.54
VOYAGES
were set at liberty.
AND
D I S C O V E R I E S OF
As to Ojeda, he reserved nothing for him
self of the spoil excepting a single hammock. The ransom paid by the poor Indians for some of their effects and some of their women yielded the Spaniards "a trifling quan tity of gold, but they found the place destitute of provisions, and Ojeda was obliged to dispatch Vergara in a caravel to the island of Jamaica to forage for supplies, with instructions to rejoin him at Maracaibo or Cape de la Vela. Ojeda a length arrived at Coquibacoa, at the port destined for his seat of government.
He found the country, however, so poor
and sterile, that he proceeded along the coast to a bay which he named Santa Cruz, but which is supposed to be the same at pre sent called Bahia Honda, where he found a Spaniard who had been left in the province of Citarma by Bastides in his late voy age about thirteen months before, and had remained ever since among the Indians, so that he had acquired their language. Ojeda determined to form his settlement at this place ; but the natives seemed disposed to defend their territory, for, the moment a party landed to procure water, they were assailed by a galling shower of arrows, and driven back to the ships.
Upon this Ojeda
landed with all his force, and struck such terror into the Indians, that they came forward with signs of amity, and brought a consi derable quantity of gold as a peace-offering, which was graciously accepted. Ojeda, with the concurrence of his associates, now set to work to establish a settlement, cutting down trees, and commencing a fortress.
They had scarce begun, when they were attacked by a
neighboring cacique, but Ojeda sallied forth upon him with such intrepidity and effect as not merely to defeat, but to drive him