New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-10
WESTWARD TO THE INDIES.


indies by the East which continued from very remote
antiquity until they have eliminated in the completion
of the suez Canal sketched in previous paper
But from the ancient times while navigatOrs were
making their way eastward, there were never wanting
those who believed it might be reached by sailing in an
opposite direction. The ancents believed in the exist
OF rich lands In the West and many OF their myths
and traditions took color from this belief.
-Four centuries before Christ the ships from Carthage
ventured into the Atlantic far north the peninsula
of Cornwall aud worked tin mines lin the Cassiterdes OF
the anoIents, supposed to be the islands OF Sciiy
near the southwestern coast Of England Besides their
loads tin the Cartha9eDans also brought back from
Britain the fierce dogs which they used in battle
worthy ancestors Of the bloodhOunds which in
modern times tracked the fugitive slave through tho
swamps Of Georgia and the CarOlinas. They
carried too stories Of islands far in the west with rich
Cities and fair lands purple with grapes and golden with
flowing honey. The ancient Greek poets also sang OF
strange countries beyond the Mare TenebrOn and Arts
tOte, StrabO and Seneca all believed that rich Cahay
might be reached by sailing straight from the Pillars
of Hercules. But through the long night Of the dark
ages the myths OF history and the theories OF geogaphers
were obscured and almost forgotten and to the middle
Of the fifteenth century few explorers had been found
bold enough venture far from shore into the waters
Of the Atlantic. In the year 1870. however, man Of
thirtyhve broad proved and stalWart framed, and s
young in face though his hair and beard were gray
was wont to attend in the little chapel OF convent
in the city Of Lisbon Kneelng daily at the
same altar, he watched amid his prayers
the figure Of a maiden who came from the
neighbOring cloisters to her deyOons The maid was
Donna Fehpa d PaestreO, whose father had been Gov
euor Of Porto sano the first colony sent TO the islands
west of Africa by Prince Henry the Navigator. The
man. gray-haired before his prime who looked on her
with growing interest Christopher Colon OF Genoa
From these meetings acquaintance arose, and before
long the maid became his wife. With her love and her
hand in marriage Columbus also received the rich legacy
OF Palestreos maps and books and all the traditions OF
western route to Asia which had reached the ears OF
the Governor Of Porto santo For as the daring ships
which sailed furthest west had caught on their keels
drifts OF foreign sea-weeds bits Of unknown WOOD or
other waits which pointed them to countries beyond 80
these groups OF little islands seem to have caught the rst
and vague signs OF the land across the Atlantic
No other dOwry with wife could have borne richer
fruits than the maps and papers Of the dead Palestreo
brought TO the aspiring GenOese.
Donna Felipa had also inherited small estate in Porto
6antO aud for awhile the newly married couple went
there to reside Not old sailor there with whom 20
lumbus talked but could tell hmm legends Of lands dim de-
scred to westward, which it was believed might De
che shores Of Cathay. One had cunningy carved
Int Of wood drifting past his ships another had picked up
far out at sea- strange boat floating empty upon the
waves and yet another had seen in the calm Of tropo
seas two dead bodies floating on the water with un
known features and brown SKINS such were never ma
tive under European skies.
The most famous geOgrapher OF that day PaOo del
Pozzo known as Toscanel, and 10 him Columbus wrote
his theory that the Indies might be reached by sailing
west Toscanelh returned him map in which Asia lay
opposite to Africa separated by wide stretch Of ocean,
and letter in which he wrote: 1.-THE way is not easy,
but the route from the of Europe to the Spice Indies
a. certain II the track mark be followed out"
Columbus himself had computed that the circumfer-
ence Of the round earth twentfour hours of which
fifteen had been explored already and only nine re-
NAMED 70 be sailed over Consequently he thought that
the Great could be reached from the Cape Yerdes In
few days, and he decided TO sail west rather than
east
1t is interesting to know that Columbus was man Of
most ehidke tath and not superior to the creduty OF
his times To Mr.. Worldly Wiseman OF those days he was
an enthusiast and fanatic. He had read Marco Polo
Attentvey. He believed in Preater John and the rich
Of Cathay All his voyages were search after the
East and he died in the conviction that he had discOv
cred only some large islands the coast Of Asia.
After his from his first he wrote OF his
discoveries as ISLANDS OF India recently discovered
beyond the Ganges." "Thrtythree days after my de-
parture," he says preached the Indian Sea- where
found many islands" And of Cuba he declares could
not believe it TO be island but the continental prov
nce of Cathay" According all the supersttons Of the
time-with which the devout nature Of Columbus was
profoundly imbued-the Eden Of first parents had
been in the land Of India. When he touched
first the continent-at the mouth Of the 0rinoco-
he fancied that he had reached the GhOn,
one OF the four rivera which watered the
lost Paradise Again and again he reiterated
that belief and argued that although the earth Is round
there ia yet on its crest little projection or mount upon
which Eden is The earth" he wrote quantity
m shaped as the breast Of awOman, on which the nipple
corresponds to the seat Of the earthly Paradise
Ibeeve II could reach the highest Ipart the empera
tnre would bemilder, not that suppose that
elevated point to be naVgable-indeed, believe 1t i'm
possible to ascend thher because am convinced 1t IL
the seat the Earthly Paradise whittier no one can 60
but by Gods permission. ana II the wafer o.
which I speak (the ornocol does not flow from the
Earthly Paradise appears be st mOre marvellous
for do not believe there isanY river In the world SO
large and deep" No 1t ascertaned that the
found lands were not part Of the continent OF Asia
than the search for the Indies was resumed with
ardor All bold, restless spirits OF the age threw
themselves into the adventure The passion for dis
ooyery possessed all classes. " At first my enterprise
was laughed at as Ridiculous said Columbus just before
his DEATH but there man, down to the very
taOrs who does not be otto be allowed 70 be dlscOTerer
Henry VII Of England, who now declared he had
already decided 70 1T out feet for Columbus when Isa-
bella OF CASTLE forestaed him by pedging her crown
jewels lost tune after the great discovery The
Cabot family were from Venice and 70 DO a Venetian
then was to command respect as a navigator. Sebas
tan Cabot only eighteen when the choice Of the
King lighted on his father and himself 10 command tho
first English expedition the Atlantic. For than
century alJerWafu the En8sn covered their chaRrL
they had narrowly missed the honor OF being the
patrons Of Columbus by the boast that their ships
the first to touch the main land Of America And from
the day when the young Sebastian caught sight Of this
Continent he burned with desire TO find the way onwari
10 Asia On his second voyage, in which he sole
commander coasted toward the frozen North lament
ing that Labrador presented Arm barrier to his shps
81 found the land ran me all along 10 the North" he
wrote. which 70 me great displeasure." For
many years this Continent OF America was little else
than great dspleasure to mariners eager only to roach
India.