'IP -i:--i I LIBliARY OF COXGRltSS. I I UNITED STATES OF AMEIIICaJ S?MS5 r^^^i'X'?^'^'^^"^^*^' I HUDSON AND THE INDIAN CHlEFi ■rj MOMIIG STAES or ^ THE NE¥ WORLD • BT NEW-YORK: JAMES C. DERBY, 8 PARK PLACE, BOSTON : PHILLIPS, SAMPSON AND CO, CINCINNATI : H. W. DERBY. 1854. ^\■%^ 'r^4' Euterod according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ftfty-fonr, hy JAMES C. DEEB Y, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. STEKF.DTi'l'KD BY MILLKK, OKTON AXD MdLLIGAJC, AlTBtrUN. WHOSE LOVB WAS AND IS A SWEET, MOT-INIITG LIGHT OF LIFE. 2ri)fs Volume 18 AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED BY II EB DAUGHTER. PREFACE. The planet that heralds the sunrise, may be a volcanic waste, like the moon, or scathed with the fires of sin, like the earth ; and so the morning stars of heroism, that guided and illumined the first advances of a noon-day civilization to this Western World, were not all as cultivated and pure as those followers of the one " bright and morning Star," who colonized the shores of Plymouth and the banks of the Delaware. Whoever was illustrious, for any reason, in the early history of America, may be included in the number ; and some of the most promiment of these, particularly they who may represent different portions of North America, have been selected as subjects of the following sketches. A number of characters, deserving an equal place with some of those now chosen, were omitted for want of room. The author trusts that the bringing of them together in one volume, is a plan that offers the novel interest of a close comparison of each character with the others, and one that has been carried out with all the fidelity which an examina- VI PKEFACE. tion of Colonial chronicles in the libraries of New- York, can ensure. Some of the sketches, such as those of Lady Ara- bella Johnson and Miles Standish, claim to be more complete than any existing ones — at least, of like brevity. To reproduce the scenes and present the scenery of distant times and places, so as to make them realities to the reader, recourse has been had to several elaborate works on geogra- phy, science and costume, and books of modern travel. A simple regard to truth, and not an indulgence in fancy and exaggeration for popular effect, has been the cherished rule in preparing this unpretending volume. CONTENTS. I. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. Genoa. — Columbiis a Student. — A Sailor. — Navigation. — A Por- trait. — Columbus' Theory. — A leai-ned Assembly. — ^A Tra- veler. — Convent. — Friars. — Cordova. — Disappointment. — A Kingly Suppliant. — Bigoted Philosophers. — La Rabida. — ^The Spanish Court at Grenada. — Isabella's noble Decision. — Alarm at Pales. — Voyage. — Perils. — Superstition. — The first Glimpse of the New World. — Landing. — Columbus a Prince. — Search for the Grand Khan. — Shipwreck. — Nina Alone. — Arrest in the Island Chapel. — Arrival at Palos. — Excitement. Princely Reception. — Superiority- of Genius. — Second Voyage. — "Lord of the Golden House." — Mysterious Fate of a Col- ony. — Cavalier Workmen. — Search for Gold. — Columbus' Temptation. — Persecution. — A Cruise. — Three Brothers. — Captive Cacique. — Return Voyage. — Foi'lorn Crew. — Colum- bus a Friar. — Third Voyage. — The Orinoco. — Rebels of His- paniola. — Injustice. — An Upstart's Sceptre. — Columbus in Chains. — Indignation. — Columbus' Triumph in the Alham- bra. — ^Fourth Voyage. — Return and Disappointment. — Old Age and Death. — Character 13 Vm CONTENTS. n. AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. PAOS. His Birth. — Floi-ence. — The Convent. — The Plague. — Vespu- cius' Pursuits. — Duplicity of Bishop Fonseca. — Disputed Voy- age. — Beauty of the New World. — Centaurs. — An Epicurean Race. — "City of Bridges." — Indians Enslaved. — Return to Cadiz. — Marriage. — Voyage. — Eccentric Companions. — Paria, — Grotesque Customs. — Vegetable Houses and Umbrellas. — Giants. — San Domingo. — Cargo of Slaves. — Return to Spain. — Americus in Portugal. — "Land of Pearls." — Luxuriant Scenery. — Patriarchs. — ^Triumph of Science. — " Canope" of the South. — ^Tempest — Reception at Lisbon. — Americus hon- ored. — Comiiiands a Fleet. — Shipwreck. — Mariners in Brazil. — Americus in Spain. — Ferdinand and Fonseca. — Disappoint- ment. — Death. — Unknown Grave. — His Character. — Disputed Fame , 66 III. FERDINAND DE SOTO. Furor of Discovery. — Youth of De Soto. — He embarks for the Indies. — Joins Pizarro. — Hoi'semanship. — Atahualpa. — Death. — De Soto's Reproaches. — His Wealth. — Return to Spain. — Magnificent Display. — Noble Marriage. — Governor of Flori- da. — Expensive Fleet. — Southern Scenerj^. — A Pocahontas. — Slavery. — Difficult Exploration. — Treachery. — Famine. — Indian Queen — Obstinacy of De Soto. — Proud Cacique. — Bat- tle. — Fire. — Discovery of the Mississippi. — Indian Flefet. — "Son of the Sun." — The Cacique Foes. — De Soto a Peace- maker. — A Troop of Laplanders. — Second Encampment. — Famine and Desolation. — De Soto's Disappointment. — His Death. — Midnight Burial. — Return of his Followers to Spain. — Character of De Soto lOS CONTENTS. IX TV. SIR WALTER RALEIGH. PAOE. Raleigh's Character. — Youth. — Military Pursuits. — His Intellec- tual I^>"K.S COLUMBUS. 23 els in Spain, he arrived, weary and disheartened, be- fore the gate of a convent belonging to Franciscan friars, known then, and now, as the Convent of La Rab- ida. It stood upon a solitary height overlooking the sea coast, and was partially shaded by a grove of pines. Attracted by the cool and grateful shade, and hoping to obtain a crust of bread and some water for* his hungry child, he knocked at the gate. The guardian of the convent, Juan Peres, happen- ing to perceive the stranger, was struck with his no- ble countenance, and immediately entered into con- versation with him. He became deeply interested in Columbus, detained him as his guest, and listened with lively sympathy to his hopes and his long-frus- trated plans. Father Peres was an enlightened, intel- ligent man, and somewhat skilled in nautical lore ; he comprehended the vast project thus laid before him, and, full of lively interest in the newly -unfold- ed theory, he sent for the physician of Palos, a man versed in science, to converse with him. Gradually, one and another of the old mariners of Palos gathered to listen and wonder at the strange proposals. The friars in their dark cowls, the weather-beaten pilots, and veteran captains of Palos, were grouped about Columbus, within the convent walls, while he elo- quently poured forth his convictions, every feature in his face glowing with high enthusiasm. They caught his fervor, asserted their belief in his theory, and re- lated all in their own experience that would support his views. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, a captain of Intel- 24r MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. ligence, energy, strong resolution, generous senti- ments, and the possessor of wealth and influence, boldly approved the enterprise of Columbus, and pledged his purse and person to his service. In the exhilaration and excitement that prevailed in the convent councils, plans were speedily formed "and put into execution. The guardian undertook the charge and education of the youthful Diego, and the generous Pinzon furnished Columbus with means to repair to the court of Ferdinand, to obtain the coun- tenance and assistance of the crown. Furnished with letters to Talavera, the queen's confessor, Columbus set out with a glad heart, encouraged and grateful to God, whose providence had led him to the solitary and hospitable La Kabida. The court of Ferdinand and Isabella had lately as- sembled at Cordova, and thither Columbus directed his steps. Upon his arrival, he found the city a scene of active preparations for war. Tlie streets were gay with magnificently equipped cavaliers and their long retinues ; the court was crowded with val- iant warriors and grandees of Spain, who had already won distinction in the Moorish wars. Preparations were being made on a grand scale for a new cam- paign against Grenada. All the dignitaries of Spain — the archbishop, the grand cardinal, even Talavera, the counselor and confessor of the queen, were equally absorbed in the one theme of the holy war. How was the poor obscure Columbus to be heard in the midst of busy politicians and the accumulated dig- COLUMBUS. 