that their Highnesses had sent him with promises of gifts, franchises and
pay; he gathered together a great band, for in the whole of Espanola
there are very few save vagabonds, and not one with wife and children.
This Hojeda gave me great trouble; he was obliged to depart, and left
word that he would soon return with more ships and people, and that he
had left the royal person of the Queen our Lady at the point of death.
Then Vincent Yanez[373-5] arrived with four caravels; there was
disturbance and mistrust, but no mischief; the Indians talked of many
others at the Canibales [Caribbee Islands] and in Paria; and afterwards
spread the news of six other caravels, which were brought by a brother of
the Alcalde,[374-1] but it was with malicious intent. This occurred at
the very last, when the hope that their Highnesses would ever send any
ships to the Indies was almost abandoned, nor did we expect them; and it
was commonly reported that her Highness was dead.

A certain Adrian about this time endeavored to rise in rebellion again,
as he had done previously, but Our Lord did not permit his evil purpose
to succeed. I had purposed in myself never to touch a hair of anybody's
head, but I lament to say that with this man, owing to his ingratitude,
it was not possible to keep that resolve as I had intended; I should not
have done less to my brother, if he had sought to kill me, and steal the
dominion which my King and Queen had given me in trust.[374-2] This
Adrian, as it appears, had sent Don Ferdinand[374-3] to Xaragua to
collect some of his followers, and there a dispute arose with the Alcalde
from which a deadly contest ensued, but he [Adrian] did not effect his
purpose. The Alcalde seized him and a part of his band, and the fact was
that he would have executed them if I had not prevented it; they were
kept prisoners awaiting a caravel in which they might depart. The news of
Hojeda which I told them, made them lose the hope that he would now come
again.

For six months I had been prepared to return to their Highnesses with the
good news of the gold, and to escape from governing a dissolute people,
who fear neither God, nor their King and Queen, being full of vices and
wickedness. I could have paid the people in full with six hundred
thousand,[374-4] and for this purpose I had four millions of tenths and
somewhat more, besides the third of the gold. Before my departure I many
times begged their Highnesses to send there, at m