South America | Page 8

Court of Spain caused
him to hasten back. It is possible that the Court had been in a haggling
mood, and had given the discoverer credit for a similar phase; at all
events, it was not until his person was almost out of reach that the now
complaisant authorities called him back.
Ferdinand himself had given his consent, although in a grudging
fashion. Isabella, however, proved herself enthusiastic, and it was she
who signed the bargain with the famous Genoese, which gave a
continent to the Royal Family of Spain. The signing of the bargain,
however, did not necessarily end the friction. The authorities were now
fully prepared to recognize Columbus as their messenger to the
unknown world; but they were reluctant in the extreme that the intrepid
navigator should be carried in too comfortable or costly a fashion. In
the end Columbus, conceding that half a fleet was better than no ships,
gave way and took what was offered him. He himself as Admiral was
given charge of the Santa Maria, the largest vessel, while two
diminutive craft, the Pinta and the Niña, made up this very humble
fleet. Nevertheless, Columbus now had his desire; he had obtained in
the main all that he had asked, although some of it in a lesser degree.
The concessions granted to Columbus for his first voyage were that he
was to be made Admiral of the seas and countries to be discovered, a

dignity which was to descend to his heirs; that he was to become
Viceroy of all those islands and continents; to have the tenth part of the
profits of the total undertaking; to be made sole mercantile judge; to
have the right to contribute one-eighth part of the expenses of all the
maritime ventures, and in return to be given an eighth part of the
profits.
He carried with him a letter from Ferdinand and Isabella to any chance
sovereign whom he might meet, which ran to this effect:
"Ferdinand and Isabella to King ... The Sovereigns having heard that he
and his subjects entertain great love for them and for Spain. They are,
moreover, informed that he and his subjects very much wish to hear
news from Spain, and send therefore their Admiral, Christopher
Columbus, who will tell them that they are in good health and perfect
prosperity."
Prester John, who was still considered to be ruling in some mystical
fashion over an imaginary country, might have welcomed this species
of circular communication. It was certainly wasted on the inhabitants of
Hispaniola, who were considerably more concerned with their own
health and prosperity than with that of Ferdinand and Isabella, and who
certainly had more reason when the adventurers had once landed.
So to a certain extent armed and prepared against any chance that he
might encounter, Columbus set sail from Spain on August 3, 1492.
Much has been said concerning the character of the crews with which
he had been provided. It is true the American natives were destined in
the first instance, by some peculiarly hard stroke of fortune, to make
their acquaintance with Europeans largely through the intermediary of
criminals. It is often held to have been one of the greatest hardships of
Columbus that his ships should have been manned so largely by
desperadoes and malefactors pardoned especially in order to take part
in the expedition. In the peculiar circumstances of his first and
exceptionally daring adventure the nature of his crew became of great
and even of vital importance. It is certain, however, that Columbus
himself obviously suffered no permanent discouragement on account of

the men of his first crew, for he subsequently advocated the
transportation of criminals to the Indies, and, further, urged that any
person having committed a crime (with the exception of those of heresy,
_lèse majesté_, and treason) should have the option of ordinary
imprisonment, or of going out at his own expense to Hispaniola to
serve under the orders of the Admiral.
These edicts were actually brought into force, and although Columbus
some years afterwards bitterly complained of the type of European
whom he found at Hispaniola, there is no doubt that he himself was
largely responsible for their presence. Nevertheless, speaking generally,
Columbus was not alone in being served by this species of retainer, for
the custom, borrowed from the Portuguese, was a general one, and
where volunteers failed, their places were supplied by the dregs of the
prisons. One of the principal charges brought against Columbus was
that, in addition to his alleged maltreatment of his own men, he had
refrained from baptizing Indians, and this because he had desired slaves
rather than Christians. He was accused, moreover, of having made
many slaves in order to send them to Castile. Of course, there is no
doubt whatever as