought of him a very
good canoe, and gave him in exchange an excellent brass helmet that I
carried in a bag, a frock, and one of the two shirts that I had with me;
I then put out to sea in this canoe, in search of the place that I had
left, the cacique having given me six Indians to assist in guiding the
canoe. When I reached the spot to which I had dispatched the provisions,
I found there the Spaniards whom the admiral had sent, and I loaded them
with the victuals that I had brought with me, and went myself to the
admiral, who gave me a very cordial reception. He was not satisfied with
seeing and embracing me, but asked me respecting everything that had
occurred in the voyage, and offered up thanks to God for having delivered
me in safety from so barbarous a people. The men rejoiced greatly at
my arrival, for there was not a loaf left in the ships when I returned
to them with the means of allaying their hunger; this, and every day
after that, the Indians came to the ships loaded with provisions from
the places where I had made the agreements; so that there was enough for
the two hundred and thirty people who were with the admiral. Ten days
after this, the admiral called me aside, and spoke to me of the great
peril he was in, addressing me as follows:—“Diego Mendez, my son, not
one of those whom I have here with me has any idea of the great danger
in which we stand except myself and you; for we are but few in number,
and these wild Indians are numerous and very fickle and capricious: and
whenever they may take it into their heads to come and burn us in our two
ships, which we have made into straw-thatched cabins, they may easily
do so by setting fire to them on the land side, and so destroy us all.
The arrangement that you have made with them for the supply of food, to
which they agreed with such good-will, may soon prove disagreeable to
them; and it would not be surprising if, on the morrow, they were not to
bring us anything at all: in such case we are not in a position to take
it by main force, but shall be compelled to accede to their terms. I have
thought of a remedy, if you consider it advisable; which is, that some
one should go out in the canoe that you have purchased, and make his way
in it to Española, to purchase a vessel with which we may escape from the
extremely dangerous position in which we now are. Tell me your opinion.”
To which I answered:—“My lord, I distinctly see the danger in which we
stand, which is much greater than would be readily imagined. With respect
to the passage from this island to Española in so small a vessel as a
canoe, I look upon it not merely as difficult, but impossible; for I know
not who would venture to encounter so terrific a danger as to cross a
gulf of forty leagues of sea, and amongst islands where the sea is most
impetuous, and scarcely ever at rest.” His lordship did not agree with
the opinion that I expressed, but adduced strong arguments to show that
I was the person to undertake the enterprise. To which I replied:—“My
lord, I have many times put my life in danger to save yours, and the
lives of all those who are with you, and God has marvellously preserved
me: in consequence of this, there have not been wanting murmurers who
have said that your lordship entrusts every honourable undertaking to me,
while there are others amongst them who would perform them as well as I.
My opinion is, therefore, that your lordship would do well to summon all
the men, and lay this business before them, to see if, amongst them all,
there is one who will volunteer to undertake it, which I certainly doubt;
and if all refuse, I will risk my life in your service, as I have done
many times already.”
On the following day his lordship caused all the men to appear together
before him, and then opened the matter to them in the same manner as
he had done to me. When they heard it they were all silent, until some
said that it was out of the question to speak of such a thing; for it was
impossible, in so small a craft, to cross a boisterous and perilous gulf
of forty leagues’ breadth, and to pass between those two islands, where
very strong vessels had been lost in going to make discoveries, not being
able to encounter the force and fury of the currents. I then arose, and
said:—“My lord, I have but one life, and I am willing to hazard it in
the service of your lordship, and for the welfare of all those who are
here with us; for I trust in God, that in consideration of the motive
which actuates me, he will give me deliverance, as he has already done
on many other occasions.” When the admiral heard my determination, he
arose and embraced me, and, kissing me on the cheek, said,—“Well did I
know that there was no one here but yourself who would dare to undertake
this enterprise: I trust in God, our Lord, that you will come out of it
victoriously, as you have done in the others which you have undertaken.”
