cution.[372-1] During
this time very remarkable and noteworthy things occurred whereof no idea
at all had been formed. I have arrived at, and am in such a condition
that there is no person so vile but thinks he may insult me; he shall be
reckoned in the world as valor itself who is courageous enough not to
consent to it.

If I were to steal the Indies or the land which lies towards them,[372-2]
of which I am now speaking, from the altar of Saint Peter, and give them
to the Moors, they could not show greater enmity towards me in Spain. Who
would believe such a thing where there was always so much magnanimity?

I should have much desired to free myself from this affair had it been
honorable towards my Queen to do so. The support of Our Lord and of Her
Highness made me persevere; and to alleviate in some measure the sorrows
which death had caused her,[372-3] I undertook a fresh voyage to the new
heaven and earth which up to that time had remained hidden; and if it is
not held there in esteem like the other voyages to the Indies, that is no
wonder because it came to be looked upon as my work.

The Holy Spirit inflamed Saint Peter and twelve others with him, and they
all fought here below, and their toils and hardships were many, but last
of all they gained the victory.

This voyage to Paria[373-1] I thought would somewhat appease them on
account of the pearls, and of the discovery of gold in Espanola. I
ordered the pearls to be collected and fished for by people with whom an
arrangement was made that I should return for them, and, as I understood,
they were to be measured by the bushel.[373-2] If I did not write about
this to their Highnesses, it was because I wished to have first of all
done the same thing with the gold. The result to me in this has been the
same as in many other things; I should not have lost them nor my honor,
if I had sought my own advantage, and had allowed Espanola to be ruined,
or if my privileges and contracts had been observed. And I say just the
same about the gold which I had then collected, and [for] which with such
great afflictions and toils I have, by divine power, almost perfected
[the arrangements].

When I went from Paria I found almost half the people of Espanola in
revolt,[373-3] and they have waged war against me until now, as against a
Moor; and the Indians on the other side grievously [harassed me]. At this
time Hojeda arrived[373-4] and tried to put the finishing stroke: he said