Gloucester County Democrat., 1891-09-03


low and withered, others 50 green as to
have apparently been recently washed
from land. On one Of these patches was
live crab, which Columbus carefully
preserved. They saw also white tropic-
al bird, of kind which never sleeps
upon the sea. Tunny fish also played
about the ships. one Of which was killed
by the crew of the Nina. Columbus now
called to mind the account given by
Aristotle of certain ships of Cadiz, which,
coasting the shores outside Of the straits
of Gibraltar, were driven westward BIZ
an impetuous east wind until they
reached part Of the ocean covered with
vast fields Of weeds, resembling sunken
islands, among which they beheld many
funny fish. He supposed himself ar
rived in this weedy sea, as it had been
called, from which the ancient mariners
had turned back in dismay, but which
he regarded with animated hope as in
dicating the vicinity of land. Not that
he had yet any idea Of reaching the OBJ.
ject Of his search, the eastern end Of
Asia; for, according to his computation,
he had come but $50 leagues since leaving
the Canary islands, and he placed the
main land Of India much farther on.
On the 18th Of September the same
weather continued; soft steady breeze
from the east filled every sail, while, to
use the words of Columbus, the sea was
rs calm as the Granddaughter at Seville
He fancied that the water of the sea
grew fresher as he advanced, and noticed
this as a proof of the superior sweetness
and purity Of the air
The crews were all i'll high spirits; each
ship strove to get in the advance, and
every seaman was eagerly Oh the look
out; for the sovereigns had promised
pension Of 10000 maraYadis to
him who should first discover land.
Martin Alonzo Pinzon crowded all
canvas, and as the Pinta was "a fast
sailer he generally kept the lead. IL
the afternoon be hailed the admiral and
informed him thai. from the fight OF n
great number of birds and from the ap-
pearlnce Of the northern horizon ha
thought there was land in that direction.
There was In fact cloudiness in tho
north such as often hangs over land,
and at sunset it assumed such shapes and
masses that many fancied they beheld
islands. There was "A universal wish
therefore, to steer for that quarter. Co
lumbus, however. was persuaded that
they were mere illusions. Every one
who has made a sea voyage must have
witnessed the deceptions caused by
clouds resting upon the horizon, es-
pecially about sunset and sunrise, which
the eye. assisted by the imagination and
desire, easily converts into the wished
for land This is particularly the case
within the tropics, where the clouds at
sunset assume the most singular appear
ances
On the following day there were driz-
zling showers, unaccompanied by wind
which Columbus considered favorable
signs; two boobies also flew on board the
ships, birds which, he observed, seldom
fly twenty leagues from land He
sounded. therefore, with a line Of 200
fathoms, but found no bottom He sup
posed he might be passing between is
lands lying TO the north and south. but
was unwilling to waste the present "a
voring breeze by going in search of
them; besides, he had confidently affirmed
that land. was to be found by keeping
steadfastly to the west; his whole expe-
dition had been founded on such pre-
sumption; he should, therefore, risk all
credit and authority with his people
were he to appear to doubt and waver
and to go cropping blindly from point to
point of the compass. He resolved, there
fore, to keep one bold course always
westward until he shouldreach the coast
of India, and afterward, il advisable, to
seek these islands on his return.
Notwithstanding his precaution to
keep the people ignorant of the distance
they had sailed, they were now growing
extremely uneasy at the length Of the
voyage They had advanced much far
ther west than ever man had sailed be-
fore, and though already beyond the
reach Of succor, still they continued dai-
ly leaving vast tracts Of ocean behind
them and pressing onward and onward
into that apparently boundless abyss. It
is true they had been fattered by vari-
ous indications Of land and still others
were occurring, but all Knocked them
with vain hopes; after being hailed with
transient JOY they passed away, one
after another, and the same intermina-
bic expanse of sea and sky continued to
extend before them Even the bland and
gentle breeze, uniformly aft, was now
conjured by their ingenious fears into a
cause Of alarm; for they began to imag-
inc that the wind in these seas might al
ways prevail from the east, and il SO,
would never permit their return to
Spain
Columbus endeavored to dispel these
gloomy presages, sometimes by argu.
ment and expostulation, sometimes By
awakening fresh hopes and pointing out
new signs of land. On the Goth Of Sep
tenber the wind veered, with light
breezes from the southwest These,
though adverse to their progress, had a
cheering effect upon the people, as they
proved that the wind did not always pre-
vail from the east Several birds also
visited the ships; three of small kind
which keep about groves and orchards
came singing in the morning and flew
away again in the evening Their song
cheered the hearts of the disinayed mari
ners. who hailed it as the voice Of land.
The larger fowl. they observed, were
strong Of wing and might venturef far to
sea, but such small birds were too feeble
to fly far, and their singing showed that
they were not exhausted by their fight.
On the following day there was either
a profound calm or light winds from
the southwest. The sea, as far as the
eye could reach, was covered with weeds;
phenomenon often observed in this
part of the ocean. which has sometimes
the appearance of a vast inundated
meadow This has been attributed to
immense quantities of submarine plants
which grow at the bottom Of the sea
until ripe. when they are detached by
the motion of the waves and currents
and rise to the surface. These fields of