unhealthy, uninhabitable, and overgrown with the rank and tangled vegetation of the tropics. The admiral still cherished the hope of finding the famed Babeque; but was detained by contrary winds at his anchorage in a harbor of Hayti. Here he was visited by a cacique, who came in great state, borne on a litter, and attended by a vast concourse of his subjects. He and his people readily gave to the Spaniards whatever gold they had, and still repeated the flattering account of islands, rich in the precious ore, lying still beyond. Here, as at several other places, the devout admiral erected a large cross, and from the ready imitation of the natives in all acts of adoration, and especially from the facility with which they made the sign of the cross, inferred a little too hastily that they were ripe for conversion, and would easily come into the pale of the holy church. On the 22d he received an embassy, with presents, from an important cacique, named Guacanagari. The messengers dispatched in return, found his town large, neat, and well built, and were received with great honor and hospitality. Two days afterwards, while sailing nearer to the residence of this friendly chief, a grievous accident occurred. Columbus, usually ever on the alert, was asleep in his cabin, and the careless mariners, during the night, ran his vessel on a shoal. The sea and the force of the current, in spite of all his skill and exertions, soon rendered her a wreck, and he was compelled, with his crew, to take refuge in the little caravel Nina, now his last resort. The good cacique was deeply affected by the misfortune of his guests. He wept, and afforded them every relief in his power. With all his people, he rendered the most active assistance; and the effects of the Spaniards, though to the eyes of these simple beings inestimable treasures, were all, even to the most trifling article, carried on shore, and religiously preserved for their owners. "They showed," says Martyr, "much humanitie towards our men, and helped them with their lighters or smal boates, (which they call canoas) to vnlade their broken shippe, and that with such celeritie and cheerefulnesse, that no friende for friend, or kinsman for kinsman, in such case moued with pitie, coulde doe more." Guacanagari in person came on board the caravel, and seeing the dejection of the admiral, shed tears of sympathy, and bade him be of good cheer, generously offering every thing that he possessed. Considerable gold was brought in by the natives, and readily exchanged for trifles; and the cacique, perceiving the cheering effect of this circumstance, assured Columbus that in the mountains, at a place called Cibao, there was great plenty of the precious metal. This name Columbus, his head still filled with the visions of Marco Polo, supposed must of course be identical with the famed Cipango. Nothing could exceed the kindness of the generous cacique, and his sympathy with the misfortunes of his guests. He ordered national games and dances for their amusement; and, with all his people, was struck with amazement at the invincible weapons of the Europeans, the use of which the admiral, in return, caused to be exhibited. Repeated presents were made to the adventurers, and the smallest article in return was received with transport, and was declared to smell of Turey or heaven. Even the rude sailors were enchanted with the beauty of the land, and the kindness and gentleness of their entertainers; and a considerable portion of his people, viewing with apprehensions the voyage to Europe in a crowded caravel, besought of Columbus permission to remain on the island. This idea harmonized with the views of the admiral. Indeed, he now began to look upon his shipwreck as a providential dispensation for the colonization of the island and the exploration of its resources. The wreck was broken up and brought to shore, the Indians eagerly assisting in the work; and in ten days a substantial fortress was constructed of its remains, and mounted with the guns of the vessel. Reports of the neighborhood of the Pinta frequently reached the admiral, and he endeavored to find her, but in vain. He was fearful that Pinzon, resolved to forestall the glory of his discovery, had sailed to Europe. If, on the contrary, he and his vessel had perished, nothing remained but the frail and diminutive caravel, the Nina, to carry the news of his grand exploit to the shores of Europe, and rescue the western world from its oblivion. He determined therefore, resigning for the the present the magnificent temptations to discovery which lay around him, to hasten his return, and to secure the preservation of his first achievement before attempting fresh enterprises. The fortress, called La Navidad, or the Nativity, was manned by thirty-nine volunteers, under the command of Diego de Arana, a civil officer of the expedition. The admiral gave them full directions for their conduct, and especially enforced the necessity of kind and conciliatory conduct towards the Indians. The friendly cacique promised his protection and assistance to the little