order that a chapel should be built over it at the royal expence (if the inhabitants did not chuse to do it at their own charge), because the cross was not held in that veneration which it ought to be.

The admiral Don Louis Colon returned to Española, with the title of Captain General of the island: but whenever there was occasion for him to exercise his authority, the Audience were to give him instructions how it was to be done.

Many Portuguese vessels trading to the West Indies having landed their cargoes at the Azores, from whence they were imported into Portugal without passing through the custom-house at Seville, orders were now issued, that all such vessels should, before they sailed from the islands where they got their cargoes, give security that they would proceed direct to the custom-house at Seville, under the penalty of being punished according to the

laws.

Diego de Maldonado arrived at the Havannah from Florida: he was sent by Ferdinand de Soto with dispatches for his wife, whom Soto had left to govern in Cuba-and to spread favourable reports of the country, that adventurers might be tempted to come and join him; all which Maldonado punctually performed.

1541.

The English and French corsairs did great injury to the Spanish trade in the West Indies. Captain Robert Val was fitting out a fleet of ten sail at St. Maloes, to cruise in the West Indies. In answer to a complaint made by the Portuguese ambassador to Francis the First of France, against the equipment of those squadrons, some of whom had gone to the countries belonging to the crown of Portugal, Francis replied, that he intended to follow those conquests and navigations which belonged by right to him, as well as to the other Christian princes; and that he wished to preserve friendship and a good understanding with some of the Indian princes.

Christopher Vaca de Castro arrived at Española the 15th January, upon his passage out to Peru, to inquire into the mismanagement of the Marquis Pizarro. Vaca de Castro was afterwards very near perishing in a gale of wind.

Upon the 11th September, Francisco de Orellana arrived at Cubagua, without knowing where he was. After his memorable voyage down the Maranham, or River of Amazons, the old brigantine that he built first parted company with him in the Gulf of Paria, and had arrived at the same place two days before.

1542.

"Girolano Benzoni of Milan, who, at the age of twenty-two years, had gone over to Tierra Firma, took part in some expedi-. tions made in 1542 to the coasts of Bordones, Cariaco, and Paria, to carry off the unfortunate natives. He relates, with simplicity, and often with a sensibility not common in the historians of that time, the examples of cruelty of which he was a witness. He saw the slaves dragged to New Cadiz, to be marked on the forehead and on the arms, and to pay the quint to the officers of the crown. From this port the Indians were sent to the island of Hayti, after having often changed masters, not by way of sale, but because the soldiers played for them at dice."

The Dutch carried on a lucrative trade in salt, which they procured at the peninsula of Araya, from "the salt marshes which stretch away in the form of a mere, to the north of Cerro de la Vela."

1543.

In this year, several laws were issued relating to the West Indies. All criminal causes that should come before any of the Four Audiences, after the sentence had been revised once by the same Audience, was to be executed without any further appeal.

In all civil causes their decision was also to be final, except the sum was above 10,000 pesos of gold: in which case an appeal might be made to the King.

All letters issued by the Audiences were to have the royal seal affixed, and be obeyed as letters signed by the King.

In places where there was no Audience, the decisions of the governor to be considered as final.

The Audiences were to take particular care that the Indians were well treated, and the ordinances respecting them punctually obeyed.

No Indian was for any reason to be made a slave, but always to be treated as a royal vassal to the crown of Castile.

No officer or clergyman was to have any grant of Indians. No persons were to go upon discovery, either by sea or land, without a licence; and then they were only to take with them three or four Indians as interpreters.

No viceroy or governor was to be concerned in any discoveries. Several other laws were issued at the same time, which applied only to Tierra Firma.

The Indians in San Juan, Cuba, and Española were not to pay any tribute, either royal or personal, during the King's pleasure; and religious persons were to instruct them in the Catholic Faith.

The licenciate Alonso Lopez Cerrato was appointed president of the Audience at San Domingo.

For four successive years Diego Maldonado and Gomez Arias sailed from the Havannah with supplies for Hernando de Soto, without being able to learn the least account of him or his army. In the month of October of this year, after an unsuccessful search of several months, they put into Vera Cruz, where they heard of the death of that officer, and the arrival of the remains of his army at Mexico. With this information they returned to Cuba, where the death of Hernando de Soto occasioned great grief to his friends and his widow.

-1544.

