Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-05-31
Where Columbus Landed.

The subject OF the landing of Column
bus is one that has remained beclouded
in tho hstorico-oratorieal mistiness
with which writer's upon the subject
have surrounded it; but it now appears
that modern research has taken hold
of it, and that tho exact spot Mt which
Columbus AID his crew landed from
his wretched caravels can finally be
pointed out with crafty ing degree
of historic certainty.
Governor Blake, of Newfoundland.
recently gave lecture before the
Athen@um of ST. Johns upon the SUBJ
ject of the landing of Columbus. to
which he had given great deal of at
tention while governor of the Bahamas,
from which section he was transferred
to Newfoundland.
His eXcellency made several voyages
with this object in view and. with the
diary of Columbus in his hand, sailed,
over his course, noting what he noted,
and comparing his description with tho
lakes and woods and beautiful capes
aud everlasting vendure of these is
! lands.
Columbus. according to the results
of Governor Blake's Investigations,
started for the unknown new world in
three vessels-the Santa Maria, the
Pinta and the Nina-three crazy car
avels. only one of which had deck.
| His crew consisted of 120 men, nearly
all of whom had been forced into the
enterprise and hated it, and were ever
ready to mutiny.
The difficulty of determining the
exact location has arisen. to Il largo
extent, from the fact that the Lucay-
ans, the aboriginal inhabitants Of
these islands. were carried off by the
Spania ards to work the gold mines of
Hspanola, and through cruelty and
hard toll, all persisted miserably.
For q hundred years afterward the
islands were left uninhabited. so that
no vestige of tradition remained to
guide to the spot on which Columbus
landed. Tho islands have been vari-
ously identified by writer's who have
never visited the spot or made per-
sonal examination of them. His excel
lency has gone carefully over the whole
of these islands and compared their
appearance with the account of Column
bus, so that his conclusions carry with
them great weight, Ho was led by an
irresistible weight of the evidence thus
accumulated to the conclusion that
the island upon which he landed was
Watl,ng's island.
He showed by process of exhaus-
ton, comparing each island in turn
with his description, that Watling's is
land alone correspondent with the ac-
count contained in his diary, and that
the corresp ondence. in its case. was
perfect. while all the others entirely
failed to present any features 10 war
ranc Identification. Watling's island is
thirteen miles long. about eight miles
wide one.third of its area being occu-
pied by lake or lagoon of blackish
water; it is very fertile and beautiful;
it is almost entirely surrounded by a
coral reef, except ut Graham's harbor.
formed by great sweep of the reef,
and about seven miles long and four
miles wide, with a narrow entrance
and promontorv close by.
Every one of these features is men
toned in Columbus diary. SO that the
question may be regarded us settled,
for there is no escaping from his ex-
cellency's conclusion. AS the centen-
airy of Columbus discovery is to be OBJ
served in 1892 and it is said Spain will
invite the European nations 10 send
each flag ship to the spot for sons
celebration on grand scale. the ques-
ton in regard to the exact scene of his
landing is likely to be holly debated.
Governor Blake has now made most
important contribution to the settle
ment of the question. Boston IraeeI'
err.