That By Assuming The Authority Into Their Own
Hands, They Would Have It In Their Power To Divide The Island
Equally
amongst them, and would be served by the Indians to their own content;
whereas the lieutenant now hold them
Under such rigorous authority that
they could not take to wife any Indian woman they pleased, and were forced
to keep the three vows of monachism, chastity, poverty, and abstinence,
and were not wanting in fasts and penances, imprisonments, and other
punishments, which were liberally bestowed for the smallest offences.
Wherefore, since he Roldan held the rod of justice and royal authority,
and could screen them against evil consequences on this account, he
advised them to act as he directed, in doing which they could not be found
guilty. With such pretences and arguments, proceeding from the hatred he
bore to the lieutenant, he drew over so many to his party, that one day,
after the return of the lieutenant from Xaragua to Isabella, some of the
conspirators resolved to stab him, and considered this as so easy a matter
that they had provided a halter to hang him up with after his death. The
circumstance which more immediately incensed them at this particular
period, was the imprisonment of one Barahoria, a friend to the
conspirators; and if God had not put it into the heart of the lieutenant
not to proceed to the execution of justice at this time against that
person, the conspirators had then certainly murdered him.
When Francis Roldan perceived that he had missed the opportunity of
murdering the lieutenant, and that his conspiracy was discovered, he
resolved to possess himself of the town and fort of the Conception,
thinking that from thence he might be easily able to subdue the island. It
happened conveniently for the execution of this design, that he was then
near that town, having been sent with forty men to reduce that province to
obedience, the Indians having revolted and formed a similar design of
making themselves masters of the Conception and massacring the Christians.
So that Roldan, under pretence of preventing this evil, gathered his men
at the residence of one of the caciques named Marche, intending to put his
enterprise into execution on the first opportunity. But Ballester, who
commanded in that fort, having some jealousy of Roldans intentions, kept
himself well upon his guard, and sent intelligence to the lieutenant of
the danger he was in; and the lieutenant with all speed drew together what
force he was able to muster and threw himself into the fort for its
protection.
Roldan finding his conspiracy discovered before it was ripe for execution,
came to the Conception under a safe conduct, more to make his observations
how he might best injure the lieutenant, than through any desire of coming
to an accommodation; and with more boldness and impudence than became him,
required the lieutenant to order the caravel to be launched, or else to
give him leave to do it, which he and his friends were able and willing to
do.
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