cruel and ungrateful to me and my companions for such good service, and
that all those who write to thee from this land deceive thee much,
because thou seest things from too far off. I and my companions, no
longer able to suffer the cruelties which thy judges and governors
exercise in thy name, are resolved to obey thee no longer.... Hear me! O
hear me! thou king of Spain. Be not cruel to thy vassals.... Remember,
King Philip, that thou hast no right to draw revenues from these
provinces, since their conquest has been without danger to thee. I take
it for certain that few kings go to hell, only because they are few in
number; if they were many, none of them would go to heaven. For I
believe that you are all worse than Lucifer, and that you hunger and
thirst after human blood; and further, I think little of you and despise
you all; nor do I look upon your government as more than an air
bubble....
"In the year 1559 the Marquis of Canete entrusted the expedition of the
river of Amazons to Pedro de Ursua, a Navarrese, or, rather, a
Frenchman, who delayed the building of his vessels till 1560. These
vessels were built in the province of the Motilones, which is a wet
country, and, as they were built in the rainy season, they came to
pieces, and we therefore made canoes and descended the river. We
navigated the most powerful river in Peru, and it seemed to us that we
were in a sea of fresh water. We descended the river for three hundred
leagues. This bad governor was capricious, vain, and inefficient, so
that we could not suffer it, and we gave him a quick and certain death.
We then raised Don Fernando de Guzman to be our king.... Because I did
not consent to their evil deeds they desired to murder me. I therefore
killed the new king, the captain of his guard, his lieutenant-general,
four captains, his major-domo, his chaplain who said mass, a woman, a
knight of the Order of Rhodes, an admiral, two ensigns, and five or six
of his servants. I named captains and sergeants, but these men also
wanted to kill me, and I hanged them. We continued our course while this
evil fortune was befalling us, and it was eleven months and a half
before we reached the mouths of the river, having travelled for more
than a hundred days over more than fifteen hundred leagues. This river
has a course of two thousand leagues of fresh water, the greater part of
the shores being uninhabited, and God only knows how we ever escaped out
of that fearful lake. I advise thee not to send any Spanish fleet up
this ill-omened river, for, on the faith of a Christian, I swear to
thee, O king and lord, that if a hundred thousand men should go up, not
one would escape....
"We shall give God thanks if, by our arms, we attain the rewards which
are due to us, but which thou hast denied us; and because of thine
ingratitude I am a rebel against thee until death."
He and his band of outlaws ravaged the settlements of Venezuela for some
time, until at last, on a promise of pardon, all left him save Llamoso,
the murderer of Lady Inez. Aguirre had a daughter, a girl of twelve to
fourteen, and when he found that all was lost he resolved to kill her.
They were living at a country house, and when Llamoso brought the news
of the desertion of his men, he snatched up a loaded arquebuse and
rushed into his child's room, saying, "Commend thyself to God, my
daughter, for I am about to kill thee, that thou mayest not be pointed
at with scorn, nor that it be in the power of any one to call thee the
daughter of a traitor." A woman snatched the weapon from his hand, but,
drawing his poniard, he stabbed the girl in the breast, saying, "Die!
because I must die!" Rushing then to the door, he found the house
surrounded by Spanish soldiers, who compelled him to surrender, and
almost immediately took him out to be shot.
This put an end to treasure-seeking on the Amazon, but the search for
"El Dorado" had been going on and was still continued along the banks of
the Orinoco. The first attempt to reach the golden city by this river
appears to have been made by Pedro de Acosta about the year 1530, but
after most of his men had been killed and eaten by the cannibals, he was
compelled to abandon his project. After him came Diego de Ordas, the
following year, whose expedition became afterwards famous. He, however,
found nothing himself, although he went as far as the mouth of the
Caroni--it was from one of his men that the "El Dorado" story was
gleaned. By some accident the whole of the gunpowder was exploded, and
this being attributed to the negligence of the munitioner, Juan
Martinez, he was sentenced to be put in a canoe, without paddles or
food, and allowed to drift at the mercy of the current.