25 nity, pomposity and bigotry of learned clinrchmeu, and where the din of approaching war devoured every other interest ? It was impossible to obtain an andience of the sovereigns, already overwhelmed with jDressing de- mands. He could but quietly deliver his letter to Talavera and briefly state his plans, which were at once regarded as extravagant and impossible, by the haughty and bigoted man who, to the end, stood cold and impervious as a rock, between Columbus and the king, whose aid he sought. Before anything had been effected towards an interview, Ferdinand had depart- ed with his splendid army for the Moorish dominions. Columbus remained unheeded in Cordova, unable to gain access to the queen, who, with the administra- tion of two gorernments to conduct, had no leisure to receive one whose powers and whose projects were disparaged by her most reliable adviser. Although disappointed and disheartened, Columbus schooled his impatience and prepared slower, but more effective, means, to accomplish his purpose. He earned a scanty support by making maps and charts, and seized upon every opportunity to commu- nicate with the influential and powerful. "Whoever listened to his eloquent discourse was struck with the force of his reasoning, the dignity of his demeanor, and the nobility of his countenance, though the su- percilious and the ignorant derided his attempts to gain the cooperation of kings. " He would seek the royal presence," said they, noting his homely garb 26 MOKNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. and remembering his humble birth, as they pointed him out with scorn. Years afterwards, they would have gloried in a single glance from his calm, pene- trating eye. The summer and autumn of 1486 wore away pain- fully to one whose every hour was precious, and upon whose life depended the immediate loss or gain of a continent. With the wonderful perseverance and un- tiring assiduity for which he was so remarkable, he succeeded during those months in gaining the atten- tion of a few men of intelligence, who became his warm advocates. Alonzo de Quintanilla, comptroller of the finances of Castile, and the brothers Geraldini, one of them the pope's nuncio, the other a preceptor to the children of the sovereigns, rendered him kind and important assistance. After a successful and brilliant campaign, Ferdi- nand returned to his own dominions, and the court repaired to Salamanca for a winter residence. At the head of the dignitaries of Spain, and foremost among the king's counselors, was the grand cardinal Mendoza, a man of fine abilities, strong mind and quick perceptions. 'Next to the sovereigns, he was the most important personage in Spain. To him, Co- lumbus was presented by his newly-found friends. The cardinal listened with surprise and profound at- tention to the clear exposition of his novel, yet simple, theory. His able and comprehensive mind apprecia- ted the whole at a glance ; he gave his decisive ap- proval, promptly recommended the project to the no- coLuaiBus. 27 tice of Ferdinand and Isabella, and obtained their consent to an audience. Again Columbus stood in the royal presence, not as a crouching supplicant of favor — nor with the bold front of an impudent adventurer ; he, the poor Gen- oese, came to offer the gift of an explored ocean and a l^ew World, and, with such a gift in his hand, he felt as kingly as the monarch before whom he proudly stood. The unassumed simplicity and grandeur of his mien were the outward manifestations of a lofty spirit, which the most envious courtier might in vain at- tempt to imitate. He felt himself " animated as if by a sacred fire from above," as he afterwards as- serted, yet he spoke with a calm self-possession that carried conviction with his words. The cautious and sujbtle Ferdinand readily appre- ciated the character of Columbus, and perceived that his project was based upon scientific grounds ; he was ambitious to rival the Portuguese in discoveries, and secure to his kingdom the glory and the wealth prom- ised by such an acquisition, yet he was too wary and prudent of his fame to venture it in an uncertain en- tei-prise. He decided to refer the matter to a scien- tific body. Talavera, who heartily despised the inno- vations which the unlearned son of a wool-comber would presume to make in the long-established theo- ries of wise men, was obliged, nevertheless, to assem- ble the ablest astronomers and cosmographers in the kingdom, to deliberate upon the matter. The couAcil met at Salamanca, in the convent of 28 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. St. Stephen, where Columbus was sumptuously en- tertained. He now regarded the fulfillment of his hopes as beyond a doubt, since he was to appear be- fore a body of enlightened men who could readily comprehend his theory. Professors of the aniversity, grave functionaries of the church, and learned monks who had devoted their whole lives to erudition, were gathered in the convent hall to listen to the eloquent appeals, and judge the cause of a man, against whom almost every one was prejudiced. They stubbornly entrenched themselves behind arguments as pompous and dark as the stately and sombre robes in which they were enveloped. The unostentatious mariner and his clear, simple statements, were looked upon with disdain. "Is there any one so foolish," was quoted by one, from a sage, " as to believe that there are antipodes with their feet opposite to ours ; people who walk with their heels upward and their heads hanging down ? That there is a part of the world in which all things are topsy-turvy ; where the trees grow with their branches downward, and where it rains, hails, and snows upward ? " Others solemnly asserted that to acknowledge the existence of land on the other side of the globe, would be to reject the Bible, since in that case there must have been another parent to the human i-ace than Adam, as it was impossible for men to have crossed the ocean. To these objections Columbus replied in a strain of impassioned vehemence and strong argument, that COLUMBUS. 29 won over several of the most intelligent and powerful in the assembly. His whole soul was engaged in the huge task of wielding that mass of bigotry and pre- judice; the great object and aim of his whole life was involved in the exciting struggle. But, day after day was occupied in tantalizing debate, till the months wore away, and the interest and enthusiasm of all were drawn from Columbus and his startling schemes to the preparations for a new campaign against the Moors, in which all were eager to join from motives ef piety, and for the opportunities it offered for roman- tic adventure or military prowess. Talavera, to whose direction the council had been consigned, ta- king no interest in the proceedings, left Cordova with the court ; his departure ended the sittings of the learned body, and Columbus was again abandoned to his own great dreams. During the four following years, he was attached to the royal suite in an humble capacity ; his claims were occasionally noticed, but the assemblies con- vened for the purpose, invariably lost the time in ad- vancing absurd objections, then dispersed at the sig- nal for a new campaign, without deigning a reply to the impatient applicant. Tormented with this pain- ful suspense, he mingled in silence with the crowd which pressed through the streets of the royal cities, sat brooding and unheeded in the antechambers of the palaces, or, following the court to Grenada, looked with melancholy disdain upon the long lines of bril- liantly equipped troops, as they marched to battle, or 30 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. filed tlirongh the gates of conquered cities with tri- umphant banners. Goaded at last to desperation, by the continued trifling with his long-revolved project, he demanded an immediate reply from the conference, again iipon the point of dispersing. The entire enterprise was finally rejected as vision- ary and unbecoming to the dignity of a prince — a decision which Ferdinand softened by assuring Co- lumbus it should be reconsidered at the close of the war. Indignant and grieved, he left Seville, and de- termined to seek the patronage of other courts. Wearied, discouraged, and reduced to extreme pov- erty, he arrived at the convent of La Rabida, after nearly six years of intolerable anxiety, and the final rejection of the splendid gift he would have laid at the feet of his sovereigns. Yet he never, for a mo- ment, thought of abandoning a project that was thus rudely buffeted and banded from one court to an- other. His wonderful perseverance was but tasked to greater efi'ort. Juan Peres, the guardian of the convent, was as- tonished and exasperated at the result of the applica- tion. He had formerly been confessor to the queen ; with this advantage, he penned a letter of expostula- tion to the monarchs, and despatched it by a worthy friar, who discharged his commission so promptly that, in fourteen days, he returned with a royal letter and message demanding the presence of Juan Peres. Unwilling to lose a moment, he set out at midnight for the Spanish camp, at Santa Fe. Arrived at the COLUMBUS. 