and justice have retired to their habitations above, and it is a crime to have undertaken and performed too much. As my misery makes my life a burthen to myself, so I fear the empty titles of viceroy and admiral render me obnoxious to the hatred of the Spanish nation. It is visible that all methods are adopted to cut the thread that is breaking; for I am, in my old age, oppressed with insupportable pains of the gout, and am now expiring with that and other infirmities, among savages, where I have neither medicine nor provisions for the body, priest nor sacrament for the soul. My men in a state of revolt; my brother, my son, and those that are faithful, starving: the Indians have abandoned us; and the governor of San Domingo has sent, rather to see if I am dead, than to succour us or carry me alive from hence; for his boat neither delivered a letter, nor spoke with, nor would receive any letter from us; so I conclude your highness's officers intend that here my voyages and life should terminate. Oh! blessed mother of God, that compassionates the miserable and oppressed, why did not cruel Bovadilla kill me when he robbed me and my brother of our dearly purchased gold, and sent us to Spain in chains without trial, crime, or shadow of misconduct? These chains are all the treasures I have; and they shall be buried with me if I chance to have a coffin or grave; for I would have the remembrance of so unjust an action perish with me, and, for the glory of the Spanish name, be eternally forgotten. Let it not bring a further infamy upon the Castilian name; nor let ages to come know there were wretches so vile as this; that think to recommend themselves to your Majesty by destroying the unfortunate and miserable Columbus; not for his crimes, but for his services in discovery, and giving to Spain a New World. As it was heaven itself that inspired and conducted me thither, the heavens will weep for me and show pity! Let the earth, and every soul in it that loves justice and mercy, weep for me! And you, oh glorified saints of God, that know my innocency and see my sufferings, have mercy! for though their present age is envious and obdurate, surely those that are to come will pity me, when they are told that Columbus, with his own fortune, ran the hazard of his own and his brother's lives; and, with little or no expense to the crown of Spain, in ten years, and four voyages, rendered greater services than ever mortal did to prince or kingdom; yet was left to perish, without being charged with the least crime,

in poverty and misery; all but his chains being taken from him: so that he who gave Spain another world, had neither safety in it, nor yet an hut for himself or his wretched family. But should heaven still persecute me, and seem displeased with what I have done, as if the discovery of this New World may be fatal. to the Old, and, as a punishment, bring my life to a period in this miserable place, yet do you, good angels, you that succour the oppressed and innocent, bring this paper to my great mistress. She knows what I have done, and will believe what I have suffered for her glory and service; and will be so just and pious as not to let the children of him that has brought to Spain such immense riches, and added to it vast and unknown kingdoms and empires, want bread, or subsist only on alms. She, if she lives, will consider that cruelty and ingratitude will bring down the wrath of heaven; so that the wealth I have discovered shall be the means of stirring up all mankind to revenge, and rapine; and the Spanish nation suffer hereafter for what envious, malicious, and ungrateful people do now."

How true a prophecy this was, Spain, to her bitter cost and eternal shame, has long since discovered!

Note XXXIV. p. 152.

The most enlightened amongst the ancient nations of the Old World, would, in those days, have been equally alarmed at the fulfilment of such an ominous prediction. The eclipse which happened in the night preceding the defeat of King Perseus, caused the ringing of arms and helmets to echo through the ranks of the terrified Roman army; and the Athenians, says Plutarch, burnt alive such as dared predict so inauspicious an event, or say that it was caused by the earth's shadow; calling such soothsayers μɛTEwgoλεoxes; that is to say, men too inquisitive in the affairs of the gods.-See PLUTARCHUS in Æmilio, TACITUS in Druso, &c.

Note XXXV.-p. 155.

Herrera records this oath: "Ils le supplièrent d'user envers eux de miséricorde, reconnoissant bien que Dieu les avoit châtiés, et promettant de servir fidèlement: ce qu'ils jurèrent sur un crucifix et un missel; et que, s'ils violoient leur serment, pas un confesseur, ou autre Chrétien, ne les pût entendre en confession;

que la pénitence leur fût inutile; qu'ils renonçoient aux sacremens de l'Eglise; qu'au tems de leur mort ils ne participeroient point aux bulles, et indulgences, accordées par N. S. P. le Pape; et qu'on traiteroit leurs corps comme ceux des rénégats, ne les enterrant point en terre sainte, mais les exposant en pleins champs, comme les hérétiques. Ils renoncèrent aussi à toute absolution de papes, de cardinaux, d'archevêques, et d'autres prêtres.”—Liv. vi. c. 11.

Note XXXVI.—p. 163.

