mines, or near to these provinces, was to pay every three months a little
bellful of gold; all other persons in the island were to pay at the same
time an arroba of cotton for each person. Certain brass or copper tokens
were made--different ones for each tribute time--and were given to the
Indians when they paid tribute and these tokens, being worn about their
necks, were to show who had paid tribute.


REMARKABLE INDIAN SCHEME.

A remarkable proposal was made upon this occasion to the admiral by
Guarionex, cacique of the Vega Real, namely, that he would institute a
huge farm for the growth of corn and the manufacture of bread, stretching
from Isabella to St. Domingo (i. e. from sea to sea) which would suffice
to maintain all Castile with bread. The cacique would do this on condition
that his vassals were not to pay tribute in gold, as they did not know how
to collect that. But this proposal was not accepted, because Columbus
wished to have tribute in such things as he could send over to Spain.

This tribute is considered to have been a most unreasonable one in point
of amount, and Columbus was obliged to modify his demands upon these poor
Indians, and in some instances to change the nature of them. It appears
that, in 1496, service instead of tribute was demanded of certain Indian
villages; and as the villagers were ordered to make (and work) the farms
in the Spanish settlements, this may be considered as the beginning of the
system of repartimientos, or encomiendas, as they were afterwards called.


VIEWS OF COLUMBUS ON SLAVERY.