Note 48 — Part II History of the Industry (continued 2)

Prescott, in his Conquest of Mexico, (Vol. I, pp. 220 et seq.), gives the following in connection with the discovery of the new world by Columbus:

“Of the islands, Cuba was the second discovered; but no attempt had been made to plant a colony there during the life of Columbus, who, indeed, after skirting the whole extent of its southern coast, died in the conviction that it was part of the continent. At length, in 1511, Diego, the son and successor of the ‘Admiral,’ who still maintained the seat of government in Hispaniola, finding the mines much exhausted there, proposed to occupy the neighboring island of Cuba, or Fernandina, as it was called in compliment to the Spanish monarch. He prepared a small force for the conquest, which he placed under the command of Don Diego Velasquez. The conquest was effected without much bloodshed. After the conquest, Velasquez, now appointed governor, diligently occupied himself with measures for promoting the prosperity of the island. He formed a number of settlements and invited settlers by liberal grants of land and slaves. He encouraged them to cultivate the soil and gave particular attention to the sugar cane.”