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Updated: June 17, 2025
He reminded Porras that he had always consulted with them all, as to the measures to be taken for the common safety, and that what he had done, had been with the general approbation; still, if any other measure appeared advisable, he recommended that they should assemble together, and consult upon it, and adopt whatever course appeared most judicious.
The shout was a signal, and immediately from every part of the vessel resounded the voices of the Spaniards, crying out that they would follow Porras.
To consolidate the effect of these remarkable statements on the still wavering mutineers, the Porras brothers decided to commit them to an open act of violence which would successfully alienate them from the Admiral. They formed them, therefore, into an armed expedition, with the idea of seizing the stores remaining on the wreck and taking the Admiral personally.
Being all ready armed on the morning of the 2nd January 1504, Captain Francis de Porras came upon the quarter-deck of the admirals ship, and addressed the admiral saying, "My lord, what is the reason that you will not go to Hispaniola, and keep us all in this place to perish?"
He duly set out upon it; but instead of mild words he took with him fifty armed men the whole available able-bodied force, in fact and drew near to the position occupied by the rebels. The exhortation of the Porras brothers had meanwhile produced its effect, and it was decided that six of the strongest men among the mutineers should make for Bartholomew himself and try to capture or kill him.
On hearing these unusually insolent words, and suspecting what might be hatching, the admiral calmly answered that he did not see how this could be accomplished till those whom he had sent in the canoes should send a ship; that no one could be more desirous to be gone than he was himself, as well for his own interest as the good of them all, for whom he was accountable; but that if Porras had any thing else to propose, he was ready to call the captains and other principal people together, that they might consult as had been done several times before.
As for Columbus, he was sick on board his vessel, while the two brothers Porras were working against him among his men. On the second of January, 1504, Francesco de Porras broke into the cabin. He complained bitterly that they were kept to die in that desolate place, and accused the Admiral as if it were his fault.
Porras scoffs at it; action, not consultation, is what he demands; in short he presents an ultimatum to the Admiral either to embark with the whole company at once, or stay behind in Jamaica at his own pleasure. And then, turning his back on Columbus and raising his voice, he calls out, "I am for Castile; those who choose may follow me!"
Some few days after this conversation, however, he heard that Ledesma had fallen under the knife of an assassin. The Adelantado returned in triumph to the ships, where he was received by the admiral in the most affectionate manner; thanking him as his deliverer. He brought Porras and several of his followers prisoners.
At any rate he sent out an ambassador to Porras, offering to receive the mutineers back without any punishment, and to give them a free passage to Espanola in the vessels which were shortly expected, if they would return to their allegiance with him. The folly of this overture was made manifest by the treatment which it received.
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