Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-04-12
From a. Craslei ffa,asr.

to columbus IS interesting: and while
Washington living, Esq. 10 raising our
curiosity about ihe navigator, The fol-
lowing anecdotes, which are obtained
IRON a scarce Eaglish work, wiki no
doubt, be acceptable to our readers.
The will of this great man is still ex-
tant In the archives of Genoa, in which
city be was born. The most early Lille
OF him is to be met with IN book prin-
ted at Genoa ia 1861, entitled, "Psai.
terium Hebrem Grecuna, &c. cum tri-
bus interpretationibus," by Agostino
Guistinisni. IL occurs in note on this
verse Of the psalmsi "Coele enarrant
gloriam Dein
la one OF the letters which Columbus
wrote 20 ths king of Spain, from his fleet
then lying before Jamaica, he mas this
Remarkable passage The wealth " hich
have discovered, will rouse oankind
to pillage and to violence, and hlll re-
venge tue wrongs which have suffered
The spanish nation itself will perhaps
suffer one day for the crimes that its
mallgnlty, and its envy, axe now com.
mlttlng
One of Columtas's immediate de-
| scendsnts is said to have married into
an English family. A Geneose gentle-
man OF the Durazzo family, published,
rome years ago, euiogium upon this
| excellent and extraordinary man, 10
which there are several particulars rela-
| tive to him not generally known. Co
lumbus addressed four letters to his
sovereign, three of which wsre traesla-
| ted into French some years back, by
the ChesaIier Flaviguy, the fourth is
| lost.
Peter Martyr, in his very curious ac-
count Of Columbus's voyages, tell rs,
that on his landing on the Island OF ia
maica, he Immediately caused mass to
be said on account of the safe landing
| of hlmself and his followers, and that
during the performance OF that sacred
my stery, an old Carib, eighty years ut
age, attended by several OF his country
men, observed the service with great
attention. After 1t was over, the old
| man approached Columbus With bas-
| ket Of fruit 10 his hand, which I've in a
| very courteous manner presented to him,
and by means u an interpreter thus ad-
| dressed him;
awe have been tod, that you have
in very powerful! and surprising man.
ner run over several countries which
were oeio.e unknown 10 you, and that
you have filled the inhabitants Of them
with tear and dismay. Wherefore |
| axhort and desire you to remember, that
the souls of men when they are separated
trotn the bodies, have two passages
the one horrid and dark, prepared for
| those who have been troublesome and
| inimicable to the human race; the other
q pleasant and delightful one appointed
for those who, whilst they were alive,
delighted in the peace and quiet of man-
kind. Therefore you will do no burt to
| any one, If you bear in mind that you
are mortal, and that every one will be
rewarded or punished in future state,
| according to has actions TO the present
oae.n
Columbus, by the interpreter, an
swered thu old man, ''fhat what he had
told respecting the passage of the souls
after the death of the body, had beer
long known to him and bis countrym
and that he was much surprised those
notions prevailed amongst them, who
seemed to be living quiet in a state Of
nature. That he (Colnmbus) and bis
followers, we're sent by the King and
Queen, Of Spain, to discovsr all those
parts Of the world that had been hither-
TO unknown. that they might civilise the
csnnibals and other wild men that lived
in these countries, and in6ict proper
punishment upon them. and that they
might defend aud honor those persons
who were virtuous and innocent: that
therefore neither himself or any other
| Csrib, who had no intention Of hurting
them, had the least reason to feas any
violence, and that they would avenge
any injury that should be offered to him
or any other persons Of the Island, by
any oftheir neighbours"
The old man was so pleased with the
speech and the manner Of Columbus,
that though he was extremely old, he
offered to follow Columbus, and would
have done SO, had not bis wife and chill
dren prevented him. The old man APP
peared much surprised to understand
how msn of Columbus's dignity and
appearance should be under the con-