The widow of Orellana arrived at Margarita, after his unsuccessful attempt to settle upon the banks of the River of Amazons, or Orellana, as it was named after him. They had sailed from St. Lucar, the 11th of May, 1544, with four ships and 400 men. He stopped three months at Teneriffe, and two at the Cape de Verds, where ninety-eight of his people died, and fifty were left behind. They proceeded with three ships, and were detained by contrary winds, till their water was expended; and had it not been for heavy rains, all must have perished. In this distress, one ship put back, with seventy men and eleven horses on board, and was never heard of afterwards. The remaining two went a hundred leagues up the river, where they built a brigantine: here fifty-seven more of the party died, and one of the vessels was broken up for the materials. Twenty leagues higher up the river, the other ship parted her cable with the strength of the current, was driven on shore and lost: they broke her up, and built a bark with the materials—a labour of two months and a half. Orellana afterwards was thirty days in seeking the main branch of the river. Returning unsuccessful, he declared he was sick, and resolved to return into a Christian country. The Indians killed seventeen of his men, and 100 resolved to stay in the country: he soon afterwards died of grief and disease. The rest, with his widow, who always went with him, made for the West Indies, and arrived at Margarita.

Five sail of French corsairs took possession of Santa Martha, remained eight days in the town, and burnt it upon their departure: they proceeded to Cartagena, kept possession of that city for eight days, and carried away 45,000 pesos from the royal chest: they

then proceeded to the Havaña, where they were driven back to their vessels with the loss of fifteen men: they then stood off through the Bahama Channel.

1545.

Five French ships and a tender arrived at the pearl fishery, and seized all the shipping in the port. The next day the Spaniards ransomed some of the vessels, and bought seventy blacks of the French, who proceeded to Santa Martha, and received 1000 ducats to forbear burning the place. The inhabitants of Santa Martha finding themselves exposed to these predatory incursions, removed to the River de la Hacha.

The Spaniards remaining upon the island of Española did not in this year exceed eleven hundred souls. "The island was almost brought to a desert."

The alcalde of the castle at the Havannah having complained that no respect was shown to the royal banner which that fortress hoisted, the King ordered that every ship of his navy which arrived there should salute, in the same way they did to the fortress at Santo Domingo, in Española.

1547.

The Caribs continued to molest Española, Jamaica, the coast of Tierra Firma, and particularly the island of San Juan, the inhabitants of which island complained, that from Trinidad, "Guadalupe," Dominica, Santa Cruz, "Martinino," and other islands, there sallied numbers of Caribs, who did them the greatest injury. The King, notwithstanding his laws to the contrary, gave permission to the inhabitants of San Juan to make war upon the Caribs, and take them for slaves, as devourers of human flesh: he directed the officers of justice to see that no others were deprived of their liberty upon this pretence.

The see of San Domingo was made an archbishopric.

Herrera, 7. 10. 18.-8. 4. 13.

Jerom Benzo. Purchas, part. 4. lib. 7. c. 12. p. 1448. Charlevoix, vol. ii. p. 324.

Mr. Brougham, in his Colonial Policy of the European Powers, vol. i. book 1. sect.3. p. 451., speaking of the Spanish colonies, states, "That the population has been rapidly increasing in every quarter since the conquest, though not so rapidly as in the

the improvements of the whole colonies, but particularly of the islands, have been keeping pace with the necessities under which Spain is laid, both in America and Europe, of extending and drawing forth her whole imperial resources,"

1549.

Chance having led some vessels to Borburata (now Porto Cavallo), the governor, Villegas, sent there, as a germ for the population of the city, twenty-four men, of whom four were nominated aldermen, and two magistrates, as the constituent parts of the common council: but it became a nest of smugglers; and three or four times successfully resisted, by force of arms, the efforts of the Spanish government to root them out. The Dutch frequented the port.

1551.

Orders were sent from Spain to the governor of Cuba, that from henceforward no debtor should be confined in prison, or deprived of his clothes, after he had sworn that he was poor, and had it not in his power to pay: neither should he be detained in prison for the costs, after he had paid the sum for which he was cast.

The King of Spain had ordered an university to be founded at San Domingo in Española, with a professor of scholastic theology, and one for the sacred writings.

1554.

An order was this year sent from Spain, directing, that upon the founding of any new town or colony, there should, in the first place, be marked out proper places for a council-house, chapter-house, custom-house and store-houses near the church and harbour; so that, in case of attack, they might mutually support each other: and also, that an hospital for the poor and sick, who had no contagious disorder, should be erected close to the church, as a cloister to it; but that it should be so placed, that the prevailing winds should not blow through it upon the town-and, if possible, upon an eminence.

1560.

December 8th, 1560, the King of Spain granted permission to the inhabitants of Venezuela, at the solicitation of a provincial