to which he gave the name of Defeada, on account of the impatience of his crew to difcover fome part of the New World. After this he vifited fucceffively Dominica, Marigalante, Gua-, dalupe, Antigua, San Juan de Puerto Rico, and feveral other iflands fcattered in his way as he advanced towards the north - weft. All these he found to be inhabited by that fierce race of people whom Guacanahari had painted in fuch frightful colours. His defcriptions appeared not to have been exaggerated. The Spaniards never attempted to land without meeting with fuch a reception, as difcovered the martial and daring fpirit of the natives; and in their habitations were found relics of thofe horrid feafts which they had made upon the bodies of their enemies taken in war.

Arrives at Hifpaniola, Nov. 22.

But as Columbus was eager to know the ftate of the colony which he had planted, and to fupply it with the neceffaries of which he fuppofed it to be in want, he made no ftay in any of those islands, and proceeded directly to Hifpaniola o). When he arrived to Navidad, the ftation in which he had left the thirty-eight men under the command of Arada, he was astonished that none of them appeared, and expected every moment to see them running with

o) P. Martyr. dec. p. 15. 18. Herrera, dec. 1. lib. ii. c. 7. Life of Columbus, c. 46. &c.

tranfports of joy to welcome their countrymen. Full of folicitude about their fafety, and foreboding in his mind what had befallen them, he rowed inftantly to land. All the natives from whom he might have received information had flet. But the fort which he had built was entirely demolifhed, and the tattered garments, the broken arms and utenfils fcattered about it, left no room to doubt concerning the unhappy fate of the garrifon p). While the Spaniards were fhedding tears over thofe fad memorials of their fellow - citizens, a brother of the cazique Guacanahari arrived.

The fate of the men whom he left there.

From him Columbus received a particular detail of what had happened after his departure from the ifland. The familiar intercourse of the Indians with the Spaniards tended gradually to diminish the fuperftitious veneration with which their firft appearance had infpired that fimple people. By their own indiscretion and ill conduct the Spaniards fpeedily effaced those favourable impreffions, and foon convinced the natives, that they had all the wants, weakneffes, and paffions of men. As foon as the powerful restraint which the prefence and authority of Columbus imposed was withdrawn, the garrison threw off all regard for the officer whom he had invested with command.

p) Hift, de Cura de los Palacios. MS.

Re

gardless of the prudent inftructions which he had given them, every man became independent, and gratified his defires without controul. The gold, the women, the provifions of the natives, were all the prey of thofe licentious oppreffors. They roamed in fmall parties over the ifland, extending their rapacity and infolence to every corner of it. Gentle and timid as the people were, thofe unprovoked injuries at lenght exhaufted their patience, and rouzed their courage. The cacique of Cibao, whose country the Spaniards chiefly infefted on account of the gold which it contained, furprised and cut off feveral of them, while they ftraggled in as perfect fecurity as if their conduct had been altogether inoffenfive. He then affembled his fubjects, and furrounding the fort, fet it on fire. Some of the Spaniards were killed in defending it, the reft perifhed in attempting to make their escape by croffing an arm of the sea. Guacanahari, whom all their exactions had not alienated from the Spaniards, took arms in their behalf, and, in endeavouring to protect them, had received a wound, by which he was ftill confined q).

His prudent conduct.

Though this account was far from removing the fufpicions which the Spaniards entertained

q P. Märtyr. desad. p. 22. &c. Herrera, decad. i. lib. ii. c. 7. 9. Life of Columbus, c. 49. 50.

with respect to the fidelity of Guacanahari, Columbus perceived fo clearly that this was not a proper juncture for inquiring into his conduct with fcrupulous accuracy, that he rejected the advice of feveral of his officers, who urged him to feize the perfon of that prince, and to revenge the death of their countrymen by attacking his subjects. He reprefented to them the neceffity of fecuring the friendship of fome potentate of the country, in order to facilitate the fettlement which they intended, and the danger of driving the natives to unite in fome defperate attempt against them, by fuch an illtimed and unavailing exercife of rigour. Inftead of wafting his time in punishing past wrongs, he took precautions for preventing any future injury. With this view, he made choice of a fituation more healthy and commodious than that of Navidad. He traced out the plant of a town in a large plain near a fpacious bay, and obliging every perfon to put his hand to a work on which their common fafety depended, the houses and ramparts were foon fo far advanced by their united labour, as to afford them fhelter and fecurity. This rifing city, the first that the Europeans founded in the New World, he named Isabella, in honour of his patronefs the queen of Caftile r).

r) Life of Columbus. c. 51. Herrera, dec. 1. lib. i. c. 10.

Difcontent of his followers.

In carrying on this neceffary work, Columbus had not only to fuftain all the hardships, and to encounter all the difficulties, to which infant colonies are expofed when they fettle in an uncultivated country, but he had to contend with what was more infuperable, the laziness, the impatience, and mutinous difpofition of his followers.

By the enervating influence of a hot climate, the natural inactivity of the Spaniards feemed to increafe. Many of them were gentlemen, unaccustomed to the fatigue of bodily labour, and all had engaged in the enterprise with the fanguine hopes excited by the fplendid and exaggerated descriptions of their countrymen who returned from the first voyage, or by the mistaken opinion of Columbus, that the country which he had discovered was either the Cipango of Marco Polo, or the Ophir s), from which Solomon imported thofe precious commodities which fuddenly diffufed fuch extraordinary riches through his kingdom. But when, instead of that golden harvest which they had expected to reap without toil or pains, the Spaniards faw that their prospect of wealth was remote as well as uncertain, and that it could not be attained but by the flow and perfevering efforts of industry, the disappointment of those chimerical hopes occafioned fuch dejection of mind as bordered on defpair, and led to genes) P. Martyr, dec. p. 29.