As Columbus was still sick he sent his brother Bartolomeo with an armed force to meet them. He had orders to use his good offices and not to begin hostilities until all other means were exhausted. Bartolomeo carried out the order, but when he approached in a friendly way and invited them to make peace they took it as a confession of weakness and the battle began. Six of them had planned to attack Bartolomeo and not to give up until they saw him fall. But Bartolomeo met them fearlessly and, as he was faithfully supported by his little following, he charged upon the rebels with such resistless force that in a short time he won a complete victory. Several were put to the sword, others were taken prisoners, and the rest escaped by flight. Among the prisoners who were taken back to the vessels in chains was Porras, the leader of the rebels, whom Bartolomeo had caught and disarmed with his own hands. He himself received a wound in the hand. Shortly after this the fugitives sent to the Admiral messages imploring his mercy, and the magnanimous man, who was always more inclined to forgiveness than revenge, at once granted their prayer. At last order was restored. Every one returned to duty, every one was forgiven, and only the audacious leader of the mutiny remained in chains as a fitting punishment. Mendez and Fiesko meanwhile had unceasingly striven to induce the governor of Hispaniola to allow them the privilege of buying a vessel with which to fetch away Columbus and his people from Jamaica. He hesitated long before granting this reasonable request but, at last, fearing they might apply to the Spanish Court if he persisted in leaving the Admiral helpless, he consented. Thus was Columbus relieved and at a time when everything looked hopeless. After spending a whole year in the struggle with poverty and calamity, the vessel arrived. All embarked joyfully June 28, 1504, and sailed to San Domingo which they reached August 13. The governor, concealing his real sentiments under the cloak of pretension and flattery, ordered Columbus to be received with all honor. At the same time, however, when this coward, because of his fears, was pretending to honor Columbus, he was secretly venting his spite against him in various malicious ways. He particularly arranged that the leader of the mutineers, who was to be taken to Spain in chains, should bring a suit for his immediate release, and at the same time threatened to bring proceedings against those who remained faithful to Columbus. The Admiral, who had borne many an injury at the hands of this unscrupulous man with patience, felt strong enough to endure this last outrage also. But he made all possible haste to leave a country whose discovery had been his misfortune, and as soon as a second vessel had been fitted out he sailed for Spain, September 12, 1504. The same adverse fate which had followed him so persistently on his previous voyage overtook him on this last one. A furious storm was so disastrous