II. 1498. that it freshens the ocean many leagues with its BOOK flood. Columbus, before he could perceive the danger, was entangled among those adverse currents and tempeftuous waves, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he escaped through' a narrow ftrait, which appeared fo tremendous, that he called it La Boca del Drago. As foon as the confternation which this occafioned, permitted him to reflect upon the nature of an appearance fo extraordinary, he difcerned in it a fource of comfort and hope. He justly concluded, that fuch a vast body of water as this river contained, could not be supplied by any ifland, but muft flow through a country of immense extent, and of confequence that he was now arrived at that continent which it had long been the object of his wifhes to difcover. Full of this idea, he stood to the weft along the coaft of those provinces which are now known by the names of Paria and Cumana. He landed in feveral places, and had fome intercourse with the people, who resembled those of Hispaniola in their appearance and manner of life. They wore, as ornaments, fmall plates of gold, and pearls of confiderable value, which they willingly exchanged for European toys. They feemed to poffefs a better understanding, and greater Gumilla Hift. de l'Orenoque, tom.i. p. 14. 0 2 courage, BOOK 11. 1498. courage, than the inhabitants of the iflands. The country produced four-footed animals of feveral kinds, as well as a great variety of fowls and fruits '. The admiral was fo much delighted with its beauty and fertility, that with the warm enthusiasm of a discoverer, he imagined it to be the paradife defcribed in Scripture, which the Almighty chofe for the refidence of man, while he retained innocence that rendered him. worthy of fuch an habitation. Thus Columbus had the glory not only of discovering to mankind the existence of a New World, but made confiderable progrefs towards a perfect knowledge of it; and was the first man who conducted the Spaniards to that vaft continent which has been the chief feat of their empire, and the fource of their treasures in this quarter of the globe. The fhattered condition of his fhips, scarcity of provisions, his own infirmities, together with the impatience of his crew, prevented him from purfuing his discoveries any farther, and made it neceffary to bear away for Hifpaniola. In his way thither he difcovered the islands of Cubagua and Margarita, which afterwards became remarkable for their pearl I Herrera, dec. 1. lib. iii. c. 9, 10, 11. Life of Columbus, c. 66-73 Herrera, dec. 1. lib. iii. c. 12. Gomara, c. 84. See NOTE XXI. fishery. fishery. When he arrived at Hifpaniola, he was wafted to an extreme degree with fatigue and fickness; but found the affairs of the colony in ́fuch a fituation, as afforded him no profpect of enjoying that repofe of which he stood fo much in need. MANY revolutions had happened in that country during his abfence. His brother, the adelantado, in confequence of an advice which the admiral gave before his departure, had removed the colony from Isabella to a more commodious station, on the oppofite fide of the ifland, and laid the foundation of St. Domingo ", which was long the most considerable European town in the New World, and the feat of the fupreme courts in the Spanish dominions there. As foon as the Spaniards were established in this new settlement, the adelantado, that they might neither languish in inactivity, nor have leisure to form new cabals, marched into thofe parts of the island which his brother had not yet vifited or reduced to obedience. As the people were unable to refift, they fubmitted everywhere to the tribute which he impofed. But they foon found the burden to be fo intolerable, that, overawed as they were by the fuperior power of BOOK II. 1498. Aug. 30. Stare of on his ar Hifpaniola rival there. II. BOOK their oppreffors, they took arms against them. Those infurrections, however, were not formidable. A conflict with timid and naked Indians was neither dangerous nor of doubtful iffue. 1498. Mutiny of BUT while the adelantado was employed against them in the field, a mutiny, of an aspect far more alarming, broke out among the Spaniards. The ringleader of it was Francis Roldan, whom Columbus had placed in a station which required him to be the guardian of order and tranquillity in the colony. A turbulent and inconfiderate ambition precipitated him into this defperate meafure, fo unbecoming his rank. The arguments which he employed to feduce his countrymen were frivolous and ill-founded. He accufed Columbus and his two brothers of arrogance and feverity; he pretended that they aimed at establishing an independent dominion in the country; he taxed them with an intention of cutting off part of the Spaniards by hunger and fatigue, that they might more easily reduce the remainder to fubjection; he reprefented it as unworthy of Caftilians, to remain the tame and paffive flaves of three Genoese adventurers. As men have always a propenfity to impute the hardships of which they feel the preffure, to the misconduct of their rulers; as every nation views with a jealous eye the power and exaltation of foreigners, II. 1498. foreigners, Roldan's infinuations made a deep BOOK impreffion on his countrymen. His character and rank added weight to them. A confiderable number of the Spaniards made choice of him as their leader, and taking arms against the adelantado and his brother, feized the king's magazine of provifions, and endeavoured to surprise the fort at St. Domingo. This was preferved by the vigilance and courage of Don Diego Columbus. The mutineers were obliged to retire to the province of Xaragua, where they continued not only to disclaim the adelantado's authority themselves, but excited the Indians to throw off the yoke ". SUCH was the diftracted state of the colony when Columbus landed at St. Domingo. He was astonished to find that the three ships which he had dispatched from the Canaries were not yet arrived. By the unskilfulness of the pilots, and the violence of currents, they had been carried a hundred and fixty miles to the west of St. Domingo, and forced to take fhelter in a harbour of the province of Xaragua, where Roldan and his feditious followers were cantoned. Roldan carefully concealed from the commanders of the fhips his infurrection against W Herrera, dec. 1. lib. iii. c. 5-8. Life of Columbus, c. 74-77. Gomara, c. 23. P. Martyr, p. 78. 1 |