42
EARLY COLLECTION OF GOLD chap. XVII.
coverers that hawks’ bells were eagerly sought for,and the golden ornaments readily given in ex-change for them. It appears that an Indian gavehalf a handful of gold dust for one hawk’s bell *.Although there is mention made of coronets ofgold 2 , they were only in the possession of thecaciques, and no intimations are given of theirweight ; and it may be inferred that they werevery light, from Peter Martyr having recorded asan extraordinary fact that one person had obtaineda lump of gold weighing nine ounces 3 . It isclear that whatever gold had been collected bythe natives had been procured by washing thesands in the beds of the rivers; and as that re-quires a degree of labour, such as the wants ofthe Indians could not induce them to apply withenergy and perseverance, it is scarcely possible itshould have been of a large amount. Neither thefirst nor second vessels that returned from America brought any gold except a few trinkets. Theexpenses of the expedition and the small fruits ofthe discovery were a constant subject of complaintamong the ministers of Ferdinand, and with dif-ficulty surmounted by the persevering spirit ofIsabella.
After twelve years’ occupation of Hispaniola and the subjugation of its inhabitants, attempts