that it is not possible to give an accurate account of the early
governors and their lieutenants. It is certain, however, that the
seat of government was at Santiago de Cuba, and that Havana and
other towns of minor importance were ruled by lieutenants. In
1538, Hernando de Soto, adelantado of Florida, and also governor
of Cuba, landed at Santiago, and remained a few days before
proceeding to the mainland. On his departure he left the
government of the island in charge of a lady, Dona Isabel de
Bobadilla, and gave her for a colleague Don Juan de Rojas, who had
at one time been lieutenant governor of Havana. It is from this
date that the gradual transference of the seat of power from
Santiago to Havana may be said to have arisen.

Don Antonio de Chavez assumed the government in 1547, and he it
was who gave Havana its first regular supply of water, bringing it
a distance of about six miles from the river Chorrera.

The early settlers devoted themselves principally to the raising
of cattle, paying very little attention to agricultural pursuits,
or in fact to any means of livelihood that called for manual
labor. Much time and money was wasted in explorations for gold and
silver, but these were invariably unsuccessful, for while the
precious metals have occasionally been found in the island, the
quantity has never been sufficient to repay the labor of the
search.

A LETTER WRITTEN BY COLUMBUS.

Nothing more interesting for the conclusion of this chapter can be
offered than Columbus' own account of his first view of the island