Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/189

 COLUMBUS

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COLUMBUS

The three brothers were separated and kept in close confinement, but they eould hear from their cells the imprecations of the people against their rule. Boba- dilla charged them with being rebellious subjects and seized their private property to pay their personal debts. He liberated prisoners, reduced or abolished imposts, in short did all he could to place the new order of things in favourable contrast to the previous man- agement. No explanation was offered to Columbus for the hansh treatment to which he was subjected, for a \'isitador had only to render account to the king or according to his special orders. Early in October, 1500, the three brothers, still in fetters, were placed on board ship, and sent to Spain, arriving at Cadiz at the end of the month. Their treatment while aboard seems to have been considerate; Villejo, the comman- der, offered to remove the manacles from Columljus's hands and relieve htm from the chains, an offer, how- ever, which Cohmibus refused to accept. It seems, nevertheless, that he did not remain manacled, else he could not have written the long and piteous letter to the nurse of Prince Juan, recounting his misfortunes on the vessel. He dispatched this letter to the court at Granada before the reports of Bobadilla were sent.

The news of the arrival of Columbus as a prisoner was received with luifeigned indignation by the mon- archs, who saw that their agent BoijadiUa h;id al)uscil the trust placed in him. The people also saw t lie in j us- tice, and everything was done to relieve ( 'i>hniih\is fnun his humiliating condition and assure him of the royal favour, that is, everything except to reinstate him as Governor of the Indies. This fact is mainly responsi- ble for the accusation of duplicity and treachery which is made against Kng Ferdinand. Critics overlook the fact that in addition to the reasons already mentioned no new colonists could be obtained from Spain, if Col- umbus were to continue in office, and that the expedi- ent of sending convicts to Haiti had failed disastrously. Moreover, the removal of Columbus was practically im- plied in the instructions and powers given to Boba- dilla, and the conduct of the admiral during Aguado's mission left no room for doubt that he would submit to the second investigation. He would have done so, but Bobadilla, anxious to make a display and angered at the delay of Diego Columbus, exceeded the spirit of his instructions, expecting thereby to rise in royal as well as in poi)ular favour.

In regard to the former he soon found out his mis- take. His successor in the governorship of Haiti was soon appointed in the person of Nicolas de Ovando. Bobadilla was condemned to restore to Columbus the property he had sequestered, and was recalled. The largest fleet sent to the Indies up to that time sailed under Ovando on 1.3 February, 1502. It is not with- out significance that 2500 people, some of high rank, flocked to the vessels that were to transport the new governor to the Indies. This shows that with the change in the administration of the colony faith in its future was restored among the Spanish people.

By this time the mental condition of Columbus had become greatly impaired. While at court for eighteen months vainly attempting to obtain his restoration to a position for which he was becoming more and more unfitted, he was planning new schemes. Convinced that his third voyage had brought him nearer to .^sia, he proposed to the monarchs a project to recover the Holy Sepulchre by the western route, that would have led him across South America to the Pacific Ocean. He fancied that the large river he had discovered west of Trinidad flowed in a direction opposite to its real course, and thought that by following it he could reach the Red Sea and thence cross over to Jerusalem. So preoccupied was he with these ideas that he made ar- rangements for depositing part of his revenue with the bank of Genoa to be used in the reconquest of the Holy Land. This alone disposes of the allegation that Col- umbus was left without resources after his Uberation

from captivity. He was enabled to maintain a posi- tion at court corresponding to his exalted rank, and favours and privileges were bestowed on both of his sons. The project of testing the views of Columbus in regard to direct communication with Asia was seri- ously considered, and finally a fourth voyage of ex- ploration at the expense of the Spanish Government was conceded to Columbus. That there were some misgivings in regard to his physical and mental condi- tion is intimated by the fact that he was given as com- panions his brother Bartholomew, who had great in- fluence with him, and his favourite son Fernando. Four vessels carrying, besides these three and a repre- sentative of the Crown to receive any treasure that might be found, about 150 men, set sail from San Lucar early in May, 1502. Columbus was enjoined not to stop at Haiti, a wise measure, for had the ad- miral landed there so soon after the arrival of Ovando, there would have been danger of new disturbances.

(CoiUeinporaneoU:

Disobeying these instructions, Columbus attempted to enter the port of Santo Domingo, but was refu.sed ad- mission. He gave proof of his knowledge and experi- ence as a mariner by warning Ovando of an approach- ing hurricane, but was not listened to. He himself sheltered his vessels at some distance from the har- bour. The punishment for disregarding the friendly warning came swiftly; the large fleet which had brought Ovando over was, on sailing for .Spain, over- taken by the tempest, and twenty shijis were lost, with them Bobadilla, Roldan, and the gold destined for the Crown. The admiral's share in the gold obtained on Haiti, four thousand pieces directly sent to him by his representative on the island, was not lost, and on be- ing delivered in Spain, was not conEscated. Hence it is difficult to see how Columbus could have been in neetl during the last years of his life.

The vessels of Columbus having suffered compara- tively little from the tempest, he left the coast of Haiti in July, 1.502, and was carried by wind and current to the coast of Honduras. From .'50 July, 1502, to the enti of the following April he coasted Central America beyond Colon to Cape Tiburon on the South Americjin Continent. On his frequent landings he fovmd traces of gold, heard reports of more civilized tribes of na- tives farther inland, and persistent statements about another ocean lying west and south of the land he was coasting, the latter being represented to him as a nar- row strip dividing two vast seas. The mental condi-