The Eclipse Of The Moon - 2

The Eclipse Of The Moon - 2

The shout was a signal, and immediately from every part of the vessel resounded the

voices of the Spaniards, crying out that they would follow Porras. In the midst of the

confusion Columbus hobbled out of his bed and staggered on to the deck; Bartholomew

seized his weapons and prepared for action; but the whole of the crew was not mutinous,

and there was a large enough loyal remnant to make it unwise for the chicken-hearted

mutineers to do more for the moment than shout: Some of them, it is true, were heard

threatening the life of the Admiral, but he was hurried back to his bed by a few of the

faithful ones, and others of them rushed up to the fierce Bartholomew, and with great

difficulty persuaded him to drop his lance and retire to Christopher's cabin with him

while they dealt with the offenders. They begged Columbus to let the scoundrels go if

they wished to, as the condition of those who remained would be improved rather than

hurt by their absence, and they would be a good riddance. They then went back to the

deck and told Porras and his followers that the sooner they went the better, and that

nobody would interfere with their going as long as they offered no one any violence.

The Admiral had some time before purchased some good canoes from the natives, and

the mutineers seized ten of these and loaded them with native provisions. Every effort

was made to add to the number of the disloyal ones; and when they saw their friends

making ready to depart several of these did actually join. There were forty-eight who

finally embarked with the brothers Porras; and there would have been more, but that so

many of them were sick and unable to face the exposure of the voyage. As it was, those

who remained witnessed with no very cheerful emotions the departure of their

companions, and even in some cases fell to tears and lamentations. The poor old Admiral

struggled out of his bed again, went round among the sick and the loyal, cheering them

and comforting them, and promising to use every effort of the power left to him to secure

an adequate reward for their loyalty when he should return to Spain.

We need only follow the career of Porras and his deserters for the present far enough to

see them safely off the premises and out of the way of the Admiral and our narrative.

They coasted along the shore of Jamaica to the eastward as Mendez had done, landing

whenever they had a mind to, and robbing and outraging the natives; and they took a

particularly mean and dirty revenge on the Admiral by committing all their robbings and

outragings as though under his authority, assuring the offended Indians that what they did

they did by his command and that what they took he would pay for; so that as they went

along they sowed seeds of grievance and hostility against the Admiral. They told the

natives, moreover, that Columbus was an enemy of all Indians, and that they would be

very well advised to kill him and get him out of the way.

They had not managed very well with the navigation of the canoes; and while they were

waiting for fine weather at the eastern end of the island they collected a number of

natives to act as oarsmen. When they thought the weather suitable they put to sea in the

direction of Espanola. They were only about fifteen miles from the shore, however, when

the wind began to head them and to send up something of a sea; not rough, but enough to

make the crank and overloaded canoes roll heavily, for they had not been prepared, as

those of Mendez were, with false keels and weather-boards. The Spaniards got frightened

and turned back to Jamaica; but the sea became rougher, the canoes rolled more and

more, they often shipped a quantity of water, and the situation began to look serious. All

their belongings except arms and provisions were thrown overboard; but still, as the wind

rose and the sea with it, it became obvious that unless the canoes were further lightened

they would not reach the shore in safety. Under these circumstances the Spaniards forced

the natives to leap into the water, where they swam about like rats as well as they could,

and then came back to the canoes in order to hold on and rest themselves. When they did

this the Spaniards slashed at them with their swords or cut off their hands, so that one by

one they fell back and, still swimming about feebly as well as they could with their

bleeding hands or stumps of arms, the miserable wretches perished and sank at last.

By this dreadful expedient the Spaniards managed to reach Jamaica again, and when they

landed they immediately fell to quarrelling as to what they should do next. Some were for

trying to make the island of Cuba, the wind being favourable for that direction; others

were for returning and making their submission to the Admiral; others for going back and

seizing the remainder of his arms and stores; others for staying where they were for the

present, and making another attempt to reach Espanola when the weather should be more

favourable. This last plan, being the counsel of present inaction, was adopted by the

majority of the rabble; so they settled themselves at a neighbouring Indian village,

behaving in: the manner with which we are familiar. A little later, when the weather was

calm, they made another attempt at the voyage, but were driven back in the same way;

and being by this time sick of canoe voyages, they abandoned the attempt, and began to

wander back westward through the island, maltreating the natives as before, and sowing

seeds of bitter rancour and hostility against the Admiral; in whose neighbourhood we

shall unfortunately hear of them again.

In the meantime their departure had somewhat relieved the condition of affairs on board

the hulks. There were more provisions and there was more peace; the Admiral, rising

above his own infirmities to the necessities of the occasion, moved unweariedly among

the sick, cheering them and nursing them back into health and good humour, so that

gradually the condition of the little colony was brought into better order and health than it

had enjoyed since its establishment.

But now unfortunately the evil harvest sown by the Porras gang in their journey to the

east of the island began to ripen. The supplies of provisions, which had hitherto been

regularly brought by the natives, began to appear with less punctuality, and to fall off

both in quantity and quality. The trinkets with which they were purchased had now been

distributed in such quantities that they began to lose their novelty and value; sometimes

the natives demanded a much higher price for the provisions they brought, and (having

by this time acquired the art of bargaining) would take their stores away again if they did

not get the price they asked.

But even of this device they soon grew weary; from being irregular, the supplies of

provisions from some quarters ceased altogether, and the possibilities of famine began to

stare the unhappy castaways in the face. It must be remembered that they were in a very

weak physical condition, and that among the so-called loyal remnant there were very few

who were not invalids; and they were unable to get out into the island and forage for

themselves. If the able-bodied handful were to sally forth in search of provisions, the

hulks would be left defenceless and at the mercy of the natives, of whose growing

hostility the Admiral had by this time discovered abundant evidence. Thus little by little

the food supply diminished until there was practically nothing left, and the miserable

company of invalids were confronted with the alternative of either dying of starvation or

desperately attempting a canoe voyage.