218 AMERICA. 



court of Spain the discoveries he had already made, than to acquire 

 for himself the unavailing applause of visiting a number of unknown 

 countries, from which he reaped no other benefit but the pleasure 

 of seeing them. With this view he made for Hispaniola, where he 

 establisned a colony ; and erected forts in the situations most advan- 

 tageous for securing the dependence of the natives. Having spent a 

 considerable time in this employment, and laboured for establishing 

 this colony, with as much zeal and assiduity as if his views had ex- 

 tended no farther, he next proceeded to ascertain the importance of 

 his other discoveries, and to examine what advantages were most 

 likely to be derived from them. He had already touched at Cuba, 

 which from some specimens, seemed a rich discovery; but whether 

 it was an island, or a part of some great continent, he was altogether 

 uncertain. To ascertain this point was the present object of his at- 

 tention. In coasting along the southern shore of Cuba, Columbus was 

 entangled in a multitude of islands, of which he reckoned 160 in one 

 day. These islands, which were well inhabited, and abounding in all 

 the necessaries of life, gave him an opportunity of reflecting on this 

 fertility of nature where the world expected nothing but the barren 

 ocean : he called them Jardin de la Reina, or the Queen's Garden, in 

 gratitude to his royal benefactress, who was always present to his 

 memory. In the same voyage Jamaica was discovered. But to so 

 many difficulties was Columbus exposed, on an unknown sea, among 

 rocks, shelves, and sands, that he returned to Hispaniola without 

 learning any thing more certain with regard to Cuba, the main ob« 

 ject of this enterprise. 



By the first success of this great man, the public diffidence was 

 turned into admiiation : but, by a continuance of the same success» 

 admiration degenerated into envy. His enemies in Spain set every 

 spring in motion against him ; and there is no difficulty in finding 

 specious grounds of accusation against such as are employed in the 

 execution of an extensive and complicated plan. An officer was dis- 

 patched from Spain, fitted by his character to act the part of a spy 

 and informer, and whose presence plainly demonstrated to Columbus 

 the necessity of returning to Europe, in order to obviate the objec- 

 tions or calumny of his enemies. 



It was not without great difficulty that he was enabled to set out on 

 a third expedition, still more famous than any he had hitherto under- 

 taken. He designed to stand to the southward of the Canaries until 

 he came under the equinoctial line, and then to proceed directly 

 westward, that he might discover what opening that might afford to 

 India, or what new islands, or what continent might reward his la- 

 i bour. In this navigation, after being long buried in a thick fog, and 

 ?tuffering numberless inconveniences from the excessive heats and 

 -serins between the tropics, they were at length favoured with a smart 

 $-£le, and went before it seventeen days to the westward. At the end 

 df this time a seaman saw land, which was an island, on the coast of 

 €kiiana, now called Trinidad. Having passed this island, and two 

 •tfaers which lie in the mouth of the great river Oronoco, the admi- 

 ral' Vv as surprised with an appearance he had never seen before : this 

 as., the frightful tumult of the waves, occasioned by a conflict be- 

 'eers the tide of the sea and the rapid current of the immense riv- 

 JQeghoco. But sailing forward, he plainly discovered that they 

 'bin fresh water : and judging rightly that it was improbable any 

 v4 should supply so vast a river, he began to suspect he had dis- 



