

Reaching the eastern end of the island they put off, intending to stand
across the gulf; but a heavy sea arose, and fearing that their light
canoes would be swamped, they threw the helpless Indians, whom they had
taken to paddle them, overboard.  When some of the natives attempted to
seize the gunwales and save themselves, the barbarians cut off their
hands and stabbed them with their swords.

The deserters, on reaching land, took up their abode in an Indian
village, the inhabitants of which they treated in their usual tyrannical
manner.  They then wandered from village to village, a dissolute gang,
supporting themselves by robbery, and passing like a pestilence through
the island.

Columbus, meantime, supported by conscious rectitude, devoted himself to
relieving the sufferings of his sick companions who remained with him.
The good faith with which he had ever acted towards the natives now
produced a beneficial effect, and supplies of provisions were brought
from time to time, which were scrupulously paid for.  As, however, the
trinkets lost their value, the supplies fell off, and at length entirely
ceased.  Every day the difficulty of procuring food increased, and when
any was brought, a ten times higher price than formerly was asked for
it.  The atrocities committed by Porras and his party had produced an
injurious effect on the minds of the natives, even against the Admiral,
and they hoped that, by withholding provisions, either to starve him and
his people, or to drive them from the island.

At this juncture Columbus ascertained that there would be a total
eclipse of the moon in the early part of the night, and he, in
consequence, conceived a device, which, according to the erroneous
notions of those days, he probably considered a pious and excusable
fraud.  To make the natives believe in his superior powers, he invited
the principal cacique and his followers to a conference, when he told
them that the white men worshipped a great divinity, who would be
displeased if his votaries were allowed to starve; an