the 3rd of
August that Columbus reached the little island of Beata, on the coast of
Hispaniola, and not, in consequence of the same cause, until the 13th
that he anchored in the harbour of San Domingo. Here a strong reaction
in his favour took place, and many of those who had jeered as he was led
away a prisoner in chains, now came forward to welcome him with every
mark of respect. He was lodged in the house of Ovando, who, however,
set at liberty the traitor Porras, and even talked of punishing the
Admiral's followers for having, in the fray at Jamaica, killed several
of the mutineers.

Columbus had much cause for grief when he saw the desolation brought
upon the island by the cruel treatment of the natives, and heard of the
horrible massacres which had been perpetrated by Ovando and his agents.
He was eager to depart, and as soon as the vessels which had brought him
from Jamaica could be repaired, he put one under charge of the
Adelantado, while he, with his son and domestics, embarked on board the
other.

Most of his late crew remained at San Domingo, and even the most violent
of the rebels were helped from his purse. Scarcely had he left the
harbour than the mast of his vessel was carried away; so sending her
back, he embarked on board that commanded by the Adelantado.

The caravel continued her voyage, sorely buffeted by storms, during
which one of her masts was sprung, he all the time lying prostrated by
sickness in his cabin. It was not until the end of several weeks that
the tempest-tossed barks anchored, on the 7th of November, in the
harbour of San Lucar.

Thus ended the last voyage undertaken by the great navigator. From San
Lucar he was conveyed to Seville, where he hoped to obtain rest after
all his toils; but on arriving there he found his affairs in confusion,
as they had been ever since his property had been seized by Bobadilla.
His great anxiety was to get to Court to defend himself from the
malignant accusations of his enemies; but his patroness, the magnanimous
Isabella, fell ill and died. Ferdinand, though he treated him with
respect, made constant excuses for not attending to his requests.

At length King Philip with Juana arrived from Flanders to take
possession of their throne of Castile, and the Admiral, trusting that in
the daughter of Isabella he would once more find a patroness, being too
ill to leave his bed, sent his brother the Adelantado to petition for
the restoration of his h