The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-04-05
INGENIOUS sTRATAGEM OF CO.
. LUMBUS.
Thou Luther OF the darkened deep!
Nor less intrepid, too, than he
whose courage broke earthis bigot sleep,
while thine nnbarred the sea

During the fourth voyage Of Colum
bus, while prosecuting bis discoveries
anzong the West India Islands and along
tho.cosst zf tie continent, his vessels
from. o.Htinnal subsection to tcmpcstu
ons wcatAer, aud being, TO use bis own
expression, .ibore,l by { worms as fui
o hales a. a honey comb" were re
! ducrd TO mere wrecks, unable any long
er TO keep the STA, snd were frEny
! stra led ON the shore of Jamaica. b,
ing bry6Dd the po SibiliIy If repair
they we've Fl tied up fer the temporal J
use Of Columbus, who - as in feeble
! health, and nf such Of his crew as were
disabled by sickness, those who were
we'll being sent abroad for assistance
and supplies. Their immediate wants
were amply provided for, Diego Men
ez having made arrangements with the
natives for daily exchange of knives
combs, beads, tish.hoOks, &C., for cas-
sava bread, fish, and other provisions,
In the course of short time, however
provisions on the island became scarce,
and the supplies became gradually tc
fall of. The arrangements for the dali
ly delivery of certain quantities were
irregularly attended to, and finally
ceased entirely. The Indians no longer
thronged to the harbor with provisions
and often refused them when applied
for. The Spaniards were Obliged to for
age about the neighbOrhOOd for their
daily food, but found more and more
difficulty in procuring il; and now, in
addition to their other causes of de-
spondency, they begrn to entertain hor-
rible apprehensiOns Of famine.
The admiral heard the melancholy
forebOdings of his men, and beheld the
growing evil, but was at a loss for a
remedy. To resort 10 force was an al
tentative full of danger, aud of but tenn
pOrary efficacy. 1t would require all
those who were well enough to bear
arms to sally forth, while he and
the rest Of the intirm would lie left de-
fenceless on board the wreck. exposed
10 the vengeance of the natives.
In the meantime, the scarcity daily
increased. The Indians perceived the
wants of the white men, and had learn
ed from them the art of making bar.
gains. They asked ten times the for.
mer quantity of European articles for a
given amount of provisions, aid
brought their supplies in scaHtity guam
titles, to enhance the eagerness of the
Spaniards. At length even this relief
ceased, and there was an absolute dis
tress for want of food, the natives with
holding all provisions, in hopes eth I
of starving the admiral and his co.
pie, or of driving them from the island
In this extremity, a fortunate idea
suddenly presented itself to Columbus.
From his knowledge of astronomy, hc
ascertlined that within three days there
would be total eclipse Of the moon, in
the early part Of the night. He sent,
therefore, an Indian of the island OF
Hispaniola, who served as his interpre.
ter, to summon the principal caciques
to grand conference, appointing for il
the day of the eclipse. When all were
assembled, he told them, by his inter
prefer, that he and his followers were
worsLipers of deity who lived in the
skies; that this deity favored such as
did well, bu: punished all transgressors;
that, as they must all have noticed, he
had protected Diego Mcndez and his
companions in their voyage, they hay
ing gone in obedience to the orders of
their commander, but that, on the other
hand, he had visited Francisco de Por.
ras and his co m2anions with all kinds
of crosses and affections, in consequence
of their rebellion; that this great deity
VAS iDcensed against the Indians who
bad refused or neglected TO flu nish his
faithful Nor,lipers with provisions, and
intended 10 chastise them with pesti-
lcnce and famine. Lest they should
disle!ieye this warning, signal would
be given that very night, in the heav-
ems. Tney would behold the moon
change its color, g adualIy lose its light,
"a token of the fearful punishment
which awaited them.
Many of the Indians were alarmed 1T
tie solemnity of this prediction; others
treated IT VIII soothing: all, however,
awaited with solicitude he coming OF
the night, and none with more than Co
iuu.lus himself, who was distracted
with at, iety lest tie weather should
prove cloudy or rainy. Imagine his
.rai t15C when the evening sky appear
ed undimmed by a cl"ud When the
n.v arrived, aud the natives beheld a
dark shAnO" stealing over the l. Don,
they hcgau 10 trtmble. Their fears in
creased with the progress Of The eclipse;
u. when they saw mysterious darkness
covering the whole face of nature, there
upon wh'iever provisions they could
procure, they hurried to The ships, ut
t.ring cri,s am Ian. entations. They
throw III n selves at tie (, ct of CUIum-
BIS. ms ls~ed ga 10 inter1Gde with his
God 20 avert the threatened calamities,
and assured him tl.at henceforth they
woald bring him Whatever he required
Columbus told ihtm that hs would re-
tire and commune with The deity. Shut
ting himsclf up ia his cabin, he remain
ed there ,.aring the increase of the
eclipse, the Cor, sis and sbores all the
while r's sounding with the ho"lings
sud supplieauons Of the savages- When
thee ciipscwas about to diminish, he
came forth and informed the natives
hut he Lad interceded for them with
a, G. a, who, on condition of their ful-
Sling their promises, had deigned 70
pardon them; In sign Of which he would
withdraw tlle dliki css from the moon
Whe ~, Indians saw that planet re-