"Tres navios con docientos y setenta Españoles," says Solis, page 147. Edwards, however, mentions a greater force; and also says that it went from Jamaica in the year 1523. This is an error; for Garay's second expedition took place before Cortez had entered the city of Mexico; which event occurred on the 8th of November, 1519; and the dates I have given are confirmed both by Herrera and Solis.

Note XXXVII. p. 167.

The name was familiar to the negroes who accompanied the Spanish fugitives, and probably suggested it; for near the port of Akra, on the western coast of Africa, is a mountain so called, and from a similar cause.--Hist. Gen. des Voyages, tom. iv. p. 492.

Acosta affirms that there were no "animaux de service" in Jamaica, when discovered; and hence it has been supposed that there were none whatever. But there were monkeys; and the goschis, a species of mute dog; and the agouti, or Indian rabbit. The last alone survives.

The Pedro district of Saint Ann's parish was named from Pedro d'Esquibel, the last resident governor at Seville d'Oro, and proprietor of that fine vale.

Acosta, who returned from the West Indies to Spain in the year 1587, names part of the freight on board the fleet with which he sailed. It shows how little the neglected colony of Jamaica weighed in the great scale of Spanish possession.

64 arobes

Spearls-besides 3 chests and 7 sacks not weighed. cochineal.

sugar.

Squicksilver; the annual

produce of Guancavilca. hides.

1,600 lbs. cotton, from the islands. The quantity of the precious metals which the plate fleets carried to Europe, diminished annually; and, with all her riches, Spain never shone as a nation after she had discovered America. Upon the death of Philip II., her weakness increased until 1681, in which year, says Madame d'Aunoi, in her Mémoires, the revenue was at the lowest ebb; the king could not afford even to pay the wages of his domestics, and his household actually deserted the palace. There was no other resource to replenish the empty coffers than to make an auto-da-fe; and one was accordingly made in the year 1682, which the Jews of Spain recollect unto this day. Yet Usterez, a Spanish historian, asserts that, between the years 1493 and 1724, Spain received five thousand millions of crowns; that is, at an average rate of five millions sterling per annum, from her American mines.

Note XXXIX. -p. 176.

The annual course of the plate fleets is thus minutely detailed by Acosta :-The outward-bound galleons, upon quitting the bay of Cadiz, first touched at the Canaries; then stretching to the southward till they had got within the tropic, to about the twentieth degree of latitude, they profited by the tradewind; which, it seems, was more regular then than it is now; for from that moment they had no occasion to hand a sail until they arrived amongst the islands; for which reason they named that region" Le Golfe des Dames." This course brought them to Dominique, Guadeloupe, and those other islands which serve as fauxbourgs to the Indies. There the fleet divided ;— that bound to New Spain touched at Hispaniola, and taking its departure from Cape Antonio, steered directly under the trades

to Saint John D'Ulva; while the squadron bound to Terra Firma went to the southward; and, making the high lands of Tayrone, touched at Carthagena, and passed on to Nombre de Dios. From thence the traders went overland to Panama; and, by the South Sea, to Peru.

The homeward-bound fleets, heavily laden with the glittering treasures of the Indies, had their appointed rendezvous at the Havanna; after which, having gained their latitude of twentyeight or thirty degrees, they almost invariably met with a free wind which carried them to the Azores, and from thence to Spain. This voyage from the Havanna is said to have commonly occupied ninety days.-See Acosta, lib. iii. c. 4; and GAGE, p. 202.

The improvident and parsimonious policy of the Spaniards induced them to trust these valuable fleets to the almost certain fate of capture; many and rich were the prizes taken by the French privateers, as early as the year 1543. (Benzo, p. 146.) Latterly, says Gage, they were better armed; yet it seems that not much precaution was used in the fleet which carried this traveller to Europe in 1637: for finding themselves surrounded by strange shipping, "all that night watch was kept, the guns prepared, and red clothes hung round the ships, to make a show of force. Next morning, being now, in all, two and fifty sail, two ships were found amongst us; whether English or Hollanders, wee could not well discover; but the English prisoners with mee told mee they thought one was a ship of England, called the Neptune, which, having got the wind of us, singled out a ship of ours, laden with sugar, and other rich commodities to the worth of at least fourscore thousand crowns, and suddenly giving her a whole broadside, receiving a reply onely of two guns, made her yeeld without any help from so proud and mighty a fleet. The whole business lasted not above half an hour; but presently she was carried away from under our noses."

At this period the English were in possession of the islands of Bermuda and Sta. Catalina, and the sails of their numerous cruisers whitened the seas around. The latter island, now called Providence, was afterwards the scene of a ferocious tragedy. In the year 1680, the Spaniards, irritated by the repeated depredations of the English privateers, landed there, totally destroyed the settlement, and actually roasted Clarke, the governor, on a spit.