that he was home a of enemies and false witnesses to his character and his conduct but he bad no alternative to as much as possible their he sent by the same car die loyal and upright to � � with de to attend to his affairs at court and furnished with the written processes which had been taken relative to the conduct of and his he wrote at the same time to the sovereigns them to inquire into the truth of the late transactions and to act as they thought best he stated his opinion that the which he had signed with the were and void for reasons that they had been from him by violence and at sea where he did not exercise the o e of that there had been two processes relative to the and the having been condemned as it was not in the power of the admiral to them from their that the treated of matters touching the royal over which he had no control without the of the proper officers and that his companions on leaving spain had taken an oath to be to the sovereigns and to the admiral in their name for these and similar reasons some just others rather he urged their not to consider themselves bound to the terms which he had to these men but to inquire into their and treat them accordingly k d l c he repeated the request made in a former letter that a learned man might be sent out as judge to the laws in the island since he himself had been charged with although conscious of having always observed a guarded he requested also that discreet persons should be sent out to form a council and others for however that care should be taken in all these that their powers should be so limited and defined as not to interfere with his � ii dignity and privileges he strongly on this point for he felt that his had on former occasions been invaded he observed that he might be but it appeared to him that princes ought to show much countenance to their for without the royal favour to give them strength and consequence every thing went to ruin under their command a sound forced firom the admiral by his recent experience in which much of his own and the triumph of the had been caused by the distrust of the crown and its to his complaints finding age and infirmity creeping upon him and his health being much by his last voyage began p think of his son as an active to share with him in the toils and cares of his station and who being destined as his successor might gain under his eye for the future discharge of his high duties was still serving as a page at court but was grown to man s estate and capable of entering into the important concerns of life prayed therefore that he might be sent out to him as he felt himself much broken and d l c � v xi life and voyages of � � � i chapter vi a rival of with a at the western part of the island � sent to meet him among the which induced to post his departure for spain has been mon the arrival of four ships at the western part of the these had on the th of september in a r a little below apparently with the design of cutting woods which abound in that neighbourhood and of carrying off the natives for slaves further reports informed him that these ships were commanded by de the same hot headed and bold hearted who had distinguished himself on various occasions in the previous voyages of discovery and particularly in the capture of the knowing the daring and ad r spirit of this man felt much disturbed at his visiting the island in this manner on what appeared to be little better than a expedition to call him to account and to oppose his however required an agent of spirit and address no one seemed better fitted for the purpose than he was as daring as and of a more character an expedition of the kind would occupy the attention of himself and his and divert them from schemes of � � t � � � � chief the large recently made to would be trusted secure present fidelity it more profitable them to be loyal than rebellious gladly he had nothing further to gain by and he was anxious to secure his ill gotten possessions and by public services should for his past he was a vain as well im a bustling man and took a pride in himself well in an which called for both courage and departing firom st with two he arrived th of september within two of the the ships were here he i five and twenty resolute followers well armed and to range the forests he sent five to they brought him word that was on shore several distant firom his ships with only fifteen men who were employed in making bread in an indian village threw himself between and his ships thinking to take him by surprise however was of his approach by the indians with whom the very name of inspired terror from his late in danger he supposed had been sent in pursuit of him and he found himself cut off from any retreat to his ships with his usual he immediately presented himself before attended merely by half a dozen followers the latter began by conversing on general topics he then into his motives for landing on the island particularly on that remote and lonely part without first himself to the admiral replied that he had been on a voyage of discovery and had put in there in distress to repair his ships and procure provisions then demand � � life and 