The people, though many of them had been the sick old man's enemies in
bygone days, and though they never suspected the greatness of Columbus,
agreed. They even began to clamor that Columbus should be rescued; but
it was not until they had clamored long and urgently that their knightly
governor sent a ship.
On June 25, 1504, exactly one year after Columbus had beached his two
remaining caravels, the relief ship came in sight. "Never in my life,"
wrote Christopher, "did I experience so joyful a day!" and we may well
believe it.
On the 15th of August the party reached San Domingo after their long
suffering and hardships. Ovando, seeing how popular sympathy had turned
towards the sick Admiral, decided to secure a little popular favor
himself out of the incident by inviting the discoverer to stay in his
own house, that is, the governor's house, which really had belonged to
Columbus. There Columbus learned that the agent appointed to set aside
his share of the island profits had not done so; also, as Ovando wanted
to punish Captain Porras, who had rebelled on Jamaica, while Columbus
preferred to deal with the matter himself, host and guest disagreed.
Too proud to remain an unwelcome guest in Ovando's house, Columbus
collected what he could of the money due him, and prepared to go home to
Spain.
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