Anxiety, responsibility, and labour began to tell upon the iron constitution of the admiral, and for some time he was stretched upon a bed of sickness.
COLUMBUS DESPATCH TO THE COURT OF SPAIN.
Some idea of the difficulties which had to be encountered at this period may be conceived from an account of the state of his colony which Columbus sent home in January 1494.

It is in the form of instructions to a certain Antonio de Torres, the Receiver of the Colony, who was to proceed to the court of Spain and inform the Monarchs of such things as were written in these instructions, and doubtless to elucidate them by discourse, as in the present day we send a despatch to be read by an ambassador to the foreign minister of the power we are treating with.
There remains a copy, made at the time, of this document, and of the notes in the margin containing the resolutions of the sovereigns.

The original, thus noted, was taken back to Columbus.

It is a most valuable document, very illustrative of the cautious and wise dealing of the catholic sovereigns.
The document begins with the usual strain of complimentary address to great personages, "Their Highnesses hold it for good service" is the marginal remark.
The next paragraph consists of a general statement of the discoveries that have been made.

"Their Highnesses give much thanks to God, and hold as very honoured service all that the admiral has done." Then follow the admiral's reasons why he has not been able to send home more gold.