dubbed Admirals and
Viceroys came. Every one who had been restrained from greed, lust and
violence came. Those who held an honest doubt as to some one policy, or
act, questioned, found their mere doubt become in Aguado's mind damning
certainty. And so many good Spaniards dead in war, and so many of
pestilence, and such thinness, melancholy, poverty in Isabella! And
where was the gold? And was this rich Asia of the spices, the elephants,
the beautiful thin cloths and the jewels? The friends of Christopherus
Columbus had their say also, but suddenly there arose all the enemies.

"When he sails home, I will sail with him!" said the Admiral, "My name
is hurt, the truth is wounded!"

In the third week of Aguado's visit, arose out of far ocean and rushed
upon us one of those immense tempests that we call here "hurricane".
Not a few had we seen since 1492, but none so great, so terrible as this
one. Eight ships rode in the harbor and six were sunk. Aguado's four
caravels and two others. Many seamen drowned; some got ashore half-dead.

"How will I get away? I must to Spain!" cried Aguado. The Admiral said,
"There is the _Nina_."

The _Nina_ must be made seaworthy, and in the end we built a smaller
ship still which we called the _Santa Cruz_. Aguado waited, fretting.
Christopherus Columbus kept toward him a great, calm courtesy.

It was at this moment that Don Bartholomew found, through Miguel Diaz,
the mines of Hayna, that was a great river in a very rich country. The
Adelantado brought to Isabella ore in baskets. Pablo Belvis, our new
essayer, pronounced it true and most rich. Brought in smaller measures
were golden grains, knobs as large as filberts, golden collars and arm
rings from the Indians of Bonao where flowed the Hayna.

"Ophir!" said the Admiral. "Mayhap it is Ophir! Then have we passed
somewhere the Gulf of Persia and Trapoban!"

With that gold he sailed, he and Aguado and two small crowded ships.
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