BOOK fome of the failors to take a boat, and carry out II. 1492. : an anchor aftern; but, instead of obeying, they made off towards the Nigna, which was about half a league diftant. He then commanded the mafts to be cut down, in order to lighten the fhip; but all his endeavours were too late; the veffel opened near the keel, and filled fo faft with water that its lofs was inevitable. The fmoothness of the fea, and the timely affistance of boats from the Nigna, enabled the crew to fave their lives. As foon as the islanders heard of this disaster, they crowded to the shore, with their prince Guacanahari at their head. Instead of taking advantage of the diftrefs in which they beheld the Spaniards, to attempt any thing to their detriment, they lamented their misfortune with tears of fincere condolence. Not fatisfied with this unavailing expreffion of their sympathy, they put to fea a number of canoes, and, under the direction of the Spaniards, affifted in faving whatever could be got out of the wreck and by the united labour of fo many hands, almost every thing of value was carried afhore. As faft as the goods were landed, Guacanahari in perfon took charge of them. By his orders they were all depofited in one place, and armed centinels were pofted, who kept the multitude at a distance, in order to prevent them not only from embezzling, but from infpecting too curiously ; II. 1492. riously what belonged to their guefts. Next BOOK morning this prince vifited Columbus, who was now on board the Nigna, and endeavoured to confole him for his lofs, by offering all that he poffeffed to repair it ". Columbus The condition of Columbus was fuch, that Diftrefs of he flood in need of confolation. He had hitherto procured no intelligence of the Pinta, and no longer doubted but that his treacherous affociate had fet fail for Europe, in order to have the merit of carrying the first tidings of the extraordinary difcoveries which had been made, and to pre-occupy fo far the ear of their fovereign, as to rob him of the glory and reward to which he was justly entitled. There remained but one veffel, and that the smallest and most crazy of the fquadron, to traverse fuch a vaft ocean, and carry fo many men back to Europe. Each of those circumstances alarming, and filled the mind of Columbus with the utmost solicitude. The defire of overtaking Pinzon, and of effacing the unfavourable impreffions which his mifreprefentations might make in Spain, made it neceffary to return thither without delay. The difficulty of taking fuch a number of persons aboard the Nigna, See NOTE XV. 2 Herrera, dec. 1. lib.i. c. 19. confirmed II. 1492. Refolves to of his crew BOOK confirmed him in an opinion, which the fertility of the country, and the gentle temper of the people, had already induced him to form. He leave a part refolved to leave a part of his crew in the island, in the island. that by refiding there, they might learn the language of the natives, ftudy their difpofition, examine the nature of the country, search for mines, prepare for the commodious fettlement of the colony, with which he purposed to return, and thus fecure and facilitate the acquifition of thofe advantages which he expected from his discoveries. When he mentioned this to his men, all approved of the defign; and from impatience under the fatigue of a long voyage, from the levity natural to failors, or from the hopes of amaffing wealth in a country, which afforded fuch promifing fpecimens of its riches, many offered voluntarily to be among the num ber of those who should remain. Obtains the confent of the natives. NOTHING was now wanting towards the execution of this fcheme, but to obtain the confent of Guacanahari; and his unfufpicious fimplicity foon prefented to the admiral a favourable opportunity of propofing it. Columbus having, in the best manner he could, by broken words and figns, expreffed fome curiofity to know the caufe which had moved the islanders to fly with fuch precipitation upon the approach of his I1. 1492. fhips, the cazique informed him that the coun- BOOK try was much infefted by the incurfions of certain people, whom he called Carribeans, who inhabited several iflands to the fouth-east. Thefe he described as a fierce and warlike race of men, who delighted in blood, and devoured the flesh of the prisoners who were fo unhappy as to fall into their hands; and as the Spaniards, at their first appearance, were fuppofed to be Carribeans, whom the natives, however numerous, durft not face in battle, they had recourfe to their usual method of fecuring their fafety, By flying into the thickest and most impenetrable woods. Guacanahari, while fpeaking of those dreadful invaders, discovered fuch fymptoms of terror, as well as fuch confcioufnefs of the inability of his own people to refift them, as led Columbus to conclude that he would not be alarmed at the propofition of any fcheme which afforded him the profpect of an additional fecurity against their attacks. He inftantly offered him the affiftance of the Spaniards to repel his enemies; he engaged to take him and his people under the protection of the powerful monarch whom he ferved, and offered to leave in the island such a number of his men as fhould be fufficient, not only to defend the inhabitants from future incurfions, but to avenge their past wrongs. THE BOOK 1492. Ruilds a fort. THE credulous prince clofed eagerly with the propofal, and thought himself already fafe under the patronage of beings sprung from Heaven, and fuperior in power to mortal men. The ground was marked out for a small fort, which Columbus called Navidad, because he had landed there on Christmas day. A deep ditch was drawn around it. The ramparts were fortified with pallifades, and the great guns, faved out of the admiral's fhip, were planted upon them. In ten days the work was finifhed; that fimple race of men labouring with inconfiderate affiduity in erecting this first monument of their own fervitude. During this time, Columbus, by his careffes and liberality, laboured to increase the high opinion which the natives entertained of the Spaniards. But while he endeavoured to inspire them with confidence in their difpofition to do good, he wished likewife to give them fome ftriking idea of their power to punish and destroy fuch as were the objects of their indignation. With this view, in prefence of a vast affembly, he drew up his men in order of battle, and made an oftentatious but innocent difplay of the sharpness of the Spanish fwords, of the force of their fpears, and the operation of their cross-bows. These rude people, ftrangers to the ufe of iron, and unacquainted with any hoftile weapons but arrows of |