I40 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CIIILK. ' 



Guacanagari received him with much humanity ; and in his land he made the firft 

 colony, or fettlement of Spaniards, which he named the city of the Nativity. 



The Spaniards generally were received in thefe and other the Barlovento Iflands, and 

 on the coafts of Terra Firma, with much love and kindnefs, very few of the Indians 

 oifering to refill them. On the contrary, they all were pleafed with their coming upon 

 their lands, furnilhing them with all that the country afforded, and prefenting them with 

 gold, pearls, parrots ; contenting themfelves with a return of a very fmall value. Of the 

 European things, thofe they feemed moft to mind, were needles ; and at firft they could 

 not imagine what they were good for ; but being told they were to few, they anl'wered 

 they had nothing to few ; but yet they kept them, becaufe they had never feen any- 

 thing of iron or fteel. They were much furprized at the ufe of fwords, and parti- 

 cularly when they experienced theu- Iharpnefsj for at firft they ufed to take hold of them 

 by the edge with great fimplicity. 



The admiral, as viceroy of thofe new kingdoms, began to govern, as he difcovered 

 them ; and that he might regulate them the better, by confulting Th-?ir Majefties in his 

 doubts and difficulties, he made two voyages backwards and forwards to Spain, ftill 

 making in his returns difcovery of fome new iflands, an5 amplifying the monarchy, as 

 hiftorians do relate at large, to whom I refer myfelf, not to engage in matters which are 

 far from my fubje£t ; but I cannot but make fome reflection upon what happened to this 

 great man. Who would not have thought, confidering the happinefs with which he had 

 executed all that he had defigned, in the molt difficult fubjeft in the world, that he was 

 eternizing his felicity, and putting fortune under his feet ? But that no one may ftrive 

 to do it, but that all may know how conftant is her volubility, and how perpetual the 

 motion of her wheel, and that there is no human power, nor ftar, can fix it, I will 

 relate here briefly what befel him. 



Let him who governs be undeceived once for all, and know, that to fit upon a throne, 

 and take poiTeflion of power, is to be a mark for the cenfure of the good and bad to 

 aim at ; it is juft putting himfelf into the hands of anatomifts, to be taken in pieces, 

 and exammed to the very bones, and very often envy opprefles innocence by feigned 

 accufations : this is not the place to examine that of the admiral ; I only know that 

 there were fo many complaints, and fuch appearances of mifdemeanors alleged at court 

 againft him ; as, that he did not advance the converfion of the Indians, but made them 

 work to get gold, defiring more to make them flaves than Chriftians ; and taking no 

 care to maintain them, and fuch other'imputations ; as moved Their Catholic Majefties to 

 fend the commander De Bobadilla to examine the truth of what was alleged, and to do 

 juftice in requifite cafes ; writing at the fame time a kind letter to the admiral, that he 

 ihould let the commander execute their orders. 



But he excee(^ing his commiffion, and the intention of Their* Majefties, took all he 

 informations againft the admiral and his brothers, and without hearing them, made 

 himfelf be owned for judge and governor, giving rewards, and publifiiing that he 

 came to relieve the oppreffed, and to pay their falaries, and put all things in good order. 

 This drew over to him all thofe who had any grudge to the admiral, and moft of the 

 common fort fided with him ; fo he entered into the houfes of the admiral and his 

 brothers, feized their goods and their papers ; all which he might fafely do, without 

 any refiftance, for the admiral was away : he lent to feize him and his brothers, put- 

 ting irons upon their feet, and fo (hipping them into a veflfel, called a Caraval, he fent 

 them away for Spain, to give an account of themfelves. 



When they came to put irons upon the admiral, there was none fo l)old as to do it, 

 out of the refped that all had for him ; and if he had not had in his family a rogue of 



a cook. 



