New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-09-08
Columbus Discovering America.

At sunrise on the second day, some rushes
recently torn up were seen near the vessels
plank evidently hewn by an ak, stick skill
fully carved by some cutting instrument, a
bough of hawthorn in blossom; and, lastly, a
birds nest, built on a branch which the wind
had broken, and full of eggs, on which the parent
bird was sitting amid the gently rolling waves;
were seen floating past on the waters. The
sailors brought on board these living and IMAM
innate witnesses of their approach to land. They
were a voice from the shore confirming the assur-
ances 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 in
suited but the day before, craved pardon for
their mistrust, and struck up hymn Of thanks
giving to God for associating them with this
triumph. Night fell on these songs of the
Church welcoming new world.
The Admiral gave orders that the sails should
be close-reefed, and the lead kept going; and,
that they should sail slowly, being afraid of
breakers and shoals, and feeling certain that
the first CLEAN of day break would discover land
under their bows On that last anxious night
| none slept. Impatient expectation had removed
all heaviness from their eyes; the pilots and the
seamen, clinging about the masts. yards and
shrouds each tried to keep the best place and
the closest watch to get the earliest sight of the
new hemisphere, II ~rr ta
The Admiral had offered a reward to the first
who should cry Land,'' provided his announce
ment was verified by its actual discovery. Prov
idence, 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, q CLEAN of fire passed and disappeared,
/ IL, 1,x, 1nf
Fearful of being deceived by the, phosphores-
cence of the sea, be quietly called q Spanish
gentleman of Isabella's Court, named Guttierez,
in whom he 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 any thing there Guttierez replied that
he did indeed see a Pickering light in that quar-
ter. To make indeed still more sure. Columbus
called Rodrigo Sanchez, of Segoyia, another in
whom he had confidence. Sanchez had no more
hesitation that Guttierez in pronouncing that
there was light on the horizon, But the blaze
was hardly seen before it again disappeared il
the ocean. to show itself anew the next moment
whether it was the light Of q fire on a low shore
alternately appearing and disappearing beyonc
the broken horizon, or whether it was the float
! ing beacon Of a fisherman's boat now rising OF
the waves, and now sinking in the trough of tn,
sea. Thus, both land and safety appeared to
gether in the shape of fire to Columbus and hi
. two friends, on the night between the 11th anC
10Th of October, 1892.
The Admiral, enjoining silence to Rodrig,
and Guttierez, kept his observation to himself
for fear of again raising false hopes and givin!
3 bitter disappointment to his ships companies
He lost sight of the light, and remained on decl
until two in the morning, praying, hoping AM
, despairing alone, awaiting the triumph or tn
! return on which the morrow was to decide. II
. was seized with that anguish which precede
the great discoveries of truth, like the struggl
7 which anticipates the liberation of the soul b.
= death, when non-shot, sounding over tn
. sea few hundred yards in advance Of him
. burst upon his ear-the announcement Of
!. !. newborn world, which made him tremble an
7 fall upon his knees 1t was the signal of Ian
e i'll sight made by firing shot, as had bee
\ arranged by the Pinta, which was sailing j
advance of the squadron, to guide their conrs
and take soundings At this signal genert
shout of 'sLand, ho!" arose from all the yard
and rigging of the ships. The sails were furlet
and day break was anxiously awaited The mys
terry of the ocean had breathed its first whispe
in the bosom of night, Day break would elea
it up openly to every eye. Delicious and VI
known perfumes reached the vessels from tt
outline of the shore, with the roar of the wav
upon the reef and the soft land breeze. III
fire seen by Columbus indicated the presence
man, and Of the first element of civilization.
Never did the night appear SO long in clea
ing away from the horizon for this horizon VI
to Columbus and his companions second cre
tion of God. Thesdawn, as it spread over Il
sky, gradually raised the shore Of an islar
from the waves Its distant extremities We
Il lost in the morning mist. 1t assembled grad
by ally like an amphitheatre, from the low beat
- to the summit Of the hills, whose dark-gre,
of covering contrasted strongly with the bl1
lie heavens Within few PAGES of the foam of Il
waves breaking on the yellow sand, forests
tall and unknown trees stretched away, o.
'u above another, over the successive terraces
ret the island. Green valleys and bright clefts
the hollows afforded a half glimpse into the
mysterious wilds Here and there could be d
= covered few scattered huts, which, with the
-, outlines and roofs of dry leaves, looked like be
lp me hives, and thin columns Of blue smoke &c
W. W. above the tops of the trees Half naked grou
of men, women and children, more astonish
- than frightened, appeared among the thick'
near the shore, advancing tlmldly, and tn
drawing back, exhibiting, by their gestures q
demeanor, as much fear as curiosity and wo
der, at the sight of these strange vessels, whi
the previous night had brought to their shor
Columbus, after gazing in silence on this 70
most shore of the land so often determined
Z. his calculations, and so magnifcently colo,
by his imagination, found it to exceed even
expectations He burned with impatience to
the first European to set foot on the sand, q
to plant the Cross and the flag of Spain
/. standard of the conquest of God, and of his so
:, regns, effected by his genius. But he restrain
q 3 the eagerness of himself and his crew to lal