Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-03-28

From Dickens Household Words.
THE SHADOW OF THE ISLAND OF
MADEIRA.

Iii the beginning of June; the year lllo.
Two small vessels are leaving the port OF Lisbon
The Infant Don Henry waves his hand from tue
quay as the commander of the little expedition
bows profoundly from the deck of the leading
ship. That commander is Gon2alves Iarco. Let us
pursue his shadow 10 companionshlp with that Of
Juan de Morales, his pilot.
Where is Gonzalves sailing when lie trusts ms
ships to the broad bosom of the AtlnnticY here,
without the guides Of modern navigation Charts
he has none. He has heard that Marco Polo
brought from China to Europe the knowledge OF
an instrument that invariably pointed to the North
but he doubts. lie will hug the land as long
as he can. The meridian sun and the polar star
must direct him in his need. His business is 10
find the Isles of the West, Of which ancien! tradi-
ton imperfectly whispers. In i4lS, Gonzalves
was engaged in exploring the coasts of Africa.
lie was shipwrecked on IL little island, which he
will now endeavor again to reach.
The seas are calm the days are bright and
long. If the nights are dark, Gonzalvcs anchors.
he is pretty certain Of the course. In due time
he reaches the NAL island Of Porto Slnto,
in which, last year, he left Two or three Of bis
crew.
What is this strange relation which soon meets
the ear of Gonzalves--a relation which is to give
new ardor to his sagacious courage, but which has
terrors for his superstitiOus seamen? On the
northeast of the isle, there appears, at n long
distance, q thick darkness--a motiouless cloud
which hangs over the sea, and reaches 10 the sky.
That region of darkness-is it not the abyss?
There, is the boundary of this earth; and beyond,
is the entrance of the Shades. Sometimes a dis
tsnt murmur, as of troubled waters, comes across
the sea. 1t is the rush Of the mournful river of
Acheron. Some say, that when tho Christians
fed from the oppression of the MOors and Sara
Gems, they found an island Of refuge in this ocean;
and from that time a mysterious cloud covered
that island, so that no enemy could como near 80
harm them. Who shall dare to pierce that cloud,
and solve these mysteries?
Gozalves sits on the beach Of Porto Santo, and
1oA1o AGAIN md annip in tho hirrrt finn nf tlot
cloud. When the morning sun shines bright in
the East, the cloud is there. When the moon
climbs the sky, the cloudy distance is still visible.
I,.never changes its place its form is always the
same. Gonzalves will take counsel Of Juan de
Morales.
Juan is many years younger than Gonzalves
vet his forehead is wrinkled with cares that
scarcely belong to the young. He has passed his
bovhood in captivity in Morocco. He has done
servile Offices up to the period Of manhood. lie
has been chained To the oar, and rowed his task
masters through many a perilous surf. There is
something strange and mysterious about him.
His messmates shun him, for they say he is a Cas-
lillian, and an enemy to Portugal. lie has the
Castilian steadiness, with more than Castilian
reserve. Misfortune has not abased him; he car
riss himself as loftily as the proudest of his coun-
trymen and yet he is OF a fairer com plexlOn than
those countrymen, and he speaks their language
with q singular mixture Of other dialects, and
even of other tongues. But that may come of his
IOuH CapliNlIN ullOUSsl SllTESbluh vi ul iulNlc.
Juan is not popular; but Gonzalves has unbounded
confidence in his pilot.
Juan, says Gonzalves, Eve will wait no longer.
Hold you still your opinion !"
my belief is ever the same. That dark mass,
so defined and unchanging, is q mountainous land,
seen through q constant mist"
"You have the confidence of knowledge, rather
than Of conjecture. Did you ever hear speak OF
such a mountainous land? In that quarter ,leaugue
of, must lie the African deserts"
at l,va m l. Ou,laI ra - ovoa,k INV Aroop,o H.
knowledge: l dream of mountains, rising fror
the sea, covered with trees to the very sumhits
of ravines, " here rivers come dashing down out 0
the mountain mists, and rush brightly to the ocean
of a narrow beach under the mountains, wher
the waves break wildly, and yet how beauti
fullyl"
Juan! you must have seen such a land !"
"0h no it is a dream-a dream Of the poo
ship boys loneliness"
1--WE will sail to morrow, Juan !"
Good"
The anchors are weighed in the dawn of a sum
mer morning. A brisk breeze soon carries then
away from Porto Santo. There is a man Of i'm
portance on board, Francis Alcaforado, a SPUR
of Don Henry's chamber. He is keepin,
a diary of that voyage--a busy, inquisitiv
man"
Captain, where are you steering?"
"To look for the Isles of the West"
"But you are sailing towards the darkness %
81 think they lie beyond the darkness"
"You are tempting Heaven. See, we are in til
bosom Of a mist. There is no sun in the sky
Change your course, Gonzalyes."
"Sir, | must obey my commission"
"Look! there is something darker still in tn
distance"
II have seen it before--it is land"
Juan is at the helm. lie steers boldly throug
the mist. 1t is land. The sun Is behind that mas
of mountains. Juan must DO cautious; there al
rocks in that sea. Gonzalves orders out the boat
There is n loud murmuring of surf upon a shoi
mt rary aiatant The sun IL ulOnntinr ont of n
exhalation. The mist ia rolling off, There a.
trees on the hills. The boats may near the shnr
Glory to Saint Lawrence! That eastern cape fir
seen, and now doubled, shall be the Cape 81
1t is not the land of his dreams. The crew gath
round the pilot--and greet him well. But he
silent.
There is a streamlet gushing down to the &c
Gpnzalyes commands the crew 10 olsen bark.
priest goes with them. The water is blesse
The shore is blessed. The commander Of the
petition proclains that tho mysterious clor
land ia . veritable possession of the King
Portugal.
And now they coast carefully along in tn
boats. They peer into the dark ravines, cover
with everlasting forests. Again and again I'll
land. Are there any inhabitants Not a tri
of human dwelling, not 2 footprint, not a tok
that man has ever abided here. Birds of brig
plumage nv fearlessly about them. They come
a point where four rivers join in their cou
to the sea. They Gil their TASKS to carry Il
sparkling water to the banks of the yellow Tag
They bring provisions on shore. and sit down il
green valley where gentle waterfalls are sparkli
around. They penetrate a wood the rough ga
have torn up some trees. They elevate one tr
aud form o cross they kneel, and the priest gi
bis benedietion. This point is Santa Cruz. 1T
coast on o tongue of land stretches far Out
shady covert. Suddenly a flight of jays darkt
tho air. This shall DO Punta Cos Gralhos,
point of jays. Further on, another tongue
land ia pnyered with cpdnrs and thia with
Ponto dos Gralhos, forms a wooded hay. 1t sh
be the bay of Cedars. Another valley is reach,
and here Gonzalves makes an attempt to asce
the high ground, he sees enough to satisfy h
that what he has discovered is an island. Ag
Gopzalses leads the way in his boat, and reac
m open space, where the land is not encumbe
with the dense growth of timber that has eve
where else met their view. The sea. beach to