THE
COMPANIONS OF COLUMBUS.
57
he attempted to make his escape and get off to San Domingo, but he was seized, thrown in irons, and conveyed on board of the caravel.
The two partners then set sail from Santa Cruz, bearing
off the whole community, its captive governor, and the litigated strong box. They put to sea about the beginning of September, and arrived at the western part of the island of Hispaniola.
While at an足
chor, within a stone's throw of the land, Ojeda, confident in his strength and skill as a swimmer, let himself quietly slide down the side of the ship into the water during the night, and attempted to swim for the shore.
His arms were free, but his feet were
shackled, and the weight of his irons threatened to sink him.
He
was obliged to shout for help ; a boat was sent from the vessel to his relief, and the unfortunate governor was brought back half drowned to his unrelenting partners.* The latter now landed and delivered their prisoner into the hands of Gallego, the commander of the place, to be put at the disposal of the governor of the island.
In the meantime, the
strong box, which appears to have been at the bottom of all these feuds, remained in the possession of Vergara and Ocampo, who, Ojeda says, took from it whatever they thought proper, without regard to the royal dues, or the consent of the royal supervisor. They were all together, prisoner and accusers, in the city of San Domingo, about the end of September, 1502, when the chief judge of the island, after hearing both parties, gave a verdict against Ojeda, that stripped him of all his effects, and brought him into debt to the crown for the royal proportion of the profits of the voyage.
Ojeda appealed to the sovereign, and, after some
time, was honorably acquitted, by the royal council, from all the * Hist. Gen. de Viages.
Herrera, Hist. Ind.