These reported a Portuguese plan for seizing the western lands before
Columbus could return to them. This came to nothing, however, through
John's fear of the Pope; and well for Spain that John did fear the power
of Rome, for it took Columbus so long to gather his second fleet that
there would have been ample time for the Portuguese mariners to cross
the Atlantic ahead of him.
The very measures that had been devised to help the second departure
retarded it. Shipowners and provision dealers, in spite of royal orders,
fought for fair prices and would not sell; and as for assembling crews
for the ships, the difficulty was _not_, as in the first
expedition, in getting men to go, but in keeping them back. If only
Columbus had not talked gold, gold, gold! If only he could have
refrained from exaggerating, and had simply stated that he had found
some wild islands whose people had not a glimmering of civilization and
who possessed but few golden trinkets! Had he not deceived the people
and himself, only those would have joined the expedition who had the
true, fine, adventurous spirit; or those who, seeking a new home, wished
to settle down in new territory and develop it; but instead, men thought
only of the vast wealth to be easily picked up--they would not even have
to dig for it! Thus the expedition attracted mainly men of doubtful
character who wanted to become rich quickly.
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