retiring to his cabin, performed, as they supposed, some mystic rite which
should deliver them from the threatened punishment. Soon the terrible
shadow passed away from the face of the moon; and the gratitude of the
savages was as deep as their previous terror. But, being blended with much
awe, it was not so evanescent as gratitude often is; and henceforward
there was no failure in the regular supply of provisions to the castaways.


DESPATCH FROM OVANDO.

Eight months had passed away without any tidings of Mendez, when, one
evening there hove in sight a small caravel which stood in towards the
harbour of Santa Gloria, and anchored just outside. A boat which put off
from the caravel brought on shore her commander, a certain Diego de
Escobar, whom Columbus recognized as a person whom he had sentenced to be
hanged as it ringleader in Roldan's mutiny, and who had been pardoned by
Bobadilla. The proceedings of this person--whose reprieve must have now
seemed to the admiral particularly injudicious--were singular enough.
Standing at a distance from Columbus, as if the admiral had been in
quarantine, he shouted, at the top of his voice, a message from Ovando, to
the effect that he (the governor) regretted the admiral's misfortunes very
keenly, that he hoped before long to send a ship of sufficient size to
take him off. He added, that in the meantime, Ovando begged him to accept
a slight mark of his friendship. The "slight mark of his friendship"
was--a side of bacon, which, with a small cask of wine and a letter from
Ovando he delivered to the admiral; and rowed off as fast as possible. The
whole scheme of this visit, which was probably planned by Ovando with the
object of ascertaining the real condition and designs of Columbus, was in
the last degree insulting to him and tantalizing to his companions, with
whom D'Escobar would not permit any communication to be held. However, the