authorized Mendez to proceed to St. Domingo to purchase a caravel on
behalf of Columbus, in which Fieschi might return to Santa Gloria, and
bring him off.


SUSPENSE OF THE ADMIRAL; MUTINY OF PORRAS.

Meanwhile, month after month passed by, and the unfortunate castaways at
Santa Gloria had no tidings from Hispaniola, and were even ignorant
whether their messengers had succeeded in reaching that island. At last,
in January, 1504, the murmurs against the inaction of Columbus broke out
into open mutiny. Francesco Porras, the captain of one of the caravels,
headed the mutineers, and going to the admiral, who was confined to his
bed by the gout, told him that he, the admiral, evidently was afraid to
return to Spain; but that the people had determined to remain no longer to
perish, and intended to depart at once. On this there arose shouts from
the followers of Porras, "To Castile! We follow!" The admiral made a
temperate speech, pointing out the danger of attempting to leave the
island in mere canoes, and the absurdity of supposing that he had not a
common interest with them in all respects. But Porras was as persistent in
his desire to go, as Columbus in his determination to stay; and, taking
possession of the canoes which had been purchased from the natives, the
mutineers set out on their journey towards Hispaniola, leaving the admiral
and his brother with scarcely any adherents except those whom sickness
incapacitated for undertaking the journey.


BAD CONDUCT OF MUTINEERS.

The progress of Porras and his followers through the island was marked by