Peter Parley's Tales About America and Australia

ched at the Canaries and at the Cape de Verd islands; from the former he despatched three ships with a su

the line; then they were becalmed, and the heat became so excess

ere afraid the ships would take fire, but they were relieved

heat, and Columbus was at last constrained to yield to the importunities of his crew, and to alter his course to th

ich the admiral called Trinidad, a name it still retains, and near it the mouth of a river, rolling towards the ocean such a vast body of water, and rushing into it with su

of the river so far prevails, that it fre

ts and tempestuous waves; and it was with the utmost difficulty that he escaped through

f some mighty continent, and not of an island, because all the springs that could rise, and all the rain that could fall on an island, coul

h are now known by the name of Paria and Cumana. He landed in several places, and fo

, which they willingly exchanged for European toys. They seemed to possess g

imals of several kinds, as well as

rtility, that, with the warm enthusiasm of a discoverer,

of their empire and the source of their treasure, in that quarter of the globe. The shattered condition of his ships and the scarcity o

hat country during his absence, wh

parture, removed the colony from Isabella to a more commodious station on the opposite side of the island, an

urden imposed upon them, that they at last took arms against their oppressors; but these insurrections wer

der in which was Francisco Roldan, whom Columbus, when he sailed for Spain, had appointed

was only subdued by the most wise and prudent conduct on the part of C

which he had made, and a description of the new continent which he had discovered, and also a chart

pearls, and other curious and valuable productions w

Hispaniola, and accused the mutineers of having, by

logies for their mutinous conduct, and unfortunately for the happiness of Co

h the country. A good number of such as were most dissatisfied, embraced this opportunity of returning to Europe. The disappointment of

ay to the court at Grenada. Whenever the king or queen appeared in public, they surrounded them, insisting, with imp

affairs. This man had always been an implacable enemy of Columbus, and with others of his enemies who were about the court, having continual access to

of Columbus, and if he should think the charges against him proved, to supersede him in his command, that is, to send him home, and

as he had, before he landed, made up his mind to treat him as a criminal,

ts, giving no account of the property thus seized, but disposing of it as if already confiscated to the crown; at the same time he used the most unqualified language when spe

ress, and so far from hearing him in his defence, he would not even admit him to his presence; but having collected

uct him on board the caravel, Columbus thought it was to conduct him to the scaffold. "Villejo" said he, "whither are you taking me?" "To the ship, your excellency, to embark,

e, for he now knew he should have an opportunity of vindicating his conduct. The c

oudly, "their majesties commanded me, by letter, to submit to whatever Bobadilla should order in their name; by their authority he has put upon me these cha

hains, produced almost as great a sensation

lle, which was echoed through all Spain, that Columbus wa

nada, and filled the halls of the Al

thorized by his sovereigns, forbare to write to them; but he sent a long letter to a lady of the court, high

how grossly Columbus had been wronged, and the royal authorit

ld be instantly set at liberty, and treated with all distinction, and sent him two thousand ducats to defray his expenses to

ction. When the queen beheld this venerable man approach, and thought

ly treated, and beheld tears in the benign eyes of Isabella, his long suppressed feelings burst forth, he thre

the ground and endeavoured to encoura

nto an eloquent and high-minded vindication of his conduct, a

t the proceedings of Bobadilla, and promised he

arture was delayed by various circumstances, every arrival brought intelligenc

d. "Make the most of your time," he would say, "there is no knowing how long it will last;" and the colonists were not backward in follow

and a person sailed with him, in order to secure