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
The two ships were found to be leaking badly. An examination was made,
when the bottoms were found pierced by teredos;[III-7] and thus before
they knew it their vessels were unfit for service. Hoping still to reach
Cádiz, Bastidas immediately set sail, touched at Jamaica for wood and
water, and continued his voyage as far as Contramaestre, an islet one
league distant from Española, where he was obliged to anchor and repair
his ships. Again embarking for Spain, he was met by a gale which threw
him back upon the island. Buffeted in a second attempt, he ran the
ships for safety into the little port of Jaraguá, where they filled and
sank, the loss in vessels, slaves, Brazil-wood, cloth, and gold, being
not less than five millions of maravedís.[III-8] For notwithstanding
the estimable reputation for piety, justice, and humanity which he
has always borne, the good Bastidas did not scruple gently to entrap
on board his ships, along the shore of Darien, several scores of
unsuspecting natives, to be sold as slaves; nor, having thus exercised
his virtues in the klopemania of the day, did he scruple to abandon
with his sinking ships the greater portion of these innocent wretches
in order to save the more of his gold, which was deemed of greater
proximate and certain value than the bodies or even the souls of the
heathen.
Thus observing everywhere, as perforce we must as we proceed, the
magnanimity and high morality with which our so prized and petted
civilization greeted weak, defenseless, and inoffensive savagism, we
are prepared when shipwrecked mariners are thrown upon a distant isle
inhabited by their own countrymen, subjects of the same sovereigns—we
are prepared by their reception, which we shall presently see, to
exclaim with uplifted hands, Behold, how these brethren love one
another!
After burning superfluous ammunition, the Spaniards gathered up
their valuables, and placing them on the backs of such captives as
for that purpose they had kindly permitted to live, set out in three
divisions over separate routes, so as to secure a more liberal supply
of provisions on the way, for Santo Domingo, distant seventy leagues.
In his license, as we have seen, Bastidas was authorized to trade only
in lands discovered by himself. But on the way his followers with their
trinkets had purchased food from the natives; for which offence, on
his arrival at Santo Domingo, Bastidas was seized by Bobadilla and cast
into prison. In vain did all the shipwrecked company protest that they
had bought only such articles as were necessary for their nourishment
during the march. To their affirmations the governor turned a deaf ear;
and as Bobadilla was about to depart for Spain, the notary was ordered
thither for trial, sailing in July, 1502.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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