Chap. III. Columbus to Cortes s Expedition. 51 
on that Ifland difpliting this Appointment, the young 
Admiral, without farther Ceremony, fet them both afide, 
and appointed one Michael Cerron Governor of that 
Place, and made one Michael Diaz his Lieutenant. 
However Juan Ponce de Leon^ by the Intereft of his 
Friend Obando^ procured a new CommifTion from Spain^ 
and, going over to Puerto Rico^ eafily found Pretences for 
picking a Quarrel with Cerron and Diaz^ v/hom he fent 
Prifoners into Spain. Thefe People thus out of his way, 
Juan Ponce de Leon profecuted his iirfb Defign of con- 
quering the Ifland, but found it a much more difficult 
Tafk.than he imagined. However, at laft he compaffed 
it •, and with much ado the poor Indians Were forced to fub- 
mit. In confequence of which they were made Slaves, and 
employed in the Mines till they were quite worn out. Since 
which the Gold has likewife failed j which many Spanijh 
Writers acknowledge to have been a Judgment from God 
for that barbarous Proceeding i fo much the more proba- 
ble^ becaufe the fame thing has happened in other Parts of 
their Dominions. 
3. The Court of Spain was at this time very follicit- 
ous to make the moft of the Settlements already made in 
the new World, and therefore from time to time admit- 
ted of fuch Repreientations as thofe who had been in the 
Indies thought fit to make, as to what was requifite to be 
done there for promoting the Royal Revenue. 
Amongft other Propofitions of this nature, there was 
one which fuggefted it was much for the King’s Intereft 
that the Bland of Cubagua^ called alfo Of Pearls, near 
Margarita, ffiould be inhabited by Spaniards, and there- 
fore the Admiral was ordered to take care of it, that the 
Trade there might be the better looked after. And the 
Inhabitants of Hifpaniola made a great Advantage of it, 
finding the Lucayo Indians moft ufeful, becaufe they were 
extraordinary Swimmers and Divers ; fo that one of them 
came to be worth one hundred and fifty Ducats. And 
they not only defrauded the King of his Fifth, but alfo 
abufed and deftroyed the Indians, which obliged them to 
ftand upon their Guard, and was prejudicial to the Trade. 
This Ifland of Cubagua, fomewhat above three hundred 
Leagues from Hifpaniola, is about three Leagues in Com- 
pafs, lies in almoft ten Degrees of Latitude, the Soil very 
barren ^and dry, affording much Salt-petre, fome few 
Guiacum Trees and Shrubs, without any Grafs or Birds, 
only fuch as are proper to the Sea, being all flat and 
without any Springs of freffi Water. 
No Land Creatures were found upon it, except a few 
Rabbits. The Natives painted themfelves, and fed on the 
Pearl Oyfters. They brought over in their Canoes Water 
ixomCumana on the Continent, which is feven Leagues dif- 
tant, and gave Seed-pearl for it to thofe who would carry 
it over. Wood they had from the Ifland Margarita, which 
lies a League to the Northward of it, and incompaffes it 
from the Eaft to the North-weft. And to the Southward 
of it is Cape Araya on the Continent, where the great Salt 
Pits are. - 
It has a good Port on the North Side. The Swine that 
were carried thither from Spain foon degenerated, their 
Claws turning upwards half an Handful. There was in- 
finite Plenty of Oyfters breeding the Pearl within them, 
a little Nob growing at firft foft, and afterwards harden- 
ing as it grows. Some Years the King’s Fifth of only 
the Pearl Fiffiery amounted to fifteen thoufand Ducats. 
And it was wonderful that fuch a Quantity of Pearls 
ffiould be found in fo fmall a Compafs, taken by Men 
diving, and ftaying under Water as long as they can 
hold their Breath, pulling off the Shells from the Places 
they ftick to. And it is to be obferved that there are 
Pearls for above four hundred Leagues from Cape de la 
Vela to the Bay of Paria. And befides thefe the Admi- 
ral found at Cubagua (which he called the Ifland of 
Pearls) he difcovered them on the Coaft of Cumana, as 
alfo all along the Coaft of Paria, Maracapana, Puerto 
Flechado, and Curiana, which is near Venezuela. 