31 scene of war, be was conducted to tlie presence oi Is abella, whom he addressed witli a daring zeal that at once enlisted her interest and sympathy. He was rewarded by her summons for Columbus, and the gift of a purse to provide the habiliments necessary to his appearance in the presence of royalty. Overjoyed at the prospect of success, Columbus hastened to obey the command. He arrived at the camp in time to witness the surrender of Grenada, and the mournful departure of the last of the Moorish kings. It was a propitious moment; the monarchs were elated with success, and prepared to listen en- couragingly to new plans. Nobles and grandees, wreathed with fresh laurels, fair senoras of distin- guished birth, honoring, in gala dress, the late crown- ing victory of the Spanish arms ; stately archbishops, cardinals and priests, exulting over the downfall of the crescent, and, elevated above them all, the revered sovereigns, of more imposing presence than ever, and now thrice crowned — altogether composed an assem- blage that, without overawing, inspired Columbus with rare and majestic eloquence. He felt that his destiny and the fate of an undiscovered world hung upon his words. His benignant face beamed with the intensity of his enthusiasm ; his form dilated and towered with the vastness of his expanded soul, while he pictured the magnificent realms he should add to their conquest, and the converts that would be made among heathen hosts who peopled the unknown re- gions in barbaric splendor. 32 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. The last suggestion touched the tender heart of Isabella far more than the grandeur he depicted. "Whispers of incredulity or derision went from lip to lip among those who, for the first time, beheld the famous navigator ; while hope and anxiety were plainly visible upon the countenances of those Avho appreciated and approved the disputed claims. Fer- dinand looked coldly upon the audacity of the inno- vator who demanded " for himself and heirs, the title and authority of Admiral and Yiceroy over all lands discovered by him, with one tenth of the profits." The haughty Talavera, now elevated to the arch- bishopric of Grenada, came again like a dark shadow between Columbus and the object almost within his grasp. He pompously assured the king that such terms "savored of the highest degree of arrogance, and would be unbecoming in their highnesses to grant to a needy, foreign adventurer." What bitter words to the proud claimant! Ferdinand endeavored to per- suade him to relinquish his ambitious terms. His dignity would not yield this ; the imperious Ferdi- nand and the princely-minded supplicant were equal- ly firm. The interview ended, and Columbus quickly passed out, despising the throng who gloried over the acquisition of a petty kingdom and blindly'rejected the vast domains he could give them. Indignant and angry, he disregarded the expostulations of the friends who gathered about him, mounted his mule and rode away from the scenes of martial triumph. Pained at the rejection of his enterprise, those COLUMBUS. 33 friends sought the queen. Alonzo de Quintanilla and St. Angel, his warmest advocates, boldly reproached Isabella for hesitating to undertake a cause in which little could be lost, while the gain might be incalcu- lable. Yielding to her own generous impulses, and acting with the decision and spirit which had never allowed the interests of the united kingdoms to clash, she exclaimed, " I undertake the enterprise for my own crown of Castile, and will pledge my jewels to raise the necessary funds." A courier was hastily despatched for Columbus ; he had crossed the rich Vega, in the midst of which stood the Moorish capital, and was passing over the bridge of Pinos, when he was overtaken. He refused to return, for he had no faith in Ferdinand. Assured the message was from the queen herself, he joyfully turned back, for he knew her word was a sacred pledge that had never been broken. Isabella re- ceived him graciously, promptly acceded to his terms, directed the immediate preparation of two ships, a third being provided by Martin Alonzo Pinzon and Juan Peres, of La Rabida. She then, with Ferdi- nand, signed the capitulations which were concluded the 17th of April, 1492. The port of Palos in Andalusia was selected by the queen for the fitting out of the armament, because the inhabitants were under penalty, for some misdemean- or, to serve the crown for one year with two armed caravels. By a royal mandate, they were obliged to prepare and man them within ten days, for Columbus. B* 8 34 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. The decree set all Palos in commotion. The most of the inhabitants were horror-struck at the thought of venturing into regions long invested with supernatu- ral terrors. Even the oldest mariners, with the ex- ception of those who at first had gathered about Co- lumbus, shook their heads and shrugged their shoul- ders at the fearful enterprise. They might approve the theory, but it was a very different matter to test it personally. After great difiiculty, a crew of one hundred and twenty, from various ports of Spain, was pressed into the service, and the little fleet was ready for sea on the 3rd of August. Dejected by the prospect of near approaching death, the motley crew went in procession to the church of Palos, confessed and received the blessing of the revered Father Peres, returned to the ships, unfurled the sails and floated away over the vast waste of waters from which few of them ever ex- pected to return. The friends who watched the van- ishing sails from the shore, wept in unconsolable grief for those they deemed lost, or about to undergo terrors, the more fearful because mysterious. Three weeks elapsed before the three barks out- sailed the last point of land, owing to a delay at the Canary islands. When the sailors beheld the heights of Ferro gradually fade from their sight, and saw nothing but the wide rolling ocean wherever they turned, fear overcame them and they burst into tears and loud lamentations. Columbus had new and un- foreseen difliculties to contend with, throughout the I COLUMBUS. 35 voyage — the continued clanger of insubordination among the undisciplined crews which had no sympa- thy in, or appreciation of, his great object ; the start- ling variation of the needle for which he could not account satisfactorily to himself ; and the extent of ocean which greatly exceeded the computation of the most able cosmographers. The last perplexity, he concealed from the officers and crew, lest their fears should defeat his continued progress. The daily look-out for land caused intense and in- creasing excitement. Often startled with the hope- ful cry of " land ho ! " and as often sinking back into disappointment and fear, the men at last grew despe- rate and would hear no more of their commander's oft-repeated assurances of a speedy possession of splendid countries and immense riches. They gath- ered in knots and planned his destruction, if he did not conduct them to terra Jirma within a certain num- ber of days. Columbus maintained, in their pres- ence, a self-possessed, commanding, fearless demean- or, and a clear, serene countenance that still held them in awe ; but when alone in his long night-watches, he gazed intently and anxiously along the dusky horizon, to catch the faintest promise of land. At length, one evening, he caught the glimmering of a flitting light, as if one went to ana fro, or was rocked upon the waves. Believing it to be the indi- cations of inhabited land, he remained on a keen watch through the night. At two in the morning, the thrilling signal of a gun from the Pinta an- 36 MOEXING STARS OF THE NEW WOELD. nounced the joyful news of land. They cast anchor, and impatiently waited for the dawn to reveal what was before them. Doubtless, Columbus expected to behold the rich shore of the eagerly sought India, or the j)erfumed groves and gilded cities of the famed Cipango. As the shadows of night were slowly lifted from the dark mass that had loomed up through long, tan- talizing hours, they looked with wonder upon the shores of a beautiful island, covei'ed with a luxuriant growth of trees and fresh verdure that extended to the beach. Human beings of neither giant growth nor dwarfish proportions, emerged from the woods in every quarter, and seemed lost in astonishment at the approach of white-winged monsters, which they believed had been wafted from heaven npon the clouds. Columbus immediately ordered a boat to be low- ered, and, richly attired in scarlet and gold lace, de- scended to the boat, bearing a banner emblazoned with a cross, two crowns and the initials of the Span- ish monarchs. Upon reaching the shore, the admiral and his companions prostrated themselves and kissed the earth, uttering transports of joy and giving thanks to God in tears. Columbus then unfurled his stand- ard, solemnly took possession of the island in the name of his sovereigns, and demanded the oath of obedience to himself as viceroy, from his followers. They crowded about him, knelt at his feet, kissed and embraced him with reverence and admiration, and COLUMBUS. 