On the following day I drew my canoe on to the shore; fixed a false
keel on it, and pitched and greased it; I then nailed some boards upon
the poop and prow, to prevent the sea from coming in, as it was liable
to do from the lowness of the gunwales; I also fixed a mast in it,
set up a sail, and laid in the necessary provisions for myself, one
Spaniard, and six Indians, making eight in all, which was as many as
the canoe would hold. I then bade farewell to his lordship, and all the
others, and proceeded along the coast of Jamaica, up to the extremity
of the island,[215] which was thirty-five leagues from the point whence
we started. Even this distance was not traversed without considerable
toil and danger; for on the passage I was taken prisoner by some Indian
pirates, from whom God delivered me in a marvellous manner. When we had
reached the end of the island, and were remaining there in the hope of
the sea becoming sufficiently calm to allow us to continue our voyage
across it, many of the natives collected together with the determination
of killing me, and seizing the canoe with its contents, and they cast
lots for my life, to see which of them should carry their design into
execution.
As soon as I became aware of their project, I betook myself secretly to
my canoe, which I had left at three leagues distance from where I then
was, and set sail for the spot where the admiral was staying, and reached
it after an interval of fifteen days from my departure. I related to
him all that had happened, and how God had miraculously rescued me from
the hands of those savages. His lordship was very joyful at my arrival,
and asked me if I would recommence my voyage; I replied that I would,
if I might be allowed to take some men, to be with me at the extremity
of the island until I should find a fair opportunity of putting to sea
to prosecute my voyage. The admiral gave me seventy men, and with them
his brother the Adelantado, to stay with me until I put to sea, and to
remain there for three days after my departure; with this arrangement
I returned to the extremity of the island and waited there four days.
Finding the sea become calm I parted from the rest of the men with much
mutual sorrow; I then commended myself to God and our Lady of Antigua,
and was at sea five days and four nights without laying down the oar from
my hand, but continued steering the canoe while my companions rowed.
It pleased God that at the end of five days I reached the Island of
Española at Cape San Miguel,[216] having been two days without eating or
drinking, for our provisions were exhausted. I brought my canoe up to a
very beautiful part of the coast, to which many of the natives soon came,
and brought with them many articles of food, so that I remained there two
days to take rest. I took six Indians from this place, and leaving those
that I had brought with me, I put off to sea again, moving along the
coast of Española, for it was a hundred and thirty leagues from the spot
where I landed to the city of St. Domingo, where the Governor dwelt, who
was the Commander de Lares. When I had proceeded eighty leagues along the
coast of the island (not without great toil and danger, for that part of
the island was not yet brought into subjugation), I reached the province
of Azoa, which is twenty-four leagues from San Domingo, and there I
learned from the commander Gallego, that the governor was gone out to
subdue the province of Xuragoa, which was at fifty leagues distance.
When I heard this I left my canoe and took the road for Xuragoa,[217]
where I found the governor, who kept me with him seven months, until he
had burned and hanged eighty-four caciques, lords of vassals, and with
them Nacaona, the sovereign mistress of the island, to whom all rendered
service and obedience. When that expedition was finished I went on foot
to San Domingo, a distance of seventy leagues, and waited in expectation
of the arrival of ships from Spain, it being now more than a year since
any had come. In this interval it pleased God that three ships arrived,
one of which I bought, and loaded it with provisions, bread, wine, meat,
hogs, sheep, and fruit, and despatched it to the place where the admiral
was staying, in order that he might come over in it with all his people
to San Domingo, and from thence sail for Spain. I myself went on in
advance with the two other ships, in order to give an account to the king
and queen of all that had occurred in this voyage.
I think I should now do well to say somewhat of the events which
occurred to the admiral and to his family during the year that they were
left on the island. A few days after my departure the Indians became
refractory, and refused to bring food as they had hitherto done; the
admiral therefore caused all the caciques to be summoned, and expressed
to them his surprise that they should not send food as they were wont to
do, knowing as they did, and as he had already told them, that he had
come there by the command of God. He said that he perceived that God was
angry with them, and that He would that very night give tokens of His
displeasure by signs that He would cause to appear in the heavens; and
as on that night there was to be an almost total eclipse of the moon, he
told them that God caused that appearance to signify His anger against
them for not bringing the food. The Indians, believing him, were very
frightened, and promised that they would always bring him food in future;
and so in fact they did until the arrival of the ship which I had sent
loaded with provisions. The Admiral, and those who were with him, felt
no small joy at the arrival of this ship; and his lordship afterwards
informed me in Spain, that in no part of his life did he ever experience
so joyful a day, for he had never hoped to have left that place alive:
and in that same ship he set sail,[218] and went to San Domingo, and
thence to Spain.
