Chap. III. 
Columbus to Cortes’l 
14th to return to Hifpaniola z.vA Puerto Rico^ difcovering 
fome Iflands in the VV ay, of which the Indians they had 
with them gave an, Account. 
They failed along Iflands till the 21ft, when they ar- 
rived at the fmall Iflands they called las Portugas^ or the 
T ortoifes j becaufe they took one hundred and feventy of 
them in a fhort time in one of them, and might have 
taken many inore if they vmuld. On the 28th, feeing 
Land, they came to an Anchor to trim their Yards and 
Sails, but could not tell what^ Country it was, mofc of 
them took it for Cuba^ becaufe they found Canoes, Dogs, 
Cuts of Knives, and other Iron Tools, yet none of them 
knew it to be that Ifland. The 25th of July they were 
among a parcel of lov/ Iflands, without knowing any 
thing of that Place, till Juan Ponce fent to view an Ifland, 
which appeared to be Bahama^ and fo an old Indian W o- 
man, they had found alone in another Ifland, told them,- 
as did James Miruelo^ a Pilot, who happened to be there 
with a Boat from Hifpaniola j having ranged backv.nird 
and forward till the 23d of September^ and refitted the 
Ships, Juan Ponce refolved to fend one of them to take a 
Viev/ of the ifland Bimini where the Indians faid there was 
a Spring that made old People young again. John Perez de 
Ortubia v/as appointed Captain of that Ship, and Antony 
de Alaminos Pilot \ they took two Indians to pilot them 
over the Sholes, there being fo many that it is a difficult 
Matter to pafs between them. Twenty Days after Juan 
Ponce returned to Puerto Rico, as did, fome time after 
him, the Ship which he had fent, which found the Ifland 
of Bimini, but not the famous Spring. Yet the Ifland 
was large, pleafant, and diverflfied with Hills, Meadows, 
Plains, many Rivers and delightful Groves. 
It is certain that Juan Ponce de Leon, befides the main 
Defign of making new Difcoveries, which all the Spaniards 
then afpired to do, was intent upon finding out the Spring 
of Bimini, and that River in Florida, the Indians of Cuba 
and Hifpaniola affirmed old People bathing themfelves 
in became young again; and it was certain that 
many Indians of Cuba, firmly believing that there was 
filch a River, had, not long before the Spaniards difcover- 
ed that Ifland, pafled over into Florida in fearch of that 
River, and there built a Town where the Race of them 
ftill continue. This Report prevailed with all the Princes 
and Caziques in thofe Parts, to endeavour to find out a 
River that wrought fuch a wonderful Change ; fo that 
there was not a Brook, nay, fcarce a Lake or Puddle in 
all Florida but what they bathed themfelves in, and there 
are fome ftill that perfift in it, ignorantly believing that 
it is the River now called Jordan, at the Cape of Santa 
Helena ; never reflecting that the Spaniards firft gave it 
that Name, in the Year 1520, when the Country of Chi- 
cora was difcovered. Though this Voyage, made by 
Juan Ponce, turned to little or no Account to him, yet 
it gave him Encouragement to go to Court to fue for 
fome Reward for the Countries he had difcovered, be- 
lieving them to be all Iflands and no Continent, which 
Notion continued fome Years. However, the Voyage was 
beneficial on account of the Rout foon after found out, 
to return to Spam through the Channel of Bahama, which 
was firft performed by the Pilot, Antony de Alaminos. 
For the better underftanding of Juan Ponce’’ s, Voyage, 
it is to be obferved that there are three different Archi- 
pelagos of Lucayo Iflands. The firft the Iflands, 
which gave Name to the Channel where the Currents are 
moft impetuous : The fecond they called de los Organos, 
and the third Mar tyres, which are next to the Shore of 
Tortoifes to the Weftward, which laft being all Sand, 
cannot be feen at a Diftance, and therefore many Ships 
have periffied on them, and along that Coaft of the Chan- 
nel of Bahama and the Iflands of F ortugas. Havanna, in 
the Ifland of Cuba, is to the Southward, and Florida 
to the Northward, and between them are all the before 
mentioned Iflands of Organos, Bahama, Martyres, and 
the Fortugas'y having a Channel with a violent Current, 
twenty Leagues over in the narroweft Place, betv/een Ha- 
vanna and los Martyres, and fourteen Leagues from bos 
Martyres tG Florida-, between Iflands to the Eaftward, and 
the wideft Part of this Paflage to the Weftward, is forty 
Leagues, witn many Sholes and deep Channels, but there 
Vot. II. Numb. 73. 
is no Way for Ships or Brigantines, only for Canoes. 
