Juan Aguado arrived at Ifabella in October 1495, and his proceedings there, together with the fear of what he might report on his return, quickened the Admiral's defire to return to Court that he might fight his own battles there, himself. Leaving, therefore, his brother Bartholomew as Lieutenant Governor, (Adelantado) the Admiral left Ifabella on the 10th of March, 1496, and anchored in the Bay of Cadiz the 11th of June in that year. He proceeded to Burgos, where the Court then was, and appears to have been well received by Ferdinand and Isabella; and to have made his cafe good against all his maligners. It was long, however, before he was able to return to Hifpaniola with fuch an armament as he required. Meanwhile, about ten months after his arrival, he managed to send out two fhips under Peter Fernandez Coronel with fuch things as were neceffary for the colony. The Admiral himself did not leave Spain again until May, 1498.

During the two years that elapfed from the Admiral's leaving. Hifpaniola in 1496 to his return there in 1498, many things happened on both fides of the Atlantic, which need recording. In 1496 we find, according to Herrera, that three ships

1496.

Columbus

returns to

Spain.

1497.

arrived at Hifpaniola, in which Don Bartholomew Columbus fent three hundred flaves back. We are told that he had informed Los Reyes that certain Caciques were killing the Caftilians, and that their Highnesses had given orders in reply, that all those who should be found guilty should be fent to Spain. If this meant the common Indians as well as the Caciques, then it seems probable that the question about felling them with a safe confcience was already decided.

In 1497, two very injudicious edicts were published by Los Reyes upon the advice, as we are told, of Columbus; one authorizing the Judges Criminals to transport criminals to the Indies; the other ed to go to giving an indulgence to all those who had comthe Indies. mitted any crime (with certain exceptions in

encourag

which heresy, lèse majesté and treason find a place) to go out at their own expense to Hifpaniola and to ferve for a certain time under the orders of the Admiral.* We cannot wonder that three years after, we find the Admiral saying in his moft emphatic manner, "I fwear that numbers " of men have gone to the Indies who did not

* Navarrete, Col. Doc. Dip. Núm. cxvI. and cxx.

"deferve water from God or man."*

It is but

fair however to mention, that Las Casas, speaking of the colonists who went out under these conditions, fays, "I have known some of them in "these islands, even of those who had loft their "ears, whom I always found fufficiently honeft "men."

mientos of

the Indies.

In 1497, we have letters patent from Los 1497. Reyes to the Admiral, authorizing him to grant repartimientos of the lands in the Indies to the RepartiSpaniards. And it is noticeable that in this docu- lands in ment there is no mention of Indians, so that they had not come to form portion of a repartimiento at this period. It is a formal legal document, very much after the style of those of the present day, by which the fortunate Spaniard who gets the land is "to have, and to hold, and to poffefs" and fo forth; (haya e tenga e posea) and is enabled "to fell and "to give and to present and to traffic with and "to exchange and to pledge and to alienate and "to do with it and in it all that he likes or may "think good."†

* "Fago juramento que cantitad de hombres han ido á las "Indias que no merescian el agua para con Dios y con el mundo." Navarrete, Col. vol. 1, p. 271.

+ Muñoz mentions that to facilitate emigration to the Indies,

While the things above mentioned were being tranfacted at the Court of Spain, Don Bartholomew Columbus was doing much in Hifpaniola that led to very serious results.

Before the Admiral left the island he had difcovered fome mines to the fouthward, and had thought of choofing fome port in their vicinity where he might establish a colony. He had spoken about this in his letters to Los Reyes. As he entered the Bay of Cadiz on his return, he met fome veffels there, which were bound for Hifpaniola, and which contained letters from their Highneffes approving of his fuggeftion. By these fhips, therefore, he fent orders to his brother to make this fouthern fettlement; and the Adelantado, accordingly, proceeded fouthwards and fixed upon a port at the entrance of the river Ozama. He fent for artifans from Isabella and commenced founded. building a fortress which he called St. Domingo, and which afterwards became the chief place of the island.

St. Domingo

There was one part of Hispaniola into which the Spaniards had not yet penetrated; it was called

the perpetual poffeffion of the houses which they should build and the lands they should cultivate had been offered to the Spaniards in 1495. Muñoz, Hift. del. Nuevo-Mundo, lib. 5, cap. 33.

Xaragua, and was reigned over by a Cacique named Bohechio, whose fifter Anacaona, the wife of Caonabó, seems also to have had much authority in those parts. The Adelantado, after seeing the works of St. Domingo commenced, refolved to enter the kingdom of Xaragua, whither he proceeded at the head of 100 men. Arriving at the river Neyba, he found an immense army of Indians drawn up there to oppose his progress. Don Bartholomew, however, made figns to them that his errand was peaceful; and the good natured Indians accepting his proffers of amity, he was conducted fome 30 leagues further to the city of Xaragua, where he was received with proceffions of dancing and finging women, and feasted magnificently. After having been well entertained by these Indians, the Adelantado proceeded to bufiness, and in plain terms demanded tribute of them. Bohechio pleaded that there was no gold in his dominions, to which the Adelantado replied, that he did not wish to impose tribute upon any people except of the natural productions to be found Cacique of Xaragua in their country. And it was finally settled that Bohechio should pay tribute in cotton and Caza- pay tribi-bread. He acceded to this agreement very willingly; and the Adelantado and this Cacique parted on the most friendly terms.

agrees to

bute.