He now demanded eight ships to carry supplies to his colony, and six to go on discovery. These demands were complied with, and he began his third voyage on the thirtieth of May, 1498. He kept a course so far to the southward, that not only his men, but his provisions and water, suffered greatly from excessive heat. The first land he made after leaving the Isles of Cape de Verd was a large island which he named Trinidad, from its appearance in the form of three mountains. He then passed through a narrow strait and whirlpool into the Gulf of Paria, where, observing the tide to be rapid and the water brackish, he conjectured that the land on the western and southern sides of the gulf was part of a continent, and that the fresh water proceeded from some great rivers. The people on the coast of Paria were whiter than those of the islands. They had about their necks plates of gold and strings of pearl, which they readily exchanged for pieces of tin and brass, and little bells; and when they were questioned whence they obtained the gold and pearls, they pointed to the west. The admiral's provisions not allowing him to stay long in this place, he passed again through that dangerous strait, to which he gave the name of the Dragon's Mouth; and having satisfied himself that the land on his left was a continent, he steered to the N.W., discovering Margarita and several other islands in his course; and on the, thirtieth of August arrived at the harbour of St. Domingo, in Hispaniola, to which place his brother had removed the colony in his absence, in consequence of a plan preconcerted between them. Wearied with incessant care and watching in this dangerous voyage, he hoped now to enjoy repose; instead of which, he found his colony much reduced by deaths, many of the survivers sick with a disease, the peculiar consequence of their debauchery, and a large number of them in actual rebellion. They had formed themselves into a body; they had gained over many of the Indians, under pretence of protecting them; and they had retired to a distant part of the island, which proved a resort for the seditious and discontented. Their commander was Francis Roldan,* who had been chief-justice of the colo * [Francisco Roldan was one of those vipers, too many of which crossed the path of Columbus, who stung their benefactor. Columbus had raised him from poverty and obscurity, and, ob ny; and their number was so considerable that Columbus could not command a force sufficient to subdue them. He therefore entered into a negotiation, by offering a pardon to those who would submit, and liberty of returning to Spain to those who desired it. These offers, however impolitic, proved successful. Roldan himself accepted them, and persuaded others to do the same; then, being restored to his office, he tried and condemned the refractory, some of whom were put to death. An account of this mutiny was sent home to Spain by Columbus, and another by Roldan. Each had his advocates at court, and the cause was heard by the king and queen. Roldan and his men were accused of adultery, perjury, robbery, murder, and disturbing the peace of the whole island; while Columserving his strong sense, had made him a justice of the peace, and on his own return to Spain appointed him chief-justice of the colony, He had now only to supplant Bartholomew Columbus, left governor in his absence, to become the chief man in the colony; and such was the meanness of his treacherous ambition, that he scrupled at no means to gratify it. He conspired with the dissolute and mutinous to assassinate the governor, and was prevented from doing it only by an accident; and having been defeated in this plan, he withdrew, with his party in a formal opposition to the government, till the return of the admiral.—H.] bus was charged with cruelty to individuals, aiming at independence, and engrossing the tribute. It was insinuated that, not being a native of Spain, he had no proper respect for the noble families who had become adventurers, and that the debts due to them could not be recovered. It was suggested that, if some remedy were not speedily applied, there was danger that he would revolt, and join with some other prince; and that, to compass this design, he had concealed the real wealth of the colony, and prevented the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith. These insinuations prevailed on the jealousy of Ferdinand, and even staggered the constancy of Isabella. They resolved to appoint a judge, who should examine facts on the spot; and, if he should find the admiral guilty, to supersede him. For this purpose they sent Francis Bovadilla,* a man of noble rank, but whose poverty alone recommended him to the office. Furnished with these powers, he arrived at St. Domingo when Columbus was absent; took lodgings in his house; *["Don Francisco de Bobadilla, an officer of the royal household, and a commander of the military and religious order of Calatrava." He is represented as "needy, passionate, and ambitious."-Irving, ii., 41. He arrived at San Domingo Aug. 23, 1500.-H.] invited accusers to appear against him; seized on his effects; and finally sent him and both his brothers to Spain, in three different ships, but all loaded with irons. The master of the ship in which the admiral sailed had so much respect for him, that, when he had got to sea, he offered to take off his fetters; but Columbus nobly declared that he would permit that honour to be done him by none but his sovereign. In this humiliating confinement he was delivered to Fonseca, bishop of Bajados, who had been the chief instigator of all these rigorous proceedings, and to whom had been committed the affairs of the Indies. * Not content with robbing Columbus of his liberty, this prejudiced ecclesiastic would have deprived him of his well-earned reputation of having first discovered the new continent. With the accusations which Columbus had * [Juan Rodrigues de Fonseca was a man of great abilities, but of a selfish and intriguing spirit. He was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs in 1493, and afterward became Patriarch of the Indies. He was continued in office under the Emperor Charles V. In the use of his power he was treacherous and malignant; and having, for some slight cause, conceived an enmity to Columbus, persecuted him with unceasing rancour. His whole administration was marked with acts of meanness and perfidy. He died at Burgos in 1524.-H.] VOL. I.-R |