COLUMBUS
144
COLUMBUS
leagues to the east of Gape Monte Cristo, where the
ruins are still to be seen.
The existence of gold on Haiti having been amply tiemonstrated on the first voyage, Columbus inaugu- rated a diligent search for places where it might be found. The gold trinkets worn by the Indians were washings or placeres, but mention is also made, on the first voyage, of quartz rock containing the precious metal. But it is likely that the yellow mineral was iron pyrites, probably 'gold-bearing but, in the back- ward state of metallurgy, worthless at the time. Soon after the settlement was made at Isabella the colonists began to complain that the mineral wealth of the newly discovered lands had been vastly exaggerated and one, who accompanied the expedition as expert in metallurgy, claimed that the larger nuggets held by the natives had been accumulated in the course of a long period of time. This very sensible supposition was unjustly criticized by Irving, for since Irving's time it has been clearly proved that pieces of metal of unusual size and shape were often kept for generations by the Indians as fetishes.
" A more important factor which disturbed the Span- iards was the unhealthiness of the climate. The set- tlers had to go through the slow and often fatal pro- cess of acclimatization. Columbus himself suffered considerably from ill-health. Again, the island was not well [ ! n i U 1 w ithfoo 1 suit ible for the newcomers. lli( 1 o] ul ition notwithstanding the exaggerations of Lis Casas and others, was sparse. Isibella with its fifteen liundred S| mish immi- ^r lilts was certain- 1\ the most popu- I 11 f'ttlement. At 111 t there was no (1 1 li with the na- ti\ es, but parties sent by Columbus into the interior came in contact V. ith hostile tribes. For the protection of the colonists The Landint. of CoLUMBns Columbus built in
(W.Kul-enKraviiig, printed at Hdreiice. ,. ;,-,torir.r n littlp 1493. Original m Briti.* Museum) 'he interior allttle fort called hanto Tomas. He also sent West Indian products and some Carib prisoners back to Spain in a vessel under the command of Antonio de Torres. Columbus suggested that the Caribs be sold as slaves in order that they might be instructed in the Christian Faith. This sug- gestion was not adopted by the Spanish monarchs, and the prisoners were treated as kindly in Spain as the friendly Arawaks who had been sent over.
The condition of affairs on Hispaniola (Haiti) was not promising. At Isabella and on the coast there was grumbling against the admiral, in which the Bene- dictine Father Buil (Boil) and the other priests joined, or which, at least, they did not discourage. In the in- terior there was trouble with the natives. The com- mander at Santo Tomds, Pedro Marga rite, isusuallyac- cused of cruelty to the Indians, but Columbus himself in his Memorial of 30 January, 14!U, commends the conduct of that officer. However, he had to send him reinforcements, which were commanded by Alonzo de Ojeda.
Anxiou.sly following up his theory that the newly discovcri'd islands were but outlying posts of Eastern Asia and that further explorations would soon lead him to the coast of Cliina or to the Moluccas, Colum- bus, notwithstanding the precarious condition of the colony, left it in charge of his brother Diego and four counsellors (one of whom was Father Buil), and with three vessels set sail towards Cuba. During liis ab-
sence of five months he explored parts of Cuba, discov-
ered the Isle of Pines and several groups of smaller
islands, and made the circuit of Jamaica, landing there
almost every day. When he returned to Isabella (29
September, 1494), he was dangerously ill and in a stu-
por. MeanwhUe his brother Bartholomew had ar-
rived from Spain with a small squadron and supplies.
He proved a welcome auxiliary to the weak Diego, but
could not prevent serious trouble. Margarite, an-
gered by interference with his administration in the in-
terior, returned to the coast, and there was joined by
Father Buil and other malcontents. They seized the
three caravels that had arrived under the command of
Bartholomew Columbus, and set sail in them for Spain
to lay before the Government what they considered
their grievances against Columbus and his administra-
tion.
That there was cause for complaint there seems to be no doubt, but it is almost impossible now to deter- mine who was most at fault, Columbus or his accusers. He was certainly not as able an administrator as he was a navigator. Still, taking into consideration the difficulties, the novelty of the conditions, and the class of men Columbus had to handle, and placing over against this what he had already achieved on Haiti, there is not so much ground for criticism. The charges of cruelty towards the natives are based upon rather suspicious authority, Las Casas being the prin- cipal source. There were errors and misdeeds on both sides, which, however, might not have brought about a crisis had not disappointment angered the settlers, who had based their expectations on the glowing re- ports of Columbus himself, and disposed them to at- tribute all their troubles to their opponents.
Before the return of Columbus to Isabella, Ojeda had repulsed an attempt of the natives to surprise Santo Tomas. Thereupon the Indians of various tribes of the interior now formed a confederation and threat- ened Isabella. Columbus, however, on his return, with the aid of fire-arms, sixteen horses, and about twenty blood-hounds easily broke up the Indian league. Ojeda captured the leader, and the policy of kindness hitherto pursued towards the natives was replaced by repression and chastisement. According to the cus- toms of the times the prisoners of war were regarded as rebels, reduced to slavery, and five hundred of them were sent to Spain to be sold. It is certain that the condition of the Indians became much worse there- after, that they were forced into unaccustomed la- bours, and that their numbers began to diminish rap- idly. That these harsh measures were authorized by Columbus there can be no doubt.
While the Spanish monarchs in their dispatches to Columbus continued to show the same confidence and friendliness they could not help hearing the accusa- tions made against him by Father Buil, Pedro Mar- garite, and the other malcontents, upon their return to Spain. It was clear that there were two factions among the Spaniards in Haiti, one headed by the ad- miral, the other composed of perhaps a majority of the settlers including ecclesiastics. Still the monarchs en- joined the colonists by letter to obey Columbus in everything and confirmed his authority and privileges. The 'incriminations, however, continued, and charges were made of nepotism and spoliation of royal revenue. There was probably some foundation for these charges, though also much wilful misrepresentation. Unable to ascertain the true condition of affairs, the sovereigns finally decided to send to the Indies a special commis- sioner to investigate and report. Their choice fell upon Juan de Aguado who had gone with Columbus on his first voyage and with whom he always had been on friendly terms. .-Vguado arrived at Isabella in Octo- ber, 149.>. while Columbus was absent on a journey of exploration across the island. No clash appears to have occurred between Aguado and Bartholomew Col- umbus, who was in charge of the colony during his