37 entreated favor of him as if they beheld in him a princely conqueror. The natives timidly approached, touched their gar- ments svith curiosity, and noted the fair skins and the long beards of the new comers, with amazement. They recognized the superiority of Columbus in the devotion of his companions, and were won by the benignity with which he submitted to their scrutiny. The Spaniards, in their turn, beheld with wonder a race widely differing from any in the known world. Finely proportioned, naked, of copper-colored skin, with straight black hair flowing upon their shoulders, speaking an unknown tongue, simple and harmless in their manners — they were objects of intense interest and speculation to the discoverer. Thus the inhabi- tants of the Old and the I^ew World met for the first time, after centuries of mysterious separation. The island was named St. Salvador ; and as it gave no proof of the rich, populous cities the admiral had expected to find, and as the natives pointed to the south as being a golden region, he spread sails again to seek the country of the Grand Khan, in the exis- tence of which he confidently believed. All that the natives had told him by signs, he interpreted in ac- cordance with his hopes. For weeks they cruised among the islands that, on every hand, rose from the sea. Full of enthusiasm, they regarded everything in the most favorable light, and were enraptured with the soft climate, the luxu- rious vegetation of the islands and the hospitality of 38 MORNING STAKS OF THE NEW -WOKLB. the Indians. At Hispaniola, while at anchor in the Bay of Acril, the ship under the command of Colum- bus, "was drifted to the shore through the carelessness of the helmsman ; the keel struck deep into the sands and the caravel was soon an irreparable wreck. Alarmed at the loss of his vessel and grieved by the late desertion of Pinzon and his crew, Columbus re- solved to return immediately to Spain. A few of his men, attracted by the easy, indolent life of the natives, and pleased with the gracious and prince-like majesty of the ruling cacique, and his generosity to- wards them, decided to remain among this newly discovered race. The wrecked ship afforded them materials and arms for a fortress, which they speedily built. The rest, with Columbus, returned to the re- maining caravel. Longing to extend his discoveries, yet feeling that the success of the expedition now de- pended upon the safe voyage of one fragile bark, he turned from the enticing hope of greater discover- ies and directed the single prow homeward. A few days after leaving La Navidad and while still beating along the coast, a shout from the mast head announced the joyful news of a sail standing to- wards them. It proved to be the Pinta. Pinzon en- deavored to palliate his desertion by various excuses, to which Columbus listened without reply. Four Indian men and two girls, to be sold in Spain, had been taken captive during his independent cruising, and a large quantity of gold had been secured. Co- lumbus immediately restored the wronged natives to LUMBU8. 89 their island, notwithstanding the angry opposition of Pinzon. Four young Indians, however, were received as guides to the Caribbean Islands — a proposed ex- tension of the voyage that was afterwards abandoned. Their sails were now gladly spread for Spain ; but, when far out upon the Atlantic, a terrific storm threatened the destruction of both the frail vessels, ill-fitted to outride a tempest. For days, they were obliged to scud under bare poles, while, every mo- ment, the frightened sailors believed they should be buried beneath the overwhelming waves. The two vessels kept within sight, until, during a night of fear- ful danger, the}'^ were separated. Morning dawned upon a waste of broken, foaming waves ; the Pinta was no where visible. The sailors of the Nifia were maddened with terror at the disappearance of their companions ; left alone upon the vast waters, which were lashed into fury by the gale, their old supersti- tions returned ; they trembled with the fear of being kept forever in the midst of the stormy waste, and cursed the hour in which they had embarked in the enterprise. Tliese repinings added to the anxiety and distress that already depressed their commander. The whole success of his life-long pursuit depended upon the fate of the half-wrecked bark that remained to him. If it was lost, the knowledge and record of his triumph would be buried with it ; the l!s'ew "World might remain unknown for ages, and his own name, despoiled of its glory, be the distinction only of a chimerical adventurer. 40 MORNING- STAHS OF THE NEW WORLD. Harassed with these fears, he prepared two concise accounts of his discoveries upon parchment, encased them in waxed cloth within cakes of wax, and en- closed them in casks ; one, he threw into the sea ; the other was placed upon the poop of the vessel, with the hope of its floating off in case of the destruction of the caravel. But at the close of the same day upon which these precautions Avere taken, the dark clouds broke into fleecy groups, the waves were but lightly crested, and a clear light gleamed in the west. The following morning, shouts of joy resounded through the ship, as the clear, sunny atmosphere re- vealed land ; the shores of the Old World were greet- ed with almost as deep, heart-felt enthusiasm as had filled all eyes with tears on approaching land, after a long wandering in the unknown seas of the I^^ew World. As if Columbus had not yet been sufiiciently tried by a multiplicity of troubles and delays, a new de- tention still withheld from him the glory and the tri- umphant vindication of his theory, which he eagerly awaited. Upon arriving at the Azores, he sent part of his crew on shore at St. Mary's to fulfill a vow that had been made during the tempestj namely, to send a procession, bare-footed, to offer thanksgiving in some church dedicated to the Yirgin. While pray- ing in the island chapel, they were arrested by order of the king of Portugal, — an act instigated entirely by jealousy. Columbus not having been secured as was the intention, the innocent sailors were re- COLrMBUS- 41 leased after a detention of three days, and they again set sail for Spain. After being tossed about in a mer- ciless tempest for days, they were obliged to take shelter in a Portuguese harbor. Couriers were immediately despatched to the Span- ish sovereigns, with the news of his arrival and suc- cess. Meanwhile, crowds from Lisbon daily visited the ship, with its marvellous freight of productions from the new countries. A message from the king invited Columbus to the court at Valparaiso, whither he repaired and was received with distinctions grant- ed only to princes of the royal blood. King John was deeply grieved and mortified at having lost the vast acquisitions that had been rejected with disdain, in the person of the great navigator. Some of the courtiers, envious and piqued at the brilliant achieve- ments of one who had defied their learning and wis- dom, proposed the assassination of Columbus. Oth- ers suggested the secret fitting out of an armament that should proceed, at once, over the same route, and claim the forfeited possessions, under cover of a grant from the Pope, which ceded to