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Adelantado, or lieutenant governor; and Francis Roldan, chief justice, with very extensive powers.

In returning to Europe, Columbus held a different course to what he had taken in his former voyage. He steered almost due east from Hispaniola in the parallel of twenty-two degrees of latitude: as he was unacquainted with the more expeditious method of stretching to the north, whereby he would have fallen in with the southwest winds. By which mistake he was exposed to very great fatigue and danger; and had to struggle with the trade winds which blow without variation from the east, between the tropics.

He nevertheless persisted in this course with his usual patience and firmness, but made so little way, that he was three months before he came within sight of land. Provisions at last began to fail: they were reduced to the allowance of six ounces of bread a day for each person: the admiral faring no better than the meanest sailor.

In this extreme distress he retained that humanity which distinguished his character; and refused to comply with the pressing solicitations of his crew to feed upon the Indian prisoners, whom they were carrying over; others insisted that they should be thrown overboard, in order to lessen the consumption of provisions. He objected to their destruction, alleging that they were human beings, reduced to the same calamities with themselves and intitled to share an equal fate. These arguments backed by his authority, dissipated those wild ideas suggested by despair: soon after, they came in sight of Spain, and all their troubles and fears vanished.

Columbus, conscious of his own integrity, appeared at court with that determined confidence, which those who have performed great actions, will always assume. Ferdinand and Isabella ashamed of lending too favorable an ear to frivolous and ill founded accusations, received him with such distinguished marks of respect, as overwhelmed his enemies with shame. Their calumny and censures were not heard at that juncture.

The gold, the pearls, the cotton and other rich commodities which Columbus produced, seemed fully to refute the stories the malecontents had propagated with respect to the poverty of the country. By reducing the Indians

to obedience and imposing a regular tax upon them, he had secured to Spain a large accession of new subjects, and a revenue that promised much. By the mines which he had found out and examined, a source of wealth was still more copiously opened.

Columbus represented these only as preludes to future, and much larger acquisitions, and as an earnest of more important discoveries. The attentive consideration of all these circumstances made such an impression upon Ferdinand and Isabella that they resolved to supply the colony with every thing necessary to render it a permanent establishment, and to furnish Columbus with such a fleet, that he might proceed to make such discoveries as he meditated.

A plan, was now formed of a regular colony, that might serve as a model for all future establishments. Every particular was considered with attention, and arranged with scrupulous accuracy. The exact number of adventurers who should be permitted to embark was fixed: these were to be of different ranks and professions; and the proportion of each was established, according to their usefulness and benefit to the colony. A proper number of women were chosen to accompany these new settlers.

As a want of provision had occasioned great distress in the colony, a number of husbandmen were to be carried over. As they had formed and entertained the most sanguine hopes with respect to the riches contained in the mines, a number of artists were engaged who were skilful in refining the precious metals; who were to receive pay from the government for a number of years.

Thus far the regulations were well adapted to the end in view; but as it was foreseen that few would engage to embark to settle in a country that had proved so fatal to many of their countrymen, Columbus proposed to employ such convicts and malefactors who were convicted of crimes, which, though capital, were of a less atrocious nature; and that instead of sending them to the gallies, they should be condemned to labour in the mines which were to be opened. This advice was inconsiderately adopted; the prisons were drained to collect members for the intended colony, and the judges were instructed to recruit it by their future sentences. But they were not aware that such corrupt members would poison the body politic, and be productive of violent and unhappy effects.

This the Spaniards fatally experienced, and other European powers imitated their practice, from which pernicious consequences have followed, and can be imputed to no other cause.

Columbus easily obtained the royal approbation to every measure and regulation he proposed: but his endeavours to carry them into execution, were long retarded, and must have tired out any man of less patience than himself. Those delays were occasioned, partly by that tedious procrastination, so natural to the Spaniards; partly by the exhausted state of the treasury, which at that time was drained by the celebration of the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella's only son, with Margaret of Austria; and that of Joanna, their daughter, with Philip of Austria: but the chief source of all these delays, must principally be imputed to the malice of his enemies.

These, astonished at the reception Columbus had met with, and overawed by his presence, gave way for some time, to a tide of favour too strong for them to oppose. Their enmity however, was too strong to remain long inactive; but by the assistance of Fonseca, minister for Indian affairs, who was now promoted to be bishop of Badajos, they threw in so many obstacles, that the preparations were retarded one whole year, before he could procure two ships, to send over a part of the supplies intended for the colony; and near two years were spent before the small squadron was ready, of which he was to take the command. This squadron consisted of six ships of no great burden, and indifferently provided for a long voyage.

