Isabela’s construction progressed in January 1494, laid out just as a contemporary Spanish town, with a church, crown, and military buildings at its core, a fortified residence for Columbus and his staff, and the voyagers’ homes emanating from the core, ordered by social rank. The illustration below (contained in Columbus and Caonabó) shows Isabela’s location on its promontory, together with the Bajabonico River (which Columbus named Río Isabela), the quarry, and kilns for baking tiles and brick. The photos are of the remaining footprints of the royal storehouse (for food and gold) and powder house.
But the voyagers’ sicknesses worsened, and most hungered acutely. As depicted in Columbus and Caonabó, the Spanish food provisions were dwindling, Columbus had imposed daily rations tighter than at sea, and many shunned eating the food obtainable in trade with the local Taínos, fearing it unhealthy. Morale plummeted, and distrust and resentment of Columbus rose.
On February 2, 1494, 528 years ago, Columbus dispatched twelve of the fleet’s seventeen ships back to Spain bearing samples of gold; the indigenous captives taken at Guadeloupe and St. Croix, other than nine who had escaped; and over two hundred voyagers too sick or disgruntled to remain. Isabela’s head count was thereby reduced—after accounting for those who’d died of disease—to about nine hundred. He wrote a private letter to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand that chronicled the voyage unfolding and presented the unexpected news that would capture their immediate attention—that the entire garrison at Navidad had perished, mostly massacred by the Indians, and voyagers had fallen ill. He also wrote a memorandum requesting ships to arrive in “Española” by May with fresh supplies, particularly medicines, wine, and meat.
Columbus excused Chief Guacanagarí for Navidad’s demise, blaming Chief Caonabó instead, who he characterized as evil and daring. But Columbus indicated that destroying Caonabó would have to follow the settlement’s establishment. Columbus warned that the settlers risked Indian attack if they failed to openly display their watchfulness, and he requested more weapons and ammunition.
Finally, Columbus observed that, if Isabella and Ferdinand so permitted, an infinite number of Caribes—“flesh eaters” hostile to their Indian subjects—might be enslaved each year, and he proposed that the sovereigns license merchants every year to bring desired livestock to Española to be bartered for enslaved Caribes.