What became of the culprit was not known, but some months afterwards a
strange white man was brought by some Indians to Margarita. He was
wasted by sickness, naked, and apparently destitute, but, through the
kindness of a ship-captain, he got a passage to Porto Rico, and was
there placed in a religious house, under the care of some Dominican
friars. Here he became worse, but when on the point of death he
presented his friends with two gourdsful of gold beads to pay for the
repose of his soul; he also declared himself to be Juan Martinez, and
told the wonderful story of his adventures.
After being cast adrift, the canoe floated down the stream until
evening, when it attracted the attention of some Indians, who paddled
out from the shore and rescued Martinez from his perilous situation.
These were Guianians, who had never before seen a white man, and
therefore resolved to take him to their king as a curiosity. He was,
however, blind-folded to prevent his seeing the direction they were
taking, and led on and on, through forest and over mountain, for fifteen
days, until a great city was reached. Arriving here at noon, his bandage
was taken off, and Martinez feasted his eyes upon a great plain covered
with houses, the roofs of which glittered in the sun as if made of gold.
As far as his eye could reach stretched this marvellous assemblage of
palaces. In the centre dwelt the great king, but, although the party
travelled the whole of that and the next day, they did not reach the
palace until evening.
Here Martinez was well treated, and allowed to walk about the city, but
not beyond it. He remained for seven months, saw the great lake on the
shore of which the city of Manoa stood, and handled its golden sands.
However, he was not content to remain, and after repeated petitions to
be allowed to depart, was at last furnished with guides and as much
gold as they could carry. Arrived at the Orinoco, the cannibals fell
upon the party, stole all the treasure save that hidden under some
provisions in the two gourds, and left them destitute. After enduring
many privations Martinez, however, got a passage in an Indian canoe to
Margarita, from whence he expected to go to Spain and report his
discovery to the king.
What amount of truth, if any at all, was contained in the story is
doubtful. It does not appear to have been told at once, but gradually
leaked out, becoming more marvellous as it spread over the West Indies.
Adventurers flocked to the Orinoco, and at least a score of expeditions
went in search of "El Dorado." Under the command of bold adventurers one
party after another entered into the forest, some never to return or to
be heard of again. The remnant sometimes came back starving, and broken
down with sickness. We read of one Juan Corteso that he marched into the
country, but neither he nor any of his company did return again. Gaspar
de Sylva and his two brothers sought El Dorado, but fell down to
Trinidad, where all three were buried. Jeronimo Ortal, after great
travail and spending all his substance, died on a sudden at St. Domingo.
Father Iala, a friar, with only one companion and some Indian guides,
returned with gold eagles, idols, and other jewels, but when he essayed
to pass a second time was slain by Indians. Alonzo de Herera endured
great misery, but never entered one league into the country; he also was
at last slain by Indians. Antonio Sedenno got much gold and many Indian
prisoners, whom he manacled in irons, and of whom many died on the way.
The tigers being fleshed with the dead carcases assaulted the Spaniards,
who with much trouble hardly defended themselves from them. Sedenno was
buried within the precincts of the empire of the gilded king, and most
of his people perished likewise. Augustine Delgado came to an Indian
Cacique, who entertained him with kindness and gave him rich jewels, six
seemly pages, ten young slaves, and three nymphs very beautiful. To
requite these manifold courtesies he took all the gold he could get and
all the Indians he could lay hold on, to sell for slaves. He was
afterwards shot in the eye by an Indian, of which hurt he died.
And so we might go on to tell of the thousands of people murdered and
tens of thousands carried off as slaves; Every gold ornament was stolen,
provision grounds destroyed, and the forest tracks strewn with the
corpses of those who had been massacred, and marked out by the graves of
their murderers. Sometimes treasure and slaves were recaptured and no
one left to tell the tale, but more often a few escaped to fight over
the booty and perhaps be hanged as mutineers on their return.
The men of that age were undoubtedly great--great warriors, great
ruffians, great villains. Only here and there can we distinguish a good
man like Las Casas, who did his very best for the Indians against the
opposition of the settlers and the lukewarmness of the Spanish Court. He
was horrified at the atrocities in the Indies, but the kings wanted
their tithes and cared little how they were obtained. "Get it honestly
if you can, but get it," seems to have been their motto, and it was not
for many years that anything like humanity was shown, and then only by a
few priests.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
III.