them a portion of the imaginary India. The last proposition was accepted. Upon the reception of letters from his royal pat- rons, Columbus promptly sailed for Spain, and arrived safely at Palos, on the 15th of March. At the start- ling news of the return of the Nina, and that it was actually at anchor in the harbor, the inhabitants of Palos could scarcely express their astonishment and joy. All business was suspended, the bolls pealed 42 MOKNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. out a noisy welcome, and the streets were filled, with' a multitude, running to and fro with the ex- citement of the wonderful event. Shouts and excla- mations rent the air, as Columbus and his crew land- ed and proceeded to the Church to give thanks, where, seven months before, they had stood dejected and trembling with terror at the plunge they were about to take into unknown regions. Columbus, who had departed amid the execrations and jeers of the wise and the learned, came now overwhelmed with honors, unshared by any other per- son. Pinzon, who, by a singular coincidence, arrived at Palos on the evening of the same day with the ad- miral, was mortified and foiled in his hopes of first announcing the result of the voyage. He was sur- prised at sight of the Nina, anchored in the same port. He had believed her lost at sea, and hastened to receive honors he flattered himself were reserved for him alone. Upon hearing of the enthusiastic re- ception of his commander, he landed privately, and, after the departure of Columbus for court, repaired to his own home. The subsequent displeasure of the sovereigns at his conduct stung his sensitive soul ; humbled and crushed under a keen sense of his dis- honor, he died a few days after the announcement of his disgrace. The arrival of Columbus at Barcelona was like the triumphant entry of a Roman conqueror. The return from a balloon voyage to the moon, at the present day, with specimens of its inhabitants and vegetation, COLUMBUS. 43 could not produce a greater commotion than did that event which crowded tlie streets, balconies, and even the roofs, of Barcelona with spectators. Six Indians, whom Columbus had induced to accomi3any him, and who were showily decorated with gold coronets, bracelets, and various ornaments, headed the singular procession ; it was with difficulty that it made its way through the applauding populace to the square, where Ferdinand and Isabella publicly awaited the ap- proach of the illustrious voyager, beneath a canopy of gold brocade. "When Columbus approached, escorted on either hand by royal ]3rinces, the sovereigns rose to receive him as if he had been a monarch and a conqueror. He knelt before them, and would have kissed their hands in token of vassalage, had they permitted it ; but they raised him, and, with a graciousness that was unheard of in a court remarkable for its punctilious etiquette, seated him beside them. This was the proudest moment of his life. His age, his white locks, the beaming benignity of his countenance and the majesty of his carriage, were in keeping with the dignity and grandeur of the enterprise he had hero- ically accomplished. This triumph was enhanced by the hard, life-long battle through which he had attained victory. He had combated the accumulated science of ages ; he had fought the bigotry and pedantry of churchmen, and the superstition of the masses ; defied the expe- rience of veteran mariners, struggled with poverty, 44 MOENLNG STARS OF THE NEW WOKLD. journeyed with unconquerable perseverance from court to court, and, at last, in three little ships, that were but toys for the rude waves to toss about, he had battled the elements, subdued his rebellious crew, sternly and daringly ploughed through the unknown deep, and grasped the reality that, from his youth, had floated before his vision like a phantom. Proud Castilian nobles, warriors famed for their knightly prowess in the victories of Grenada, arch- bishops and cardinals — the same who had haughtily brushed by the poor applicant a year before, now sank in insignificance before the immortalized man, upon whom all eyes turned with wonder, almost with adoration. After Columbus had communicated the most important events of his voyage to the monarchs, they fell upon their knees and gave thanks to God ; an act which was imitated by the vast multitude. In the midst of the prevailing solemnities, the notes of the Te Deum arose softly, and swelled into grand rolling tones that quelled the murmurs of many voi- ces into a hush of attention. The effect of the scene upon Columbus was such that he solemnly vowed to devote a large proportion of his anticipated wealth to the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre from the infidels. This visionary project of a splendid crusade was his favorite theme, and an object for which he provided in his will — a fact that sufiiciently indicates the pious enthusiasm of his character, and his freedom from mere mercenary views. During the six months of preparation for a second COLUMBUS. 45 voyage, the glories of the IN'ew "World, its golden riv- ers, its spicy groves, its exuberant verdure and de- licious climate, were discussed with vivacious ardor, by all Spain. The Indies were seen through a golden vail that imparted a bewitching brilliancy and ro- mance to its distant shores. The heroic and the am- bitious, who longed for chivalric achievements, like those which had distinguished the Moorish war, ea- gerly rushed into the newly-opened channel of enter- prise. The fleet of seventeen ships, destined for the voyage, were soon crowded with the noblest hidalgos of Spain, and a promiscuous throng in quest of fame and gold. Such was the infatuation of the Spaniards, that many who were refused participation in the al- ready over-crowded expedition, went on board by stealth, and concealed themselves till the ships were out at s§a. Thus, with wild hopes and buoyant spir- its, they bade adieu to European lands, little dream- ing of the stern toil and the bitter disappointments that awaited them on transatlantic shores. A voyage of two months brought them to Hispan- iola, where some of the companions of the former voyage had remained in the hastily-built fortress of La ISTavidad. The ships anchored in the bay at eve- ning, and the crews impatiently awaited daybreak, to greet the men who had been left in the wilderness. Columbus felt serious apprehension lest some evil had befallen them, since no reply had been given to the signal-guns fired upon their arrival. No light, no Bounds of life, were recognized in the profound still- 46 MORNING STAKS OF THE NEW WORLD. ness that ominously rested "upon the neighboring - shore, till, out of the darkness, two or three boats, filled with Indians, shot over the water and ap- proached the ships. The Indians could not be per- suaded to go on board until Columbus presented him- self, with a light that enabled them to scan his features. They readily recognized the venerable form and countenance of the admiral, and no longer hesitated to trust themselves to the formidable Span- iards. From them the fate of the little colony was ascer- tained. They related that Caonabo, a fierce cacique, known to the Spaniards as the lord of the Golden House, had come down from his dominions in the golden mountains of Cibao, attacked and burned the village of the peaceful Guacanagari, destroyed the fortress and massacred the Spaniards who had quar- reled among themselves, and had neglected needful caution. Pained at the mournful fate of the garrison, Colum- bus abandoned his design of establishing a colony there, and selected a more favorable site. A harbor, sheltered upon one side by rocks, and by a forest on the other, and having a finely watered plain in the vi- cinity, was decided upon. The projected city was named Isabella, and its erection immediately com- menced. Stores, ammunition, arms, and live stock, had been abundantly provided, and were promptly disembarked. The work at first proceeded with zest, but the efi'ects of unaccustomed labor and a new cli- COLUMBUS. 