The news of the gold which I said I would give them are, that on the day of the Nativity, being very much afflicted, harassed by wicked Christians and the Indians, and on the point of abandoning every thing, to save, if it were possible, my life, our Lord miraculously comforted me, and said, "Be of good cheer, and not disheartened nor afraid: I will remedy all. The seven years of the term of the gold are not elapsed; for this, and for the rest, I will provide for you." On the very same day I learnt that eighty leagues of land, and mines at every cape, had been discovered; at present it is believed that they form but one. Some persons collect 120 castellanos in one day, others 110, and some have obtained as many as 250; several others from fifty to seventy; many from twenty up to fifty, which is looked upon as a good day's work, and many continue to do so regularly. The average is from six to twelve, and whoever gathers less is dissatisfied. Wherefore it seems that these mines are like the others, which do not every day make an equal return. But the mines and the collectors are new. It is the general opinion, that if even the whole population of Castile were to flock there, however lazy a person might be, he would not gain less than one or two castellanos a day; and it is to be considered that this is only the beginning. You may form, then, an idea of Bovadilla's discretion, in giving away all for nothing, and four millions of tenths, without any motive, without being requested to do it, and without even informing their Highnesses of it

Nor is this the only mischief. I know that whatever errors I may have committed were not done with a bad intention, and I think that their Highnesses give me that credit; and as I know and perceive that they shew mercy even to those who have wickedly rendered them a disservice, so I regard it as certain that they will shew greater compassion to me, who have fallen into those errors through ignorance, and, as it were, by force, as they will hereafter be fully informed; and that they will perceive daily the great advantages of them. They will place all in the balance, as the Holy Scripture declares will be done to the good and bad on the day of judgment.

If, nevertheless, they should give orders for me to be judged by others, which I hope will not be the case, and impeach me respecting the affair of the Indies, I most humbly supplicate them to send out, at my expence, two conscientious and honourable persons, who, I hope, will be easily met with, now that gold to the amount of five marks may be found in the space of four hours. At all events, it is necessary that such be appointed.

The commander, on his arrival at St. Domingo, took up his abode in my house, and possessed himself of whatever he found in it: be it so, in God's name! for perhaps he was in want of it; but never did a pirate behave worse towards merchants whom he had captured. I am grieved still more for my papers, which he also took from me: he kept those diligently concealed which were most necessary for my justification. What a just and upright inquisitor! Whatever he has done, they assure me, has been executed within the bounds of justice! but verily God our Lord is present, in His goodness and wisdom, and according to His custom, punishes especially all ingratitude and injustice."

Petrus Alphonsus left Curiana in January, to return to Spain; and carried with him seventy-six pounds weight of pearls (eight ounces to the pound), obtained in exchange for trifles, which costhim about five shillings: many of the pearls were as large as hazle nuts, but not so good as the Oriental pearls, because they were not so neatly bored. Alphonsus was sixty days upon his passage to Gallicia, where Fernando de Vega imprisoned him, in consequence of his crew accusing him of defrauding the King of his fifth.

P. Martyr, D. 1. L. 8. Herrera, 1. 4. 11.

A

CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY

OF THE

WEST INDIES.

1501.

RODRIGO Bastidas and Juan de la Cosa sailed with a licence from Cadiz the beginning of January: they followed Columbus's track in his third voyage-went 100 leagues farther west-discovered and named Carthagena and Nombre de Dios; but were obliged to abandon their leaky vessels, leave them on the beach at Xaragua, and march to San Domingo. Bovadilla accused Bastidas of having trafficked for gold, and imprisoned him.

Ojeda, with his former associate Amerigo Vespucci, without knowing it, followed Bastidas, and touched at the same places. In the bay of Uraba Ojeda built a timber fort. His crews, assisted by Vespucci, mutinied about their provisions, put Ojeda in irons, and carried the ships to port Yaquimo, or Brazil, in Española; where Ojeda tried to swim on shore in the night with his irons, and would have been drowned, had he not been promptly assisted.

Ferdinand and Isabella, by a Royal edict, dated the 5th October 1501, established tithes in all their American possessions: their product was to be devoted to building churches, and paying those who officiated.

1502.

February 3d, 1502, Nicholas de Ovando sailed from San Lucar with thirty-two sail, commanded by Antonio de Torres. On the 11th they were dispersed by a gale of wind, and La Rabida, with 120 persons on board, foundered. At Gomera, Ovando hired a vessel to transport volunteers from that island; and leaving the dull sailors to follow, arrived at San Domingo the 15th April, with fifteen sail : he was welcomed with joyful acclamations, and informed of the success of Garay and Diaz.

An Indian girl amusing herself in a brook near the Hayna, about nine leagues from Santo Domingo, discovered a lump of gold, worth three thousand six hundred pesos. The miners to express their joy, roasted a pig, whole, and exultingly carved it upon the gold, as a

Depon's South America, vol. ii. p. 118. Herrera, 1. 5. 1, 2. MS. Conde's Library.

finer dish than ever any king had possessed. Bovadilla bought it for the King.