But the Paffage from Havanna, to come to Spain, is along 
the Channel o^ Bahama, between the faid Havanna, Mar-' 
tyres, the Lucayos, and Cape Canaveral ; and this was the 
great Merit of Juan Ponce de Leon, who was v/ell reward- 
ed in Spain. There happened about this time a very fin- 
gular and melancholy Event, which, becaufe I find it 
recorded by many Spanijh Hiftorians, and as it fhews to 
what a Height Corruption was grown in fo fnort a time, 
as fince the Spaniards BeA fettled in the Indies ; it feems 
but reafonable that it fliould find a Place here for the In- 
ftrucHon of the Reader. . The Reports that had reached 
Spain of the manner in v/hich the poor Natives were 
treated in the Indies, being affigned to the Proprietors of 
Land as if they were Cattle that grazed upon it ; it moved 
fome religious Men, of the Dominican Order, to go over 
to the new World, in order to fee what Progrefs they 
fhould be able to make among the Indians, by the Ufe of 
fpiritual Weapons only. 
Three of thefe Fathers landed in the Ifland of Porto 
Rico, where one of them falling fick, the other two pro- 
cured a Velfel to carry them over to the Main, where they 
were landed not far from that City, which Hojeda and 
Vefpucius law in their firft Voyage, and called it frorn its 
ftanding-in the Water Venezuela, that is, little Venice-, 
where they found the People very docile and traftable, 
and were in a fair Way of making Converts to the Chrift- 
ian Religion ; but, very unluckily for them; a Spanijh 
Pirate that made it his Bufinefs to fteal Indians, anchored 
on the Coaft, and the poor People, confident of being well 
treated by Chriftians, went on board the Veffel with their 
Cazique at their Head, of which the Pkate taking ad- 
vantage, weighed anchor, and made all the Sail he could 
for Hifpaniola. This, as may be eafily imagined, raifed 
a great Tumult among the Indians, who were on the 
very Point of putting the tvv^o Dominicans to Death ; when 
another Spanijh Ship arrived in the Port, commanded by 
a Gentleman of honour ; he pacified the Indians as well 
as he could, and having received Letters containing a true 
ftate of the Fa6t, from the Fathers, he promifed that irt 
four Months time their Cazique and the reft of their 
Countrymen fliould be fent home again. 
As he really intended to perform what he had pro- 
mifed, fo on his return to Hifpaniola, he applied him- 
felf to the Royal Audience, or fupreme Tribunal, at Santo 
Domingo, fetting forth the Cafe as it ftood, and the Dan- 
ger that the tv/o Priefts were in, if thefe Indians were not 
fent back in due tim.e. But, alas ! it fo happened, that 
thefe very People had been purchafed as Slaves by fome 
of the Members of the Royal Audience, and they were 
not fo much in love with Juftice as to releafe them. 
The Confequence was, that' when the four Months were 
expired, the Indians, to revenge the Lofs of their Prince 
and Relations, murdered the two Dominicans, whofe 
Names were Francifco de Cordova, and Juan Garcias. 
II. It is now time for us to return to the Tranfaftions of 
Don Diego de Velafquez, in the Ifland of Cuba, who, having 
reduced the beft Part of that Country, and fettled feveral 
Spanijh Colonies therein, began to be very defirous of fet- 
ting up for himfelf, and of fliaking off the Authority of the 
Admiral James Columbus, by whom he had been placed there. 
The Admiral was by this time recalled into Spain, and 
oppofed this Projed of Velafquez to the iitmoft of his 
Power ; which, however, was nov/ funk fo low, that he 
was not able to carry his Point ; for though Velafquez was 
ftill left accountable to him for the Exercife of his Authori- 
ty, yet he was not allowed to recall him but with theConfent 
of the Crown, which fo well anfwered the Purpofe of Ve- 
lafquez, that he refolved to execute, without farther De- 
lay, a Projeft which he had long meditated of fitting out 
•Ships for Difcovery. » 
He no fooner made his Intentions known, than num- 
bers of Spanijh Planters, who were grown rich, embraced 
the Propofal, and offered to contribute large Sums to- 
wards carrying it into execution. Amongft thofe who 
diftinguiffied themfelves on this Occafion, Francis Her- 
nandez de Cordova, a rich and brave Man, who had In- 
dians of his own, offered to go as Captain of thofe Men-, 
which, being granted, he fitted out two Ships and a Bri- 
Q.. gantine 
I 
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