and fertile island which he called St. John, but which has since received
the name of Porto Rico. Here were found houses and roads constructed after
a civilized fashion; but proofs that the inhabitants were cannibals
abounded everywhere. On the 22nd of November the admiral reached the
eastern end of Hispaniola, and sailed along the northern shore toward La
Navidad, where a profound disappointment awaited him. The little colony
which he had founded had been entirely destroyed. The fort was razed to
the ground. Not one of the settlers was alive to tell the tale.


LICENTIOUSNESS OF SETTLERS.

The account which Guacanagari gave to Columbus, and which there seems no
reason to doubt, is, that the Spanish who had been left at La Navidad took
to evil courses, quarrelled amongst themselves, straggled about the
country, and finally were set upon, when weak and few in numbers, by a
neighbouring Indian chief named Caonabo, who burned the tower and killed
or dispersed the garrison, none of whom were ever discovered. It was in
Caonabo's country that the gold mines were reported to exist, and it is
probable that both the cupidity and the profligacy of the colonists were
so gross as to draw down upon them the not unreasonable vengeance of the
natives. Guacanagari, the friendly cacique, who had received the admiral
amicably on his first voyage, declared that he and his tribe had done
their utmost in defence of the Europeans, in proof of which he exhibited
recent wounds which had evidently been inflicted by savage weapons. He
was, naturally, scarcely so friendly as before, but communication with him
was made easy by the aid of one of the Indians whom Columbus had taken to
Spain, and who acted as interpreter. Guacanagari was willing that a second
fort should be built on the site of the first, but the admiral thought it
better to seek a new locality, both because the position of the old fort