The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-12-08


led to the settlement of large colony.
In 1901, his son Left and Barn sailed to
the southwest in search of wooded land
to which the latter had been blown in a
tempest. They first saw snowy mountains,
and then a rocky island, which they named
Helluand
/ After putting to sea again, they landed
on fat and woody shore, with a white
sandy beach. This MARYLAND, or woodland,
corresponds to Novs Scotia. as Helluland to
the region Of Labrador. A further run of
few days brought them to shore which
has been identified with the vicinity of Cape
Cod.
/ As salmon was abundant, they wintered
there. They found the climate much mIlder
than at Iceland, and so declared, There
was TO frost i n winter, and the grass not
much withered" They saw vines growing
wild, probably the fox-grape, and hence
Left named the country Vinland.
/ The wonderful tidiDgs of a summer
land brought home by Left the Lucky
led to three other expeditions whose details
need not detain US, as they resulted in no
| permanent settlement
| The most singular circumstance is that
the latter parties met with many E-quimaux
on that coast, with whom they bartered and
| fought, but no mention is made of any
| Indians
| If we accept these statements, it appears
that the Esqumaux once occupied much
wider range of territory than at present, and
must have been exterminated, or driven to
the northward, By an inrushing tide of more
barbarous red men.
But the tidings of such a new land never
spread beyond the limits of Iceland. which
was almost wholly isolated from Europe by
generations, and hence the world was in no
wise bettered The times were then not
ripe for the discovery and exploration of a
new world.
At the age OF forty, this stately and cour
teous navigator, whose hair was already
whitened, Was dancing attendance at Lisbon,
in hopes that the Portuguese Court would
favor his great enterprise.
That Kingdom was then almost at its
height of renown, owing to the exploration
of Africa, as far south as Cape de Verde
and q daring adventure of 800 miles west
ward to the Azore Islands.
His marriage to the daughter of famous
navigator gave Columbus many charts and
journals of voyages, SO that he issued maps
for livelihood.
The conviction deepened in his mind
that he could discover the long-wished- for
sea-route to the rich Indies. AS he believed
the earth to be sphere. he imagined the
extremity of Asia to lie opposite TO Europe,
and at no great distance. And, amid years
of disappointment. his piety inspired him to
| believe he was set apart to bring the ends
of the earth together. Hence he used to
sign himself as Christ bearer christopher
Portugal first repulsed him, Genoa next,
and the English King treated an application
l NIT ,,ffo naC1aof ha
patiently waited upon the pleasure of Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, ofSpain. Yet the proud
man would not abate title of his demands
for compensation in case of success. So it
was agreed he should be admiral and viceroy
over all new lands, with tenth of all gains
from conquest and trade. Finally, he
agreed to detray an eighth of the outlay and
receive an eighth of the profits
Their higbnesses got OFT cheaply, as they
made the port of Palos furnish two vessels
for the royal account.
Columbus induced the brothers Pinzons
TO take part in the adventure, by furnishing
| another vessel. The largest was only 100
tons, and the entire crews numbered 10
men.
Lack of space forbids more than a run
ming summary of the various voyages by
the great admiral.
The first voy age was so prolonged as to
excite the crew almost to mutiny, and Col
umbus, in his own secret disappointment
changed his course from the westward to-
ward the south. This petty act prev ented
his reaching the American continent near
the site of Florida. Its momentous conse-
quences were that the tropics should fall to
the Spaniards, while Northern America
should be reserved for a republ.c aIl and
English speaking race.
Land was sighted, amid transports of ex-
ultatior and prayer, on Friday morning,
Octo Oer II 1892; and the leland was named
San Salvador. The discovery of Cuba fol-
lowe l, which was thought to be Japan, and
next Hispaniola or San Domingo
1t IS well known how the Castilian sover-
eigns received the victorious navigator on
his rel urn with honors almost regal, and
how he laid gifts of bis trophies berOre them
gold, cotton, plants, birds, beasts and
Indians But in later voyages the fates
were against success, though the coast of
South America was sighted aboutiV enezuela.
Queen Isabella died shortly after Co
lumbus' return to Seville, and the greedy
faithless Ferdinand henceforth turned n
deaf ear to his petitions for rights pledged
to him. 80 the heart broken mau sickened
and died, with scarcely attendant, in
May. 1906.
Thirty years later, in fulfllment of his
will, his body was removed to Hispaniola
and inferred in the strongly-built cathedral
church of Santo Domingo, which still stands
unchanged.
The account hitherto accepted goes on to
say that it was placed within the cathedral
ut Havana, on the cession of the island to
the French in 1896 This latter statement
now appears to bedisproved by very strong
ties imony.
1t l. certain that the coffin was placed in
a vault built against the chapel near the
hign altar; and from late evidence. that APP
pears to have been on the left side facing the
altar (the gospel side) This was when his
grandson, Don Luis, was Governor.
In another vault to the right, were laid
the remains of Columbus son Diego; and in
third crypt adjoining. Don Luis found
sepulchre. But these facts passed out of
memory.
The opening of a vault on the epistle side,
in 1888, was hailed proof it contained the
remains OF Columbus; and this was the coffin
removed to Havana, and there en:hrined as
an emblem of national honor But it is
now believed this was in reality the bones of
Diego.
the next discovery came in 1877, when
the removal of u heavy bronze image on the
epistle side led to the susp cion If another
crypt; and the opening of the wall showed