killed the Spaniards. None were ever found. Columbus builds another fort at another part of the island, and calls his new colony Isabella. He hears of the mines of Cibao and fends to reconnoitre them: the Indians, little foreseeing what is to come of it, give gold to the Spanish messengers who return with good figns of fuccefs. Columbus refolves to found a colony at Cibao.

At this period, January, 1494, Columbus fends home an account of the state of his colony. It is in the form of inftructions to Antonio de Torres, the Receiver of the colony, who is to go and fay to Los Reyes fuch things as are written in these instructions, and doubtless to elucidate them by discourse; as in the present day, we send a despatch to be read by an ambassador to the foreign minifter of the power we are treating with. There remains a copy made at the time of this document, and of the notes in the margin containing the refolutions of Los Reyes. The original thus noted was taken back to Columbus. It is a moft valuable document, very illuftrative of the cautious and wife dealing of the Catholic Sovereigns.

1494.

Inftruc

tions to

The document begins with the proper refpectful compliments. "Their Highnesses hold it for Antonio

"good fervice" is the marginal remark.

de Torres.

The next paragraph confifts of a general statement about what has been discovered. "Their

Highneffes give much thanks to God, and hold as very honoured fervice all that the Admiral has "done, &c."

Then follow the Admiral's reasons why he has not been able to fend home more gold. His people have been ill; it was neceffary to keep guard, &c. "He has done well" is in the margin. Then come more reasons-more approbation in the margin.

He fuggefts the building a fortress near the place where gold can be got. Their Highneffes approve; and the note in the margin is, "This "is well and fo it must be done."

Then comes a paragraph about provisions, and a marginal order from Los Reyes "that Juan de "Fonfeca is to provide for that matter."

Again there comes another paragraph about provifions, complaining amongst other things, that the casks in which the wine for the Armada had been put, were leaky. Their Highneffes make an order in the margin, "that Juan de Fonfeca "is to find out the persons who played this cheat "with the wine-cafks, and to make good from their

pockets the lofs, and to fee that the canes" (fugar canes for planting I suppose) "are good and that

"all that is here asked for, fhould be provided " immediately."

So far nothing can run more pleasantly with the main document than the notes in the margin. Columbus now touches upon a matter which intimately concerns our fubject. He defires Antonio de Torres to inform their Highnesses that he has sent home some Indians from the Cannibal islands as flaves, to be taught Caftilian, and to ferve afterwards as interpreters, so that the work of converfion may go on. His arguments in support of this proceeding are weighty. He speaks of the good that it will be to take these people away from Cannibalism, and to have them baptized, that fo they will gain their fouls, as he expresses it. Then, too, with regard to the other Indians, he says, we shall have great credit from them seeing that we can capture and make slaves of these Cannibals of whom they, the peaceable Indians, entertain fo great a fear. Such arguments must be allowed to have much force in them; and it may be questioned whether many of those persons who are, in these days, the strongest opponents of flavery, would then have had that perception of the impending danger of it which Los Reyes appear to have entertained, from their answer to this part of the document. "This is very well, and fo

"it must be done; but let the Admiral fee whe"ther it could not be managed there,” (i. e. in the Cannibal islands) " that they should be brought "to our facred Catholic Faith, and the fame thing "with the Indians of thofe islands where he is."

The Admiral's despatch in the next paragraph goes much further; he boldly fuggests that for the advantage of the fouls of these Cannibal Indians, the more of them that could be taken, the better; and that confidering what quantities of live stock and other things were neceffary for the maintenance of the Colony, a certain number of caravels fhould be fent each year with these neceffary things, and the cargoes be paid for in slaves taken from amongst the Cannibals.* He touches again on the good that will be done to the Cannibals themselves; alludes to the Customs duties that their Highneffes may levy upon them; and concludes by defiring Antonio de Torres to send, or bring, an answer, " because the prepara"tions here" (for capturing these cannibals) "may "be made with more confidence, if the scheme "feem good to their Highneffes."

A more diftinct propofition for the establish

* Las cuales cofas se les podrian pagar en esclavos de eftos canibales. Navarrete Coleccion, vol. 1, p. 232.

ment of a flave trade was never made, though we must do Columbus the justice to believe that his motives were right in his own eyes. To their honour Los Reyes thus replied, "As regards "this matter, it is fufpended for the present until "there come fome other way of doing it there, and "let the Admiral write what he thinks of this."

This is rather a confused answer, as often happens, when a propofition from a valued friend or fervant, is disapproved of, but has to be rejected kindly. Los Reyes would be very glad to have some money: money was always welcome to Ferdinand: the paying for wine, seeds, and cattle for the colonists was anything but agreeable: the profpect of converfion was probably dear to the hearts of both of these Princes, certainly to one of them: but still this propofition for the estabment of flavery was wifely and magnanimously fet aside.

While Antonio de Torres has been abfent laying these things before Los Reyes, Columbus has been busy about the affairs of the colony, which are in a moft diftracted state. The number of men

* En efte fe ha fufpendido por agora hafta que venga otro camino de allá, y efcriba el Almirante lo que en efto le parefciere. Navarrete Coleccion, vol. 1, p. 233.