1

The

known to abound in India, and he had met with fuch promifing famples of it in the islands which he vifited, as led him to believe that rich mines of it might be found. Cotton, another production of the Eaft Indies, was common there. The pimento of the islands he imagined to be a fpecies of the Eaft Indian pepper. He miftook a root, fome what refembling rhubarb, for that valuable drug, which was then fuppofed to be a plant peculiar to the East Indies h). birds brought home by him were adorned with the fame rich plumage which diftinguishes thofe of India. The alligator of the one country appeared to be the fame with the crocodile of the other. After weighing all thefe circumftances, not only the Spaniards, but the other nations of Europe, feem to have adopted the opinion of Columbus. The countries which he had difcovered were confidered as a part of India. confequence of this notion, the name of Indies is gives to them by Ferdinand and Ifabella, in a ratification of their former agreement, which was granted to Columbus upon his return i).

Diftinguished by the name of the Weft Indies.

In

Even after the error which gave rise to this opinion was detected, and the true pofition of the New World was afcertained, the name has remained, and the appellation of West Indies is

h) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. i. c. 20.
i) Life of Columbus, c. 44.

Gomara Hift. c. 17.

given by all the people of Europe to the country, and that of Indians to its inhabitants.

Preparations for a fecond voyage.

The name by which Columbus diftinguished the countries which he had difcovered was fo inviting, the fpecimens of their riches and fertility, which he produced, were fo confiderable, and the reports of his companions, delivered frequently with the exaggeration natural to travellers, fo favourable, as to excite a wonderful fpirit of enterprife among the Spaniards. Though little accuftomed to naval expeditions, they were impatient to fet out upon the voyage. Volunteers of every rank folicited to be employed. Allured by the vaft profpects which opened to their ambition and avarice, neither the length nor danger of the navigation intimidated them. Cautious as Ferdinand was, and averfe to every thing new or adventurous, he feems to have catched the fame fpirit with his fubjects. der its influence, preparations for a fecond expedition were carried on with a rapidity unusual in Spain, and to an extent that would be deemed not inconfiderable in the prefent age. The fleet confifted of feventeen fhips, fome of which were of good burden. It had on board fifteen hundred perfons, among whom were many of noble families, who had ferved in honourable ftations. The greater part of thefe being deftined to remain in the country, were furnished

Un

with every thing requifite for conqueft or fettlement, with all kinds of European domestic animals, with fuch feeds and plants as were moft likely to thrive in the climate of the West Indies, with utenfils and inftruments of every fort, and with fuch artificers as might be moft useful in an infant colony k).

The right of Spain to the New World confirmed by the Pope.

But, formidable and well provided as this fleet was, Ferdinand and Ifabella did not reft their title to the poffeffion of the newly-difcovered countries upon its operations alone. The example of the Portuguese, as well as the fuperftition of the age, made it neceffary to obtain from the Roman pontiff a grant of thofe territories which they wifhed to occupy 1). The Pope, as the vicar and representative of Jesus Christ, was fuppofed to have a right of dominion over all the kingdoms of the earth. Alexander VI. a pontiff infamous for every crime which difgraces humanity, filled the papal throne at that tiAs he was born Ferdinand's fubject, and very folicitous to fecure the protection of Spain, in order to facilitate the execution of his ambitious schemes in favour of his own family, he was extremely willing to gratify the Spanish monarchs. By an act of liberality which coft him nothing, and that ferved to eftablish the

me.

k) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. ii. c. 5.

1) Life of Columbus, c. 45.

jurisdiction and pretenfions of the papal fee, he granted in full right to Ferdinand and Ifabella all the countries inhabited by Infidels, which they had discovered, or fhould difcover; and, in virtue of that power which he derived from Jefus Chrift, he conferred on the crown of Caftile vaft regions, to the poffeffion of which he himfelf was fo far from having any title; that he was unacquainted with their fituation, and ignorant even of their existence. As it was neceffary to prevent this grant from interfering with that formerly made to the crown of Portugal, he appointed that a line, fuppofed to be drawn from pole to pole, a hundred leagues to the weftward of the Azores, fhould ferve as the limit between them; and, in the plenitude of his power, beftowed all to the eaft of this imaginary line upon the Portuguese, and all to the weft of it upon the Spaniards m). Zeal for propagating the Chriftian faith was the confideration employed by Ferdinand in foliciting this bull, and is mentioned by Alexander as his chief motive for iffuing it. In order to manifeft fome concern for this laudable object, feveral friars, under the direction of Father Boyl, a Catalonian monk of great reputation, as apoftolical vicar, were appointed to accompany Columbus, and to devote themselves to the inftruction of the natives. The Indians, whom Co

m) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. ii. c. 4. Torquemada Mon. ind. lib, xviii. . 3.

lumbus had brought along with him, having received fome tincture of Chriftian knowledge, were baptized with much folemnity, the king himself, the prince his fon, and the chief perfons of his court, ftanding as their godfathers. Thofe firft fruits of the New World have not been followed by fuch an increase as pious men wished, and had reafon to expect.

Second voyage of Columbus.

Ferdinand and Ifabella having thus acquired a title, which was then deemed completely valid, to extend their discoveries, and to establish their dominion over fuch a vaft portion of the globe, nothing now retarded the departure of the fleet. Columbus was extremely impatient to revifit the colony which he had left, and to pursue that career of glory upon which he had entered. He fet fail from the bay of Cadiz on the twenty-fifth of September, and touching again at the ifland of Gomera, he fteered farther towards the fouth than in his former voyage. By holding this courfe, he enjoyed more fteadily the benefit of the regular winds, which reign within the tropics, and was carried towards a large clufter of iflands, fituated confiderably to the east of those which he had already difcovered. (Nov. 2.) On the twenty-fixth day after his departure from Gomera, he made land n). It was one of the Caribbee or Leeward iflands, n) Oviedo ap. Ramuf. iii. 85. B.