Owing to the pressure brought upon them, Ferdinand and Isabella decided to send a commissioner to the West Indies with authority to investigate the Admiral’s administration. Francisco de Bobadilla was the man proposed by the enemies of Columbus, and he obtained the important position. He had full authority to remove Columbus and in his heart was determined to do so. He also received permission, as soon as he was convinced the charges were true, not only to remove him but to undertake the government of the island himself. He further was conceded authority to take possession of all the defences, vessels, storehouses, and property of every kind, to fill all positions, and to send back to Spain, for appearance before their sovereign, all persons, without regard to rank, whose dismissal would in his opinion help to restore order in the island. Unfortunately Bobadilla was a man completely unfitted for such a task. He seems to have been a weak, presumptuous person, puffed up with insolence by the brief authority which had been so undeservedly conferred upon him. He regarded Columbus from that time forward as a convicted malefactor. At the time this direful messenger was selected Columbus had succeeded in his efforts to restore peace and order in all the island districts. The discontented were satisfied, all Spaniards and natives had obediently submitted to the laws, the rich mines were opened, and the development of the country had begun auspiciously.
When Bobadilla arrived at San Domingo, Columbus was still absent in a distant part of the island, seeing that some of his instructions were carried out. A sense of justice should have led his judge to await his return before taking action against him. But what did such a man as Bobadilla care about justice? He had not come to hear Columbus’ explanations but to condemn him and usurp his place. As soon as he landed he went directly to the house of the Admiral and announced that it was his own from that time forward. Then he took possession of all his belongings. After doing this he publicly announced that the King had sent him to depose the governor, and to settle all grievances which any person had against him. Not satisfied with this, he at once released all whom Columbus had arrested and invited them to make complaints of the injustice they had suffered.
Having done this, the infamous Bobadilla sent a messenger to Columbus with the order to appear immediately before his tribunal and give an account of his conduct. At the same time he sent him a royal document showing that he had full authority for his order. A bolt out of the clear sky could not have astonished Columbus more than this unexpected news. He could not trust his own eyes but read the document over and over again—a document black with infamy—but he could not make it other than it was. He, the acknowledged discoverer of the New World, guilty of no offence, was ordered to appear before the tribunal by a worthless man not fit to lick the dust from his feet! Columbus was crushed down under the weight of this outrage. But he did not hesitate an instant as to his duty. He had soldiers and his brother Bartolomeo with him and it would have been easy to answer this unjust judge, sword in hand. But his noble spirit despised any method of protecting himself which was not consistent with the obedience which he considered due to his superiors, though they were guilty of an atrocious act of injustice. He hesitated not an instant but went to San Domingo without a murmur, honorably to accept the penalty. Having arrived, he waited upon Bobadilla. “Place him in chains,” said the tyrant, without assigning any reason, “and take him away.” The inhuman order was executed. Columbus was fettered and taken to a vessel in haste. Thus was a man rewarded, for whom, if he had lived in the days of the old Greeks and Romans, statues would have been erected, divine honors awarded, and temples built.
Thus was Columbus degraded, and in this shameful manner he was removed from a country which he had secured for his King at the cost of a thousand hardships and at great personal danger. He received this last hard blow of adverse fate with quiet dignity and with a calmness which declared his innocence and greatness of spirit more eloquently than any apology he could have uttered. He was hurried away; but the cup of his sorrows was not yet emptied. His patience was to be put to a still severer test, for Bobadilla had not yet exhausted the full measure of his cruelty. He realized that his noble prisoner would only half suffer so long as he knew that he was the only victim and that his brothers were still free. He placed them also in chains and specially ordered that they should have no communication with each other. Then he went through the pretence of a trial and sentenced them to death, but he had not the courage to carry out his murderous purpose, for he feared he might not be able to justify himself. He hoped that his powerful friend, the Bishop of Badajos, Columbus’ deadly enemy, would see that the death sentence was executed. To this end he sent a report of the proceedings to Spain with the prisoners.
