Third Diary Entry

Returning to Spain in 1493, I gave a glowing, somewhat exaggerated report and was warmly received by the royal court. That same year I took to the seas on my second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon arrival at Hispaniola, my crew and I discovered the Navidad settlement had been destroyed with all the sailors massacred. Spurning the wishes of the queen, who found slavery offensive, I established a forced labor policy over the native population to rebuild the settlement and explore for gold, believing it would prove to be profitable. My efforts produced small amounts of gold and great hatred among the native population. Before returning to Spain, I left my brothers Bartholomew and Diego to govern the settlement on Hispaniola and sailed briefly around the larger Caribbean islands further convincing myself I had discovered the outer islands of China.