APPENDIX.
301
highly acceptable to the king ; but it was accompanied by a great number of complaints against the admiral. Little affection as Ferdinand felt for Don Diego, he was still aware that most of these representations were false, and had their origin in the jealousy and envy of his enemies. He judged it expedient, however, in 1512, to send out Don Bartholomew Co足 lumbus with minute instructions to his nephew the admiral. Don Bartholomew still retained the office of Adelantado of the Indies ; although Ferdinand, through selfish motives, detained him in Spain, while he employed inferior men in voyages of discovery. He now added to his appointments the property and government of the little island of Mona during life, and assigned him a repartimiento of two hundred Indians, with the superintendence of the mines which might be discovered in Cuba \ an office which proved very lucrative.* Among the instructions given by the king to Don Diego, he directed that, in consequence of the representations of the Dominican friars, the labor of the natives should be reduced to one-third ; that negro slaves should be procured from Guinea as a relief to the Indians ;f and that Carib slaves should be branded on the leg, to prevent other Indians from being confounded with them and subjected to harsh treatment! The two governors, Ojeda and Nicuessa, whom the king had appointed to colonize and command at the Isthmus of Darien, in Terra Firma, hav足 ing failed in their undertaking, the sovereign, in 1514, wrote to Hispaniola, permitting the Adelantado, Don Bartholomew, if so inclined, to take charge of settling the coast of Veragua, and to govern that country under the admiral Don Diego, conformably to his privileges. Had the king consulted his own interest, and the deference due to the talents and services of the Adelantado, this measure would have been taken at an earlier date. It was now too late : illness prevented Don Bartholomew from executing the enterprise ; and his active and toilsome life was drawing to a close. Many calumnies having been sent home to Spain by Pasamonte and other enemies of Don Diego, and various measures being taken by gov足 ernment, which he conceived derogatory to his dignity, and injurious to his privileges, he requested and obtained permission to repair to court, that he might explain and vindicate his conduct. He departed, accordingly, on April 9th, 1515, leaving the Adelantado with the vice-queen Dona Maria.
* Charlevoix, Hist. St. Domingo, p. 3 2 1 . t Herrera, Hist. Ind., decad. i. lib. ix. cap. 5.
t Idem.