The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-04-30

J W"S uoO'coo " uluIIuuT LHe oXpeOtlOn DdQ
been sent by the sovereigns to seek the Indies ;
and happen what might. he was determined to
perseyere, until by the blessing of Gsd, he
should accomplish the enterprise. Columbus
was now at open defiance with his crew, and his
situation became desperate. Fortunately, how
ever, the manifestations of neighboring land
were such on the following day as no longer to
admit doubt
! Besides quantity of fresh weeds, such as
grow IN rivers, they saw green fish, of kind
which keeps about rocks then branch of
thorn with berries on it, and recently separated
from the tree, floated by them then they pick
ed up reed a small board, and, above all, a
staff artificially carved. All gloom and mutiny
now gave way to sanguine expectation and
| throughout the day each one was eagerly on
the watch, IN hopes of being the first to discov-
er the long sought for land. In the evening,
when, according to invariable custom on board
the Admirals ship, the mariners had sung the
| Satre regina or vesper hymn to the Virgin, he
made animpressve address to his crew He
| pointed out the goodness of God in thus CON
Quoting them by such soft and favorable breezes
across tranquil ocean, cheering their hopes
continually with fresh signs, increasing as their
fears augmented, and thus guiding them to
! promised land. lie now reminded them of the
order he had given them on leaving the Cana
rles, that after sailing westward seven hundred
leagues, they should not make sail after midnight
Present appearances authorized such precau-
stion He thought it probable they would make
land that very night; he ordered, therefore, a
vlglant lookout to be kept from the forecastle
! promising to whomsoever should make the dis
covery, doublet of velvet, in addition to the
pensions given by the sovereigns The breeze
had been fresh all day with more sea than us,l.
al, and they had made great progress. At,sun-
set they had stood again to the west, and were
ploughng the waves at rapid rate, the Pinta
Keeping the lead, from her superior sailing
The greatest animation prevailed throughout
the SHIPS not an eye was closed that night
AS the evening darkened Columbus took his
station on the top Of the castle or cabin on the
high poop of his vessel. However he might
carry cheerful and confident countenance dur.
ing the day, it was to him time of the most
painful anxiety; and now, when he was wrap
ped from observation by the shades of night, he
maintained an intense and unremitting watch.
ranging his eye along the dusky horizon in
search of the most vague indications of land
Suddenly about 10, he thought he behed light
gllmmerlng at distance. Fearing that his
eager hopes might deceive him, he called to Pc
dro Gutierrez, gentleman of the kings bed.
chamber, and inquired whether he saw linht
in that direction; the latter replied in the af.
| firmatiVe.
Columbus yet doubling whether it might not
be some delusion of the fancy, called RODRIGO
Sachez of Segovia, and made the same inquiry
| BY the time the latter had assembled the round
house, the light had disappeared. They saw it
! once or twice afterwards IN sudden and PASSING
! CLEANS, as if it were a torch in the bark of a
| fisherman, rising and sinking with the waves
or IN the hand OF some one on shore borne M
and down as he walked from house to house
| 80 transient and uncertain were these CLEANS
| that few attached any Importance to them Co.
! lumbus, however, considered them as certain
| signs OF land, and, moreover, that the land was
inhabited. They continued their course until
! two IN the morning, when gun from the Pin
ta gave the joyful signal of the land. 1t was
trst discovered by mariner named Rodrigo de
Irlana ; but the reward was afterwards adudo-
ed to the admiral, for having previously per-
ceived the light.
! The land was now clearly seen about two
leagues distant, whereupon they took in sail
and laid to- waiting impatiently for the dawn.
The thoughts and feelings of Columbus in this
| little space OF time must have been tumultuous
and intense. AT length, in spite of every diff.
Guilty and danger, he had accomplished his OBJ
Ject The great mystery of the ocean was re-
vealed his theory, which had been the scott
of sages, was triumphantly established he had
secured to himselfa glory which must be as du-
/
the Imagination to conceive the feelings of such
a man at the moment of SO sublime discovery.
What bewildering crowd of coniectures must
have thronged upon his mind as to the land
which lay in darkness That it was fruitful.
was evident from the vegetables which fioated
from the shores He thought, too, that he per-
ceived in the balmy air, the fragrance of aro-
matte groves. The moving light which he
had beheld had proved that it was the residence
OF man. But what were its inhabitants Were
they like those of the other parts of the globe
or were they some strange and monstrous race
such as the imagination in those times was
prone to give to all remote, and unknown re-
glons? Had he come upon some island far in
the Indian sea- or was this the famed Cipango
itself, the object of his golden fancies A thou.
sand speculations Of the kind must have swarm
ed upon him, as, with his anxious crews he
u waited for the night to pass away wondering
whether the morning light would reveal a saw
age wilderness, or dawn upon spicy groves and
gtterlng tanes, and gilded cities, and all the
splendor of oriental civilization. Ii was on the
morning of Friday, the 18th of October, 1892
q that Columbus first beheld the New World
| when the day dawned, he saw before him a
level and beautiful island, several leagues in ex
tent, OF great freshness and verdure, and GOV.
, cred with trees like a continual orchard
Though every thing appeared in the wild luxu
rance OF untamed nature, yet the island was
, evidently populous, for the inhabitants were
seen issuing from the woods, and running from
all parts to the shore, where they stood gazing
t at the ships. They were all perfectly naked
and, from their attitudes and gestures, appear
ed TO be lost IN establishment Columbus made
: signal tor the ships to cast anchor, and the
boats to be manned and armed. He entered hi,
own boat, richly alfred in scarlet, and bearing
the royal standard whilst Martin Alonzo Pin
J ION, and Vincent Janez, his brother, put off il
company in their boats, each bearing the ban
Z ner OF the enterprise emblazoned with greer
cross, having on each side the letters F. and /.
the initials of the Castilian monarchs. Fernando
and Isabel, surmounted by crowns. AS the,
, approached the shores, they were refreshed b,
. the sirht of tho annie fnrests xuh;nh - H.