"SINGEING THE SPANIARD'S BEARD."
On the discovery of the Indies, Ferdinand and Isabella at once applied
to Pope Alexander the Sixth to secure the rights of Spain in the new
countries against every other nation, but more especially against
Portugal. Accordingly, the celebrated "Bull of partition" was issued on
the 4th of May, 1493, giving, conceding, and assigning for ever, to them
and their successors, all the islands and mainlands already found or
that might be discovered in future, to the west of a line, stretching
from the north to the south poles, a hundred leagues from the Azores or
Cape de Verde Islands, provided they were not in the possession of any
other Christian prince. The sovereigns were commanded to appoint
upright, God-fearing, skilful, and learned men to instruct the
inhabitants in the Catholic faith, and all unauthorised persons were
forbidden to traffic on or even approach the territories. If they did so
they would incur the indignation of Almighty God and of the blessed
Apostles Peter and Paul.
Such was the gist of the document under which the enormities mentioned
in the preceding chapters were committed. Portugal, except for some
disputes about Brazil, accepted this arrangement, but the other great
nations of Europe, especially England, disputed it from the very
beginning. Nevertheless, the governments, as long as they were at peace
with Spain, took no active part in the matter, but left the work to
individuals, even going so far in some instances as to disclaim their
responsibility for piracies committed beyond the seas.
English and French seamen, hearing of the treasure continually imported
into Spain, soon found their way to the new world, and as early as the
year 1526 precautions had to be taken against them. Orders were sent to
build castles on the coasts and strong houses, not only for defence
against the cannibals, who continued to ravage the larger islands, but
to protect the settlements from French corsairs who had already
commenced their depredations. The tract of the Spanish fleets led them
first to St. Domingo, and thence on to the isthmus of Darien or Panama,
where at first the chief port was Nombre de Dios. At these two points it
was of great importance that fortifications should be erected, and this
was done in the first half of the sixteenth century.
An English merchant named Thomas Tison seems to have been the first of
our nation who went to the West Indies, but he got his goods sent from
Bristol to Spain. In 1527 King Henry VIII. fitted out the _Dominus
Vobiscum_ and another vessel for those parts, but little is known of
their course. It was, however, reported that they went to Porto Rico,
and got there a cargo of brazil wood, and then proceeded to St. Domingo,
where permission was asked to trade. After waiting for the license two
days the Spanish batteries fired upon them, driving them off to go back
to Porto Rico, where the inhabitants were more friendly.
From this time the corsairs and rovers became more numerous and
audacious every year. Some went trading among the Indians of the
mainland, others, more bold, forced their goods upon the Spanish
settlements under threats of pillage. In 1536 the inhabitants of Havana
paid seven hundred ducats to a French corsair to save the city, and
because later the pirate was chased by three Spanish vessels, which he
captured, he returned and exacted a second ransom.
In 1538 there was a gallant fight in the harbour of Santiago de Cuba,
between a Spaniard and a French corsair. The two vessels fought with
each other the first day until sunset, when a truce was agreed to, and
civilities exchanged between the captains. They sent each other presents
of wine and fruit, were very friendly, and mutually agreed to fight only
by day with swords and lances. Artillery, they agreed, was an invention
of cowards--they would show their valour, and the one who conquered
should have the other's vessel. The second day they fought again until
evening without either being conquered, and again they exchanged
courtesies. That night, however, the Spanish captain, Diego Perez, sent
to the people of the city asking if they would compensate him for the
loss of his ship if the corsair got the better of him; if they agreed
to do this he would risk his life in their service. Were he not poor and
without any other property, he would not have asked them, and as they
would be gainers by his victory, he did not think his request at all
extravagant. But the authorities refused to pledge themselves to
anything, leaving Perez to fight for his own honour, life, and property.
