wise Guacanagari.]

[Note 12: One of these Indians died at sea on the voyage, and
three others landed very ill at Palos; the remaining six were
presented to Ferdinand and Isabella at Barcelona, and were afterwards
baptised.]

You are now acquainted with such details concerning this first voyage
as it has seemed expedient to me to record. The King and Queen,
who, above everything and even in their sleep, thought about the
propagation of the Christian faith, hoping that these numerous and
gentle peoples might be easily converted to our religion, experienced
the liveliest emotions upon hearing these news. Columbus was received
upon his return with the great honour he merited for what he had
accomplished.[13] They bade him sit in their presence, which for the
Spanish sovereigns is regarded as a proof of the greatest friendship
and the highest mark of gratitude. They commanded that henceforward
Columbus should be called "_Praefectus Marinus_," or, in the Spanish
tongue, _Amiral_. His brother Bartholomew, likewise very proficient in
the art of navigation, was honoured by them with the title of Prefect
of the Island of Hispaniola, which is in the vulgar tongue called
_Adelantado_.[14] To make my meaning clear I shall henceforth employ
these usual words of Admiral and Adelantado as well as the terms
which are now commonly used in navigation. But let us return to our
narrative.

[Note 13: The historian Oviedo, who was present, describes the
reception of Columbus at Barcelona. _Hist. Nat. de las Indias_, tom.
ii., p. 7.]

[Note 14: This statement is premature; Bartholomew's appointment
was made considerably later.]

It was thought, as Columbus had moreover declared in the beginning,
that in these islands would be found riches such as all struggle to
obtain. There were two motives which determined the royal pair to plan
a second expedition, for which they ordered seventeen ships to be
equipped; three of these were vessels with covered decks, twelve were
of the kind called caravels by the Spaniards, which had none, and
two were larger caravels, of which the height of the masts made it
possible to adapt decks. The equipment of this fleet was confided
to Juan de Fonseca, Dean of Seville, a man of illustrious birth, of
genius and initiative.[15] In obedience to his orders more than twelve
hundred foot-soldiers, amongst whom were all sorts of labourers and
numerous artisans, were commanded to embark. Some noblemen were found
am