Young readers, at least, will be specially interested to remember that
it was in this region that Robinson Crusoe's island was placed by Defoe;
and if they will carefully read his life they will find discussions
there of the flow of the "great River Orinoco." Crossing this gulf,
Columbus had touched upon the coast of Paria, and thus became the first
discoverer of South America. It is determined, by careful geographers,
that the discovery of the continent of North America, had been made
before this time by the Cabots, sailing under the orders of England.

Columbus was greatly encouraged by the discovery of fine pearls among
the natives of Paria. Here he found one more proof that he was on the
eastern coast of Asia, from which coast pearls had been brought by
the caravans on which, till now, Europe had depended for its Asiatic
supplies. He gave the name "Gulf of Pearls" to the estuary which makes
the mouth of the River Paria.

He would gladly have spent more time in exploring this region; but
the sea-stores of his vessel were exhausted, he was suffering from a
difficulty with his eyes, caused by overwatching, and was also a cripple
from gout. He resisted the temptation, therefore, to make further
explorations on the coast of Paria, and passed westward and
northwestward. He made many discoveries of islands in the Caribbean Sea
as he went northwest, and he arrived at the colony of San Domingo,
on the thirtieth of August. He had hoped for rest after his difficult
voyage; but he found the island in confusion which seemed hopeless.

His brother Bartholomew, from all the accounts we have, would seem to
have administered its affairs with justice and decision; but the problem
he had in hand was one which could not be solved so as to satisfy all
the critics. Close around him he had a body of adventurers, almost
all of whom were nothing but adventurers. With the help of these
adventurers, he had to repress Indian hostilities, and to keep in order
the natives who had been insulted and injured in every conceivable way
by the settlers.

He was expected to send home gold to Spain with every vessel; he knew
perfectly well that Spain was clamoring with indignation because he did
not succeed in doing so. But on the island itself he had to meet, from
day to day, conspiracies of Spaniards and what are called insurrections
of natives. These insurrections consisted simply in their assertion of
such rights as they had to the beautiful land