It seems, to the cynical reader, that the duplicitous Governor used Bernal and his fellows to tidy up his conquest and deal with the wilder Indians who had not already been enslaved in the village based system the Spanish used to milk the surviving natives. As was the case with the other large West Indies island of Hispaniola, the native villagers would largely be used to feed Spanish expeditions to the mainland through the farming and processing of the native cassava [yucca] and the newly introduced pig.
Outfitting the expedition was largely an exercise in exploiting these agrarian resources as well as the skills of the few Spanish artisans, such as barrel makers, and shipwrights, available on this distant tropical outpost. As with the Black Hills, Alaskan and California gold rushes in later North America, the people who really made out on discoveries of riches were the merchants and service providers—such as the guy that invented blue jeans—that fairly fleeced the explorers and prospectors.
“We found ourselves in possession of three ships loaded with cassava bread, which is made from a root, and we bought pigs, which cost us three pesos each. At that time there were no sheep or cattle in Cuba, for it was only being settled. We took on oil and some inexpensive articles for barter. We then found three pilots of whom the chief, who took charge of the fleet, was Anton de Alaminos of Palos. We also recruited sailors, and gathered much quality ropes, cordage, cables, anchors, water casks, and the rest of our necessities, all at our own cost on credit.”
“When we had mustered all our soldiers we set out for a port on the northern coast which the Indians call Axaruco, twenty-four miles from San Cristobal, which was then a settlement that became the town of Havana two years later. In order that our fleet should take the righteous course, we asked a priest of San Cristobal named Alonzo Gonzales to come with us. We also chose for the office of Inspector a soldier named Bernaldino Iniguez of Santo Domingo de la Calzeda so that, should we by God’s will come upon rich lands, or peoples possessed of gold or silver or pearls or any other kind of wealth, there should be someone to guard the royal fifth [the king’s cut].*
“When all this was arranged and we had heard mass, we commended ourselves to God and His blessed Mother, and began our voyage.”
*This sentence exposes the ‘expedition’ for what it is, an exploratory raid, which might hopefully become, or set the stage for, an invasion in force. Consider the audacity of men dedicated to the prospect of invading an unknown land, already committed to attacking whoever might happen to live there?
Really liking the series and your notes.
I shall endeavor to make this a weekly posting. I find this account fascinating on many levels.
Thanks for your support.