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ral discontent. In vain did Columbus endeavour to revive their fpirits by pointing out the fertility of the foil, and exhibiting the specimens of gold daily brought in from different parts of the island. They had not patience to wait for the gradual returns which the former might yield, and the latter they defpifed as fcanty and inconfiderable. The fpirit of difaffection fpread, and a confpiracy was formed, which might have been fatal to Columbus and the colony. Happily he difcovered it, and feizing the ringleaders, punifhed fome of them, fent others prifoners into Spain, whither he dispatched twelve of the fhips which had ferved as tranfports, with an earnest requeft for a reinforcement of men and a large fupply of provifions t).

1494. Examines into the ftate of the country.

Meanwhile, in order to banish that idleness which, by allowing his people leisure to brood over their disappointment, nourif ed the fpirit of difcontent, Columbus planned feveral expe→ ditions into the interior part of the country. He fent a detachment, under the command of Alonfo de Ojeda, a vigilant and enterprifing officer, to vifit the district of Cibao, which was faid to yield the greateft quantity of gold, and followed him in perfon with the main body of his troops. (March. 12.) In this expedition,

Herrera, decad, 1. lib, ii. c. 10. 11.

he difplayed all the pomp of military magnificence that he could exhibit, in order to strike the imagination of the natives. He marched with colours flying, with martial mufic, and with a small body of cavalry that paraded fometimes in the front and fometimes in the rear. As those were the firft horfes which appeared in the New World, they were objects of terror no less than of admiration to the Indians, who having no tame animals themselves, were unacquainted with that vaft acceffion of power, which man hath acquired by fubjecting them to his dominion. They fuppofed them to be rational creatures. They imagined that the horse and the rider formed one animal, with whofe speed they were aftonifhed, and whofe impetuofity and ftrength they confidered as irrefiftible. But while Columbus endeavoured to inspire the natives with a dread of his power, he did not neglect the arts of gaining their love and confidence. He adhered fcrupulously to the principles of integrity and justice in all his tranfactions with them, and treated them, on every occafion, not only with humanity, but with indulgence.

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The diftrict of Cibao anfwered the defcription given of it by the natives. It was mountainous and uncultivated, but in every river and brook gold was gathered either in duft or in grains, fome of which were of confiderable fize. The Indians had never opened any mines in fearch

of gold. To penetrate into the bowels of the earth, and to refine the rude ore, were operations too complicated for their talents and induftry, and they had no fuch high value for gold as to put their ingenuity and invention upon the stretch in order to obtain it u). The fmall quantity of that precious metal which they poffeffed, was either picked up in the beds of the rivers, or wafhed from the mountains by the heavy rains that fall within the tropics. But, from those indications, the Spaniards could no longer doubt that the country contained rich treasures in its bowels, of which they hoped foon to be mafters w). In order to fecure the command of this valuable province, Columbus erected a small fort, to which he gave the name of St. Thomas, by way of ridicule upon fome of his incredulous followers, who would not believe that the country produced gold, until they saw it with their own eyes, and touched it with their hands x).

The diftrefs and difaffection of the colony increase.

The account of thofe promifing appearances of wealth in the country of Cibao came very seasonably to comfort the defponting colony, which was effected with diftrefies of various kinds. The stock of provifions which had been

u) Oviedo, lib. ii. p. 90. A,

w) P. Martyr. dec. p. 32.

x) Herrera, dec, I, lib, ii, c, 12, Life of Columbus, c, 5%.

brought from Europe was moftly confumed; what remained was fo much corrupted by the heat and moisture of the climate, as to be almoft unfit for ufe; the natives cultivated fo fmall a portion of ground, and with fo little fkill, that it hardly yielded what was fufficient for their own fubfiftence; the Spaniards at Isabella had hitherto neither time nor leisure to clear the foil, fo as to reap any confiderable fruits of their own induftry. On all these accounts, they became afraid of perishing with hunger, and were reduced already to a scanty allowance. At the fame time, the diseases predominant in the torrid zone, and which rage chiefly in thofe uncultivated countries, where the hand of induftry has not opened the woods, drained the marshes, and confined the rivers within a certain channel, began to spread among them. Alarmed at the violence and unusual symptoms of thofe maladies, they exclaimed againft Columbus and his companions in the former voyage, who, by their fplendid but deceitful defcriptions of Hifpaniola, had allured them to quit Spain for a barbarous uncultivated land, where they muft either be cut off by famine, or die of unknown diftempers. Several of the officers and perfons of note, inftead of checking, joined in thofe feditious complaints. Father Boyl, the apoftolical vicar, was one of the moft turbulent and outrageous. It required all the authority and addrefs of Columbus to reeftablifh fubordi

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nation and tranquillity in the colony. Threats and promises were alternately employed for this purpofe; but nothing contributed more to foothe the malcontents than the prospect of finding, in the mines of Cibao, fuch a rich ftore of treafure as would be a recompence for all their sufferings, and efface the memory of former difappointments.

Columbus attempts new difcoveries.

When, by his unwearied endeavours, coneord and order were fo far restored, that he could venture to leave the ifland, Columbus refolved to purfue his discoveries, that he might be able to afcertain whether thofe new countries with which he had opened a communication, were connected with any region of the earth already known, or whether they were to be confidered as a feparate portion of the globe, hitherto unvifited. He appointed his brother Don Diego, with the affiftance of a council of officers, to govern the ifland in his abfence; and gave the command of a body of foldiers to Don Pedro Margarita, with which he was to vifit the different parts of the ifland, and endeavour to establish the authority of the Spaniards among the inhabitants. Having left them very particular inftructions with refpect to their conduct, he weighed anchor on the 24th of April, with one ship and two small barks under his command. During a tedious voyage of full five ROBERTSON Vol. I. L

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