Chap. Ill C H R 1 S T O P H E R . C O L U M B U S. 33 
Name of Boca del Drago was fixed upon this Place ; and 
it has been ewer fince known thereby. When they got 
out of that Bay, extending fall fifty Leagues from the 
firft Land of T” rinity to the Bay called de las Perlas^ or 
of Pearls^ he failed along the Continent to obferve 
whether that immenfe Quantity of frefli Water proceed- 
ed from the Rivers, as the Seamen affirmed, and he could 
not believe, as thinking no River in the World could 
carry fo much Water as thofe Lands he faw produced, un~ 
lefs they were a Continent. He found along this Coaft 
many good Harbours and Capes, to which he gave 
Names, as Cabo de Conchas^ ov Cage of Shells, Capo Luenga, 
Long Cape, CapeSahor and Cape Rico, &c. He found alfo 
feveral Hands, particularly Margarita, which is fifteen 
Leagues in Length, and fix in Breadth, very green and 
well inhabited. And at a fmall Diftance from it are 
other fmall Hands, and among them, Ciihaqne, where 
Pearls have been found, but few of the Names the Admdral 
gave them have continued. Having failed forty Leagues 
farther, and feeing the Land continue to the Weftward, 
he was coxovinced that it v/as no Hand, but the Continent, 
which he difcovered on JVednefday the 21 ft of Auguft, 
1498. 
6. The Admiral was much furprized at the immenfe 
Quantity of freffi Water before fpoken of, and no lefs at 
the extraordinary Coolnefs of the Air fo near the Equi- 
noftial; and he particularly obferved, that the People 
thereabouts were whiter, their Hair long and fmooth, 
more fubtil and ingenious, than thofe he had feen before. 
He was very defirous to return to the Bland Hifpardola, 
having a Forefight that his Prefence was neceffiary there ^ 
and he refolved to fend his Brother Don Bartholomew to 
continue the Difcovery ; befides, the Men were fatigued, 
and grew uneafy, becaufe he had not told them at his 
coming from Spain that he was going upon Difcovery : 
For thefe Reafons, on the 1 6th of Auguft he ftood away 
for that Hand, ftill difcovering high Mountains on the 
Continent ^ and that Day he ran fixty-three Leagues be- 
tween Sun and Sun, the great Currents fetting him for- 
ward as much as the Wind. 
While the Admiral laboured under the before-men- 
tioned Difficulties, the three Ships he had fcnt from Spain 
to Hifpaniola under Carvajal, Arana, and Columbus, thro’ 
the Ignorance of the Pilots, and by the Currents that fet 
downwards of that Hand, inftead of going to the Port of 
Santo Domingo, failed on above 160 Leagues, and not 
knowing where they were, arrived at the Place where 
Francis Roldan was v/ith the Mutineers, living without 
any Refpeht to the Laws of God or Man , had they done 
it defignedly, it could not have happened worfe ; and if 
the Revolt of Roldan had been known in Spain, it would 
have been concluded a malicious Contrivance either of 
the Captains or the Pilots. As foon as Brands Roldan 
and his Followers Were informed of the Ships they went 
to the Harbour, which was two Leagues off, and conceal- 
ing their Revolt, aflted how they happened to come to 
that Place, and v/hat News there were of the Admiral } 
They anfwered, that they had been carried by the Cur- 
rents, and that the Admiral would foon be there with 
three Ships more, having fome Days fince fteered away 
to the Southward from them. They went aboard the 
Ships, were merry together, and had fome of the Provi- 
fions carried from Spain. When they vfere gone, the 
Captains thought fit, becaufe of the Difficulty of return- 
ing to Santo Domingg by reafon of the Currents and 
Breezes, that the Labouring-men who were in the King’s 
Pay fhould march by Land, and agreed, that Captain 
John Anthony Columbus, who commanded one of the 
Ships, fhould condudt them. Forty Men, with their 
Crofs-bows, Lances and Swords, went afhore *, and Rol- 
dan perfuading them they were to lead a very painful 
Life, be obliged to labour and dig, with much Hunger 
and Want, eafily induced them to ftay with him, telling 
them at the fame tim.e how they fliould live, which was, 
only by going about from one Town to another, taking the 
Gold and v/hat elfe they thought fit. And tho’ thefe 
forty Men were all of them condemned Criminals, yet 
eight of them remained true to their Captain. 
