History of Central America, Volume 1, 1501-1530: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 6Bancroft, Hubert Howe
History
History of Central America, Volume 1, 1501-1530: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 6
Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Central America -- History
First of all, Columbus made his brother Bartolomé _adelantado_, that is
to say, leader of an enterprise, or governor of a frontier province.
Then he sent relief to the fortress of Magdalena, and established
another military post near where was subsequently Santiago, which he
called Concepcion. Later the chain was continued by building other
posts; one near the Rio Yaquí, called Santa Catalina, and one on the
river Yaquí, called Esperanza. Meanwhile Ojeda offered to take the
redoubtable Carib, Caonabo, by stratagem; which was accomplished,
while he was surrounded by a multitude of warriors, by first winning
the admiration and confidence of the cacique, and then on the plea of
personal ornamentation and display obtaining his consent to wear some
beautiful bright manacles, and sit bound behind Ojeda on his steed; in
which plight he was safely brought by the dashing cavalier at the head
of his horsemen into Isabela.
About this time Antonio de Torres arrived with four ships from Spain,
and was sent back with the gold which had been collected, and five
hundred Indians to be sold as slaves. By this departure went Diego Colon
to refute the charges of incompetency and maladministration now being
preferred against his brother at court.
Though suffering from a fresh attack of fever, on the 27th of March,
1495, accompanied by the adelantado and all his available forces,
Columbus set out from Isabela to subjugate the caciques of the island,
who had combined to extirpate the Spaniards. Charging the naked red
men amidst the noise of drum, trumpet, and halloo, with horse and
bloodhound, lance, sabre, and firelock, a peace was soon conquered.
Multitudes of the inhabitants were butchered, and upon the rest
was imposed such cruel tribute that they gradually sank beneath the
servitude. But when the white men thus had the domain to themselves,
they did not know what to do with it. It was not for them to till the
soil, or labor in the mines; hence famine threatened, and they were
finally reduced to the last extremity.
There is little wonder, under the circumstances, that orders were issued
in Spain to depose Columbus, first by the appointment of a commission
of inquiry, and finally by removal.
[Sidenote: GOVERNMENT OF THE INDIES.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account