of gold. To penetrate into the bowels of the earth, and to refine the rude ore, were operations too complicated for their talents and induftry, and they had no fuch high value for gold as to put their ingenuity and invention upon the stretch in order to obtain it u). The fmall quantity of that precious metal which they poffeffed, was either picked up in the beds of the rivers, or washed from the mountains by the heavy rains that fall within the tropics. But, from thofe indications, the Spaniards could no longer doubt that the country contained rich treasures in its bowels, of which they hoped foon to be mafters w). In order to fecure the command of this valuable province, Columbus erected a fmall fort, to which he gave the name of St. Thomas, by way of ridicule upon fome of his incredulous followers, who would not believe that the country produced gold, until they faw it with their own eyes, and touched it with their hands x),

The diftrefs and difaffection of the colony increafe,

The account of thofe promifing appearances of wealth in the country of Cibao came very feasonably to comfort the defponting colony, which was effected with diftreffes of various kinds. The ftock of provisions which had been

u) Oviedo, lib. ii. p. 90, A.

w) P. Martyr. dec. p. 32.

x) Herrera, dec, 1, lib, ii, 6, 12, Life of Columbus, c. 52.

brought from Europe was mostly confumed; what remained was fo much corrupted by the heat and moisture of the climate, as to be almoft unfit for ufe; the natives cultivated fo fmall a portion of ground, and with fo little skill, that it hardly yielded what was fufficient for their own fubfiftence; the Spaniards at Isabella had hitherto neither time nor leifure to clear the foil, fo as to reap any confiderable fruits of their own industry. On all these accounts, they became afraid of perishing with hunger, and were reduced already to a fcanty allowance. At the fame time, the difeafes predominant in the torrid zone, and which rage chiefly in those uncultivated countries, where the hand of induftry has not opened the woods, drained the marfhes, and confined the rivers within a certain channel, began to fpread among them. Alarmed at the violence and unusual symptoms of thofe maladies, they exclaimed against Columbus and his companions in the former voyage, who, by their fplendid but deceitful descriptions of Hifpaniola, had allured them to quit Spain for a barbarous uncultivated land, where they muft either be cut off by famine, or die of unknown distempers. Several of the officers and perfons of note, instead of checking, joined in thofe feditious complaints. Father Boyl, the apoftolical vicar, was one of the moft turbulent and outrageous. It required all the authority and addrefs of Columbus to reeftablifa fubordi

nation

nation and tranquillity in the colony.

Threats

and promises were alternately employed for this purpose; but nothing contributed more to foothe the malcontents than the profpect of finding, in the mines of Cibao, fuch a rich store of treafure as would be a recompence for all their sufferings, and efface the memory of former difappointments.

Columbus attempts new difcoveries.

When, by his unwearied endeavours, concord and order were fo far restored, that he could venture to leave the island, Columbus refolved to pursue his discoveries, that he might be able to ascertain whether those new countries with which he had opened a communication, were connected with any region of the earth already known, or whether they were to be confidered as a feparate portion, of the globe, hitherto unvifited. He appointed his brother Don Diego, with the affiftance of a council of . officers, to govern the ifland in his abfence; and gave the command of a body of foldiers to Don Pedro Margarita, with which he was to vifit the different parts of the ifland, and endeavour to establish the authority of the Spaniards among the inhabitants. Having left them very particular inftructions with refpect to their conduct, he weighed anchor on the 24th of April, with one ship and two fmall barks under his command. During a tedious voyage of full five ROBERTSON Vol. I.

L

1

'months, he had a trial of almoft all the numerous hardships to which perfons of his profeffion are expofed, without making any discovery of importance, except the ifland of Jamaica. As he ranged along the fouthern coaft of Cuba y), he was entangled in a labyrinth formed by an incredible number of fmall iflands, to which he gave the name of the Queen's Garden. In this unknown course, among rocks and fhelves, he was retarded by contrary winds, affaulted with furious ftorms, and alarmed with the terrible thunder and lightning which is often almoft inceflant between the tropics. At length his provifions fell fhort; his crew, exhaufted with fatigue as well as hunger, murmured and threatened, and were ready to proceed to the most defperate extremities against him. Befet with danger in fuch various forms, he was obliged to keep continual watch, to observe every occurrence with his own eyes, to iffue every order, and to fuperintend the execution of it. On no occafion was the extent of his fkill and experience as a navigator fo much tried. To thefe the fquadron owed its fafety. But this unremitted fatigue of body and intense application of mind, overpowering his conftitution, though naturally vigorous and robuft, brought on a feverifh diforder, which terminated in a lethargy,

y) See NOTE XIX,

that deprived him of fenfe and memory, and had almost proved fatal to his life z).

Sept. 27. On his return, finds his brother Bartholomew
at lfabella,

But, on his return to Hifpaniola, the fudden emotion of joy which he felt upon meeting with his brother Bartholomew at Ifabella, occafioned fuch a flow of fpirits as contributed greatly to his recovery. It was now thirteen years fince the two brothers, whom fimilarity of talents united in close friendfhip, had feparated from each other, and during that long period there had been no intercourfe between them. Bartholomew, after finishing his negociation in the court of England, had fet out for Spain by the way of France. At Paris he received an account of the extraordinary difcoveries which his brother had made in his first voyage, and that he was then preparing to embark on a fecond expedition. Though this naturally induced him to purfue his journey with the utmost dispatch, the Admiral had failed for Hifpaniola before he reached Spain. Ferdinand and Ifabella received him with the respect due to the nearest kinfman of a person whofe merit and fervices rendered him fo confpicuous; and as they knew what confolation his presence

z) Life of Columbus, c. 54. &c. Herrera, dec. 1. lib. ii. c. 13. 14. P. Martyr, dec. p. 34. &c.