by Edmund Burke
It was the fate of this great man to have his virtue continually exercised with troubles and distresses. He continued his course to Spain in the latitude of 22, not having at that time discovered the advantageous method of running into the Northern latitudes to meet the South-west winds: they therefore made very little way; a scarcity ensued, in which they were reduced to six ounces of provision a day for each person. On these occasions the admiral fared no better than the common sailor; yet in this distress his hunger did not get the better of the tenderness and humanity which distinguished his character. He refused to listen to the pressing instances of his crew, who were very earnest in this distress to have the Indian prisoners thrown overboard to lessen the consumption of provisions. In this voyage his skill was as remarkable as his magnanimity. He had nine experienced pilots in his fleet; yet not one of them could tell where they were, after having been a full month from the sight of the last land. This length of time persuaded them they must be very near Europe, and they were therefore for crowding sail to make land as soon as possible. But Columbus, upon sure observations, maintained they were but a little to the Westward of the Azores, and therefore ordered his sails to be slackened for fear of land. His prediction was fulfilled, and the Azores relieved them next morning. This, added to a series of predictions and noble discoveries, made his skill seem something prophetic, and to exalt his character in this respect above all the seamen before his time; and considering his opportunities of improvement, and what he did himself to improve his art, he will perhaps appear inferior to none who have been since.
All the accusations and prejudices against the admiral vanished almost as soon as he appeared. He brought such testimonies of his fidelity and good behaviour, as silenced all calumnies which arose on that head; and the large specimens of gold and pearl he produced, refuted all that was said on the poverty of the Indies. The court was fully convinced of the importance of the new colony, the merit of its governor, and the necessity of a speedy supply. But the admiral’s enemies were not idle, though they were silenced; they continued to throw all manner of obstructions in his way, which was not difficult in a country, where every thing is executed with much phlegm and languor, and where those forms and mechanical methods of business, necessary perhaps in the common course of affairs, but ruinous in great designs, are more exactly observed, even than any where else. It was therefore with great difficulty that he was able to procure any relief to be sent to Hispaniola, but with much greater, and after a thousand delays and disappointments, that he was himself enabled to set out on a discovery of more importance than any of the former.
He designed to stand to the Southward from the Canaries, until he should come under the equinoctial line, and then to proceed directly Westward, until Hispaniola should bear to the North-west from him, to try what opening that might afford to India, or what new islands or continent might reward his trouble. He therefore stood away to the Cape de Verd island, and then South-west. In this navigation a thick fog, which intercepted the light of the sun and stars, envelloped them for several days; and when this cleared off, the heats were grown so excessive, that the men could not venture between decks; the sun being at this time nearly vertical, the heavy rains which fall at this season between the tropicks, without abating the heat, added much to their distress. At last a smart gale sprang up, and they went before it seventeen days to the Westward. The admiral, who could have no second to supply his place, scarce allowed himself a moment’s sleep; but in this, as in all his voyages, had the whole burthen of every thing upon himself; this threw him now into a fit of the gout; but neither the fatigue nor the disorder could remove him from the deck, or make him abate of his usual vigilance. His provisions, however, being damaged by the heat, the wine casks, many of them burst, and the wine being soured in those that held, obliged him to alter the course he intended to keep Southward, and to decline some points to the North-west, happening to fall in with some of the Caribbees, where he intended to refit and take in provisions, to enable him to continue his discoveries. But he had not sailed long, when from the round-top a seaman saw land, which was an island on the coast of Guiana, now called Trinidad. Having passed this island and two others, which lie in the mouth of the great river Oronoquo, he was surprized and endangered by a phaenomenon he had never seen before. The river Oronoquo, at all times very great, at this time augmented tenfold by the rains we have just mentioned rushing into the ocean with an immense and rapid flood, meets the tides which rise here to a great height, and come in with much strength; and both being pent up between the islands, and reverberated from one to another, caused a conflict extremely terrifying to those who have not been accustomed to it, and ignorant of the cause, as Columbus was at this time. But sailing further he found plainly that he was in fresh water, and judging rightly that it was probable no island could supply so vast a river, he began to suspect he had discovered the continent; but when he left the river, and found that the land continued on to the Westward for a great way, he was convinced of it. Satisfied, in some measure, with this discovery, he yielded to the uneasiness and distresses of his crew, and bore away for Hispaniola, favoured by a fair wind and those currents which set strongly to the Westward all along the Northern coast of South America.
In the course of this discovery the admiral landed in several places, and traded with the inhabitants, amongst whom he found gold and pearl in tolerable plenty. Contrary to the custom of many navigators, who behave wherever they go as if they never intended to come there again, he every where used the natives with great civility, and gave them what they judged the full value of their commodities; little bells, bits of glass and of tin, with some trifling apparel, being exchanged for gold-dust and pearls, and much to the satisfaction of both parties, who thought they had each over-reached the other, and indeed with equal reason.
