But It Pleased God, That What They Most Dreaded Should Prove
Their Greatest Safety, For The Strength Of The Current Carried Them Clear
Through.
On Monday the 17th of August, he began to sail westwards along
the northern coast of Paria, in order
To stand over afterwards for
Hispaniola, and gave thanks to God who had delivered from so many troubles
and dangers, still shewing him new countries full of peaceable people, and
abounding in wealth, more especially that which he now certainly concluded
to be the continent, because of the great extent of the gulf of Pearls and
the size of the rivers that run into it, making it all deep water, and all
the Indians of the Caribbean islands had told him there was a vast land to
the southward. Likewise, according to the authority of Esdras, the 8th
chapter of the 4th book, if the world were divided into seven equal parts,
one only is water and the rest land.
Sailing along to the westwards on the coast of Paria, the admiral fell
gradually off from it towards the N.W. being so drifted by the current
owing to the calmness of the weather, so that on Wednesday the 15th of
August, he left the Cabo de las Conchas, or Cape of Shells to the south,
and the island of Margarita to the west, which name, signifying the isle
of Pearls, he gave to it as by divine inspiration, as close to it is the
isle of Cabagua where an infinite quantity of pearls have since been
found; and he afterwards named some mountains in Hispaniola and Jamaica
the Gold Mountains, where the greatest quantity and largest pieces of
that metal that were ever carried into Spain were afterwards found. But to
return to his voyage, he held on his way by six islands which he called
de las Guardas, or the Guards, and three others more to the north called
los Testigos, or the Witnesses. Though they still discovered much land
in Paria to the westwards, yet the admiral says in his journal that he
could not from this time give such an account of it as he wished, because
through much watching his eyes were inflamed, and he was therefore forced
to take most of his observations from the sailors and pilots. This same
night, the sixteenth of August, the compasses, which hitherto had not
varied, did now at least a point and a half, and some of them two points,
and in this there could be no mistake, as several persons had attentively
observed the circumstance. The admiral admired much at this, and was much
grieved that he had not an opportunity of following the coast of the
continent any farther; he therefore held on his course to the N.W. till
on Monday the twentieth of August, he came to an anchor between Isla Beata
or the Blessed Island and Hispaniola, whence he sent a letter overland to
his brother the Adelantado, acquainting him with his safe arrival and his
success in having discovered the continent. The admiral was much surprised
at finding himself so far to the westwards, for although he was aware of
the power of the currents, he did not expect they would have produced so
great an effect. Therefore, that his provisions might not fail, he stood
to the eastwards for San Domingo, into which harbour he sailed on the
thirtieth of August. Here the lieutenant his brother had appointed to
build a city, on the east side of the river where it now stands, and which,
in memory of his father, named Domingo or Dominick, is now named Santo
Domingo.
SECTION X.
An account of the Rebellion in Hispaniola, previous to the arrival of the
Admiral.
On his arrival at St Domingo, the admiral was almost blind with
overwatching and fatigue, and hoped there to rest himself and to find
peace among the people of the colony; but he found quite the contrary, for
all the people of the island were in disorder and rebellion. Great numbers
of those whom he had left were dead, and of those who remained above 160
individuals were ill of the French pox; besides that many were in
rebellion, with Francis Roldan at their head, whom he had left as alcalde
mayor, or chief justice of the island. And to add to the evil, the three
ships that he had dispatched from the Canary islands with supplies had not
yet arrived. Of all these matters it is requisite that we should treat in
an orderly manner, beginning from the time when the admiral had set out
from this island for Spain in March 1496, thirty months before his present
return.
For some considerable time after his departure, matters went on pretty
quietly in hopes of his speedy return and receiving supplies and relief.
But after the first year, finding their hopes abortive, the Spanish
provisions having utterly failed, and sickness and sufferings increasing,
the people began to be much dissatisfied with their situation, and to
despair of any change for the better. When any discontented persons begin
to utter complaints, they are always sure to find some bold spirit to urge
them on, desirous to become the head of a party: Such on this occasion was
the conduct of Francis Roldan, a native of Torre de Ximena, whom the
admiral had left in great power both among the Christians and Indians, by
making him chief judge of the colony, so that he had almost as much power
and authority as himself. For this reason it is supposed that there was
not that good understanding between him and the admirals lieutenant as
ought to have been for the public good, as appeared actually to have been
the case in the sequel. And, as the admiral neither returned himself nor
sent any supplies, this Roldan began to entertain schemes of usurping the
supreme authority in the island, and designed for this purpose to murder
the admirals brothers as those who were best able to oppose his rebellion,
and actually waited an opportunity of putting this nefarious intention
into execution.
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