the Indians, at the point of the sword, to leap overboard. Eighteen were thus cruelly murdered, and the Spaniards, regaining the land, passed in a predatory way from village to village, plundering the natives, and committing various excesses. The horrors of famine soon menaced the numerous body of men which still remained under the command of Columbus. The Indians were no longer covetous of the trinkets of the white men, which had become so common among them as to be almost valueless. They were also deeply provoked by the conduct of the rebels, and trusted, by withholding supplies, to starve the intruders or compel them to quit the island. In this emergency, the admiral conceived a subtle device, worthy of the genius of Ulysses. His skill in astronomy had informed him that there would occur in a few days a total eclipse of the moon. On the day before this event he summoned all the caciques to a grand council, and informed them that the God of the Spaniards, angry at their neglect of his worshippers, was about to visit their island with plague and famine. As a token of this, they would see the moon, on that very night, fade away from the face of the heavens.

Despite their scoffing, the natives awaited with anxiety the coming of evening; and when they beheld the truth of the fearful prediction, were seized with uncontrollable and frantic terror. They hurried to the ships with provisions, and with miserable lamentations besought the admiral to intercede with his Deity in their behalf, and promised implicit obedience for the future. Amid universal howlings and entreaties for protection, he retired to his cabin; and reappearing, after a decent interval, informed them that his God had consented to pardon them, on condition of their good conduct-in token whereof he would withdraw the moon from her engulfment in darkness. The Indians were overwhelmed with joy at the renewed splendor of that beautiful luminary; and from that time were diligent in supplying the mysterious strangers with all neces sary provisions.

CHAPTER XIX.

DESPICABLE CONDUCT OF OVANDO-FINAL RESCUE OF COLUMBUS-ATROCITIES OF THE SPANIARDS IN HISPANIOLA-SUBJECTION AND

EXTERMINATION OF THE NATIVES.

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It was now eight months since the departure of Mendez and Fiesco, and even the most sanguine began to admit the grievous probability that their frail barks had been swallowed in the ocean. These daring and resolute men, however, had accomplished their undertaking, and after a voyage of terrible suffering, during which several of their Indians perished, had succeeded in reaching the shores of Hispaniola. But the selfish and unfeeling Ovando, intent upon his own affairs, deferred month after month sending the desired relief, and even prohibited Mendez, for more than half a year, from using his personal exertions in behalf of his companions. He probably hoped that the renowned admiral, of whose fame he was jealous, and to whom he knew the succession of the viceroyalty had been promised, might perish in the mean time, for want of aid. At length, to satisfy his curiosity, he sent a small caravel to ascertain the condition of the shipwrecked mariners. This vessel, commanded by an enemy of Columbus, brought a mere mockery of relief and a promise of future assistance; but after a brief interview stood off to sea, without taking a single man from the wrecks.

The admiral, though deeply indignant at this neglect and desertion, endeavored to reassure his people and support their hopes. He even offered pardon to the rebels, and a passage home in the expected caravel, on condition of their return to allegiance. But Porras, dreading lest some punishment should be reserved for him, took all possible pains to rekindle the flames of mutiny. He encouraged his band by assuring them of the protection of his influential relations in Spain. He also asserted (and perhaps believed) that the caravel which had so

mysteriously come and disappeared in a few hours, was no real vessel, but a mere phantasmal appearance, produced by the necromantic skill of the admiral. By such representations he induced them to reject the proffered reconciliation, and even to resolve on seizing the person of Columbus, and plundering the vessels.

On learning of this nefarious project, Don Bartholomew, with fifty men, well armed, went forth to meet the mutineers. The latter attacked his party with great fury; but, by the skill and courage of the adelantado, were completely defeated. He killed several of them with his own hand, seized Porras, and put the rest to flight. On the following day, the fugitives (their insolence changed to the most abject submission) sent in a petition to the admiral, begging forgiveness. They swore fresh allegiance on a cross and a missal, imprecating fearful penalties on their heads if ever they should offend again; that they might die without confession or absolution from the pope, or from any cardinal, archbishop, bishop, or any manner of priest; that they should be deprived of the Holy Sacraments; that their bodies might be cast into the field as heretics and renegades; and, to make all sure, that they should take no benefit at their death from any bulls or indulgences. All were pardoned except Porras, who was detained as a prisoner.

