Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02

weeks they sailed without one con,r.-
wind. Tn refore they named tho nay
ocean the Pacific, so different is Il few
the stormy Atlantic.
"The name of the Molucca or Sn;o.,
Islands had long fascinated spapiss
voyagers. and Magellan was now -
quest of these. But the very mildno@aa
Of the ocean proved dangerous, for ths
ships were becalmed many DAYS aug .ns
the sailors suffered terribly for Iact sa ~.
provisions. At last, however. nv
reached a beautiful island, whem ny
natives received them very cordiann
gave them food and curious present.
Here the %Spaniards celebrated the East
er festival, and converted the Kinp -,
the island to Christianity. VI
"Proceeding, they came to anotho.
island called Sebu. Here the ent;ra
royal family. and others to the number
of eight hundred were baptized at ons
time. But alas! Ready MS these peonlaa
were to become Christians they did pot
remain such; and a little image .of
Christ given by Magellan to the Queen
of Sebu. was found by subsequent vow.
ayers worshipped as a heather deity
GA glorious thought had taken Dos.
session of Magellan since he entered
the Western Ocean. Other sailors had
seer the Spice Islands, with their CHINA.
mon, cloves, nutmegs, ginger; otherai
had looked on the Pacific. But if hal
should keep right on and so complets|
the circumnavigation of the globe
that would be something never done be-.
fore by mortal nan. The thought
thrilled him, and henceferth no lived
for this object.
81 am sorry to tell you that the brave|
voyager was not destined to realize his1
wish. The King of Sebu had an enemv|
in the King of an adjacent island, and
Magellan went to war in defence of 6Is|
new friend. He was killed, brayelv|
fighting tothe last. I
$50 many of the old voyagers have
left a name stained with cruelty and
injustice that we can not admire them
even in their daring, h%igh-spiritedl
deeds. But we need not hesitate to|
admire and honor Fernan Magellan.
Not inferior in courage to the most
courageous of them, his spirit was kind
as noble. Although firm, he was mild
and generous, and greatly beloved by|
his sailors. He was devoted to what
he thought the true faith, and wished to
benefit mankind in his mighty under.
takings. You do well, little Ruth, to|
remember the hero's Straits-it was s
great and good man who first sailed
through them.
"And the ships? They kept on
From one strange island to anothel
they went, with many adventures. many
pleasures, many perils and ~hardships.
And three years from the time they set
out they again entered the harbor Of
beautiful old Seville-they had made
the circuit of the globe. Mey-I said;
only one of the fair ships that had sailed
away. The Santiago had grounded on
the rocks of Patagonia; another had
been run away with by the treacherous
pilot, Gomez, who had put back to-
Spain and wickedly reported the others
as lost; the Conception had been burnett
in the East Indies; the Trinidad had
voluntarily remained at the Spice Is
lands. Only the Victoria came home,
alone and triumphant, to recount the
wonderful things of the voyage. The
sailors walked directly from the ship to
the church, where they offered praise
and thanks for their safe return; and.
there was great rejoicing and feasting
in Seville and in all Spain.
"Now 1 will tell you a curious thing
in arithmetic. According to the recks,
oning on board ship it was the 5th> 81
September when they reached homes
everybody in Spain said it was the 6th.|
The voyagers had therefore lost a day.
The Emperor Charles V. did not puzzle
his W Uranium with the problem, but
promptly called up a learned man who
showed that in going from east to west
they must necessarily lose one day;l
while if they had sailed the other way
they would be n day ahead Of Seville
time."--M. Y. Examiner.