6

Before relating the return of Columbus to Hispaniola, it is proper to notice some of the principal occurrences in that island, which took place under the government of Ovando. A great crowd of adventurers of various ranks had thronged his fleet: eager speculators, credulous dreamers, and broken down gentlemen of desperate fortunes; all expecting to enrich themselves suddenly, in an island where gold was to be picked up from the surface of the soil, or gathered from the mountain brooks. They had scarcely landed, says Las Casas, who accompanied the expedition, when they all hurried off to the mines, which were about eight leagues distance. The roads swarmed like ant-hills, with adventures of all classes. Every one had his knapsack stored with biscuit or flour, and his mining implements on his shoulders. Those hidalgos, or gentlemen, who had no servants to carry their burdens, bore them on their backs, and lucky was he who had a horse for the journey; he would be able to bring back the greater load of treasure. They all set out in high spirits, eager who should first reach the golden land, thinking they had but to arrive at the mines, and collect riches: •for they fancied, says Las Casas, that gold was to be gathered as easily and readily as fruit from the trees. When they arrived, however, they discovered, to their dismay, that it was necessary to dig painfully into the bowels of the earth, a labor to which most of them had never been accustomed; that it required experience and sagacity to detect the veins of ore; that in fact, the whole process of mining was exceeding toilsome, demanding vast patience, much experience, and after all, being full of uncertainty. They digged cagerly for a time, but found no ore. They grew hungry, threw by their implements, sat down to eat, and then returned to work. It was all in vain. Their labor,' says Las Casas, "gave them a keen appetite and quick digestion, but no gold. They soon consumed their provisions, exhausted their patience, cursed their infatuation, and in eight days set off drearily on their return, along the roads they had lately trod so exultingly. They arrived at San Domingo, without an ounce of gold, half famished, downcast, and despairing. Such is too often the case of those who ignorantly engage in mining: of all speculations the most brilliant, promising and fallacious.

Poverty soon fell upon these misguided men. They exhausted the little property they had brought from Spain. Many suffered extremely from hunger, and were obliged to exchange even their apparel for bread. Some formed connexions with the old settlers of the island, but the greater part were like men lost and bewildered, and just awakened from a dream. The miseries of the mind, as usual, heightened the sufferings of the body. Some wasted away and died broken hearted; others were hurried off by raging fevers, so that there soon perished upwards of a thousand men.

6

LIABILITIES.

Recapitulation of the condition of the several Banks of Baltimore

on the 1 January 1847 and 1849.
1 January, 1847.

| January, 1849. Capital,

$6,969,329

$6,974,646 Undivided Profits,

701,291

631,591 Circulation,

1,990,639

1,848,167 Bank Balances, .

959,014

1,455,663 Individual Deposits,

3,367,732

2,974,732 Total Liabilitics,

$13,950,005

$13,884,799

The returns for January, 1848, will be found on page 508, volume second. There is a remarkable evenness in the items of circulation, deposits, loans and specie: and there is not that increase which the enlarged business, capital and population of Baltimore, would seem to require.

There is as large an amount of coin on hand at Baltimore as at Boston, where the circulation is nearly five millions, and where nearly the whole circulation of New England is redeemed.

The Bank circulation of Virginia, enters largely into the business of Maryland, displacing the notes of the City and Country Banks of the latter State.

The following comparative view of Circulation and Coin in the several Cities

will afford food for reflection.
Bank Capital.

Circulation.

Coin in Banks. Boston,

$18,980,000
$4,900,000

$1,880,000 New York,

24,000,000
7,000,000

6,600,000 Philadelphia,

9,220,000
5,000,000

3,000,000 Baltimore,

6,970,000
1,800,000

1,800,000 Charleston,

9,150,000
3,500,000

950,000 New Orleans,

17,600,000
6,000,000

7,600,000

The entire Bank circulation of the United States, may be estimated at $125,000,000, and the coin in the Banks at $60,000,000.

The latest returns from the Banks of Great Britain, as contained on page 488, of this No., show a circulation in England, Scotland and Ireland, equivalent to $150,000,000, or $54 per head; and coin in the Banks of about $100,000,000.

BANKS OF MASSACHUSETTS.

From the Annual Abstract furnished to the Secretary of State, September, 1848.

Comparative view of the condition of the Banks of Massachusetts,

1846, 1847, 1848.

The circulation and deposits have diminished twenty-five per cent. during the twelve months, and the coin reduced one-third.

.

INDIANA Comparative view of the Liabilities and Resources of the State Bank of Indiana

and Branches, 1846, 1847, 1848. LIABILITIES.

Norem. 1946. Novem 1847. 19 Nov. 1848. Capital Stock owned by the State, $935,854 $969,054 $992,404

Do. do. by individuals, 1,147,970 1,114 820 1,100,506 Circulation,

3,336,533 3,606,452 3,552,210 Due to the State,

89,535
134,200

81,646 Bunk Balances, .

47,886
34,545

82,293 Individual Deposits,

409,989
535,774

452,626 Dividends Unpaid,

31,832
25,710

21,591 Fund to cover Losscs,

413,563
453,444

527,800 Profit and Loss, .

23,819
77,176

125,454 Balances between Branches,

73,309
69,148

71,418 Total Liabilities, .

$6,510,290 $7,039,324 $6,997,937 RESOURCES.

Novem. 1846. Novem. 1947. 19 Nov. 1848. Bills Discounted,

$1,659,359 $1,574,722 $1,647,622 Bills of Exchange,

1,359,355 1,464,076 1,791,321 Suspended Debt,

577,647
460,115

442,602 Bank Balances,

803,065 1,081,195

227,040 Balances between Branches,

69,534
81,272

148,642 Real and Personal Estate,

349,790
373,461

352,076 Funds in Transitu,

113,578
247,698

231,156 Sinking Fund and Treasury Notes, 419,310

337,555

241,106 State of Indiana Bonds,

36,000
36,000

71,000 Notes of other Banks,

119,976
299,250

147,451 Coin on hand,

1,003,647 1,083,980 1,273,896 Eastern Funds,

394,025

Total Resources,

$6,510,290

$7,039,324

$6,997,937

.

.

MICHIGAN.
Condition of the Michigan State Bank, January 1st, 1849.

RESOURCES.
Jadgments and Notes in suit-value Jan. 1, 1849,

$2,876 Bonds and Mortgages,

24,226 State Stock,

8,053 Real Estate,

18,077 Capital Stock of the Bank,

1,050 Furniture in Banking House,

557 Michigan Central Rail Road Bonds,

54,900 Bills Discounted,

206,166 Other Securities,

31 CASHCoin, . .