CHAP. V.
HE arrived at Hispaniola the 19th of August, 1498, quite worn down with sickness and continual watching, the necessity of which was rather increased than diminished as he came nearer home, amongst such a multitude of islands and shoals as filled those seas, at this time little known; besides this a current, which setting strongly Westward towards the continent, threatened every moment, without the greatest attention, to carry him out of his course. So wasted was he with the fatigue, that his brother, whom he had left in his place, scarce knew him at his return. But he found that he was likely to have as little repose upon land as at sea.
The admiral’s authority had suffered some diminution, from the ill-judged step of sending a check upon his motions before he left Hispaniola; and the encouragement this gave to all sorts of murmurings and complaints against government, laid the seeds of a rebellion, which sprung up in the colony soon after he left it. But this rebellion was more dangerously formed than either of the former. For in the first place, the rebels had regularly appointed themselves a chief, called Francis Roldan; a man whom the admiral had left in a considerable post. This gave it an uniformity and credit. And secondly, they gained the Indians to their party, by pretending to be their patrons, and assertors of their liberty. Then to establish themselves the more securely, they made a secession from the uncorrupted part of the colony, and settled in another part of the island, which formed an asylum for all idle and seditious persons, by whom they were reinforced daily.
In this threatening state of things, the admiral, having found his forces in no condition to act offensively against the rebels, did what he could to break their force, and dissolve that union which made them formidable. He began by publishing a free pardon for all that chose to conceal their crimes by a timely submission. Observing besides, that many were very desirous of returning to Spain, he gave them to understand they might go with the ships which brought the last succours. He did not intend to perform this latter part immediately, but he knew that his offers would stagger some; and that in affairs of this nature, it is every thing to gain time. He wrote to court a full account of his late discoveries, and sent samples of the wealth
they yielded; and took the same opportunity of describing the distracted state of the colony, desiring that 50 or 60 men might be sent by every ship, which he would replace by as many of the rebels, lest the Spanish power should be weakened in those parts, by diminishing their men, or kept in as dangerous a state, by harbouring such as were ill disposed to the publick good. He added very judiciously to this request that some religious men and able lawyers might be sent him, as the most effectual methods of introducing, and preserving obedience and order. He then entered into negociations with the chiefs of the rebels; he granted them all they demanded, and even invidiously placed their principal commander, Roldan, in such an office as flattered his pride, though without augmenting his power. Thus things were brought into something of regularity, and without any struggling or violence, and Roldan himself, though in his former office of chief judge of the island, contributed most of all towards bringing those who stood out to obedience. There arose a difference between them; and on their first motion, Roldan, by virtue of his authority, condemned and executed several. By this the rest were awed, all connexion broke off, irretrievably, between the head and body of the rebels, and all done without having any part of the offence, that might be given by this severity, charged to the admiral.
He now began just to breathe in a little tranquility, acquired by the severest labours, whilst a new storm was gathering against him from the court of Spain. His old implacable enemies uniting with some of the rebels, who had lately transported themselves into Spain, renewed the clamour against him. They heaped upon him all manner of calumnies; they accused him of a design of setting up for himself; and as they charged him in Hispaniola with cruelty and tyranny to the Indians, here they reversed the charge, and accused him of a popularity amongst that people, dangerous to his and to their allegiance. They added to these, what could not fail to work on national prejudices, that he was a stranger, and had not a proper respect for the Spanish nobility. They complained that great debts were due to them; that all ways of recovering them were shut up. In short, the king and queen never went abroad without being pursued and persecuted, by the clamours of these pretended suitors of justice. Wearied out with such complaints, they sent a judge, with power to enquire into the admiral’s conduct, and authorized, if he should find the accusations proved, to send him into Spain, and remain himself governor in his room. They made it the judge’s interest to condemn him.
This judge, who was extremely poor, and had no other call but his indigence to undertake the office, no sooner landed in Hispaniola, than he took up his lodging in the admiral’s house, for he was then absent. He next proceeded to seize upon all his effects; and at last summoned him and his brothers to appear. In the mean time, he encouraged all manner of accusations, without regarding the character of the accusers, or the probability or consistency of their accusations. In consequence of those, he apprehended the admiral and his brothers, and with the last marks of insult and indignity, loaded them with irons, and embarked them to be transported prisoners into Spain.
The captain of the vessel, touched with respect for the years and great merit of Columbus, offered to take off the irons, but he did not permit it.
“Since the king has commanded, that I should obey his governor, he shall find me as obedient to this, as I have been to all his other orders. Nothing but his commands shall release me. If twelve years hardship and fatigue; if continual dangers and frequent famine; if the ocean, first opened, and five times passed and repassed, to add a new world abounding with wealth to the Spanish monarchy; and if an infirm and premature old age, brought on by those services, deserve these chains as a reward; it is very fit I should wear them to Spain, and keep them by me as memorials to the end of my life.”
