Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-09-17
CHAPTER VI

On leaving San Salvador Columbus
was at loss which way to direct his
course. A great number of islands,
green and level and fertile, invited him
in different directions The Indians on
board of his vessel intinated by signs
that they were innumerable, well peo-
pied and at war with one another. They
mentioned the names of above hun
dred. Columbus now had no. longer O
described by Marco Polo as studding the
vast sea Of Chin or China, and lying at
great distance from the mainland
These, according to the Venetian,
amounted to between seven and eight
thousand and abounded with drugs and
spices and odoriferous trees, together
with gold and silver and many other
precious objects of commerce.
Animated by the idea of exploring
this opulent archipelago, he selected the
largest island in sight for his next visit.
1t appeared to be about FIVE leagues dis
tance. and he understood from his In
dians that the natives were richer than
those Of San Salvador, wearing bracelets
and anklets and other ornaments of mas
sive gold.
The night coming on, Columbus or
dered that the ships should lie to, as the
navigation was difficult and dangerous
among these unknown islands. and he
feared to venture upon strange coast in
the dark. In the morning they again
,,..Ia eoI ,,,aafi,,rr oo,xx,%n.,
currents it was not until sunset that
they anchored at the island The next
morning tl6th) they went on shore. and
Columbus took solemn possession, Civ
ing the island the name of Santa Maria
de la Conception The same scene oc-
Cured with the inhabitants as with
those of San Salvador. They manifested
the same astonishment and awe; the
same gentleness and simplicity, and the
same nakedness and absence of wealth.
Columbus looked in vain for bracelets
and anklets Of gold. or for any other
precious articles; they had been either
actions of his Indian guides or his own
misinterpretations
Returning on board, he prepared to
make sail, when one of the Indians Of
San Salvador who was on board of the
Nina, plunged into the sea and swan to
large canoe filed with natives. The
boat of the caravel put off in pursuit,
but the Indians managed in their light
bark with too much velocity to be over
taken, and, reaching the land, fed to tho
woods The sailors took the canoe as @
prize, and returned on board the carayel.
Shortly afterward small canoe APP
preached one Of the ships, from diff
ferent part of the island, with a single
Indian on board, who came to offer q
ball of cotton in exchange for hawks
bells AS he paused when close to the
vessel. and feared to enter, several sail
ors threw themselves into the sea and
took him prisoner.
Columbus having seen all that passed
from his station on the high poop of the
vessel, ordered the captive to be brought
to him. He came trembling with fear
and humbly offered his bali of cotton as
a gift The admiral received him with
the utmost benignity, and declining his
offering put acolored cap upon his head,
strings of green beads around his arms,
and hawks bells in his ears, then order
ing him and his ball of cotton to be re-
placed in the canoe, dismissed him, as
tonished and overjoyed. He ordered
that the canoe, also, which had been
seized and was fastened to the Nina,
should be cast loose, to be regained by
its proprietors. When the Indian reached
the shore, his countrymen thronged
around him, examining and admiring his
fnery. and listening to his account of
the kind treatment he experienced.
Such were the gentle and sage precau-
tions continually taken by Columbus to
impress the natives favorably. Another
instance of the kind occurred after leav-
ing the island of Conception, when the
caravels stood for the larger island, sew
eral leagues to the west. Midway be-
tween the two islands they overlook a
single Indian in canoe He had mere
morsel Of cassava bread and calabash
of water for sea stores, and a little red
paint. like dragons blood, for personal
decoration when he should land A
string of glass beads. such as had been
given to the natives OF San Salvador,
showed that he had come thence, and
was probably passing from island to
island, to give notice of the ships. Co
lumbus admired the hardihood Of this
simple navigator. making such an exten-
sive voyage in so frail bark As the
island was still distant. he ordered that
both the Indian and his canoe should be
taken on board. where he treated him
with the greatest kindness, giving him
bread and honey to eat and wine to
drink The weather being very calm,
they did not reach the island until too
dark to anchor, through fear of cutting
their cables with rocks. The sea about
these islands was SO transparent that in
the daytime they could see the bottom
and choose their ground, and SO deep
that at two gunshot distance there was
no anchorage Hosting out the canoe
Of their Indian voyager, therefore, and
restoring to him all his effects, they sent
him joyfully ashore. to prepare the ma
tives for their arrival while the ships
lay to until morning.
This kindness had the desired effect.
The natives surrounded the ships in
their canoes during the night, bringing
fruits ard roots and the pure water o1
their springs Columbus distributed
trihing presents among them, and tc
those who came on board he gave sugar
and honey.
Landing the next morning he gave te
this island the name of Fernandina, in
honor of the king it is the same al
present called Exuma The inhabitantI
were similar in every respect to those ol
the preceding islands, excepting thai
they nupsarad more ingenious and in