which Columbus deemed effential to the profperity of the colony. Inftead of the fevere discipline, neceffary in order to habituate the diffolute and corrupted members of which the fociety was compofed to the reftraints of law and fubordination, he fuffered them to enjoy fuch uncontrouled licence, as encouraged the wildeft exceffes. Inftead of protecting the Indians, he gave a legal fanction to the oppreflion of that unhappy people. He took the exact number of fuch as furvived their paft calamities, divided them into diftinct claffes, diftributed them in property among his adherents, and reduced all the people of the ifland to a ftate of complete fervitude. As the avarice of the Spaniards was too rapacious and impatient to try any method of acquiring wealth but that of fearching for gold, this fervitude became as grievous as it was unjuft. The Indians were driven in crowds to the mountains, and compelled to work in the mines by mafters, who impofed their tasks without mercy or difcretion. bour, fo difproportioned to their strength and former habits of life, wafted that feeble race of men, with fuch rapid confumption, as muft have foon terminated in the utter extinction of the ancient inhabitants of the country n). La a) Herrera, dec. 1. lib. iv, c. 11. &c. Oviedo Hift, lib. iii. c. 6. New regulations eftablished. 1502. The neceffity of applying a speedy remedy to those disorders, haftened Ovando's departure. He had the command of the moft refpectable armament hitherto fitted out for the New World. It confifted of thirty-two fhips, on board of which two thoufand five hundred perfons embarked, with an intention of fettling in the country. Upon the arrival of the new governor with this powerful reinforcement to the colony, Bovadilla refigned his charge, and was commanded to return inftantly to Spain, in order to anfwer for his conduct. Roldan, and the other ringleaders of the mutineers, who had been moft active in oppofing Columbus, were required to leave the ifland at the fame time. A proclamation was iffued, declaring the natives to be free fubjects of Spain, of whom no fervice was to be exacted contrary to their own inclination, and without paying them an adequate price for their labour. With respect to the Spaniards themselves, various regulations were made, tending to fupprefs the licentious fpirit which had been fo fatal to the colony, and to establish that reverence for law and order on which fociety is founded, and to which it is indebted for its increase and ftability. In order to limit the exorbitant gain which private perfons were fuppofed to make by working the mines, an ordinance was publifhed, directing all the gold to be brought to a public smelting 5 houfe, and declaring one half of it to be the property of the crown o). The difagreeable fituation of Columbus. While these steps were taking for fecuring the tranquillity and welfare of the colony which Columbus had planted, he himself was engaged in the unpleasant employment of foliciting the favour of an ungrateful court, and, notwithfanding all his merit and fervices, he folicited in vain. He demanded, in terms of the original capitulation in one thoufand four hundred and ninety-two, to be reinftated in his office of viceroy over the countries which he had difcovered. By a ftrange fatality, the circumftance which he urged in fupport of his claim, determined a jealous monarch to reject it. The greatness of his discoveries, and the prospect of their increafing value, made Ferdinand confider the conceffions in the capitulation as extravagant and impolitic. He was afraid of entrusting a fubject with the exercise of a jurifdiction that now appeared to be fo extremely extenfive, and might grow to be no lefs formidable. He infpired Ifabella with the fame fufpicions; and under various pretexts, equally frivolous and unjuft, they eluded all Columbus's requifitions to perform that which a folemn treaty bound them to accomplif. After attending the court of o) Solorzano Politica Indiana, lib. i. c. 12. Herrera, dec. & lib. iv. c. 12. Spain for near two years, as an humble fuitor, he found it impoffible to remove Ferdinand's prejudices and apprehensions; and perceived, at length, that he laboured in vain when he urged a claim of juftice or merit with an interefted and unfeeling prince. He forms new fchemes of discovery. But even this ungenerous return did not difcourage him from purfuing the great object which first called forth his inventive genius, and excited him to attempt discovery. To open a new paffage to the East Indies was his original and favourite scheme. This ftill engroffed his thoughts; and, either from his own obfervations in his voyage to Paria, or from fome obfcure hint of the natives, or from the accounts given by Bastidas and de la Cofa of their expedition, he conceived an opinion that, beyond the continent of America, there was a fea which extended to the Eaft Indies, and hoped to find fome ftrait or narrow neck of land, by which a communication might be opened with it and the part of the ocean already known. By a very fortunate conjecture, he fuppofed this ftrait or ifthmus to be fituated near the gulf of Darien. Full of this idea, though he was now of an advanced age, worn out with fatigue, and broken with infirmities, he offered, with the alacrity of a youthful adventurer, to undertake a voyage which would afcertain this important point, and perfect the grand fcheme which from the beginning he propofed to accomplif. Several circumftances concurred in difpofing Ferdinand and Ifabella to lend a favourable ear to his propofal. The were glad to have the pretext of any honourable employment for removing from court a man with whofe demands they deemed it impolitic to comply, and whofe fervices it was indecent to negle&t. Though unwilling to reward Columbus, they were not infenfible of his merit, and from their experience of his fkill and conduct, had reafon to give credit to his conjectures, and to confide in his fuccefs. To thefe confiderations, a third muft be added of ftill more powerful influence. About this time the Portuguefe fleet, under Cabral, arrived from the Indies; and, by the richness of its cargo, gave the people of Europe a more perfect idea than they had hitherto been able to form, of the opulence and fertility of the east. The Portuguese had been more fortunate in their difcoveries than the Spaniards. They had opened a communication with countries where induftry, arts, and elegance flourifhed; and where commerce had been longer eftablished, and carried to greater extent, than in any region of the earth. Their firft voyage thither yielded immediate, as well as vaft returns of profit, in commodities extremely precious and in great requeft. Lifbon became immediately the feat of commerce and of wealth; |