COLUMBUS, CHRISTOPHER. 



147 



news of the admiral's return, and of the evi- 

 dence that, ho had found the mainland. Speci- 

 mens of gold from rich deposits that had ueen 

 marked lor future opening were shown, with 

 many curious plants and animals. A royal 

 mandate went forth for the sale of the Indians 



that were riding at anchor. Columbus ordered 

 her repaired and another built out of the wreck- 

 age. 



The adelantado brought news of the finding 

 of another rich gold mine, from which he brought 

 specimens, and this led Columbus to conjecture 



:i.s slaves. This news produced an immediate that Hispaniola might be Ophir, and these the 



Instead of the man chosen by Fonseca, 

 t In- sovereigns appointed Juan Aguado, of whom 

 Columbus had spoken favorably, to go with the 

 vessels. They wrote a letter directing the ad- 

 miral to limit the persons in 

 the settlement to 500, to deal 

 out the rations to everybody 

 t very fifteen days, and to stop 

 all punishment that consisted 

 in diminishing supplies of 

 food. They sent out an expert 

 mineralogist, and all the need- 

 ed implements for working the 

 new mines. Isabella revoked 

 the order for the sale of the 

 Indians, and returned them to 

 Hispaniola, while the pious 

 men of the land were disput- 

 ing whether their sale would 

 be righteous or wicked. Don 

 Diego Columbus sailed with 

 the vessels, which reached Isa- 

 bella in October, 1495, while 

 Columbus was still absent 

 (jiielliug the Indian disturb- 

 ances. Aguado paid no atten- 

 tion to the authority of Bar- 

 tholomew Columbus, and lost 

 no time in calling the officers 

 of the admiral to account and 

 ordering various arrests. To the demand of 

 tin- adelantado that he show his authority, he at 

 iir.-t replied by a haughty refusal, but finally he 

 made the following proclamation to the sound 

 of a trumpet: "Cavaliers, esquires, and other 

 persons who by our orders are in the Indies: 

 \Vc send to you Juan Aguado, our groom of the 

 chambers, who will speak to you on our part. 

 We command you to give him faith and credit." 

 This was followed by the clamor of every mal- 

 content, and soon Aguado had collected a fine 

 list of abuses. Professing to believe, or really 

 believing, that Columbus dared not return to 

 Isabella, he sent a body of troops in search of 

 him. Columbus heard of these events and hur- 

 ried toward the colony. Arrived there, he re- 

 ceived Aguado with grave and ceremonious 

 courtesy. He caused the letter of credence to 

 be proclaimed again to the sound of the trum- 

 pet, listened with deference, and declared him- 

 self ready to consent to whatever was the pleas- 

 ure of their majesties. 



Aguado was disappointed, but continued, un- 

 rebuked, to interfere with matters heretofore 

 solely in the hands of the admiral. Columbus 

 was preparing to tiike the case to the Court, 

 where he believed it might be judged justly. 

 When the ships were ready in which Aguado 

 was to return, Columbus announced his inten- 

 tion of returning also. As they were about set- 

 tin- out, a hurricane burst upon them, sinking 

 three of the ships with all on board, and dash- 

 ing t lie others to pieces on the shore. Only the 

 unseaworthy " Nifia " remained of the caravels 



mines from which Solomon took the gold for 

 building the temple. 



On March 10, 1496. the two caravels set sail. 

 The admiral took with him, compliant to the 



TOWER IN WHICH COLUMBUS WAS IMPRISONED. 



royal order to lessen the colony, 225 passengers, 

 and these were for the most part the sick, vi- 

 cious, and worthless members. Head winds and 

 storms caused delays that reduced the crews to 

 the point of starvation, and a more wretched 

 company than landed after a three months' voy- 

 age could not well be imagined. Pedro Alonzo 

 Pinzon was about setting sail with supplies. Co- 

 lumbus read the dispatches he carried and wrote 

 the adelantado how to act. So deeply did he 

 feel that he was out of favor with the sovereigns, 

 that he was hardly prepared for the gracious 

 form of the summons that called him to their 

 presence. They made no allusion to any com- 

 plaints against him or to the investigation they 

 had ordered. Columbus described the voyage 

 around Cuba, told of the newly found gold mines, 

 and asked for 8 ships, 2 to be sent with sup- 

 plies and 6 to go with him on a grand voyage of 

 exploration. The request was granted, but its 

 fulfillment was delayed for two years, so that it 

 was May, 1498, when Columbus again turned his 

 face toward the kingdom thev had solemnly 

 sworn should be his, and of which they had not 

 only professed not to desire to deprive him. but 

 had distinctly reiterated the promise. During 

 the long waiting, in 1497, Columbus had recalled 

 the agreement by sending to them the following 

 statement, which he considered was broken by 

 the permission for private enterprises : 



According to the capitulation entered into with 

 their highnesses and signed with tht-ir royal names. 

 it appears very clcurlv that tlit-ir hiphnMMfl permit 

 and grant to the saiil Admiral of the Indies all the 