The battle continued the whole of the third day, each giving the other
time for rest and refreshment, yet neither was conquered, although many
had fallen on both sides. After similar courtesies the fight went on
next morning, and when evening came the Frenchman promised to continue
it next morning. Feeling, however, that the Spaniard was likely to get
the better of him, he slipped his cable in the night and made off,
leaving Perez to grieve at the drawn battle.
The same year Havana was sacked and burnt, and three years later both
English and French did great injury to the Spanish trade. Even Portugal
did not escape, but when complaints were sent to the king of France, he
said he intended to follow those conquests and navigations which by
right belonged to him. In 1545 five French vessels captured the
pearl-fishing fleet near the Main, which the owners were compelled to
ransom; at the same time they were forced to buy seventy negroes from
the captors. The Frenchmen then took Santa Martha and got a thousand
ducats as ransom.
One raid after another took place until the Spaniards were at their
wits' ends. Forts were built, _guarda-costas_ stationed, and other
precautions taken, but the depredations and forced traffic still
continued. They cruelly punished all who fell into their hands, and this
led to retaliation, not only for their own injuries, but to avenge the
slaughter of the innocent natives.
About the year 1530 Master William Hawkins made three long and famous
voyages in the ship _Paul_. Hakluyt said he went to Brazil--a thing very
rare in those days to our English nation. He became so friendly with the
Indians that one of their kings came to England in his vessel, and was
exhibited to King Henry, who marvelled to see this savage representative
of royalty. Unfortunately the poor fellow died on the return voyage,
which made Hawkins fear for the white hostage he had left behind.
However, his explanation was accepted, and his man given back
unharmed--a result all the more pleasing, as he knew so little of the
language, and might easily have been misunderstood.
This is an example of the good feeling of these people towards
Englishmen and all who treated them fairly. Even the cannibals became
more gentle under good treatment, and would allow the enemies of Spain
to land on their shores without opposition. By this time the natives of
the Greater Antilles were gone, and with them the thousands of captives
from the mainland. Then began the importation of negroes, first from
Spain, where the Portuguese had sold a fair number during the previous
century, and then from Africa. Spain could not send and fetch the
negroes on account of the Papal Bull, which reserved the savage
countries east of the line to Portugal. It followed, therefore, that, as
Spain claimed the Indies, so her sister country claimed the whole of
Africa--a claim as little respected by other nations as that of her
neighbour.
[Illustration: NEGRO WOMAN RETURNING FROM MARKET.]
Hearing that there was a good market for negroes in the West, Captain
(afterwards Sir) John Hawkins, in 1563, got up an expedition to supply
this demand. With three vessels of 120, 100, and 40 tons respectively,
he sailed to Sierra Leone, and partly by the sword and partly by other
means, got three hundred slaves, whom he carried to Hispaniola. Here he
had a reasonable sale, probably forced, for he trusted the Spaniards no
farther than he thought prudent, considering his strength. His returns
were so good, however, that he not only loaded his own vessels with
hides, ginger, sugar, and some pearls, but also freighted two hulks to
send to Spain.
[Illustration: NEGRO BARBER]
[Illustration: NEGRO FAMILY ON HOLIDAY.]
This success induced him to make another venture on a larger scale with
the _Jesus_ of Lubeck, of 700, and three other vessels of 140, 50, and
30 tons. He sailed for Africa in October, 1564, to kidnap slaves, yet
all the time he was very religious in a way. His orders concluded with
the commands to "serve God daily; love one another; preserve your
victuals; beware of fire; and keep good company"--_i.e._, do not stray
from others of the fleet. At several places he took negroes by force,
losing a few of his men in the fights, and with a good number set off
for the West Indies. Fortunately, he said, although they were in great
danger from a gale on this voyage, they arrived without many deaths of
either the negroes or themselves. For "the Almighty God, who never
suffereth His elect to perish, sent us, on the 16th of February (1565),
the ordinary breeze."
[Illustration: NEGRESSES GOSSIPING.]