May 9th, Columbus, with four vessels, and provisions for two years, sailed in search of a passage to the South Sea, which he expected to find near “Puerto del Retrete :" his brother the adelantado went with him. He was forbidden to enter the port of San Domingo. Ovando had orders to restore to the admiral and his brothers the value of the effects which Bovadilla had taken, but not to let him land.

Columbus resolved to assist the Portuguese in Arzilla: some relations of his first wife, Filipa Muniz, were there. The Moors had raised the siege before he arrived. He sailed again the same day, and reached" Canaria" May 20th; took in wood and water, and proceeded upon his voyage the 25th. the 25th. Fine weather enabled them to make Martinico, June 15th, without altering a sail. The men were landed to refresh themselves and wash their clothes: the ships were "wooded and watered," and sailed the 18th. The largest vessel was seventy tons burthen, the smallest fifty; one was so low she would not carry sail " on a wind." He therefore went to Santo Domingo, arrived there June 29th, and sent Pedro de Terreros to request permission to enter the harbour, not only to exchange his vessel, but for shelter from the hurricane which, Columbus said, he foresaw was coming on. Ovando would not grant it.

A fleet of thirty-two vessels were to sail; the admiral sent to recommend Ovando to detain them. "I" (he said)" am going to seek shelter in the first port I can find." Ovando did not believe, and the sailors laughed at the "prophet!" Bovadilla, Roldan, and their party, were embarked; Guarionex was on board the “ Capitana," and 100,000" castellanos" for the King, 100,000 belonging to the passengers, and the large lump of gold which had been Garay's dish. The fleet sailed the 1st of July; and within twentyfour hours, twenty sail, with all on board, perished!

Columbus says, "The gale was terrible, and in that night my vessels parted company, every one expecting death, and each considering it as certain that the others were lost. With the exception of Job, there never was a man who would not have died in despair! When, to save my life, and that of my son, brother, and friends, I was at such a time forbidden the harbours, which, by God's permission, I had gained for Spain, sweating blood. The vessel in which I was, weathered the gale marvellously: it pleased God that she received no damage whatever. My brother was in the unsafe vessel, and, next to God, was the means of saving her. In this gale we made Jamaica."

The smallest vessel was the first which arrived in Spain: she had the admiral's effects on board, and 400 "pesos."

Rodrigo de Bastidas arrived in "El Aguja."

The loss of the fleet was severely felt by the Spanish Sovereigns: they would not believe the "Capitana" was lost, and sent vessels to seek her. The King signified to Ovando his disapprobation of his

conduct, in forbidding Columbus to enter the harbour when he was in distress, and not taking his advice, and detaining the fleet a few days. In Española, notwithstanding the people had paid one-eleventh of the gold, Ovando ordered them to pay a third; and for all which should be found afterwards, one-half was to be paid.

All the persons who accompanied Ovando, young and old, went to the mines. Ignorant of the labour which was necessary, unprovided with tools (a spade cost seventeen castellanos), and unaccustomed to work, they soon returned to Santo Domingo, discontented and distressed; in this state of mind and body, they were attacked by the fever, and a thousand of them died.

Luis de Arriaga contracted to carry out 200 married colonists to Española, upon the following conditions :—

They were to be allowed their passage out, and lands proper for cultivation to be given them. The civil and criminal jurisdiction was reserved for the King, and the tenths and first-fruits for the clergy. From all other charges they were to be exempt for five years. The King reserving to himself all mines of every sort of metal which should be discovered, the Brazil wood, the salt lakes and sea-ports, and all other royalties.

The colonists were not to purchase gold of the Indians, and were to give half of what they should find to the King, and one-third of what cotton or other goods they should get from the Indians, except provisions. If they should discover any mines, of all the gold found, after the expences were paid, one-half was to be given to the King, and the mines were to belong to his Majesty. If any islands or lands were discovered, one-half of all the gold and pearls were to be given to the King, and one-fifth of every thing else. The King gave them a free passage out, but only for their persons, and not for their effects. He also promised that no person banished from Spain should be sent to their towns, neither any who had been Jews or Moors. The colonists were to reside five years in the island, and to comply with whatsoever the governor, on the part of his Majesty, should command them to do, without pay: especially, if any Spaniards disobeyed the royal orders, or any province rebelled, they were to make war at their own expence. And if, before the expiration of the five years, any of them wished to return to Spain, they might do so; but they were not to be allowed to sell any thing which had been given to them as colonists. All subsequent grants were made upon these terms; and Arriaga, though he could only raise forty colonists, had the same terms allowed him. The Spanish miners soon petitioned the King for a diminution of the imposts: that upon gold was lowered, first to one-third, and then Juan de Esquibel was sent to supplicate that it might be reduced to onefifth. The duty upon cotton and other articles, not metals, was lowered to one-fourth.

The first town Ovando peopled was Puerto de Plata. Eight Spaniards going there, landed at Saona with a dog, which the owner