He fired a shot from an arquebuse against the wreck of the Santa Maria, so that the Indians might see the power of his artillery.

The Indian chief expressed his regret at the approaching departure, and the Spaniards thought that one of his courtiers said that the chief had ordered him to make a statue of pure gold as large as the Admiral.
Columbus explained to the friendly chief that with such arms as the sovereigns of Castile commanded they could readily destroy the dreaded Caribs.

And he thought he had made such an impression that the islanders would be the firm friends of the colonists.
"I have bidden them build a solid tower and defense, over a vault.

Not that I think this necessary against the natives, for I am satisfied that with a handful of people I could conquer the whole island, were it necessary, although it is, as far as I can judge, larger than Portugal, and twice as thickly peopled." In this cheerful estimate of the people Columbus was wholly wrong, as the sad events proved before the year had gone by.
He left thirty-nine men to be the garrison of this fort; and the colony which was to discover the mine of gold.

In command he placed Diego da Arana, Pedro Gutierres and Rodrigo de Segovia.