Yet He Neglected Not His Own Share, But Combining With All The
Richest And Most Powerful Men Of The Colony, He Gave Them Indians To Serve
Them On Condition Of Having A Share In All The Acquisitions Which Were
Made By Their Means.
He sold by auction all the possessions and rights
which the admiral had acquired for the crown; saying that
Their majesties
were not farmers or labourers, and only kept these for the benefit of
their subjects; and while selling all things under these pretences, he
took care on the other hand that every thing should be purchased by his
own confederates at a third of the value. Besides all this, he made no
other use of his judicial power than to enrich himself and to gain over
the affections of the people; being still afraid that the lieutenant, who
had not yet come from Xaragua, might put a stop to his proceedings, and
might endeavour to set the admiral at liberty by force of arms. But in
this the brothers conducted themselves with the utmost prudence and
propriety; for the admiral sent to the lieutenant, desiring him to come
peaceably to Bovadilla, that the island might not be thrown into confusion
and civil war; as, when they arrived in Spain, they should the more easily
obtain satisfaction for the wrongs that had been done them, and secure the
punishment of Bovadilla for his senseless and injurious conduct.
Yet did not all this divert Bovadilla from putting the admiral and his
brother in irons; and he allowed the baser people to rail against them in
public, blowing horns in triumph about the harbour where they were shipped,
besides placarding them in many scandalous libels pasted up at the corners
of the streets.
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