ancients had taught concerning the destructive qualities of that torrid region of the globe. They were relieved, in fome measure, from their fears by a feafonable fall of rain. This, however, though fo heavy and unintermitting that the men could hardly keep the deck, did not greatly mitigate the intenfenefs of the heat. The Admiral, who with his usual vigilance had in perfon directed every operation, from the beginning of the voyage, was fo much exhaufted by fatigue and want of fleep, that it brought on a violent fit of the gout, accompanied with a fever. All these circumftances conftrained him to yield to the importunities of his crew, and to alter his courfe to the north-weft, in order to reach of the Caribbee iflands, where he might refit, and be fupplied with provifions.

Difcovers the continent of America.

On the first of Auguft, the man ftationed in the round top furprifed them with the joyful cry of land. They ftood towards it, and difcovered a confiderable ifland, which the Admiral called Trinidad, a name it ftill retains. It lies on the coaft of Guiana, near the mouth of the Orinoco. This, though a river only of the third or fourth magnitude in the New World,, far furpaffes any of the ftreams in our hemifpaere. It rolls towards the ocean fuch a vast body of water, and rufhes into it with fuch impetuous force, that when it meets the tide,

which on that coaft rifes to an uncommon height, their collifion occafions a fwell and agitation of the waves no lefs furprifing than formidable. In this conflict, the irrefiftible torrent of the river fo far prevails, that it frefhens the ocean many leagues with its flood q). Columbus, before he could perceive the danger, was entangled among thofe adverfe currents and tempeftuous waves, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he efcaped through a narrow ftrait, which appeared fo tremendous, that he called it La Boca del Drago. As foon as the confternation which this occafioned permitted him to reflect upon the nature of an appearance fo extraordinary, he difcerned in it a fource of comfort and hope. He justly concluded, that fuch a vaft body of water as this river contained, could not be supplied by any ifland, but muft flow through a country of immenfe extent, and of confequence, that he was now arrived at that continent which it had long been the object of his wishes to discover. Full of this idea, he ftood to the weft along the coast of those provinces which are now known by the names of Paria and Cumana. He landed in feveral places, and had fome intercourse with the people, who refembled those of Hifpaniola in their appearance and manner of life. They whore, as ornaments, small plates of gold and pearls of confiderable value, which they willingly exchanged

Gumilla Hift. de l' Orenoque, tom.i. p. 14:

r

for European toys. They feemed to poffefs a better understanding, and greater courage, than the inhabitants of the iflands. The country produced four-footed animals of feveral kinds, as well as a great variety of fowls and fruits r). The admiral was fo much delighted with its beauty and fertility, that with the warm enthufiafm of a dicoverer, he imagined it to be the paradife defcribed in Scripture, which the Almighty chofe for the refidence of man, while he retained innocence that rendered him worthy of fuch a habitation s). Thus Columbus had the glory not only of difcovering to mankind the exiftence of a New World, but made confiderable progrefs towards a perfect knowledge of it; and was the firft man who conducted the Spaniards to that vaft continent which has been the chief feat of their empire, and the fource of their treasures in this quarter of the globe. The fhattered condition of his fhips, fcarcity of provifions, his own infirmities, together with the impatience of his crew, prevented him from purfuing his difcoveries any farther, and made it necessary to bear away for Hifpaniola. In his way thither he difcovered the iflands of Cubagua and Margarita, which afterwards became remarkable for their pearlfifhey. (Auguft 30.) When he arrived at Hi

r) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. iii. c. 9. 10. 11. Life of Columbus, c. 66-73.

s) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. iii, c. 12. Gomara, c. 84. See NOTE

fpaniola, he was wafted to an extreme degree with fatigue and ficknefs; but found the affairs of the colony in fuch a fituation, as afforded him no profpect of enjoying that repose of which he ftood fo much in need.

State of Hifpaniola on his arrival there.

Many revolutions had happened in that country during his abfence.

His brother, the Ade

lantado, in confequence of an advice which the Admiral gave before his departure, had removed the colony from Ifabella to a more commodious ftation, on the oppofite fide of the ifland, and laid the foundation of St. Domingo u), which was long the moft confiderable European town in the New World, and the feat of the fupreme courts in the Spanish dominions there. As foon as the Spaniards were established in this new fettlement, the Adelantado, that they might neither languish in activity, nor have leisure to form new cabals, marched into thofe parts of the ifland which his brother hat not yet vifited or reduced to obedience, As the people were unable to refift, they fubmitted every where to the tribute which he impofed. But they foon found the burden to be fo intolerable, that, overawed as they were by the fuperior power of their oppreffors, they took arms against them. Those infurrections, however, were not formiu) P. Martyr, decad. p. 56.

dable. A conflict with timid and naked Indians was neither dangerous nor of doubtful iffue.

Mutiny of Roldan.

But while the Adelantado was employed against them in the field, a mutiny, of an afpect far more alarming, broke out among the Spaniards. The ringleader of it was Francis Roldan, whom Columbus had placed in a station which required him to be the guardian of order and tranquillity in the colony. A turbulent and inconfiderate ambition precipitated him into this desperate measure, fo unbecoming his rank.

The arguments which he employed to feduce his countrymen were frivolous and illfounded. He accufed Columbus and his two brothers of arrogance and feverity; he pretended that they aimed at establishing an independent dominion in the country; he taxed them with an intention of cutting off part of the Spaniards by hunger and fatigue, that they might more eafily reduce the remainder to fubjection; he reprefented it as unworthy of Caftilians, to remain the tame and paffive flaves of three Genoefe adventurers. As men have always a propenfity to impute the hardfhips, of which they feel the preffure, to the mifconduct of their rulers; as every nation views with a jealous eye the power and exaltation of foreigners, Roldan's infinuation made a deep impreffion on his countrymen. His character and rank added weight