47 mate, were soon visible, especially among the young cavaliers, who were sorely chagrined at finding the necessity of severe bodily exertion, when they had anticipated nothing but delightful roamings in para- disiacal regions, and the easy acquisition of gold that was somehow to fall into their hands at every turn. The prevailing gloom and despondency of mind aggravated diseases, which rapidly thinned out their numbers. Oppressed by these unhappy results, over- come with fatigue, and disappointed in not finding a store of gold at La Navidad, with which to freight the returning ships, Columbus himself became se- verely ill ; but he shortly rallied and tasked his ener- getic mind to the utmost to provide freight for the waiting vessels, in keeping with the enticing accounts he had repeatedly given. Though his golden dreams daily eluded his grasp, he was always buoyed with the certainty of finding the rich country of the Grand Khan, which Was, to the last, the object of his unti- ring search. Eager to realize the expectations of his sovereigns, of rich returns, and to sustain the reputation of his discoveries, he proposed an expedition to the moun- tains of Cibao, in search of gold, Alonzo de Ojeda was selected for the leader. He was a young cava- lier of dark and handsome countenance, fine propor- tions, and was remarkable for his strength and agil- ity. Irving further describes him as " bold of heart, free of spirit, open of hand ; fierce in fight, quick in brawl, but ready to forgive and prone to forget an 48 MORNING STAKS OF THE NEW WOKLD. injury." He was well fitted for the adventurous ex- pedition committed to him, and from which he re- turned with glowing descriptions of the golden riches of the powerful Caonabo's possessions. Elated by these reports, Columbus immediately despatched twelve of the ships, with specimens of gold found in the mountains, unknown fruits and plants, and a number of Carib captives, to be educa- ted for interpreters, and to aid in the conversion of their race. Being fully aware of the great discrep- ancy between the outlays and the returns of the ex- pedition, he proposed a source of revenue to his sovereigns that leaves an ineffaceable blot upon his name. It was the enslavement of the Carib race — a suggestion which he justified by the hope of their civilization and eventual conversion to the true faith. Isabella's humanity and sense of justice at once re- jected the scheme. In order to divert the colonists from fheir discontent, and to search for the expected gold, a party of well- armed men prepared for battle, labor, or mining, and headed by the admiral, set out to explore the in- terior of Hispaniola. After crossing a plain and ar- riving at the summit of a mountain pass, they beheld a luxurious plain extended beneath them, occasion- ally intersected by magnificent forests of gigantic mahogany trees and spreading palms, brightened by countless streams, and dotted with Indian hamlets, from which the inhabitants poured forth in dismay at the sound of drums and trumpets, and the sight of COLUMBUS. 49 men clad ia shining steel, and mounted upon animals that seemed to them one with their riders. In their simplicity, thej regarded the Spaniards as children of Heaven, and eagerly laid at their feet all the gifts they had to bestow. Gold was brought in abundance. The little army continued their march for several days, till they reached the mountain barriers on the opposite side of the plain. A fortress was erected in the most suitable place for mining, but the results were meagre, as the miners were continually enticed by the Indians to wander hither and thither in search of more promising regions, which were always upon the banks of some remote stream, in the depths of an intricate forest, or hidden among the unattainable mountain heights. Upon returning to the settlement of Isabella, Co- lumbus found the colonists in a deplorable state. The heat of the climate, and the humidity of the soil, had induced illness or extreme debility among the largest portion of the settlers ; the growing scarcity of provisions, also promised a speedy famine. Seek- ing the general good, Columbus promptly put the whole colony on short allowance, constructed a mill to grind corn, and, by compulsory measures, obliged the Spanish cavaliers to perform the duties of the common laborers, who were the greatest sufferers by sickness. These measures, so necessary to the wel- fare of the whole colony, were regarded by the proud and intolerant cavaliers as the unjust impositions of an upstart foreigner. They formed the grounds of C 4 50 MOENING STARS OF THE NEW WOELD. persecution and anathema that henceforth pursued, and finally crushed, the man whose whole life seems one continuous struggle with the elements of nature and the prejudice of mankind. When tranquillity was in a measure secured to the colony of Isabella, a voyage of discovery was attempt- ed in the direction of Cuba. Columbus still believed Cuba to be part of the continent of Asia — " the be- ginning and end of India." His intention was to have coasted the imagined continent, till he arrived at regions belonging to the known world, and thus circumnavigate the globe, or return to Spain by way of the Mediterranean. His vessels were disabled, however, by cruising in the intricate channels that abound along the western coast of Cuba ; and the sailors were unwilling to advance farther, where they might incur still greater exposure and peril than they had already endured. He was obliged to turn back, though not until his crew had signed a deposition, de- claring their belief that Cuba was part of the conti- nent of Asia. Two days' continuation of the voyage would have undeceived them, but in that, as in every enterprise which Columbus projected, he was baffled by the timidity or obstinacy of those with whom he had to deal. Violent storms accompanied their return voyage, separating the vessels and threatening destruction. The admiral endured the most painful anxietj^, day and night, for there was not one in whom he could trust, while traversing these unknown seas, where COLUIUBUS. 61 they were continually entangled among wild islands. When at last the ocean became tranquil, and they emerged into more familiar regions, the reaction of extreme excitement and fatigue left Columbus in a state of insensibility that resembled the lethargy of death. The alarmed sailors spread the sails to a fa vorable breeze, and bore their unconscious com mander into the harbor of Isabella. There was one at Isabella who eagerly awaited his arrival. Bartholomew Columbus, his eldest brother, had parted from him when he had first sought the shores of Spain, and had been commissioned by him to seek the patronage of Henry YII. of England. .In this, Bartholomew had been successful, after a cap- tivity of some years with a roving corsair. He has- tened to Sj)ain to announce the result, but, at Paris, learned that the discovery had been accomplished, and that his brother was showered with honors at the Spanish court, and was preparing a second splendid expedition. He arrived in Spain just after the fleet had sailed, but, aided by the monarchs, fitted out a vessel and spread his sails in the wake of the brilliant fleet. The delay of these preparations, and struggles with adverse winds, caused a late arrival at Isabella ; he entered the harbor just after the admiral had sailed for Cuba. Columbus' first consciousness was the presence of this beloved brother. It inspired him with new hope and strength. He had been his early companion and the supporter of his splendid schemes, and he 52 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. was fully capable of relieving him now of the intol- erable cares that oppressed him among strangers and unsympathizing foreigners. Bartholomew was a man of powerful, vigorous frame and commanding air ; he was prompt, firm, fearless and persevering — qualities that wel' fitted him to govern a turbulent colony. He difiPercd from Columbus in a certain sternness and abruptness of manner which repelled rather than won ; the penetration and sagacity of his intellect prepared him to deal with men and things, with an adroitness entirely at variance with the admiral's simplicity of character. •Columbus gladly invested Bartholomew with the title and authority of Adelantado, which gave him the government of the island — an ofiice that had principally devolved upon Don Diego, his younger brother, who was of too mild and inoffensive a nature to maintain an energetic and firm government. The affairs of the colony had become lamentably disor- dered during the absence of the admiral. Complaints and threats arose from every quarter. Every ship that arrived from Spain had been sent back with accounts of the tyranny and oppression of Columbus, and his deceitful representations of the newly discov- ered countries. These calumnies, continually poured into the ears of the Spanish monarchs, finally gained some credence, and one Juan Aguado was despatched to ascertain the truth of these representations. He arrived at Hispaniola soon after the return of the admiral, and while the colonists were exasperated COLUMBUS. 