west, the Spanish court pressed with eagerness arrangements for a second
expedition. It was to be on a large and generous scale and to take out a
thousand men. For this was the first plan, though the number afterwards
was increased to fifteen hundred. To give efficiency to all the measures
of colonization, what we should call a new department of administration
was formed, and at the head of it was placed Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca.

Fonseca held this high and responsible position for thirty years. He
early conceived a great dislike of Columbus, who, in some transactions
before this expedition sailed, appealed to the sovereigns to set aside
a decision of Fonseca's, and succeeded. For all the period while he
managed the Indian affairs of Spain, Fonseca kept his own interests
in sight more closely than those of Spain or of the colonists; and not
Columbus only, but every other official of Spain in the West Indies, had
reason to regret the appointment.

The king of Portugal and the sovereigns of Spain began complicated and
suspicious negotiations with each other regarding the new discoveries.
Eventually, as has been said, they acceded to the pope's proposal and
decree. But, at first, distrusting each other, and concealing their
real purposes, in the worst style of the diplomacy of that time, they
attempted treaties for the adjustment between themselves of the right to
lands not yet discovered by either. Of these negotiations, the important
result was that which has been named,--the change of the meridian of
division from that proposed by the pope. It is curious now to see that
the king of Portugal proposed a line of division, which would run east
and west, so that Spain should have the new territories north of the
latitude of the Grand Canary, and Portugal all to the south.

In the midst of negotiation, the king and queen and Columbus knew
that whoever was first on the ground of discovery would have the great
advantage. There was a rumor in Spain that Portugal had already sent out
vessels to the west. Everything was pressed with alacrity at Cadiz.
The expedition was to be under Columbus's absolute command. Seamen of
reputation were engaged to serve under him. Seventeen vessels were to
take out a colony. Horses as well as cattle and other domestic animals
were provided. Seeds and plants of different kinds were sent out, and
to this first colonization by Spain, America owes the sugar-cane, and
perhaps some other of her tropica