At length, after a year of confinement in his island-prison, Columbus, with great joy, beheld two ships standing into the harbor. One of these had been dispatched by the faithful Mendez, who had finally, with great difficulty, gained permission to assist his suffering comrades. The other was sent by Ovando, whom the popular indignation had compelled to extend a semblance of assistance. On the 28th of June, 1504, the Spaniards, wearied by their long confinement on the island, einbarked for Hispaniola; and, after a harassing voyage of nearly two months, landed in St. Domingo. The populace, by a revulsion of feeling common enough, welcomed the shipwrecked admiral with the greatest enthusiasm. The governor also received him with great distinction, and paid him many

hypocritical attentions, the true value of which their object fully appreciated.

During the long absence of Columbus, the most disgraceful and terrible scenes had occurred, and Ovando had loaded his name with eternal infamy. His administration had commenced with misfortunes. Of the numerous body of adventurers whom he had brought, upwards of a thousand soon perished from exposure, fatigue, and disappointment-the fruits of their eager and indiscreet rapacity for gold. The governor restored a semblance of prosperity to the island by inflicting incalculable oppressions on the Indians. These unhappy beings, reduced to the most intolerable servitude, wasted away rapidly before the unaccustomed toils and privations to which they were subjected. Within twelve years from the discovery of the island, it is said that several hundreds of thousands perished from this unendurable bondage.

Ovando, on some uncertain report of a conspiracy in Xaragua, hastened thither with his army, and was received by the Indian queen and her caciques with great friendliness and hospitality. After several days of apparently the most cordial intercourse, he suddenly seized a large number of the caciques, (more than forty,) and after inflicting the most cruel tortures, burned them all alive in a house which he set on fire. Meanwhile, his soldiery committed a horrible massacre upon the multitude of unarmed natives, who had assembled to do them honor, and to join in the simple national amusements. The generous queen, Anacaona, the constant friend and ally of the whites, was ignominiously hanged; and for many months afterwards the Spaniards ravaged this unhappy province, putting great numbers to the sword, and reducing the remainder to the most deplorable slavery.

All the native sovereignties of Hayti, except that of Higuey, had now been brought under the yoke of the Spaniards. The Indians of that warlike province were ruled by a cacique named Cotubanama, a man of gigantic size and intrepid courage. In a war which the cruelty of the Spaniards provoked, he con

ducted himself with kingly resolution and magnanimity. After a long and desperate contest, however, the usual fate of the natives overtook them. Great numbers perished by the sword, and the prisoners were subjected to the most hideous and revolting torments. Their brave and chivalrous chieftain was finally taken and hanged, and the whole country was reduced to complete subjection.

The indignation of Columbus, who always cherished the hope of exercising a mild, if an absolute sway over the Indians, was strongly excited by these atrocities. In a letter to the court, he writes, "I am informed that since I left this island, six parts out of seven of the natives are dead; all through illtreatment and inhumanity; some by the sword, others by blows and cruel usage, others through hunger. The greater part have perished in the mountains and glens, whither they had fled, from not being able to support the labor imposed upon them." Unfortunately, the evil example which the writer himself had set in enslaving the Indians, gave him less claim to complain of the atrocities by which the system had been disgraced; and the immense amount of gold, the price of all this suffering and extermination, was an ample apology to Ferdinand for the means which had been used to obtain it. The kind-hearted Isabella was overcome with horror and indignation on learning of these cruelties, and with her dying breath exacted from Ferdinand a promise that he would recall Ovando-a promise broken as lightly as others made by that selfish and false-hearted sovereign.