The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-08-16
From Lamartines Memoirs of Celebrated Characters
The First Discovery Of Columbus.

/ ~ pitllh tNlueniy NeWN 10y all axe, ~ StlCk
skilfully carved by some cutting instrument, a
bough of hawthorn in blossom; and lastly. a
birds nest built on branch which the wind
had broken, and full Of eggs, on which the pa
rent bird was sitting amid the gently rolling
wavcs-were seen floating past on the waters.
The sailors brought on board these living and
inanmate witnesses of their approach to land.
! They were a voice from the shore, confirming
the assurances of Columbus. Before the land
actually appeared in sight, its neighborhood
was inferred from these marks OF life. The
mutineers fell on their knees to the Admiral,
whom they had insulted but the day before,
craved pardon for tLeir mistrust, and struck
up hymn of Thanksgiving to God for associa-
ting them with this triumph. Night fell on
| these songs of the Church welcoming a new
world. The Admiral gave orders that the
sails should be cIose-rcefed, and the lead kept
going and that they should sail slowly, being
afraid of breakers and shoals, and feeling GER
I tain that the first CLEAN of daybreak would dis
cover land under their bows. On that last
anxious night none slept. Impatient eXpecta-
ton had removed all heavincss from their eyes
The pilots and the scamen, clinging about the
masts, yards and slroudS, each tried to keep
the best place and the closest watch to get the
earliest sight Of the new hemisphere. The
Admiral had offered reward to Tie first who
should cry Land, provided his announcement
was verified by its actual discovery. Provi-
dcnce, however reserved to Columbus himself
this first glimpse, which he had purchased at
the expense of twenty years Of his life, and Of
untiring perseverance amidst such dangers
While walking the quarterback alone at mid
night, and sweeping the dark horizon with his
keen eye a CLEAN Of fire passed and disappear
ed, and again showed itself on the level of the
waves. Fearful of being deceived by the phos
phorcscence Of the sea, lie quietly called a
Spanish gentleman of Isabella'S court, named
Gutierrez. in whom lie had more confidence
than in the pilots, pointed out the direction IN
which he had seen the light, and asked him
whether he could discern anything there
GntticreZ replied that lie did indeed see a flick
cring light in that quarter. To make it still
more sure, Columbus called Rodrigo Sanchez,
of Scgova another in whom lie had confidence.
Sanchez had no more hesitation than Cutie
rez in pronouncing that there was light on
the horizon. But the blaze was hardly seen
before it again disappeared in the ocean, to
show itself anew the next moment, whether it
was the light Of fire on low shore alter
nately appearing and disappearing beyond the
broken horizon, or whether it was the floating
beacon of fishermans boat now rising on the
waves and now sinking in the trough OF the
sea. Thus both land and safety appeared to-
gethcr in the shape Of fire to Columbus and
his two friends, on the night between the II tn
and 10Th Of October 1902. The Admiral. en-
joining silence to Sanchez and Gutierrez, kept
his observations to himself, for fear Of again
raising false hopes. and giving bitter disal,-
: pontment to his ships companies. lie lost
| sight of the light and remained on deck unit!
f1,a nd
pairing alone, awaiting the triumph or the re-
, turn on which the morrow was to decide. lie
= was seized with that anguish which prccedcs
the great discoveries of truth, like the strug-
gle which anticipates the liberation Of the soul
, by death, when cannon shot, sounding over
the sea few hundred yards in advance Of him
burst upon his car-the announcement Of a
newborn world which made him trcmbe and
= fall upon his knees. 1t was the signal Of land
= in sight made by firing a shot as had been
> arranged with the Pisto, which was sailing III
S advance Of the squadron, to guide their course
r and take soundngs. AT this signal genera
shout of g Land ho' arose from alt the yard,
and riggings of the ships. The sails were furl
g ed, and daybrcak was anXiously awaited. Tho
q mystery of the ocean had brcathcd its first
whisper in the bosom Of night. DaybrcaE
would clear it up openly to every eye. Deli
: ciOus and unknown perfumes reached the YES
: sells from the outline of the shore, with tn;
roar of the waves upon the reefs and the sof
c land breeze. The fire seen by Columbus indi
+ Gated the presence of man, and of the first Gle
o ment of civilization. Never did the night ap
pear so long in clearing away from the hori
) ZOn for this horizon was to Columbus ant
i his companions a second creation Of God. Ih'
dawn, as it spread over the sky, gradually rails
! ~, Il. I.
t. distant cXtremities were lost in the m0rnin.
, mist. 1t assembled gradually, like an amphi
), theatre, from the low beach to the summit O
IL the hills, whose dark green covering contrast
J. cd strongly with the blue heavens. Within
few PAGES of the foam Of the waves brcallin!
on the yellow sand forests of tall and unknown
r. trees stretched away, one above another, owe
the successive terraces Of the island. Gree
e valleys and bright ClcftS in the hollOws afford
s ed half glimpse into these mysterious wildS
, Here and there could be discovered u fey
" scattered huts, which, with their outlines an
C roofs Of dry leaves, looked like bec-hives, an
4 thin columns of blue smoke rose above the top
-. of the trees. Halfnaked groups of men, VIC
u men and children more aSt0niShed than fright
n ened, appeared amongst the thickets near til
% shore, advancing timidly, and then DRAWN
back, exhibiting, by their gestures and dc
il meanor, as much fear as curiosity and wonder
at the sight of these strange vessels, which tn
- previous night had brought to their shores
Columbus, after gazing in silence on this fore
g most shore of the land so often determined b
d his calculations and so magnifcently colore
by his imagination, found it to exceed even hi
own expectations. He burned with impa
tience to be the first European to set his foo
lie on the sand, and to plant the cross and til
o flag of Spain-the standard of the conquest {
God and of his sovereigns, effected by his gel
y Jus. But he restrained the eagemess of hin
N self and his crew to land, being DESTROYS of civ
n. ing to the act of taking possession of a ne
world solemnity worthy of the greatest deet
e perhaps, ever accomplished by seaman; AM