For This Purpose, We Bought Two
Vessels Of Considerable Burthen, And Procured A Bark On Credit From
Velasquez, Who Proposed
As a condition, that we should make a descent on
the islands called Los Guanages, between Cuba and Honduras, to
Seize a
number of the inhabitants as slaves, in order by their sale to repay the
expence of the bark: But when this proposal was made known to the soldiers,
we unanimously refused, as it was unjust, and neither permitted by God nor
the king to make slaves of freemen. Velasquez assented to the justice of
our objections, and gave us all the assistance in his power in regard to
provisions. We accordingly laid in a store of hogs at three crowns each,
there being no oxen or sheep at that time in Cuba, and a quantity of
cassava bread, as flour was not to be had for biscuits. With these sorry
provisions, and some trifling toys and ornaments to barter with the
Indians, we assembled at a port named Agaruco, on the north side of Cuba,
eight leagues from the town of St Christopher, the inhabitants of which
removed two years afterwards to the Havanna. Our chief pilot was Antonio
de Alaminos of Palos, and two others named Comacho de Triana, and Juan
Alvarez. We got also a priest, named Alonso Gonzales to go with the
expedition; and appointed a soldier named Bernardino Iniguez as veedor,
to take care of his majesties rights in case of procuring any gold during
the voyage.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 685 of 789
Words from 190707 to 190959
of 219607
