ons to his
son, written at this period, the first thing, he says, to be done is, "to
commend affectionately, with much devotion," the soul of the Queen to God.
Could the poor Indians but have known what a friend to them was dying, one
continued wail would have gone up to heaven from Hispaniola and all the
western islands. The dread decree, however, had gone forth, and on the
26th of November, 1504, it was only a prayer for the departed that could
have been addressed; for the great Queen was no more. If it be permitted
to departing spirits to see those places on earth they yearn much
after, we might imagine that the soul of Isabella would give "one longing,
lingering look" to the far West.

OPPRESSION OF THE INDIANS.

And if so, what did she see there? How different was the aspect of things
from what governors and officers of all kinds had told her: how different
from aught that she had thought of, or commanded! She had insisted that
the Indians were to be free: she would have seen their condition to be
that of slaves. She had declared that they were to have spiritual
instruction: she would have seen them less instructed than the dogs. She
had ordered that they should receive payment for their labour: she would
have found that all they received was a mockery of wages, just enough to
purchase once, perhaps, in the course of the year, some childish trifles
from Castile. She had always directed that they should have kind treatment
and proper maintenance: she would have seen them literally watching under
the tables of their masters, to catch the crumbs which fell there. She
would have beheld the Indian labouring at the mine under cruel buffetings,
his family, neglected, perishing, or enslaved. She would have marked him
on his return, after eight months of dire toil, enter a place which knew
him not, or a household that could only sorrow over the gaunt creature who
had returned to them, and mingle their sorrows with his; or, still more
sad, she would have seen Indians who had been brought from far distant
homes, linger at the mines, too hopeless, or too careless, to return.

PETITIONS OF COLUMBUS; INJUSTICE OF THE KING.

Turning from what might have been seen by Queen Isabella, had her
departing gaze pierced to the outskirts of her dominions, we have to
record the closing scene of the strange eventful history of Columbus, who
did not long survive his benefactress. Ever since his return from his
fourth voyage to the