Seizing Their Opportunity, Roldan
And His People Fell Unexpectedly On The Boats Crew With Their Swords, And
Having Killed Some And Wounded Others, They Made Themselves Masters Of The
Boat, And Returned With It To The Land.
Ojeda had now only a small skiff
left, in which he ventured on shore to treat peaceably with Roldan.
After
apologizing for his offences, he offered to restore some men whom he had
made prisoners, providing his boat and people were restored; and
represented that the detention of the boat would be the ruin of his ships,
as they had now no other fit for service. Roldan readily granted this
request, that there might be no reason to complain or to allege that the
expedition of Ojeda had suffered prejudice or danger through his means;
but he made him engage and give security for the performance of his
promise, that he should depart from the island by an appointed time; which
Roldan took care to ensure by keeping a strong guard on shore.
As it is a hard matter to root out cockle so that it may not sprout again,
so it is no less difficult for people who have once been habituated to
evil to forbear relapsing into their crimes. Only a few days after the
departure of Ojeda, one D. Ferdinand de Guevara, who was in disgrace with
the admiral as a seditious person, and who had taken part with Ojeda from
hatred to Roldan, because he would not permit him to take to wife the
daughter of Canua the principal queen of Xaragua, began to gather many
conspirators to secure Roldan, that he might succeed him as leader of the
mutineers. In particular, he drew over to his party one Adrian de Moxica,
a chief man in the late rebellion; and about the middle of May 1499, a
plot was laid for securing or murdering Roldan. But having intelligence of
their design, Roldan stood upon his guard, and managed matters so
dexterously, that he seized D. Ferdinand and Adrian and the other
ringleaders of the party. Roldan immediately sent notice of what he had
done to the admiral, and desired to have his instructions in what manner
he should proceed with the prisoners. The admiral made answer: That since
they had endeavoured without any cause or provocation to excite
insurrection and rebellion, and that if their crimes were overlooked every
thing would go to ruin, he should punish them according to their demerits
and as the law directed. The judge accordingly proceeded legally against
them, hanged Adrian as the chief author of the conspiracy, and banished
others. He kept D. Ferdinand in prison till the 13th of June, when he
delivered him with other prisoners to the charge of Gonsalo Blanco, to
carry them to La Vega or the Plain, where the admiral then was. This
example restored the country to quiet, and the Indians again submitted
themselves to the authority of the Christians.
Such rich gold mines were now discovered, that every man in the island
left the royal pay and went away to the mines on their own account,
applying themselves to dig for gold at their own expence, paying a third
part of all they found to the royal coffers.
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