53 at the appointment of another brother to high office. The haughty cavaliers were indignant at the rule of a family of foreigners, who had sprung from poverty and obscurity. They bewailed their own fate, and pointed to the graves of their companions, in whom wounded pride and sullen despair had worked more fatally than disease. Insults and accusations were heaped upon the admiral. Juan Aguado prepared to return to Spain, with an accumulation of grievances, that placed Columbus in the light of an unpardona- ble criminal. The serious aspect now given to these complaints, decided the admiral at once to present himself at court and vindicate the measures he had adopted. The government of the island, during his absence, was committed to Bartholomew, the Adelantado. He set sail at the same time with Aguado, in a separate caravel, containing a large number of the factious and. disappointed colonists. Thirty Indians were also on board, who, after a visit to Spain, were to be re- turned to their native land. Among them was the famous Caonabo, the monarch of the golden moun- tains of Cibao, who, in a battle, had been taken pris- oner by the adventurous Ojeda. The wily stratagem by which the royal captive had been secured, so filled him with admiration and respect for the prowess of Ojeda, that, although diminutive in height and un- distinguished in dress, Caonabo invariably arose in his presence, but obstinately remained seated when Columbus, to whom every one else did obeisance, 54 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WORLD. appeared. Several fellow-captives were offered their liberty ; but one, a proud, heroic, Indian wo- man, the wife of a cacique, refused to go on shore, having been won by the misfortunes of the haughty and valorous chieftain whose fate she resolved to share. Caonabo died, however, on the passage. On the 11th of June, 1496, two caravels from the !N'ew World anchored in the bay of Cadiz. Multi- tudes hastened to greet the adventurers whose desti- ny they had envied, and whose gay equipments and exultant looks had filled the hearts of those obliged to remain, with discontent at their exclusion from a chance in the golden lottery. Now they beheld, with pity and surprise, a train of pale, emaciated wretches, just able to drag themselves on shore, loaded with disease and disappointment instead of the precious ore they had expected to bear. Columbus himself, divested of the imposing habiliments he was accus- tomed to wear, appeared in the humble garb of a Franciscan monk, and with an unshaven beard, either from a self-imposed vow, or because he felt himself under the displeasure of his sovereigns. His reception by Ferdinand and Isabella was un- expectedly gracious. No notice was taken by them of the complaints brought by Aguado ; they were too conscious of his great merits and the difficulties with which he had to contend, to reprimand his errors. He was obliged^ however, to linger in Spain nearly two years before preparations were matured by the crown for a third voyage of discoveiy. The contest COLUMBUS. 55 of political stratagem with France, and war with Italy, wholly absorbed the attention of Ferdinand, who, at best, looked coldly upon Columbus. Family alliances also drew largely upon the interest and thoughts of the sovereigns. In the spring of 1498, a squadron of six vessels was at his service ; but the reaction of the public mind in regard to the New World, made the diflSculty of ob- taining recruits for Hispaniola so great, that it became necessary to supply the deficiency with condemned criminals. This measure proved the destruction of the colony of Isabella, and was a fruitful source of trouble and vexation to the end of Columbus' life. The result of this voyage was the discovery of the South American continent ; but, when the aged ad- miral beheld its shores, he did not accept it as the world which had been the object of his life-long search. He had a vague idea of an infinite extension of islands before him, deceived as he was by the low, wide plain, intersected in every direction by the Ori- noco. The rapid flow of fresh water into the gulf of Paria, he presumed to be from a mighty river that coursed through some continent yet far distant. Un- able to prosecute his discovery, in consequence of tlie weather-beaten state of his vessels, and his own in- creasing infirmities, he steered for Hispaniola, after collecting various specimens from the new region, in which were included pearls of large size and great beauty, obtained from the natives. He arrived at Is- abella, emaciated by illness, and almost blind from 56 MORNING STARS OF THE NEW WOKLIX the long night-watches he always kept when travers- ing unknown seas. The Adelantado welcomed him gladly ; for, during the two and a half years of their separation, an Her- culean task had fallen to his share. Under a daring and insolent leader, the colonists were in a state of rebellion ; not more than forty men remained loyal to the Adelantado, and even in those he could repose no confidence. The attempts of Columbus to restore order resulted in his own deep humiliation. He was obliged to accede to all the terms proposed by the rebels ; granted them Indian slaves, supplied them with ships to transport some of the principal actors to Spain, provided them with certificates of good con- duct, and permitted the worthless rabble to embark for home in complete triumph, unpunished, and rec- ommended to the sovereigns. The admiral, how- ever, privately despatched letters to his royal patrons, assuring them of the true state of afi'airs, and that the capitulations had been compulsory. Only a few days had elapsed after their departure, when they all returned, actuated in part by the severe weather they had experienced, and much more, prob- ably, from fear to appear in Spain, after carrying out such higli-handed measures. Columbus beheld them pouring in upon him again, with a heavy heart. He was stung with the insolent, impudent mien whicli they preserved ; he felt it the more keenly because of the light in which he regarded his own dignity of station, — expecting, as he did, the same veneration COLUMBUS. ^ 57 from them, which he felt for those to whom he ac- knowledged vassalage. Yet, each day, new demands and new concessions were repeated. Large grants of land were allowed them ; their leader was installed in high office ; emboldened by their success, they com- mitted lawless depredations among the natives, rob- bed them of their valuables, and carried off the most beautiful of the Indian maidens. In the midst of these insubordinate movements, a letter arrived from Spain in reply to the complaints and demands of redress, made by Columbus. It was written by the Bishop Fonseca, superintendent of In- dian affairs, an artful, malignant enemy of the admiral, and one who seized upon every opportunity to mis- represent him to Ferdinand and Isabella. He curtly replied that the alleged rebellion could not be inves- tigated at present. This disregard of the complaints encouraged the rebels to freer depredations. Colum- bus would have immediately sailed for Spain, but it was impossible while the island continued in a state of revolt. He despatched two caravels with those of the disaffected who chose to go, requested Ferdinand to send him learned men to form a council for settling disputes, and requested that his eldest son, Diego, who, with his brother, had the office of page at court, should be sent out to assist him. The ungovernable ruffians who had thus been shipped to Spain, hastened to Grenada, and, instiga- ted by the invidious Fonseca, gathered in the court of the Alhambra and sent up cries and lamentations c* 58 • MOKNING &TAKS OF THE NEW WORLD. against the cruelty of Columbus. They ran after the king whenever he rode out, and pursued him every- where with their outcries. Ferdinand, already jeal- ous of the power with which he had invested a sub- ject, over countries whose vastness he was just be- ginning to appreciate, was exasperated at the accounts of the viceroy's harsh proceedings, verified in every particular by the false Fonseca. The sight of the enslaved Indian girls, their deplo- rable ruin and lamentations for their wilderness homes, filled Isabella with indignation and resent- ment. Their possessors asserted that they had been freely bestowed by the admiral. She had been firmly opposed, from the first, to the enslavement of the In- dians, had strictly prohibited it, and, on one occasion, shipped back a cargo of five hundred sent by Colum- bus, with assurances of her displeasure. "With the heinous disregard of this command before her eyes, in an aggravated form, her humanity, her indignation and her firmness, equally actuated her to the course she instantly adopted. The slaves were ordered to be returned to their country, together with every other Indian who was wrongfully retained in Spain. Don Francisco de Bo- badilla, a man of violent passions and ambitious character, was appointed to go to Hispaniola, investi- gate the conduct of Columbus, and, if necessary, su- percede him in command. He arrived in the harbor of Isabella in the autumn of 1500. "Without making inquiries, and prejudiced COLUMBUS. 