"His Highness must now have there more than 40,000 or 50,000 gold pieces. I learned
when I was there that the Governor had no desire to send it to him. It is believed among
the other people as well that there will be 150,000 pesos more, and the mines are very
rich and productive. Most of the people there are common and ignorant, and care very
little for the circumstances. The Governor is very much hated by all of them, and it is to
be feared that they may at some time rebel. If this should occur, which God forbid, the
remedy for the matter would then be difficult: and so it would be if injustice were used
toward them, either here or in other places, with the great fame of the gold. My opinion is
that his Highness should investigate this affair quickly and by means of a person who is
interested and who can go there with 150 or 200 people well equipped, and remain there
until it is well settled and without suspicion, which cannot be done in less than three
months: and that an endeavour be made to raise two or three forces there. The gold there
is exposed to great risk, as there are very few people to protect it. I say that there is a
proverb here which says that the presence of the owner makes the horse fat. Here and
wherever I may be, I shall serve their Highnesses with joy, until my soul leaves this body.
"Above I said that his Highness is the head of the Christians, and that it is necessary for
him to occupy himself in preserving them and their lands. For this reason people say that
he cannot thus provide a good government for all these Indies, and that they are being
lost and do not yield a profit, neither are they being handled in a reasonable manner. In
my opinion it would serve him to intrust this matter to some one who is distressed over
the bad treatment of his subjects.
"I wrote a very long letter to his Highness as soon as I arrived here, fully stating the evils
which require a prompt and efficient remedy at once. I have received no reply, nor have I
seen any provision made in the matter. Some vessels are detained in San Lucar by the
weather. I have told these gentlemen of the Board of Trade that they must order them
held until the King, our Lord, makes provision in the matter, either by some person with
other people, or by writing. This is very necessary and I know what I say. It is necessary
that the authorities should order all the ports searched diligently, to see that no one goes
yonder to the Indies without licence. I have already said that there is a great deal of gold
collected in straw houses without any means of defence, and there are many disorderly
people in the country, and that the Governor is hated, and that little punishment is
inflicted and has been inflicted upon those who have committed crimes and have come
out with their treasonable conduct approved.
"If his Highness decides to make some provision, it must be done at once, so that these
vessels may not be injured.
"I have heard that three Bishops are to be elected and sent to Espanola. If it pleases his
Highness to hear me before concluding this matter, I will tell in what manner God our
Lord may be well served and his Highness served and satisfied.
"I have given lengthy consideration to the provision for Espanola:"
Yes, the Queen is in His Holy Glory, and beyond the desires of this rough and wearisome
world; but we are not; we are still in a world where fifty thousand gold pieces can be of
use to us, and where a word spoken in season, even in such a season of darkness, may
have its effect with the King. A strange time to talk to the King about gold; and perhaps
Diego was wiser and kinder than his father thought in not immediately taking this strange
document to King Ferdinand.
Letter written by CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS to DON DIEGO, his Son, December 13,
1504
"VERY DEAR SON,—It is now eight days since your uncle and your brother and
Carbajal left here together, to kiss the royal hands of his Highness, and to give an account
of the voyage, and also to aid you in the negotiation of whatever may prove to be
necessary there.
"Don Ferdinand took from here 150 ducats to be expended at his discretion. He will have
to spend some of it, but he will give you what he has remaining. He also carries a letter of
credit for these merchants. You will see that it is very necessary to be careful in dealing
with them, because I had trouble there with the Governor, as every one told me that I had
there 11,000 or 12,000 castellanos, and I had only 4000. He wished to charge me with
things for which I am not indebted, and I, confiding in the promise of their Highnesses,
who ordered everything restored to me, decided to leave these charges in the hope of
calling him to account for them. If any one has money there, they do not dare ask for it,
on account of his haughtiness. I very well know that after my departure he must have
received more than 5000 castellanos. If it were possible for you to obtain from his
Highness an authoritative letter to the Governor, ordering him to send the money without
delay and a full account of what belongs to me, by the person I might send there with my
power of attorney, it would be well; because he will not give it in any other manner,
neither to my friend Diaz or Velasquez, and they dare not even speak of it to him.
Carbajal will very well know how this must be done. Let him see this letter. The 150
ducats which Luis de Soria sent you when I came are paid according to his desire.
"I wrote you at length and sent the letter by Don Ferdinand, also a memorandum. Now
that I have thought over the matter further, I say that, since at the time of my departure
their Highnesses said over their signature and verbally, that they would give me all that
belongs to me, according to my privileges—that the claim for the third or the tenth and
eighth mentioned in the memorandum must be relinquished, and instead the chapter of
their letter must be shown where they write what I have said, and all that belongs to me
must be required, as you have it in writing in the Book of Privileges, in which is also set
forth the reason for my receiving the third, eighth, and tenth; as there is always an
opportunity to reduce the sum desired by a person, although his Highness says in his
letter that he wishes to give me all that belongs to me. Carbajal will understand me very
well if he sees this letter, and every one else as well, as it is very clear. I also wrote to his
Highness and finally reminded him that he must provide at once for this affair of the
Indies, that the people there may not be disturbed, and also reminding him of the promise
stated above. You ought to see the letter.
