9. heirs and successors, the kings and queens of Cas- 1493tile and Leon. To prevent the interference of this grant with one formerly made to the crown of Portugal, he directed that a line, supposed to be drawn from pole to pole, at the distance of one hundred leagues westward of the Azores, should serve as a boundary; and bestowed all the countries to the east of this imaginary line, not actually possessed by any Christian prince, on the Portuguese, and all to the west of it, on the Spaniards.' How astonishingly great, at this period, was the Remarks influence of the Pope of Rome! This sovereign Pontiff," in virtue of that power which he received from Jesus Christ, conferred on the crown of Castile vast regions, to the possession of which he himself was so far from having any title, that he was unacquainted with their situation, and ignorant even of their existence." Although neither the Spaniards, nor the Portuguese, now suspected the validity of the Papal grant, yet the other nations of Europe would not suffer them quietly to enjoy their shares. In the progress of these Annals, we shall find different nations planting colonies in the New World, without leave of the Catholic king, or even of his Holiness. It early became a law among the European nations, that the countries, which each should explore, should be deemed the absolute property of the discoverer, from which all others should 1 Life of Columbus, c. xlii. Herrera, i. 96. Robertson, i. book ii. Chalmers, i. 6. Belknap Biog. i. 103; and the authorities at the close of this year. The Portuguese, it seems, were dissatisfied with the Papal partition. The subject was therefore referred to six plenipotentiaries, three chosen from each nation, whose conferences issued in an agreement, That the line of partition, in the Pope's bull, should be extended two hundred and seventy leagues farther to the west; that all westward of that line should fall to the share of the Spaniards, and all eastward of it, to the Portuguese. This agreement was made 7 June, 1493. It was sealed by the king of Spain 2 July that year; and by the king of Portugal 27 February, 1494Herrera, i. 116, 117. Harris' Voyages, i. 8. 1493. be entirely excluded. Above a century' after this papal grant, the parliament of England insisted, That occupancy confers a good title by the law of nations and nature. Second Columbus. 4 On the twenty fifth of September Columbus voyage of sailed from Cadiz, on his second voyage to the New World. The equipment, made for him, proves in what an advantageous light his past discoveries and present enterprise were viewed. He was furnished with a fleet of three ships of war and fourteen caravels, with all necessaries for settlement or conquest, and 1500 people, some of whom were of the best families of Spain. On the Lord's day, the third of November, he discovered one of the He discov. Caribbee islands, which, because it was discoverers Domi- ed on that day, he called Dominica. Going on shore at an adjacent island, he called it by his ship's name, Marigalante, and took solemn possession before a notary and witnesses. On the fifth he discovered Guadaloupe; on the tenth, Montserrat and Antigua. After discovering, to the northwest, fifty more islands, he came into the port of Navidad. Not a Spaniard, however, was to be seen; nica, Mariga- loupe and other is ands. Nov. 28. Arrives at 8 3 Univ. Hist. xli. 487. "Ultra ducentos et mille armatos pedites-inter quos omnium mechanicarum artium fabros et opifices innumerosequites quosdam cæteris armatis immixtos." P. Martyr, p. 9. This author is of primary authority on this article; for he received and recorded his information of the facts, relating to this voyage, soon after the departure of Columbus. "Hæc nobis intra paucos dies ab ejus discessu renunciata fuerit." Decade, i. dated, 1493. 4 Hakluyt, iii. 4. Univ. Hist. xli. 345. Two of the brothers of Columbus were among the passengers. Harris Voy. i. 269. 5 Herrera, i. 106. 6. Ibid. 7 This island was thus named, from its resemblance to a chain of mountains of that name in Spain. It was the principal residence of the Caribbees, who called it Carucueria. To these wild and savage people, the Spaniards could obtain no access. "Hi, nostris visis, vel terrore, vel scelerum conscientia permoti, inter sese exorto murmure, alter in alterum oculos flectentes, cuneo facto ex insperato, celerrimè, ut multitudo avium, concitati, ad nemorosas valles pedem referunt." P. Martyr, p. 13, 266. Univ. Hist. xli. 237. 8 Thus named, for its lofty mountains: "quoniam altis montibus instructa esset, Montem Serratum illam vocant." P. Martyr, p. 15. and the fort, which he had built here, was entirely 1493. demolished. The tattered garments, broken arms, and finds it and utensils, scattered about its ruins, too clearly in ruins. indicated the miserable fate of the garrison. While the Spaniards were weeping over these relics of their countrymen, a brother of the friendly cazique Guacanahari arrived, and confirmed all their dismal apprehensions. He informed Columbus, that, on his departure, the men, whom he left behind, threw off all regard to their commanding officer; that, by familiar intercourse with the Indians, they lessened that veneration for themselves, which was first entertained, and, by indiscretion and ill conduct, effaced every favourable impression, that had first been made; that the gold, the women, the provisions of the natives, became subject to their licentious prey; that, under these provocations and abuses, the cazique of Cibao surprized and cut off several of them as they straggled about, heedless of danger; that then, assembling his subjects, he surrounded the fort, and set fire to it; that some of the Spaniards were killed in defending it; and that the rest perished, in attempting to escape by crossing an arm of the sea,' Lands at Leaving Navidad, he sailed eastwardly; and, Dec. 8. at the same island, anchored before a town of arother