North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-09-10
THE roMRroE COLUMBUS.

The following extract, from 8" Travels in the Uni
ted States, etc. by Lady Emmeline Stuart w ortley,
in which the writer speaks of the tomb of Golum;
bus in Havana, is peculiarly interesting at this time
| :" We have been to see the cathedr-l here, which
is extremely interesting. from being the buriaPlace
of Columbus. 1t is not magnificent as the cathe.
dral in Mexico, but it is a noble building. On the
right side of the grand altar is an urn, containing
those precious ashes it is Enclosed in the wall.
fine basso-reevo is placed before it, of the bust of
that mighty Discoverer This bust is the size of life.
and under it is read the following inscription :-s.
restos imagen del grande Colon, mil siglos durad
guardados en- la usna. Ia remembrance de nues-
nacion. There is small, but very Interesting
and beautiful painting opposite to the tomb, which is
said to represent the Pope and the Cardinals of that
day, celebrating High mass previous the departure
of Columbus from the shores of Spain, on his first
adventurous and momentous expedition in his hum
BILE &c caravaE" - -r--
Columbus has not had as much rest even in the
grave falls to the lot of most mortas for his re-
lies have been moved from tomb to tomb. He died
in Valladolid, in SPain in the year 1906, and tomb
there erected to his memory, and inscribed thus
" A Castillo Leon Nuevo Mundo dio Colon ,"
lin Spanish he is called 6 Cristoval Colon. ~ The
of San Francisco, in Valladod and the funeral
ceremonies were celebrated with great pomp in the
parochial church of Santa Maria de la Antigua but
in 1873 his remains were removed to the convent of
Las Cuevas, of the Carthusans, Seville, and they
were deposited in the chapel of Santa Christie It
in the year 1886 they transported to Hisps-
niola, and they were there inhumed near the grand
altar of the cathedral of the capital city of San Do
mingo but they were not destined to repose there in
uninterrupted peace. After Hispaniola was ceded
to France in 1875, the Spanish government came to
the resolution of carrying off these venerable relics
to the Island of Cuba nor can feel surprise at
such determination when rejecting all that Spain
owed and still owes to that wonderful man. They
may well feel proud of these precious relics connect
ed-as Washington Irving says, in his highly inter-
esting " Life of Columbus ''-'' with the most glo-
rious epoch of Spanish history
Let me transcrbe little ofhis impressive account /:
" Accordingly, on the goth of December 1885, in the
presence of august assembage of the dgn ares of
the Church, and the civil md military officers the vault
opened beside the high altar of the cathedral :
within were found the fragments of leaden coffin,
a number of bones, and quantity of mould, evil
IDENTIFY the remains of human body. These were
carefully collected and put into of gilded lead
secured by an iron lock. The case enclosed in
coffin covered with black velvet, and the whole
placed in a temporary mausoeum. On the following
day there another grand convocaton at the cahe
dral. The vgis and masses for the dead were chant
ed, and funeral sermon was preached by the arch
bishop. After these solemn ceremonials in the caIhe-
dral, the coffin transported to the Ship attended
by grand civil, religious, and military procession.
The banners were covered with Grape. There were
chants and responses, and discharges of artillery,
and the m ost distinguished persons of the several
orders took turns to support the coffin.
"The reception of the body at Havana was equal
ly august. There was splendid procession of boats
to conduct it from The ship the shore. On passing
the vessels of war in harbor they all paid the honors
due to admial and captain-general of the navy.
On arriving at the mole, the remains were met by
the governor of the island, accompanied by the gen.
erals of the military staff They were then convey
ed, in the utmost pomp, to the cathedral. Masses,
and the solemn ceremonies of the dead perform
ed by the bishop, and the mortal remains of Coum-
bus were deposited in the wall on the right side OF
the grand altar, where they still remain"
1t is hardly possible. think, to avoid feeling pro-
foundry interested and affected looking at the spot
where the ashes of the mighty man repose who gave
the vast world of the wild far West to the East and
to the Wes.-Heaven: for he babe the great Star of
the East the of holy religion and blessed Chris
tianity, shed its glorious rays on that benighted
and unconscious West"