Hardly was the vessel under way which was taking Columbus to Spain when the captain, who still retained his respect for him, approached him to remove the fetters, but Columbus refused to have them taken off. “Let them remain,” he said, “I am wearing these fetters by the orders of my superiors; I will continue to wear them until they remove them; they will find me obedient now as I always have been.” So the fetters remained until he reached Spain. Bobadilla had ordered that the prisoners upon arrival should be delivered to the Bishop of Badajos, so that they should have no opportunity to secure the sympathy of their patron, Queen Isabella. But an honorable man, named Martin, secretly left the vessel and carried a letter from Columbus to the Queen informing her of what had happened. The Court was astounded at the news, for it had never expected that Bobadilla would so far exceed the authority vested in him. They recognized the indignity of this treatment and foresaw that it would shock all Europe. A messenger was sent at once with the command that Columbus and his brothers should be released. At the same time he was requested to appear at Court and money was sent him so that he might be suitably clothed and present himself in a manner befitting his rank. Columbus acceded to the request of the royal pair and waited upon them. Entering the apartment in which they were awaiting him, he prostrated himself before them. He was so overcome with the monstrous injustice he had suffered that it was a long time before he could speak. At last he recovered himself, strengthened by his consciousness of innocence, and protested against the slanders of his malicious enemies. He made a long explanation in which he so completely established his innocence that Ferdinand and Isabella were entirely convinced by it. They expressed their regret for what had occurred and assured him that it had been done without their knowledge. To confirm this assurance, they removed Bobadilla from his position and made reparation to Columbus by marks of affection and promises of future protection. When a little later it became necessary to choose a successor to Bobadilla, it was unmistakably apparent that the prejudice of the King and Queen against Columbus was not entirely eradicated, for Nicholas de Ovando was chosen. He was given a fleet of thirty-two vessels, a company of two thousand five hundred persons—many of them from distinguished families—and, besides this, everything that was necessary for the maintenance and prosperity of the colony. It was in vain that Columbus appealed for the rights which had been granted to him at the beginning of his great undertaking. It was in vain that he protested against this fresh injustice of removing him from his position after he had been pronounced innocent, as if he were a convicted criminal. His protests met with evasive replies, or remained unnoticed. He felt the deepest indignation and could not conceal it. Wherever he went he took his fetters as an evidence of the black ingratitude with which his services had been requited. He kept them hanging in his rooms and ordered that they should be buried in the grave with him.
Chapter XV
Ovando Calls the Audacious Bobadilla to Account—Columbus Undertakes his Fourth Voyage in 1502
Never had so strong a fleet been sent to the West Indies as that consigned to Ovando, the new governor. While he was sailing away with his thirty-two vessels and two thousand five hundred men, Columbus had to remain at home with the mortification of seeing another reap what he had sown with so many inexpressible hardships. Soon after Ovando’s departure a terrible storm arose which dispersed his vessels. The news reached Spain that the fleet was lost. The King, overcome with distress at this new misfortune which had consigned so many of his best and bravest subjects to a watery grave, secluded himself in his palace several days. Fortunately, however, the report proved untrue. The fleet outrode the storm. Only one vessel was lost and the others reached their destination at the right time.
Ovando arrived at Hispaniola just at the right time. Had he been delayed longer the new colony might have been ruined by Bobadilla’s foolish and unjust administration. He had hoped to establish himself in secure possession by pandering to the rabble in every unlawful way. To accomplish this end he revoked all of Columbus’ wise regulations and permitted every one to conduct himself in the most unlicensed manner. His predecessor had striven to protect the poor Indians from Spanish outrages, but he left them exposed to violence of every kind. He divided them among his covetous followers as slaves and the poor creatures were assigned to tasks far beyond their strength. The burden of this labor and the cruel severity which they had to endure at the hands of their taskmasters killed many of these naturally weak creatures and threatened to destroy them all.
The first act of Ovando was the removal of Bobadilla, who was sent to Spain, together with Roldan, to give an account of his misconduct. By royal command he did away with slavery by declaring all the Indians free. The unlicensed manner of life followed by the Spaniards was checked by new and rigid laws. Permission was given for the mining of gold but upon condition that half the product should belong to the King or the master of the island.
Meanwhile Columbus, bowed down by the weight of his troubles, appeared from time to time at the Court, which continued to turn a deaf ear to his complaints. He did not plead for grace but for justice. With the royal contract in his hands, he implored the fulfilment of the promise made to him that he should be the vice-sovereign of the newly discovered regions. He was convinced that on his last voyage he had found the coast of the mainland. His former supposition that this land was a part of India, if not entirely removed, was greatly weakened. He now conjectured that between the mainland and India there might be a great ocean separating one from the other. He further thought it possible that in the region of the Isthmus of Darien there might be a strait through which a passage could be found into this ocean and thence to the Indies.