With him he carried Caonabo. It was early
March in 1496.
But Juan Lepe stayed in Hispaniola, greatly commended
by the Admiral to the Adelantado. A man might attach
himself to the younger as well as the elder of these brothers.
Don Bartholomew had great qualities. But he hardly
dreamed as did Christopherus Columbus. I loved the latter
most for that--for his dreams.
Days and days and days! We sought for gold in the
Hayna country and found a fair amount. And all Hayti
now, each Indian cacique and his country, must gather for
us. _Must_, not may. We built the fortress of San Cristoval,
and at last, to be nearer the gold than was Isabella,
the Adelantado founded the city of San Domingo, at the
mouth of the Ozema, in the Xaragua country. Spaniards
in Hispaniola now lived, so many in Isabella, so many in
San Domingo, and garrisons in the forts of St. Thomas,
Concepcion, and San Cristoval.
Weeks--months. July, and Pedro Alonzo Nino with
three caravels filled with strong new men and with provisions.
How always we welcomed these incoming ships
and the throng they brought that stood and listened and
thought at first, after the sea tossing and crowding, that
they were come to heaven! And Pedro Nino had left Cadiz
in June, three days after the arrival there of the _Nina_ and
the _Santa Cruz_. "June! They had then a long voyage!"
--"Long enough! They looked like skeletons! If the
Admiral's hair could get whiter, it was whiter.
Pages:
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310