I have wished thus to give a succinct account of my troubles, and of
my great and important services; which are such as no man in the world
ever rendered to a master, or ever will again; and I do so in order that
my sons may know these facts, and be encouraged to serve faithfully,
and that, at the same time, his lordship may see that he is bound to
make them a handsome return for such services. When his lordship came
to the court, and while he was at Salamanca, confined to his bed with
the gout, and I was left in sole charge of his affairs, endeavouring to
obtain the restitution of his estate and government for his son Diego, I
addressed him thus: “My lord, your lordship knows how much I have done
in your service, and what trouble I am still taking, night and day, in
the management of your affairs; I beseech your lordship to grant me some
recompense for what I have done.” He cheerfully replied that he would
do for me whatever I asked, adding that there was very great reason for
his so doing. I then specified my wish, and begged his lordship to do me
the favour to grant me the office of principal Alguazil of the island
of Española for life; to which his lordship assented most cordially,
saying, that it was but a trifling remuneration for the great services
I had rendered. He also desired me to communicate his wish to his son
Diego, who was very glad to hear of the favour his father had shown me in
appointing me to the said office; and said, that if his father gave it me
with one hand, he, for his part, gave it with both hands. This promise
holds good as much now as it did then; but when, after I had succeeded,
with considerable difficulty, in securing the restitution of the
government of the Indies to my lord the Admiral Don Diego, (his father
being then dead), I asked him for the provision of the said office, his
lordship replied that he had given it to his uncle, the Adelantado,
saying, however, that he would give me another post equivalent to it. I
told him that he ought to make such a proposition to his uncle, and that
he ought to give me that which his father, and he himself, had promised
to me. But he did not do so; and thus I remained without any recompense
for all my services: while my lord, the Adelantado, without having
rendered any service at all, continued in the enjoyment of the dignity
which belonged to me, and reaped the reward of all my exertions.
When his lordship arrived at the city of San Domingo, he assumed the
reins as governor, and gave the post which he had promised to me, to
Francisco de Garay, a servant of the Adelantado, to hold it for him. This
took place on the tenth day of July of the year fifteen hundred and ten,
and the office was then worth at least a million per annum. My lady, the
Vicequeen, as tutress and guardian of my lord the viceroy, and my lord
the viceroy himself, are really chargeable to me for this loss, and are
debtors to me for it in justice and on the score of conscience. The post
had been given to me by way of recompense, and nothing has been done in
my favour towards the accomplishment of the Admiral’s promise, since the
day in which it was given, to this, the close of my life; if it had been
given to me, I should have been the richest and most honoured man in
the island; whereas, I am now the poorest, and have not even a house of
my own to live in, but am obliged to pay rent for the roof over my head.
As it would be very difficult to refund the revenues which this office
has produced, I will suggest an alternative, which is this: that his
lordship grant the rank of principal Alguazil of the city of San Domingo,
to one of my sons, for his life, and bestow upon the other the rank of
Vice-Admiral in the same city: by the grant of these two offices to my
sons in the manner I have said, and by appointing some one to hold them
on their behalf until they come of age, his lordship will discharge the
conscience of the Admiral his father, and I shall hold myself satisfied,
as duly paid for my services. I shall say nothing further upon the
subject, but leave it to the consciences of their lordships, and let them
do whatever they think proper.
Item. I leave as executors and administrators of my will here at the
court, the bachelor Estrada and Diego de Arana, together with my lady
the Vicequeen; and I beg his lordship to undertake this charge, and to
direct the others to undertake it likewise.
_Another clause._ Item. I order that my executors purchase a large
stone, the best that they can find, and place it upon my grave, and that
they write round the edge of it these words: “Here lies the honourable
Chevalier Diego Mendez, who rendered great services to the royal crown
of Spain, in the discovery and conquest of the Indies, in company with
the discoverer of them, the Admiral Don Christopher Columbus, of glorious
memory, and afterwards rendered other great services by himself, with his
own ships, and at his own cost. He died, etc. He asks of your charity a
Paternoster and an Ave Maria.”
