222
LIFE
AND
VOYAGES
OF
[BOOK
XII.
accompanied. Ojeda knew Columbus to be embarrassed by the seditions of Hispaniola ; he found, by his conversations with Fon seca and other of the admiral's enemies, that strong doubts and jealousies existed in the mind of the king with respect to his con duct, and that his approaching downfall was confidently predicted. The idea of taking advantage of these circumstances struck Oje da, and, by a private enterprise, he hoped to be the first in gath ering the wealth of these newly-discovered regions. He communi cated his project to his patron, Fonseca. The latter was but too ready for any thing that might defeat the plans and obscure the glory of Columbus ; and it may be added that he always showed himself more disposed to patronize mercenary adventurers than upright and high-minded men. He granted Ojeda every facility ; furnishing him with copies of the papers and charts of Columbus, by which to direct himself in his course, and a letter of license signed with his own name, though not with that of the sovereigns. In this, it was stipulated that he should not touch at any land belonging to the King of Portugal, nor any that had been dis covered by Columbus prior to 1495. The last provision shows the perfidious artifice of Fonseca, as it left Paria and the Pearl Islands free to the visits of Ojeda, they having been discovered by Columbus subsequent to the designated year. The ships were to be fitted out at the charges of the adventurers, and a certain proportion of the products of the voyage were to be rendered to the crown. Under this license Ojeda fitted out four ships at Seville, as sisted by many eager and wealthy speculators. Among the num ber was the celebrated Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine merchant, well acquainted with geography and navigation. The principal pilot of the expedition was Juan de la Cosa, a mariner of great