which did not exceed seventy tons in burden; but, accustomed to brave
danger and endure hardships, he did not hesitate to accept the command
of this pitiful squadron, and he sailed from Cadiz on his fourth voyage
on the 9th of May.

[Illustration]

Having touched, as usual, at the Canaries, he intended to have sailed
direct for this new discovered continent; but his largest vessel was so
clumsy and unfit for service, that he determined to bear away for
Hispaniola, in hopes of exchanging her for some ship of the fleet that
had carried out Ovando.

The fleet that had brought out Ovando lay in the harbour ready to put
to sea, and was to take home Bobadilla, together with Roldan and many of
his adherents, to be tried in Spain for rebellion. Bobadilla was to
embark in the principal ship, on board of which he had put an immense
amount of gold, which he hoped would atone for all his faults.

Among the presents intended for his sovereign was one mass of virgin
gold, which was famous in the Spanish chronicles; it was said to weigh
3600 castillanos. Large quantities of gold had been shipped in the fleet
by Roldan and other adventurers--the wealth gained by the sufferings of
the unhappy natives.

Columbus sent an officer on shore to request permission to shelter his
squadron in the river, as he apprehended an approaching storm. He also
cautioned them not to let the fleet sail, but his request was refused by
Ovando, and his advice disregarded.

The fleet put to sea, and Columbus kept his feeble squadron close to
shore, and sought for shelter in some wild bay or river of the island.

Within two days, one of those tremendous storms which sometimes sweep
those latitudes gathered up, and began to blow. Columbus sheltered his
little squadron as well as he could, and sustained no damage. A
different fate befel the other armament.

The ship in which were Bobadilla, Roldan, and a number of the most
inveterate enemies of Columbus, was swallowed up with all its crew,
together with the principal part of the ill-gotten treasure, gained by
the miseries of the Indians.

Some of the ships returned to St. Domingo, and only one was able to
continue her voyage to Spain; that one had on board four thousand pieces
of gold, the property of Columbus, which had been recovered by the agent
whom he sent out with Ovando.

Thus, while the enemies of the admiral were swallowed up as it were
before his eyes, the only ship enabled to pursue her voy