Item. In the middle of the said stone let there be the representation
of a canoe, which is a hollowed tree, such as the Indians use for
navigation; for in such a vessel did I cross three hundred leagues of
sea; and let them engrave above it this word: “Canoa.”
My dear and beloved sons, children of my very dear and beloved wife Doña
Francisca de Ribera,—may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, descend upon you, together with my blessing, and protect
you, and make you Catholic Christians, and give you grace always to love
and fear Him. My sons, I earnestly recommend you to cultivate peace and
harmony amongst yourselves, and that you be obliging, and not haughty,
but very humble and courteous towards those with whom you have to do, so
that all may love you. Serve loyally my lord the Admiral, and may his
lordship grant you large recompense, considering who he is himself, and
by what great services I have deserved his favours. Above all I charge
you, my sons, to be very pious, and to hear very devoutly the divine
offices, and in so doing, may the Lord grant you long life. May it please
Him of His infinite goodness, to make you as good as I wish you to be,
and guide you always with His hand. Amen.
The books which I send to you are as follows:
_The Art of Well-dying_, by Erasmus; a _Sermon_, of Erasmus, in Spanish;
_Josephus de Bello Judaico_; the _Moral Philosophy_, of Aristotle; the
books called _Lingua Erasmi_; the book of _The Holy Land_;[219] _The
conversations of Erasmus_; _A treatise on the Complaints of Peace_; _A
book of Contemplation of the Passion of our Redeemer_; _A treatise on the
Revenging of the Death of Agamemnon_; and other small tracts.
I have already told you, my sons, that I leave you these books as
heir-looms under the conditions described above in my will, and I wish
them to be put together with my other documents, which will be found in
the cedar box, at Seville, as I have already said; I wish also the marble
mortar should be placed in it, which is now in the possession of Don
Ferdinand, or of his major-domo.
I, Diego Mendez, affirm that this document, contained in thirteen sheets,
is my last will and testament, for I have dictated it and caused it to
be written, and have signed it with my name; and by it I revoke and
annul any other will or wills whatever made by me at any other time or
place, and I desire that this only be considered valid. Made in the city
of Valladolid, the nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Redeemer
one thousand five hundred and thirty-six.—DIEGO MENDEZ. And I, the said
Garcia de Vera, scrivener and notary public, was present at all which has
been herein said; and it has all been set down by me by order of the said
lord-lieutenant, and by request of the said Bachelor Estrada, forming the
testament in these twenty-six leaves of folio paper, as is here seen.
I caused it to be written as it was presented and laid before me, and
have kept the original in my possession. And to this effect I have here
placed this my seal (_here was placed the seal_), in testimony of the
truth.—(_Signed_) GARCIA DE VERA.
_This agrees literally with the clauses copied from a will sealed and
signed by the said scrivener, Garcia de Vera, the original of which is
in the archives of the most excellent the Admiral Duke of Veraguas, from
which I copied it in Madrid on the twenty-eighth day of March, in the
year eighteen hundred and twenty-five.—Thomas Gonzalez._
_Note.—The other clauses of this will of Diego Mendez, refer to his
funeral arrangements, and the declaration of debts, due both to him
and by him, in Spain and in the island of Hispaniola, as well as other
matters purely personal, and relating to his family; but they bear no
reference or allusion to the Admiral Columbus, or to his voyages and
discoveries, and therefore have not been copied._
RELACION
_Hecha por Diego Mendez, de algunos acontecimientos del último viage del
Almirante Don Cristóbal Colon._
Diego Mendez, vecino de la ciudad de Santo Domingo de la Isla Española,
hallándose en la villa de Valladolid, donde á la sazon estaba la Corte
de SS. MM., otorgó testamento en seis dias del mes de Junio del año de
mil quinientos treinta y seis, por testimonio de Fernan Perez, escribano
de SS. MM., y su notario público en la su Corte y en todos los sus
Reinos y Señoríos; siendo testigos al otorgamiento Diego de Arana, Juan
Diez Miranda de la Cuadra, Martin de Orduña, Lucas Fernandez, Alonso de
Angulo, Francísco de Hinojosa y Diego de Aguilar, todos criados de la
Señora Vireina de las Indias. Y entre otros capítulos del mencionado
testamento hay uno que á la letra dice así.