But This Being Disliked By The Rest, When Roldan And Three
Others Were Getting On Horseback To Go Along With
Caravajal to the admiral,
the rabble surrounded them, declaring they would not allow them to go, and
that if any
Agreement was to be made it should be drawn up in writing,
that all might know what was proposed to be done.
Some days afterwards Roldan, by consent of his men, wrote on the twentieth
of October to the admiral, laying the whole blame of the separation on the
lieutenant; and saying, as the admiral had not sent them any assurance or
security to come and give an account of themselves, they had resolved to
send him their demands in writing, which claimed a reward for what they
had hitherto done as will appear hereafter. Though their demands were
abundantly extravagant, yet Ballester wrote the next day to the admiral,
highly extolling Caravajals discourse; and saying that since it had failed
to dissuade those people from their wicked designs, nothing less would
prevail than granting them all they demanded, he found them so resolute.
He added that he looked upon it as next to certain that most of the people
who were with the admiral would go over to the rebels, and though he might
rely on the fidelity of the men of honour and his own servants, yet these
would not be able to withstand so great a number. The admiral already knew
this by experience, having made a muster of all who were fit to bear arms
at the time when Roldan was near St Domingo that he might be ready to
oppose the rebels if necessary; and so many of the people feigned
themselves sick or lame that only seventy appeared on the muster, of whom
there were not more than forty in whom he could confide.
Hearing of this muster and considering it a threat to proceed to
extremities against them, on the seventeenth of October 1498, Roldan and
the other chiefs of the mutineers sent a letter to the admiral subscribed
by them all, saying, That they had withdrawn themselves from the
lieutenant to save their lives, he having a design to destroy them. That
they being his lordships servants, whose coming they had anxiously waited
for, as of one who would look upon what they had done as in compliance
with their duty and as good service; that they had hindered their
adherents from doing any harm to any that belonged to his lordship, as
they might easily have done. That since he was now come and was so far
from thinking as they did, that he insisted upon taking revenge and
punishing them; therefore, that they might be at liberty to carry on their
proceedings and to do with honour what they had undertaken, they now took
leave of him and of his service. Before this letter was delivered to the
admiral, he had transmitted proposals for an accommodation with Roldan.
In his conference with Roldan, Caravajal represented the confidence which
the admiral had always reposed in him, and the good account which he had
given to their Catholic majesties of the conduct of the chief justice; and
said that the admiral had refrained from writing, lest his letter might
have been seen by some of the common people, and have occasioned prejudice
to the negociation; and therefore, he had sent a person in whom Roldan
knew that the admiral placed much confidence, so that he might regard what
was said by him and Ballester, as equally valid and binding as if under
the hand and seal of the admiral, and therefore, he might consider what
was proper to be done, and he should find him ready to comply with
whatever was reasonable.
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