Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/516

490 490 SPANISH COLONIAL POLICY. PART II Their sue cess. Indian de- partment. With this encouragement the more wealthy mer- chants of Seville, Cadiz, and Palos, the old theatre of nautical enterprise, freighted and sent out little squadrons of three or four vessels each, which they intrusted to the experienced mariners, who had accompanied Columbus in his first voyage, or since followed in his footsteps. They held in general the same course pursued by the admiral on his last expedition, exploring the coasts of the great south- ern continent. Some of the adventurers returned with such rich freights of gold, pearls, and other precious commodities, as well compensated the fatigues and perils of the voyage. But the greater number were obliged to content themselves with the more enduring, but barren honors of discovery.^ The active spirit of enterprise now awakened, and the more enlarged commercial relations with the new colonies, required a more perfect organiza- 7 Columbus seems to have taken exceptions at the license for pri- vate voyages, as an infringement of his own prerogatives. It is dif- ficult, however, to understand in what way. There is nothing in his original capitulations with the government having reference to the matter, (sec Navarrcie, Coleccion deViages, Doc.Dipl.,no.5 ;) while, in the letters patent made out pre- viously to his second voyage, the right of granting licenses is ex- pressly reserved to the crown, and to the superintendent, Fonseca, equally with the admiral. (Doc. Dipl., no. 35.) The only legal claim which he could make in all such expeditions as were not con- ducted under him, was to one eighvh of the tonnage, and this was regularly provided for in the general license. (Doc. Dipl., no. 86.) The sovereigns, indeed, in consequence of his remonstrances, published an ordinance, June 2d, 1497, in which, after expressing their unabated respect for all the rights and privileges of the admiral, they declare, that whatever shall be found in their previous license re- pugnant to these shall be null and void. (Doc. Dipl. ,113.) The hy- pothetical form in which this is stated shows, that the sovereigns, with an honest desire of keeping their engagements with Columbus, had not a very clear perception in what manner they had been vio- lated. Peter Martyr, De Rebus Oceani- cis, Dec. 1, lib. 9. — Herrera, In- dias Occidentales, lib. 4, cap. 11. — Benzoni, Novi Orbis Hist., cap. 13.