And, similarly, the personal veneration which the natives had first evinced for the white men, had given way to contempt and to hatred, when familiarity had shown how worthless were these "superior beings." The Indians refused to minister to their wants any longer; and famine was imminent.
ECLIPSE PREDICTED BY COLUMBUS.
But just at this last extremity, the admiral, ever fertile in devices, bethought him of an expedient for re-establishing his influence over the Indians.

His astronomical knowledge told him that on a certain night an eclipse of the moon would take place.

One would think that people living in the open air must be accustomed to see such eclipses sufficiently often, not to be particularly astonished at them.

But Columbus judged--and as the event proved, judged rightly--that by predicting the eclipse he would gain a reputation as a prophet, and command the respect and the obedience due to a person invested with supernatural powers.

He assembled the caciques of the neighbouring tribes.