59 against the man lie came to judge, he took advantage of the admh^al's absence in the interior, and controlled affairs according to his own hasty view of the mat- ter. He seized Don Diego, and enchained and im- prisoned him without assigning a cause ; pardoned all the rebels, took possession and disposed of Colum- bus' residence and effects, as if confiscated to the crown ; demanded the surrender of all the fortresses and sent peremptory orders for the admiral to appear before him. When Columbus beheld the royal missive, he was confounded. Conscious of his own integrity and mo- tives, he obeyed the mandate and presented himself before Bobadilla. He was immediately put in irons and confined in the fortress, amidst the shouts of the populace, though not one had dared to step forth and rivet the chains of him whose venerable presence and magnificent achievements could not but strike them with awe. He received the indignities heaped up- on him, in silence — not the silence of moroseness or guilt, but the stillness of a noble soul wounded by the ingratitude and falsity of a friend. He had reposed the utmost confidence in his reverenced tj^ucen. Her justice, her generosity, her magnanim- ity, had been a supporting staff, upon which he leaned with trust and undoubting reliance, when bound un- der an intolerable burden of care and injustice. That she should have failed him — that the sovereigns, to whom he had given incalculable services, should thus reward him, was a bitterness that made him indiffer- 60 MOKNING STARS OF THE NKW WOULD. ent and almost insensible to tlie insults of the assu- ming Bobadilla and the unprincipled rabble, upon whom he looked with mournfal scorn. When he appeared upon the shores of Spain in chains, a feeling of indignation sped like an electric shock throughout the kingdom. From the chivalric noble to the hot-blooded peasant, all felt a sense of shame that the honor of Spain was thus dimmed be- fore all the world. He refused to have his irons re- moved, proudly assuring those who interposed, that they had been placed there by the comanand of his sovereigns, and by their authority only they should be taken off ; then, he would preserve them as relics and memorials of the reward of his services. Isabella was surprised and grieved at the severity with which Bobadilla had executed her commands ; but when convinced of the unjust treatment of Co- lumbus, she made all the reparation in her power, provided him with a rich equipment, wrote letters expressing grief, and invited him to court. The mag- nificent hall of the Alhambra was the scene of the interview. Columbus entered and presented himself before his sovereigns and the throng that surrounded them, still keenly feeling his injuries, and maintaining the dignity and silence under which his sensitive spirit had taken shelter. But when he belield tears in the eyes of the queen, heard her gentle voice of sympathy and regret, and received her extended hand, the long pent-up emotions of his heart flooded forth in uncontrollable tears. He threw himself upon his COLUMBUS. 61 knees before her, but he could not speak a word for the violent sobs which choked his utterance. The monarchs raised him and consoled him with most gracious promises. When sufficiently recovered, he vindicated himself in the most eloquent and touch- ing terms. He received assurance of their sincere regret, and pledges of an immediate restoration to his dignities and government — promises which the deceitful and politic Ferdinand never intended to ful- fill. Columbus, nothing doubting, expected to be speedily reinstated, but he was doomed to .disappoint- ment that embittered and clouded the remainder of his troubled life. He remained nine months at Grenada, endeavoring to arrange his affairs and to obtain the action of the king upon the restoration of his dignities. His pa- tience at last exhausted, lie turned his attention to the prosecution of a fourth voyage in search of an imagi- nary strait that would open into the Indian sea, and afford a new route to oriental regions. He sailed in pursuit of this chimera, in the spring of 1502, with four caravels, accompanied by his brother, Don Bar- tholomew, and his youngest son, Fernando. The ex- pedition was unsuccessful. After coasting the east- ern shores of the southern continent for some dis- tance, he was obliged to sail for Hispaniola in conse- quence of the shattered condition of his vessels. Storms and adverse winds had been contended with throughout the voyage. His shipwreck on the coast of Jamaica, and detention at Hispaniola, — where the 62 MOKNING STAES OF THE NEW WORLD. wretched and oppressive rule of Orvando, the gov- ernor appointed to supersede him, had produced a deplorable state of suffering and desolation, particu- larly among the Indians, — prevented his return to Spain till two years more of hardship and mental suffering were added to the weight already bearing him down to the grave. After twenty years of toil and pain, we find Co- lumbus at Seville, stripped of his honors, grown old and infirm in the service of his king, yet unrewarded, and painfully struggling with poverty. All the world resounded with his fame and envied his immortal name, while he lay writhing with pain in an obscure little inn, unattended, save by a few of his fellow- voyagers. Tormented by the remembrance of his unrestored honors, he despatched letter after letter to the ungrateful Ferdinand, full of entreaties for their restitution. He spurned the offer of titles and es- tates in Spain, though reduced to indigence. He did not seek pecuniary remuneration ; he only demanded the restoration of his ofhcial dignities, which he as- sured the king concerned his honor, and which he re- garded as the invaluable trophies of his achievements. These very dignities were a stumbling block to the jealous monarch, who was unwilling to perpetually invest a subject and his heirs with the government of countries of vast and growing importance. He preferred the alternative of dissimulation and the vi- olation of his sealed promises. The death of Isabella, whose own severe afflictions COLUMBUS. 63 had in a measure withdrawn her attention from af- fairs of state in her later days, was a severe stroke to the hopes of Columbus. He knew enough of the crafty policy of Ferdinand, to believe that, without the intercession of the beloved queen, his demands for the fulfillment of their sacred promise were futile. Yet he made one, last, despairing effort. The inten- sity and eagerness with which he followed up these de- mands of justice to himself and his descendants, im- parted strength and energy to his enfeebled body and mind. He who, a few years before, proceeded to court in triumph, attended by the nobility, renowned cava- liers, and an applauding populace, now entered the gates of Segovia, a poor, infirm old man, dejected and unnoticed. The royal palace was open to him, but he was received with cold, unmeaning smiles by the king, and listened, with a sinking heart, to his eva- sive promises. Again and again, he sought the royal audience, till the anxiety, irritation and distress of mind incident to his prolonged application, laid him once more upon a bed of illness from w^hich he was never to rise. His energy and youthful ardor rekin- dled and flamed up brilliantly with his flickering life. As if the infirmities of seventy years had not bound him hand and foot, he assured Philip and Joanna, the successors of Isabella, with all the enthusiasm of youth, that he would " yet be able to render them services, the like of which had never been wit- nessed ! "