This fully difcovered, that Roldan had deferted th^ 
Vot.. II. Numb, LRXIL 
King’s Service, and Captain Cohmhus^ being. liioft con-- 
cerned at it, went to him, told him that thofe Men had 
received the King’s Pay for fix Months before, and that 
he by employing them much obftrufled the King’s Af- 
fairs •, therefore he advifed him not to adl in fo fcanda- 
lous a Manner ; but Roldan regarded nothing he faid, be- 
caufe by the Addition of thofe that had joined him he had 
above a hundred Men to defend himfelf againft the Ad- 
miral ; and Captain Columbus returned aboard his Ship, 
and with the other Captain Pedro de Arana refolved to go 
away to Santo Domingo with the Ships, Captain Alonfo 
Sanchez de Carvajal ftaying behind to go by Land, and 
endeavour to bring Roldan to his Duty. By this time the 
Adelantado had notice, by means of the Pndians, that 
there were three Ships arrived in the Weft, and guelTing 
that they might be come from Spain, and had miffed 
their Courfe, he fent out a Caravel in fearch of them. 
Before the Ships arrived, or Roldan had got fo many 
Men, he had written to fome of thofe that wxre with the 
Adelantado, defiring them, in cafe the Admiral fhould 
come, to endeavour to make his Peace. 
The Admiral the 19th of Auguft arrived at the Hand 
Beata, which lies fifteen Leagues from the Port of Taqui- 
mo, and twenty-five from Santo Domingo : And near the 
Hand Beata is that of Altovelo. It troubled him that he 
had fallen away fo much, but did not wonder at it, be- 
caufe of his continual Watching all the Nights he lay by, 
or plied backwards or forwards, for fear of being upon 
the many Hands or Sholes of which thofe Seas were foil, 
which at that time were little known, and the Currents 
which are there very ftrong, and fet towards the Conti- 
nent Weftward, carried the Ships fo far infenfibly towards 
the Hands Beata and Hifpaniola, that he was afraid of driv- 
ing by them. On the 20th of Auguft he fent the Boats to 
the neighbouring Towns to fummon the Indians, and 
wrote to acquaint the Adelantado of his Arrival. Six IndP 
ans went aboard at twice, and one of them carried a Crofs- 
bow with all its Furniture^ which did not a little furprize 
the Admiral, believing it to have belonged to fome Sol- 
dier that was dead. The Ships having been feen to 
pafs down the Current from Santo Domingo, the Adelan- 
tado fet out in a Caravel to feek the Admiral ; It was 
high Pleafure to both Brothers to meet, tho’ the Admiral 
was much vexed at the Advice of RoldaAs Revolt. The 
2 2d of Auguft they arrived at Santo Domdngo, it being but 
a few Days lefs than two Years fince the Admiral de- 
parted from Hifpaniola for Spain. 
7. The whole Colony in a manner went out with Don 
James Columbus to receive the Admiral, expreffmg much 
Joy for his Arrival : But when he thought he was come 
where he might take fome Reft, he found himfelf in- 
volved in new Troubles, by reafon of the Revolt. He 
immediately examined the Procefs made by the Adelan- 
tado, and, difapproving it, formed another, wherein it was 
fufficiently proved, that the Inftirredion had proceeded 
from the wicked Inclination of RoHan, tho’ neither the 
Adelantado, or any other Perfon, had given him Caufe 
to complain, or wronged him in the leaft. Some Days 
after the Admiral, arrived the other three Ships, with 
Arana and John Anthony Columbus, as did t;he Caravel 
Don Bartholomew had fent to feek them. 
One of them had ftruck on a Shole, loft her Rudder, 
and was in a very bad Condition, and having ftaid very 
long by reafon of the Currents and contrary Winds, al- 
moft all the Provifions were fpoilt; and the Account 
they brought of forty Men ftaying with Roldan much 
troubled the Admiral. Flowever he refolved to try him 
by fair Means, forgiving him all his Offences, being fen- 
fible his Enemies in Spain would made a great Noife of 
that Revolt ; for he was alfo pofitively told, that as foon 
as he arrived he would come andfubmit himfelf to him, he 
having long before written to that piirpofe. At this time 
Capt. Sanchez de Carvajal arrived from Xaragua, and de- 
clared the Obftinacy of who refufed his Propo- 
fals : But Roldan having Advice of the Admiral’s Arrival, 
either by the Indians or by Letters from fome Friend he 
had at Santo Domingo, refolved to come nearer, and ac- 
cordingly went to Bonao, a fruitful and delicious Plain, 
where fome Spaniards dw'elt after the Fort of ftonao was 
K built® 
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