ome of them. To
bring home a number after every voyage to the coast was therefore
nothing strange, nor was it anything novel to sell them in Portugal to
help pay the expense of the voyage. From Portugal to Spain this negro
slavery spread, until it became fairly common in both countries.

When the cry for labourers came over the Atlantic--even before the
extermination of the natives--a few negroes were sent out. Finding them
more docile and better able to endure hard labour than the Indians, more
were called for, the benevolent priests also urging the matter to save
the remnant of the Arawaks. The demand created a supply, and soon the
Portuguese found themselves embarked in a lucrative trade, of which they
commanded the monopoly. Thus began a traffic which has been unreservedly
condemned by the most enlightened of humanity, and praised alone by
those whose very livelihood depended upon it.

[Illustration: A NEGRO FESTIVAL.

(_From Edwards' "West Indies."_)]

On his second voyage Columbus carried the sugar cane, which was destined
to have such an influence for good and evil on the West Indies. Its
produce was at first known as a kind of honey, and recognised as an
expectorant and comforting medicine. Now it had made its way into the
kitchens of the great, where it was considered as one of the spices, and
with them became more and more used every year. In early times the cane
was cultivated on the warmer shores of the Mediterranean, and, after
their discovery, in the Canary and Cape de Verde islands. At the period
of the discovery of America sugar was sold at about eightpence a pound,
equivalent to something like three shillings nowadays. As the demand
continued to increase large plantations were laid out in Hispaniola,
until it became the staple product of the colony.

Cotton was known in the old world, but as yet had hardly come into use
in Europe. In the West Indies it was generally cultivated in a small way
by every native, and on being forwarded to Spain, the "tree wool," as it
was called, soon came into use. Then came another product, tobacco,
which was quite new at that time, although probably known in the far
East. It seemed strange to the new-comers that people should carry
firebrands in their mouths, and at first they took tobacco-smokers for
juggling fire-eaters, until they also learnt the sustaining power of the
"weed." This soon took place, and by the year 1550 tobacco was well
known in Spain and Italy. P