4. Amongft other Adventurers who petitioned the Spa- 
fiijh Court for Leave to make Difcoveries, Hojeda was one, 
a brave Man, but poor and John de la Cofa, who had 
been his Pilot, and had laved that Money which the other 
fpent, out of pure Affedion offered to affifi;; him with 
his Life and Fbrtune. They had a Grant pfomifed them 
of all that had been difcovered on the Continent : But 
Diego Nicueffa interpofmg, being a richer Man^ and hav- 
ing a better Intereft, flopped the Grant,’ and procured 
Half of it for himfelf. To the former Adventurers the 
Court granted all the Country htteNttn Cape de la Vela 
and the Gulph of now ftiled the Gulph of Darien^ 
under the Name of New Andahfia \ and to the latter, 
from the before mentioned Gulph to Cape Gracias a Dios, 
under the Name of Caftilla del Oro, or Golden Cajiile, 
without a Word faid of the Admiral, to whom of Right 
all thefe Countries belonged as difcovered by his Father. 
The Ifland of Jamaica was likewife granted to Diego 
Nicueffa, in common, but the Admiral, being in the In- 
dies, fecured that for himfelf. Hojeda was able to fit out 
but one Ship, and one Brigantine ; but Nicueffa had two 
Brigantines; with which they both fiiiled to Santo Do- 
mingo, where they quarrelled about their Rights : And it 
was with great Difficulty that the Difputes between them 
were adjufted : At laft, however, this was, ddrie, and both 
proceeded to their refpeftive Governments, or rather to 
fettle the Colonies they had promifed. 
5. Thofe Difputes took up much time, fo that it was 
the latter End of the Year 1510 before either of them" 
left Hifpamiola. Alonfo de Hojeda, with whom Francis 
Pizaro imbarked, departed from the Ifland Beata, and,» 
ftanding to the Southward, in a few Days arrived at Car- 
thagena, which the Indians called Caramari, and they 
were then in an Uproar, and ready to oppofe the Spa- 
niards becaufe of the Injuries done them by Chfiftophef 
Guerra and others, who had paffed by that way, and under 
Pretence of trading had feized many, and made Slaves 
of them. Thofe People were of a large Stature, the 
Men wore their Hair down to their Ears, and the Wo- 
men very long. And both Sexes were very expert irl 
ffiooting with their Bows. Flojeda and John de la Cofa 
had religious Men with them, his Mafter being very de- 
firous to induce them to fubmit ; and, having Indians 
of Hifpaniola who fpoke the Language, he adVifed them 
to be peaceable, and to leave off their Cruelty, Idolatry, 
and other hideousVices praftifed among them ; but they, 
being very much incenfed, for Reafons before mentioned, 
would not give ear to thofe Perfuafions. 
Alonfo de Hojeda, purfuant to his Inffniftions, tryed all 
poffible Methods to allure them, tho’ he had alfo Or- 
ders in cafe they proved obftinate, to declare War and 
make Slaves of them. He began to barter for Gold, 
giving them fome Spanifh Toys ; but thofe Indians being 
fierce and bold, John de la Cofa faid he thought it would 
be better to fettle a Colony at the Bay Uraba, where the 
Natives were more gentle, and that from thence they 
might return to Carthagena better provided. Alonfo de 
Hojeda being always too refolute, and the more for that, 
having been in a great Number of Quarrels and Engage- 
ments in Spain and Hifpaniola, he had never loft a Drop 
of Blood, did not regard the Advice, but fell upon, the 
Indians who were preparing to attack him, killed many, 
feized fome, and found a fmall Quantity of Gold in the 
Places taken from them. 
Not fatisfied with that, ufing fome of the Prifoners 
for his Guide, he went to a Town four Leagues up the 
Country, whither thofe who had efcaped from the laft 
Eray were retired, and found the People there upon their 
Guard, armed with Targets, Swords of extraordinary hard 
Wood, Bows, ffiarp poifoned Arrows, and Rods, which 
they threw like Darts. The Spaniards crying out, San- 
tiago, that is St. James, fell on, killing and taking all 
they met. Eight Indians, who were not fo expeditious as 
the reft, retired into one of their thatched Hotifes, where 
they defended themfelves a confiderable Space, killing one 
Spaniard ; at which Hojeda was fo provoked, that he or- 
dered the Eloufe to be fired, where they all periflied in a. 
Moment. Flere he took fixty Captives, whom he fent 
to the Ships, and purfued thofe that fled. The Inha’^ 
bitants of a Town called Yarhaco having Notice thereof, 
withdrew into the Mountains with their Wives, Children, 
and Effecfts. 
The Spaniards coming thither by break of the Day, 
and finding nobody, grew heedkfs, and difperfed them- 