Indians, where he resolved to plant a colony. part of the He accordingly landed all his men, provisions, and island; utensils, in a plain, near a rock on which a fort might be conveniently erected. Here he built a builds the town, which, in honour of the queen of Castile, he first town called Isabella. This was the first town, founded Indies. by Europeans in the New World. * 1 Robertson, i. book ii. 2 Life of Columbus, c. ii. & xlvi. Herrera, i. 106-113. Purchas, i. 731. P. Martyr, 11-13. European Settlements, i. 19, 20. Universal Hist. xli. 258. Robertson, i. book ii. in the W. May 5 Columbus discovers 1494. Columbus in the spring dispatched twelve vessels for Spain; and after a prosperous voyage they arrived safely in April at Cadiz.' Leaving Peter Margarite the command of three hundred and sixty foot and fourteen horse, to reduce Hispaniola under obedience to their Catholic majesties, he now sailed for Cuba, which he descried on the 29th of April. Sailing along its southern shore, he discovered on the fifth of May another island, called Jamaica. Here, on landing, he met Jamaica with much opposition from the ferocious natives; but, after repeated defeats, they became tractable, and even brought food to barter. Although Columbus appears to have made no settlement at Jamaica; yet, so favourable was the opinion, that he entertained of the island, that he marked it out as an estate for his family.* Terrible A hurricane, more violent than any within the rehurricane. membrance of the natives, occurred in June at Hispaniola. Without any tempest, or fluctuation of the sea, it repeatedly whirled around three ships, lying at anchor in port, and plunged them in the deep. The natives ascribed this disorder of the elements to the Spaniards." 1 P. Martyr, 10. - 2 Jamaica is probably Hispaniola, of that name. 3 Univ. Hist. xli. 346. “Pluribus in locis volenti Præfecto terram capere, armati ac minitantes occurrerunt, pugnasque sæpius attentârunt : sed victi semper, amicitiam omnes cum Præfecto iniêre." P. Martyr, p.29. 4 The son and family of Columbus, considering Jamaica as their own property, built upon it St. Jago de la Vega, and several other towns, that were abandoned on account of the advantages attending the situation of St. Jago, which increased so greatly, as in a short time to contain, according to report, 1700 houses, 2 churches, 2 chapels, and an abbey. The court of Spain, notwithstanding its ingratitude to the father, granted both the property and government of Jamaica to his family; and his son Diego Columbus was its first European governor. But the descendants of Columbus degenerated from his virtues, and they, or their agents, murdered 60,000 of the natives. Univ. Hist. xli. 348. an Indian word, for Oviedo mentions a river in Univ. Hist. xli. 346. 5 P. Martyr, 45. "Gentem hanc perturbâsse elementa, atque portenta hæc tulisse, immurmurabant insulares." lbid. 1494. Sept. 29. He finds abella. Columbus, on his return to Hispaniola, to his inexpressible joy, met his brother Bartholomew at Isabella, after a separation of thirteen years. The his brother brother's arrival could not have been at a more Bartholo seasonable juncture. Columbus essentially needed me at Ishis friendly counsels and aid; for all things were in confusion, and the colony was in the utmost danger of being destroyed. Four of the principal sovereigns of the island, provoked at the disorderly and outrageous conduct of the Spaniards, had united with their subjects to drive out their invaders.* Columbus, first marching against a cazique, who had killed sixteen Spaniards, easily subdued him ; and sent several of his subjects prisoners to Spain. 3 1 Herrera, i. 138. Bartholomew Columbus was so unfortunate, in his voyage to England, as to fall into the hands of pirates, who detained him a prisoner for several years. When he had, at length, made his escape, and arrived at London, so extreme was his indigence, that he was obliged to spend considerable time in drawing and selling maps, to procure money sufficient to purchase a decent dress, in which he might venture to appear at court. He then laid his brother's proposals before the king [Henry VII]; but with little effect. "This prince," it has been justly remarked, "was rather a prudent steward and manager of a kingdom, than a great king, and one of those defensive geniuses, who are the last in the world to relish a great but problematic design." But, with all his excessive caution and parsimony, he received the overtures of Columbus with more approbation, than any monarch, to whom they had hitherto been communicated. When Bartholomew had finished his negociation in England, he set out for Spain, by the way of France, and at Paris received information of his brother's extraordinary discoveries in his first voyage, and of his preparation for a second expedition. This intelligence hastened him on his journey; but before he reached Spain, the Admiral had sailed for Hispaniola. He was received, however, with due respect by Ferdinand and Isabella, who persuaded him to take the command of three ships, which they had appointed to carry provisions to the colony at Isabella. Robertson, i. book ii. European Settlements, i. chap. i. 2 P. Martyr's account of the enormities of the Spaniards sufficiently shows, why the poor natives were at once united and desperate: "Ea gens, quæ Præfectum in ea navigatione secuta fuerat majori ex parte indomita, vaga, cui nihil pensi esset, libertatem sibi, quoque modo posset, quæritans, ab injuriis minimè se abstinere poterat, Insularium fœminas, ante parentum, fratrum, et virorum oculos raptans, stupris rapinis que intenta, animos omnium incolarum perturbârat. Quamobrem pluribus in locis quotquot imparatos è nostris incolæ reperiebant, rapidè, et tanquam sacra offerentes Deo, trucidaverunt." De Nov. Orb. p. 39. 3 Life of Columbus, c. liv-lxi. Robertson, i. book ii. European Setplements, i, 24. Marches a natives of Hispaniola |