THE
C O M P A N I O N S O F COLUMBUS.
87
C H A P T E R VIII. FACTIONS IN THE COLONY.
A CONVENTION MADE.
DAYS and days elapsed, but no relief arrived at San Sebastian. The Spaniards kept a ceaseless watch upon the sea, but the pro mised ship failed to appear.
"With all the husbandry of Ojeda
the stock of provisions was nearly consumed ; famine again pre vailed, and several of the garrison perished through their various sufferings and their lack of sufficient nourishment.
The survivors
now became factious in their misery, and a plot was formed among them to seize upon one of the vessels In the harbor and make sail for Hispaniola. Ojeda discovered their intentions, and was reduced to great perplexity.
He saw that to remain here without relief from
abroad was certain destruction, yet he clung to his desperate en terprise.
It was his only chance for fortune or command ; for
should this settlement be broken up, he might try in vain, with his exhausted means and broken credit, to obtain another post or set on foot another expedition.
Ruin in fact would overwhelm
him, should he return without success. He exerted himself, therefore, to the utmost to pacify his men ; representing the folly of abandoning a place where they had established a foothold, and where they only needed a reinforce ment to enable them to control the surrounding country, and to make themselves masters of its riche3.
Finding they still demur
red, he offered, now that he was sufficiently recovered from his wound, to go himself to San Domingo in quest of reinforcements and supplies.