Great minds, though more apt to forgive injuries, perhaps, than common souls, do not easily lose the memory of the wrongs that are done them. Columbus afterwards carried these irons with him wherever he went; they hung constantly in his chamber, and he ordered them to be buried with him.
The new governor that succeeded him, made a more effectual provision for the reward of his services; for besides confiscating the greatest part of the admiral’s effects, which he converted to his own use, to flatter the people, he permitted an unbounded liberty▪ by which he ruined the royal revenue, and was near ruining the colony too, past all repa+ration, if the court had not recalled him in time, and sent a person to succeed him greater judgment and firmness, though of lit+tle more real virtue.
CHAP. VI.
ABOUT this time the spirit of discovery began to spread it self largely, and private adventurers, both in Spain and Portugal, stimulated by the gold which from time to time was remitted to Europe by Columbus, made equipments at their own expences. In one of these the famous Americus Vesputius commanded; he had got into his hands the charts of Columbus, in his last voyage, and he sailed the same course. But as he was a man of address and great confidence, and was besides an able seaman, and good geographer, he found a way of arrogating to himself the first discovery of the continent of America, and called it by his own name; which it has ever since retained, though nobody has any doubt concerning the real discoverer. For this I believe no other reason can be given, than that America is perhaps a better sounding word than Columbia, and is more easily pronounced with the others, in enumerating the several divisions of the earth: a trifling matter, and influenced by trifling causes. But the glory of Columbus stands upon foundations of another sort.
Pinzon, one who attended the admiral in his first voyage, equipped a squadron at his own expence; and was the first who crossed the line at the side of America, and entered the great river Maranon, or the river of Amazons.
The Portuguese, notwithstanding the pope’s exclusive grant, turned their thoughts to America, and discovered the Brazils, which make the most valuable part of their present possessions, when they have lost what was considered as their original right, and which never was so advantageous to them.
What animated these adventurers, at the same time that it fixes a stain upon all their characters and designs, is that insatiable thirst of gold, which ever appeared uppermost in all their actions. This disposition had been a thousand times extremely prejudicial to their affairs: it was particularly the cause of all the confusion and rebellions in Hispaniola: yet it is certain, that if it were not for this incentive, which kindled the spirit of discovery and colonization first in Spain and Portugal, and afterwards in all parts of Europe, America had never been in the state it now is; nor would those nations ever have had the beneficial colonies, which are now established in every part of that country. It was necessary there should be something of an immediate and uncommon gain, fitted to strike the imaginations of men forcibly, to tempt them to such hazardous designs. A remote prospect of commerce, and the improvement of manufactures, by extending of colonies, would never have answered the purpose; those advantages come to be known only by reason and deduction, and are not consequently of so striking a nature. But to go out with a few baubles, and to return with a cargo of gold, is an object readily comprehended by any body, and was consequently pursued with vigour by all. The speculative knowledge of trade, made no part of the study of the elevated or thinking part of mankind, at that time. Now it may be justly reckoned amongst the liberal sciences; and it makes one of the most considerable branches of political knowledge. Commerce was then in the hands of a few, great in it’s profits, but confined in it’s nature. What we call the ballance of trade, was far from being well understood; all the laws relative to commerce were every where but so many clogs upon it. The imposts and duties charged on goods, were laid on without distinction or judgment. Even amongst ourselves, the most trading and reasoning people in Europe, right notions of these matters began late, and advanced slowly. Our colonies were settled without any view to those great advantages which we draw from them. Virginia was constructed out of the wrecks of an armament destined on a golden adventure, which first tempted us to America. And those who settled New England and Marylan
d, meant them only as asylums from religious persecutions. So that if America had not promised such an inundation of treasure, it could only have supplied a languid commerce, which would have habituated the natives by degrees to our European manners, and supplied them with equal arms. Then it would have been next to impossible to have made those extensive settlements in that new world. So certain it is, that we often reap differently from what we have sown; and that there must be some strong active principle to give life and energy to all designs, or they will languish, let them be ever so wisely concerted.
CHAP. VII.
NO sooner was Columbus arrived in Spain, in this disgraceful manner, than the court disavowed, and highly blamed the behaviour of their governor. And now, according to the giddy custom of men, who act without plan or principle, they acquainted him of all the charges against him, with as little enquiry into their validity, as they before used when upon the same charges they unjustly condemned him. Restitution and reward were promised him, and he wanted very few incentives to engage once more in discoveries His ambition was to arrive at the East-Indies and so to surround the globe. This had really an influence upon his own mind, and he knew nothing could so much influence those of the king and queen. On this prospect he was again fitted out with a fleet, promising to reduce both East and West-Indies, under the dominion of their Catholic majesties.