252 CUBA AND POETO RICO 



there is a political antipathy as strong and forbidding as 

 their rugged frontier. Port-au-Prince, the capital of the 

 western republic, lies due south of the city of Ne"W Fork, 

 while San Domingo is similarly situated relative to Boston. 



Perhaps no other country has had such a varied politi- 

 cal history as San Domingo. Columbus discovered the 

 island in 1492, and found it more beautiful than Cuba. 

 He exhausted the language of panegyric in describing it 

 as resembling the most favored provinces of Andalusia. 

 Concerning the aborigines he said: "I swear to your 

 Majesties, there is not in the world a better nation nor a 

 better land ; they love their neighbors as themselves, and 

 their discourse is ever sweet and gentle, accompanied 

 with a smile; and though it is true that they are naked, 

 yet their manners are decorous and praiseworthy." 



Columbus first entered the Haitian G-ulf of Gronaives^ 

 which he called San Nicolas, and because of the wrecking 

 of one of his caravels made a temporary settlement on 

 the Bay of St. Thomas, now called. Auel, where he left a 

 small party of his men. After sailing east as far as Sa- 

 niana he returned to Spain. On his second voyage he re- 

 turned to the island, and finding that his men had been 

 murdered by the Indians, established a new colony, called 

 Isabella, in the present area of San Juan. The spot chosen 

 was unhealthful. He explored the interior of the island, 

 found much gold, and remained long enough to see the 

 colony of Isabella well started. In 1498 he made his 

 third visit, and established himself near the present city 

 of San Domingo. 



In those days of early settlement, profitable mines were 

 opened, advances were made in agriculture, and in 1495 

 San Domingo, Isabella, Concepcion de la Vega, Santiago, 

 Puerta Plata, and Bonao, were all flourishing Spanish vil- 

 lages. In 1509 Bobadilla came out from Spain and threw 

 Columbus and his brother Bartholomew into prison. The 

 cell in which they were confined is still shown in the old 

 citadel of San Domingo city. 



