CHAPTER X.
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ISCOVERT AND SURVEY OP CUBA. — ITS CONQUEST BY VELAS-QUEZ. MEMORABLE SPEECH OF AN INDIAN. — FOUNDATION OF HAVANA, ETC. — CONQUEST OF PORTO RICO BY PONCE DE LEON. SINGULAR EXPERIMENT OF A CACIQUE. — ITS SUBJUGATION. — DISCOVERY OF JAMAICA. — ITSHUMANE CONQUEST BY JUAN DE ESQUIVEL. — SUB-SEQUENT CRUELTIES OF THE SPANIARDS. —ACCOUNT OF AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. IT has been already mentioned that the island of Cuba, discoveredby Columbus on his memorable first voyage, was regarded by himand by most of his contemporaries as a portion of the continent ofAsia. In 1494, and again, in his last voyage of 1502, he madeextensive surveys of its coasts, but, by a singular fatality, only con-firmed his original opinion. No further exploration was made untilthe year 1508, when Nicolas Ovando, then governor of Hispaniola,obeying an order of the court, dispatched Sebastian Ocampo on avoyage of survey. That commander circumnavigated the supposedcontinent, proving it an island, and made considerable exploration,repairing his vessels in the beautiful harbour of Havana, which hefirst discovered, (naming it Puerto de Carenas,) the convenience ofwhich, with other natural advantages of the island, he extolled instrong terms, recommending immediate colonization. Nothing more was done, however, until the year 1511, whenDiego Columbus (son of the admiral), who had succeeded in sup-planting Ovando in the rule of Hispaniola, prepared an expeditionof three hundred men, under command of Diego Velasquez, for theconquest and colonization of the island. That officer disembarkedat the harbour of Palmas, not without resistance from the natives,headed by Hatuey, a cacique of Hayti, who, on the subjugation ofthat island, had taken refuge in Cuba. But his forces, weak andunwarlike, were easily defeated, and the unfortunate chief, beingcaptured, was sentenced by his ferocious conqueror to be burnedalive. Being urged as usual, at the stake, to embrace Christianity,and secure the joys of heaven, he inquired if any Spaniards wouldbe there; and being told that there would, made the ever-memorable 84:
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