It was a magnificent piece of volunteer work! Not
one chance in a hundred did Diego Mendez have of reaching his
destination, and he knew it; yet he offered to take the risk. One of his
shipmates caught some of his valorous spirit and offered to accompany
him; and the six native rowers, of course, had no choice but to go.
Mendez was as practical and ingenious as he was brave. He fastened
weatherboards along the rim of the canoe to prevent shipping water; he
fitted it with a mast and sail, and coated it with tar; and while he was
doing it the Admiral wrote a brief, businesslike letter to Ovando,
telling of the sad plight they were in; he also wrote a long, rambling
letter, full of evidence of feeble-mindedness, to the monarchs. These
letters Mendez was to take with him.
But Mendez, to every one's dismay, came back again in a few days,--came
back alone and with boat and oars smashed. While waiting at the eastern
point of Jamaica for a favorable wind to take them over to Haiti, they
were surrounded by hostile natives and captured. The six rowers escaped,
and the companion of Mendez was probably killed instantly; but while the
savages were debating how to kill and cook Mendez, he managed to dash
away, jump in his huge canoe, and push off!
The shipwrecked party felt crushed indeed.
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