The first land they sighted was Dominica, where they watered, and then
went on to Margarita, the Governor of which island refused them
permission to trade. They then tried several other places, including
Hispaniola and Cumana, but also without success. At Barbarota they
forced the people to traffic, and here they were joined by Captain
Bontemps, a French corsair, with whom they went to Curacao, and forced a
hundred slaves upon the inhabitants. Finally they went to Rio de la
Hacha and defeated a body of Spanish troops, after which the remainder
of Hawkins' cargo was freely sold.
In his third voyage, on which he started in October, 1567, Hawkins was
accompanied by Francis Drake and several other gentlemen adventurers. He
took a similar course to that of his former voyages, joined some African
chiefs in storming a town, and received, as his share of the booty, five
hundred prisoners, with whom he again sailed for the Indies. The alarmed
Spaniards dared not refuse to trade, and consequently he soon sold his
negroes at a good profit. On his return, however, he was caught in a
storm near the coast of Florida and had to take shelter in the harbour
of Vera Cruz, where at first his vessels were taken for a Spanish fleet
then daily expected. Under this mistake several influential persons came
on board, two of whom were retained as hostages.
Next day the Spanish fleet, consisting of thirteen sail, arrived, and on
board one of them was the new Viceroy of Mexico. From this high
authority Hawkins got permission to repair his ships, victual, and
refit, provided the English kept themselves to a small island in the
harbour, for the due performance of which they gave twelve hostages.
But the Spaniards were not prepared to let their enemies off so easily,
and made preparations for a surprise. Hawkins, becoming suspicious, sent
to inquire about certain shady transactions, and was at once attacked by
something like a thousand men. The Spaniards sunk three of his vessels,
seriously damaged the fourth, and left him with only one leaky ship in
which to find his way home. A great number of his men were killed and
others captured, the prisoners to be taken to Mexico and there cruelly
used. Two of them--Miles Philips and Job Hortop--managed to escape and
return to England, where they gave long accounts of their sufferings,
the latter comparing himself to his namesake the patriarch. As for
Hawkins, in speaking of his return voyage, he said, that "if all the
miserable and troublesome affairs of this sorrowful voyage should be
perfectly and thoroughly written, there should need a painful man with
his pen, and as great a time as he had that wrote the lives and deaths
of the martyrs."
This disaster put an end to Hawkins' slave-trading, but made no
impression on the other adventurers to the Indies. Francis Drake now
took up the quarrel, and in the year 1572 "singed the Spaniard's beard"
to some purpose. Knowing already something of the state of affairs near
the isthmus, he resolved to gain his spurs in that direction. He cared
not for a forced trade in negroes, but virtually went in for piracy, for
although the relations of the mother countries were at that time
somewhat strained, war had not yet been declared.
Drake sailed straight for Nombre de Dios, the treasure port, arrived
suddenly before the inhabitants had any warning, and landed a hundred
and fifty men in the night. Suddenly the town was roused to the fact
that the enemy were in possession, and as the people ran off to the
forest, they asked each other what was the matter. Unfortunately for
Drake, however, through a misunderstanding, the English were alarmed and
took to their vessels, so that all the advantage of the surprise was
lost. Undaunted by this failure, he determined to attempt something even
more audacious--the capture of the Panama train.
We have already seen that African slaves had been imported in
considerable numbers; we have now to mention that on the continent they
often escaped into the forest. Here they lived like the Indians, and
were often in friendship with them, going under the name of Simerons, or
afterwards Maroons. Always at enmity with the masters whom they had
deserted, they were a terror to the settlers on account of their
continual raids on the plantations.
Drake determined to get the assistance of these people, which was freely
given, and he was enabled to traverse the pathless forest and to lie in
wait for the train of mules carrying gold and silver from Panama to
Nombre de Dios. This he captured, but, on account of the difficulties
of the way, was obliged to leave the silver behind, and content himself
with the gold. Then he attacked some merchants, burnt their goods to the
value of two hundred thousand ducats, and got safely back to his ships
just as the dilatory Spaniards sent out three hundred men for his
capture. It was on this excursion that he saw the Great South Sea, and
determined to carry English ships into that immense Spanish preserve.
How he carried out his resolve, and appeared suddenly off the Peruvian
coast five years later, is a story we must leave, as it belongs to
another part of the new world.