camp of Maiobanex. Fresh negotiations are entered into Maiobanex convokes an affembly of his people; and they say that Guarionex ought to be given up, and they curse the day when first he came amongst them. Their noble chief, however, faid "that Guarionex was a good man and deserved “well at his hands, for he had given him many "royal gifts when he came to him, and had taught "him and his wife to join in choral fongs and "to dance, of which he made no little account " and was grateful for: wherefore, he would be party to no treaty to defert Guarionex fince he " had fled to him, and that he had pledged him"felf to take care of him: and that he would "rather suffer all extremities with him than give "detractors a cause for speaking ill, to say that " he had delivered up his gueft."* The people being dismissed, Maiobanex informs his guest that he will stand by him to the laft. The fugitive Cacique, however, finding that * Maiobanexius autem Guarionexium virum effe bonum et de se bene meritum, quod regia illi dona, cùm ad eum veniret, multa præbuiffet, uxoremque fuam et ipfum chorizare tripudiareque docuiffet, quod non parvi faciebat, fibique curæ effe respondit: proptereà fe nullo pacto eum, quandoquidem ad fe confugerat, et ipse tutandi fidem dederat, deferturum: malleque fe extrema omnia cum eo perpeti, quàm obloquendi caufam, quòd hofpitem tradiderit, detractoribus præbere. Peter Martyr de rebus Oceanicis, dec. 1, lib. 7. 1498. Maiobanex's people feek his life, flies the territory; but by fo doing he is not enabled to fave his generous hoft, who, with his family was surprised and taken; and Guarionex himself being fhortly afterwards captured and put in chains at Fort Concepcion, the two Caciques probably shared the fame prison. Thus concludes a story which, if it had been written by fome Plutarch, and the names had been more easy to pronounce, might have taken its just place amongst the familiar and household ftories which we tell our children to make them imitate great deeds. We must now pass from the doings of the Adelantado to those of his brother the Admiral. Columbus had at last obtained sufficient fupplies for his expedition, and had set forth from Spain with eight fhips, the 30th May, 1498. In the Discovery course of his voyage he discovered Paria, on the continent of America, and landed at St. Domingo of the con tinent of America. the 30th Auguft, 1498. He found the state of his Colony far from cheering, the defection of Roldan and his followers having put everything in confufion. The Admiral supposed at first that the enmity of Roldan's party was chiefly directed against the Adelantado, and the Admiral hoped that now he had arrived, fome agreement would speedily be concluded with Roldan, of which he might inform Los Reyes by the veffels which he purposed to fend back directly to Spain. however, from being the cafe. in number, left the port of St. This was very far, These veffels, five no good news of peace and amity amongst the Spaniards, but laden with many hundreds of Indian flaves which were taken in the following manner. Some Cacique, Las Cafas conjectures it to have been the Cacique of the vega Real, and it might either allude to Guarionex or his fucceffor, failed to perform the personal services imposed upon him and his people, and fled to the mountains; upon which, orders were given to pursue him, and a large number of flaves were taken and put into these ships. Columbus, in his letters to Los Reyes, goes into an account of the pecuniary advantage that will arise from these slave-dealing transactions, and from the fale of logwood. He estimates that "in the name of the facred Trinity" there may be sent as many flaves as fale could be found for in Spain, and that the value of the slaves for which there would be a demand, taken at four thousand, and of the logwood, would amount to 40 cuentos (i. e. 40 million maravedis).* The * De aca se pueden con el nombre de la Santa Trinidad enviar number of flaves who were sent in these five ships was 600, of which 200 were given to the masters of the vessels in payment of freight. In the course of these same letters, throughout which Columbus speaks after the fashion of a regular slave-dealer, he alludes to the intended adoption, on behalf of private individuals, of a fyftem of exchange of flaves for goods wanted from the mother country. As far as I can make out the proposed transaction, the mafters of veffels were to receive flaves from the colonists, were to carry them to Spain, and to pay for their maintenance during the voyage; were then to allow the Colonists so much money fo payable at Seville, in proportion to the number of flaves brought over. This money they would expend according to the orders of the Colonists who would thus be able to obtain fuch goods as they might stand in need of.* The Admiral also fup todos los esclavos que fe puediesen vender, y brafil, de los cuales fi la informacion que yo truje es cierta, me dicen que fe podràn vender cuatro mil, y que á poco valer valoràn veinte cuentos; y cuatro mil quintales de brafil que pueden valer otro tanto, y el gasto puede aquí fer feis cuentos; afi que á prima az buenos ferian cuarenta cuentos fi efto faliese afi. Las Cafas, Hift. de las Indias. MSS. Primera Parte, tom. 3, cap. 150. * Y falieron agora dos ó tres Maeftres de navios, que pufieron á la puerta cedulas para quien fe quiera obligar á les dar mill y quinientos maravedifes en Sevilla, que les llevarán alli tantos efclavos, y les faria la costa, y la paga feria de los dineros que dellos plicates their Highneffes, that the Spanish Colonifts fhould be allowed to make use of the services of the Indians for a year or two until the Colony should be in a fettled ftate,* a propofal which he did not wait for their Highneffes' authority to carry out, and which led to a new form of the repartimiento. But this brings us back to Roldan's ftory, being closely connected with it. After great trouble and many compacts, in which mention is more than once made of flaves,† the matter is at laft, after two years negotiation, brought to a close. Roldan keeps his Chief-Jufticeship: and his friends get lands and flaves. It reminds us of the end of many a long war in the Old World, in which two great powers have been contending against each other, with several small powers on each fide, who are either ruined in the course of the war, or facrificed at the end. The Admiral gives repar é fe facafen. Plugó mucho á la gente toda, yo lo acepte por todos, y les protefto de le dar la carga; y afi vernan y traeran bastimentos y cofas que fon acá neceffarias. Las Cafas, Hift. de las Indias. MSS. Primera Parte, tom. 3, cap. 155 and 156. * Suplico á Vueftras Altezas tengan por bien que efta gente se aproveche agora un año ó dos fafta que efte negocio esté empie, que ya fe endereza. Las Cafas, Hift. de las Indias. MSS. Primera Parte, tom. 3, cap. 155 and 156. ↑ Barcia Hift. del Alm, cap. 80. |