while Spain had only the expectation of remote benefit, and of future gain, from the weftern world. Nothing, then, could be more acceptable to the Spaniards than Columbus's offer to conduct them to the eaft, by a route which he expected to be fhorter, as well as lefs dangerous, than that which the Portuguese had taken. Even Ferdinand was roufed by fuch a profpect, and warmly approved of the undertaking. His fourth voyage. But, interesting as the object of this voyage was to the nation, Columbus could procure only four fmall barks, the largest of which did not exceed feventy tons in burden, for performing it. Accustomed to brave danger, and to engage in arduous undertakings with inadequate force, he did not hesitate to accept the command of this pitiful fquadron. His brother Bartholomew, and his fecond fon Ferdinand, the hiftorian of his actions, accompanied him. He failed from Cadix on the ninth of May, and touched, as ufual, at the Canary iflands; from thence he purposed to have stood directly for the continent; but his largest veffel was fo clumfy and unfit for fervice, as conftrained him to bear away for Hifpaniola, in hopes of exchanging her for fome fhip of the fleet that had carried out Ovando. (June 29.) When he arrived off St. Domingo, he found eighteen of thefe fhips ready loaded, and on the point of departing for Spain. Co Under lumbus immediately acquainted the governor with the destination of his voyage, and the accident which had obliged him to alter his route. He requested permiffion to enter the harbour, not only that he might negociate the exchange of his fhip, but that he might take fhelter during a violent hurricane, of which he difcerned the approach from various prognoftics, which his experience and fagacity had taught him to obferve. On that account, he advised him likewife to put off for fome days the departure of the fleet bound for Spain. But Ovando refused his requeft, and defpifed his counfel. circumstances in which humanity would have afforded refuge to a ftranger, Columbus was denied admittance into a country of which he had discovered the exiftence, and acquired the poffeffion. His falutary warning, which merited the greatest attention, was regarded as the dream of a vifionary prophet, who arrogantly pretended to predict an event beyond the reach of human forefight. The fleet fet fail for Spain. Next night the hurricane came on with dreadful impetuofity. Columbus, aware of the danger, took precautions against it, and faved his little fquadron. The fleet deftined for Spain met with the fate which the rafhnefs and obftinacy of its commanders deferved. Of eighteen fhips two or three only escaped. In this general wreck perifhed Bovadilla, Roldan, and the greater part of those who had been the most active in perfe cuting Columbus, and oppreffing the Indians. Together with themselves, all the wealth which they had acquired by their injuftice and cruelty was fwallowed up. It exceeded in value two hundred thoufand pefos; an immenfe fum at that period, and fufficient not only to have fcreened them from any fevere fcrutiny into their conduct, but to have fecured them a gracious reception in the Spanish court. Among the fhips that escaped, one had on board all the effects of Columbus which had been recovered from the wreck of his fortune. Hiftorians, ftruck with the exact difcrimination of characters, as well as the juft diftribution of rewards and punishments, confpicuous in thofe events, univerfally attribute them to an immediate interpofition of divine Providence, in order to avenge the wrongs of an injured man, and to punifh the oppreffors of an innocent people. Upon the ignorant and fuperftitious race of men, who were witneffes of this occurrence, it made a different impreffion. From an opinion, which vulgar admiration is apt to entertain with refpect to perfons who have diftinguished themselves by their fagacity and inventions, they believed Columbus to be poffeffed of fupernatural powers, and imagined that he had conjured up this dreadful ftorm by magical art and incantations, in order to be avenged of his enemies p). p) Oviedo, lib. iii. c. 7. 9. Life of Columbus, c. 88. Herrera, dec. I. lib. v. c. I. 2. Searches in vain for a paffage to the Indian Ocean. (July 24.) Columbus foon left Hifpaniola, where he met with fuch an inhofpitable reception, and ftood towards the continent. After a tedious and dangerous voyage, he difcovered Guanaia, an ifland not far diftant from the coaft of Honduras. There he had an interview with fome inhabitants of the continent, who arrived in a large canoe. They appeared to be a people more civilized, and who had made grea er progrefs in the knowledge of ufeful arts, than any whom he had hitherto difcovered. In return to the inquiries which he Spaniards made, with their ufual eagerness, concerning the places where the Indians got the gold which they wore by way of ornament, they directed them to countries fituated to the weft, in which gold was found in fuch profufion, that in was applied to the most common uses. Inftead of ftee:ing in queft of a country fo inviting, which would have conducted him along the coaft of Yucatan to the rich empire of Mexico, Columbus was fo bent upon his favourite fcheme of finding out that ftrait which communicated with the Indian ocean, that he bore away to the eaft towards the gulf of Darien. In this navigation he difcovered all the coaft of the continent, from Cape Gracias a Dios, to a harbour which, on account of its beauty and fecurity, he called Porto Bello. He fearched, in vain, for the imaginary strait, through which he expected to make his way into an un known fea; and though he went on fhore feveral times, and advanced into the country, he did not penetrate fo far as to crofs the narrow ifthmus which feparates the gulf of Mexico from the great fouthern ocean. He was fo much delighted, however, with the fertility of the country, and conceived fuch an idea of its wealth, from the fpecimens of gold produced by the natives, that he refolved to leave a fmall colony upon the river Belem, in the province of Veragua, under the command of his brother, and to return himself to Spain, in order to procure what was requifite for rendering the establishment permanent. (1503.) But the ungovernable fpirit of the people under his command, deprived Columbus of the glory of planting the firft colony on the continent of America. Their infolence and rapacioufness provoked the natives to take arins, and as these were a more hardy and warlike race of men than the inhabitants of the iflands, they cut off part of the Spaniards, and obliged the reft to abandon a ftation which was found to be untenable q). Shipwrecked on the coaft of Jamaica. This repulfe, the first that the Spaniards met with from any of the American nations, was not the only misfortune that befel Columbus; it was followed by a fucceffion of all the Herrera, dec. 1. lib. v. e. 5. &c. Life of Columbus, c. 89. |