234
LIFE A N D V O Y A G E S
OF
[BOOK
V.
of the voyages of Columbus, and is another of his self-delusions, to be explained by the work of Marco Polo.
That traveler
described two islands near the coast of Asia, one inhabited solely by women, the other by men, between which a similar inter course subsisted ;* and Columbus, supposing himself in that vicinity, easily interpreted the signs of the Indians to coincide with the descriptions of the Venetian. Having regaled the warrior, and made him various presents, the admiral sent him on shore, in hopes, through his mediation, of opening a trade for gold with his companions.
As the boat
approached the land, upwards of fifty savages, armed with bows and arrows, war-clubs, and javelins, were seen lurking among the trees.
On a word from the Indian who was in the boat, they
laid by their arms and came forth to meet the Spaniards.
The
latter, according to directions from the admiral, endeavored to purchase several of their weapons, to take as curiosities to Spain. They parted with two of their bows; but, suddenly conceiving some distrust, or thinking to overpower this handful of strangers, they rushed to the place where they had left their weapons, snatched them up, and returned with cords, as if to bind the Spaniards.
The latter immediately attacked them, wounded two,
put the rest to flight, and would have pursued them, but were restrained by the pilot who commanded the boat.
This was the
first contest with the Indians, and the first time that native blood was shed by the white men in the new world.
Columbus was
grieved to see all his exertions to maintain an amicable inter course vain: he consoled himself with the idea, however, that if these were Caribs, or frontier Indians of warlike character,
* Marco Polo, book iii. chap. 34 ; Eng edit. of Marsden.