ng. Certain it is, that after he had left the island
called La Mona, and when he was approaching the island of San Juan, a
drowsiness, which Las Casas calls "pestilential," but which might
reasonably be attributed to the privations, cares, and anxieties which the
admiral had now undergone for many months, seized upon him, and entirely
deprived him for a time of the use of his senses.

The object in going to San Juan was to capture cannibals there, and Las
Casas looks upon this lethargical attack as a judgment upon the admiral
for so unjust a manner of endeavouring to introduce Christianity. The
mariners turned the fleet homewards to Isabella, where they arrived the
29th of September, 1494, bearing with them their helpless commander.

ILLNESS OF COLUMBUS.

On Columbus's arrival at Isabella, where he remained ill for five months,
he found his brother, Bartholomew Columbus, whose presence gladdened him
exceedingly. His brothers were very dear to the admiral, as may be
gathered from a letter to his eldest son Diego, in which he bids him make
much of his brother Ferdinand, the son of Beatrice, "for," says he, "ten
brothers would not be too many for you. I have never found better friends,
on my right hand and on my left, than my brothers." Afterwards came
Antonio de Torres with provisions, and all things needful for the colony.
But nothing, we are told, delighted the admiral so much as the despatches
from court, for he was a faithful, loyal man, who loved to do his duty to
those who employed him, and to have his faithfulness recognized.

DISORGANIZATION OF THE COLONY.

Peace or delight, however, was not at any time to be long enjoyed by
Columbus. He found his colony in a sad state of disorganization: the
Indians were in arms against the Spaniards; and Father Buil, Don Pedro
Margarite, and other principal persons had gone home to Spain in the ship
which had brought Bartholomew Columbus.

The admiral, before his departure, had given a most injudicious command to
Margarite, namely, to put himself at the head of four hundred men and go
through the country, with the twofold object of impressing upon the
natives a respect for the power of the Spaniards, and of freeing the
colony from supporting these four hundred men. The instructions to
Margarite were, to observe the people and the natural productions of the
country through which he should pass; to do rigorous justice, so that the
Spaniards should be prevented from