colony. Taking an affecting and tearful leave of his generous entertainers, Columbus, on the 4th of January, 1493, set sail to carry the tidings of his eventful voyage to the shores of Spain. CHAPTER VI. MEETING WITH PINZON-THE VOYAGE HOMEWARD-PERIL FROM TEMPESTS TREACHERY OF the governor of ST. MARY'SARRIVAL AT LISBON-AUDIENCE BEFORE JOHN II. FOR Some days the little caravel, fraught with the tidings of a new world, coasted along the shores of Hayti, delayed by baffling winds. On the 6th, to the surprise and joy of all, their consort, the Pinta, was seen coming down with full sails before the easterly gale. Both vessels anchored near the island. Pinzon, by frivolous excuses, endeavored to account for his desertion; and the admiral, though aware of his treachery, thought it prudent to pass the matter over. In truth, actuated by his avarice, that commander had made sail for an imaginary island, abounding in gold; and had since been trading at Hayti for the precious metal, of which he had collected a considerable quantity. Columbus, however, compelled him to restore to their homes, with many presents, a number of the Indians, whom he had kidnapped for the purpose of selling them in Spain as slaves. Having joined company, they coasted along for some days, during which, according to Columbus, they saw the wonderful spectacle of three mermaids, probably sea-calves. In the great Gulf of Samana, where for a time they anchored, they found a fiercer and more warlike race than their gentle entertainers at the other end of the island. These were the Ciguayans, a bold and fearless tribe of mountaineers, who possessed the elevated regions of the coast. Their bows and arrows, their clubs and their heavy swords of palm-wood, were of an effective and formidable kind. After some peaceable intercourse, they approached in a hostile manner: but were put to flight by the superior weapons of the Spaniards. Two of them were wounded; and thus were spilt the first drops of that vast ocean of blood, which for three centuries has been poured out by the unhappy aborigines of all America, as a libation to the cruelty and avarice of the European races. The admiral grieved over this untoward chance; but the frank and fearless natives came as readily as before to see the mysterious strangers. Their cacique sent a string of wampum, in token of amity, and soon visited the admiral's ship in person. So pleased was he with his reception as to send Columbus his coronet of gold-a princely compliment, the same which Guacanagari had already paid to his majestic visitor. On the 16th of January, 1493, the two caravels again set sail, and Columbus, with difficulty repressing his desire for further discoveries, ordered his prow, to the great joy of his followers, to be turned directly homeward. The weather was calm and mild, but owing to the adverse direction of the tradewinds, little progress was made. Early in February, having run as far north as thirty-eight degrees of latitude, they found more favorable winds, and were enabled to make good headway to the eastward. On the 13th of February a violent storm set in; and these little vessels, undecked, and ill fitted to stand the fury of the Atlantic, were in the most fearful peril. On the night of the 14th the Pinta was lost sight of; and Columbus, with gloomy forebodings, was compelled to use his utmost skill and exertion to keep his own vessel alive in the tremendous seas before which he was scudding. According to the pious custom of the day, many penances and other devout engagements were undertaken in the event of their surviving the tempest-among others, that the admiral and all hands, at the first land they touched, should go barefooted, and in their shirts, to offer up their prayers in some church before the Holy Virgin. The chief anxiety of Columbus was lest his grand discovery should perish with its author. He took the precaution of writing two accounts of his voyage, and securing them by wax from the action of the water; one of these he put in a barrel and threw it overboard; the other he placed on the stern, secured in a similar manner, that it might float off, if the little bark should be swallowed up by the waves. The natural feelings of the discoverer are eloquently and piously expressed in his letter to his patrons. "I could have supported this evil fortune with less grief, had my person alone been in jeopardy, since I am a debtor for my life to the Supreme Creator, and have at other times been within a step of death. But it was a cause of infinite sorrow and trouble to think that, after having been illuminated from on high with faith and certainty to undertake this enterprise; after having victoriously achieved it, and when on the point of convincing my opponents, and securing to your highnesses great glory and vast increase of dominion, it should please the Divine Majesty to defeat all by my death. And although, on the one hand, I was comforted by a faith that the Deity would not permit a work of such great exaltation to his church, wrought through so many troubles and contradictions, to remain imper * * * * |