He now meditated a different course from what he had before undertaken: still possessed with those erroneous ideas, which at first induced him to consider the country he had discovered, as a part of the continent of India: he expected to find those fertile regions, to the south-west of the countries he had discovered. He therefore proposed, as the most certain for finding out these, to stand directly for the Cape de Verd islands, until he came under the equinoctial line, and then to stretch to the west before a favourable wind which blows invariably between the tropics.

Full of this idea he set sail for his third voyage, on the thirtieth of May, 1498, and touched at the Canaries, and Cape de Ve.d Islands; from Ferro he dispatched three of his ships with a supply of provisions for the colony of

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Hispaniola with the other three he pursued his course to the south.

No remarkable occurrence happened until they arrived within five degrees of the line, when they were becalmed, and the heat was so excessive that the Spaniards were apprehensive the ships would take fire; their fears were relieved by a shower of rain, but did not much abate the heat. The admiral was so fatigued by unremitting care and loss of sleep, that he was seized with a violent fit of the gout and a fever.

These circumstances induced him to listen to the remon strances of his men, and to alter his course to the northwest, that he might reach some of the Caribee islands, where he might refit, and obtain a fresh supply of provisions.

On the first of August, the man stationed in the roundtop, surprized them with the joyful cry of Land! Colum bus named it Trinidad, which name it still retains; it lies near the mouth of the river Orinoco, on the coast of Guiana. This river rolls towards the ocean such a vast body of water, and with such an impetuous force, that when it meets the tide, which on that coast rises to an uncommon height, occasions such a swell and agitation, that is both surprizing and formidable.

Columbus, before he was aware of the danger, was entangled with those adverse currents, and owed his safety by holdly venturing through a narrow strait which appeared so tremenduous, that he called it La Boca del Drago: no sooner was the consternation subsided, than Columbus drew comfort and consolation from a circumstance, so full of peril. He wisely concluded, that such a vast body of water, could not be supplied by any island, but must flow through a country of immense extent, and that he had now in consequence, arrived at that country, which had been the main object of his pursuit.

Full of this idea, he stood to the west along the coast of those provinces, now known by the names of Paria and Cumana. He landed in several places, and found the inhabitants resembled those of Hispaniola; they wore, as ornaments, small plates of gold, and pearls of considerable value, which they willingly exchanged for European toys. Their understanding and courage appeared superior to the inhabitants of the islands.

This country produced four-footed animals of different kinds, and a great variety of fowls and fruit. The admiral was so much delighted with its fertility, that with the warm enthusiasm of a discoverer, he imagined it to be the paradise described in Scripture, which the Almighty had chosen for the residence of man, while he was innocent and worthy of such a possession.

Thus, Columbus had the glory of discovering a new world, making considerable progress towards a perfect knowledge of it, and was the first man that conducted the Spaniards to that vast settlement, which has been the chief seat of their empire, and source of their treasures. The weak situation of his ships, scarcity of provisions, and his own infirmities, together with the impatience of his crew, made it necessary for him to steer away for Hispaniola. On the thirtieth of August, 1498, he reached that island, and found the colony in such a situation, as left him no prospect of enjoying that repose, which he stood so much in need of. Many changes had happened, during his ab sence. His brother, the Adelantado, agreeable to former instructions, had removed the colony from Isabella, to a more convenient station, on the opposite side of the island, and laid the foundation of the town of St. Domingo.

As soon as they were established in this new settlement, the Adelantado, to prevent the people from forming new cabals, marched into other parts of the island, which his brother had not yet reduced to obedience; as the people were unable to resist, they submitted every where to the tribute imposed. While the Adelantado was thus employed, an alarming mutiny broke out, among the Spaniards: the ringleader was Francis Roldan, who was placed by Columbus, to be the guardian of order and tranquillity, in the colony.

The arguments he employed to seduce his countrymen, were frivolous and ill-founded. He accused Columbus, and his three brothers of arrogance and severity. He insinuated, that they aimed at establishing an independent dominion in the country; for this purpose, they designed to cut off part of the Spaniards, by hunger and fatigue, that they might the more easily, reduce the remainder to subjection; he said, it was unworthy of Castilians, to be the tame and passive slaves of three Genoese adventurers.

By these insidious means, strengthened by his rank, a deep impression was made on the minds of his country

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