Incensed At This Presumption, The Lieutenant Answered That Neither He
Nor His Friends Were Seamen, And Know Not What Was
Proper to be done in
that case; and though they had known how to launch the caravel, yet they
could
Not sail in her for want of rigging and other necessaries, and
therefore it would only expose the men and the caravel to certain
destruction to pretend to send her to Spain. Upon this, conscious that
they had no knowledge of sea affairs, and that the lieutenant being a
seaman understood these matters, the conspirators differed in opinion on
this subject. After this quarrelsome discussion, Roldan went away in anger,
refusing to surrender his rod of justice to the lieutenant, or to stand
trial for his disobedient and mutinous conduct; saying that he would do
both when ordered by their Catholic majesties to whom the island belonged,
but that he could not expect to receive an impartial or fair trial from
the lieutenant, who bore him hatred and ill will, and would find means to
put him to a shameful death if he submitted, whether right or wrong. But
in the mean time, not to exceed the bounds of reasonable obedience, he was
willing to go and reside in any place that the lieutenant might point out.
Whereupon the lieutenant commanded him to go to the residence of the
cacique James Columbus[15]; but he refused this under pretence that there
were not sufficient provisions there for his men, and that he would find a
convenient place for himself.
Roldan went from thence to Isabella, where he gathered a company of
sixty-five adherents; and finding himself unable to launch the caravel, he
and his followers plundered the magazines, taking away what arms,
merchandize, and provisions they thought proper, Don James Columbus who
was there not being able to oppose them, and would even have been in
imminent peril of his life if he had not withdrawn into the fort with some
friends and servants. In the process or examinations which were afterwards
drawn up on this subject, some of the evidences deposed that Roldan
offered to submit to Don James, providing he would take his part against
his own brother: Which he refusing, and Roldan being unable to do him any
farther harm, and also fearing the succours which were coming from the
lieutenant, he and the mutineers left the town, and falling upon the
cattle that grazed in the neighbourhood, they killed such as they wanted
for food, and took away the beasts of burden to serve them on their
journey, as they resolved to go and settle in the province of Xaragua
whence the lieutenant had very lately returned. The reason for preferring
that province was because of its being the pleasantest and most plentiful
part of the island, and its inhabitants were more civilized and wiser than
any of the others, besides that the women there were handsomer and of more
pleasing manners than in any other district.
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