Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-10-01

cesslon barefooted and in their shirts to
offer up prayers and thanksgivings in
some church dedicated to the Holy Vir-
gin. Besides these general acts Of BRO
pltiation, each one made his private VOW,
binding himself to some pilgrimage or
vigil or other rite Of penitence and
thanksgiving at his favorite shrine. The
heavens, however, seemed deaf to their
vows; the storm grew still more wild
and trightful, and each man gave him
self up for lost. The danger of the ship
was augmented by the want Of ballast.
the consumption Of the water and pro-
visions having lightened her SO much
that she rolled and tossed about at the
mercy Of the waves TO remedy this.
and to render her more steady, the adj
miral ordered that all the empty casks
should be filed with sea water, which In
some measure gave relief.
During this long and awful conflict Of
the elements the mind of Columbus was
prey to the most distressing anxiety.
He feared that the Pinta had foundered
IN the storm. In such case the whole
history of his discovery, the secret Of
the New World, depended upon his own
feeble bark, and one surge Of the ocean
might bury it forever in oblivion. The
tumult Of his thoughts may be judged
from his own letter to the sovereigns:
Il could have supported this evil for
tune with less grief" said he, chad my
person alone been in jeopardy, since I
am debtor for my life to the Supreme
Creator and have at other times been
within a step of death, but it was a
cause Of infinite sorrow and trouble to
think that after having been illuminated
from on high with faith and certainty
to undertake this enterprise, after hav-
ing VIGOROUSLY achieved it, and when
on the point of convincing my opponents
and securing to your highnesses great
glory and vast increase Of dominions, ID
should please the Divine Majesty to defeat
all by my death. 1t would have been
more supportable also had not been ac-
companied by others who had been
drawn on by my persuasions, and who,
in their distress, cursed not only the
hour of their coming, but the fear in
spired by my words which prevented
their turning back, as they had at vari-
Gus times determined. Above all, my
grief was doubled when thought Of
my two sons, whom I had left at school
in Cordova, destitute In strange land,
without any testimony Of the services
rendered by their father, which, if
known. might have inclined your high
nesses to befriend them. And although,
on the one hand, I was comforted by
faith that the Deity would not permit a
work of such great exaltation to his
his church, wrought through SO many
troubles and contradictions, to remain
imperfect, yet, on the other hand, re-
aected on my sins, as punishment for
which he might intend that ! should be
deprived Of the glory which would re-
dound to me in this world"
In the midst of these gloomy appre-
tensions an expedient suggested itself,
by which, though he and his ships
should perish, the glory of his achieve
ment might survive to his name and its
advantages be secured to his sovereigns.
He wrote on parchment brief account
Of his voyage and discovery, and Of his
having taken possession Of the newly
found lands in the name OF their cath0-
lie maJesties. This he sealed and di-
rected to the king and queen, super
scribing promise Of thousand ducats
to whomsoever should deliver the packet
unopened. He then wrapped it in
waxed cloth, which he placed in the cen
ter of cake Of wax, and inclosing the
whole in large barrel threw it into the
sea, giving his men to suppose he was
performing some religious vow. Lest
this memorial should never reach the
land, he inclosed copy in a similar
manner and placed it upon the poop, SO
that, should the caravel be swallowed up
by the waves. the barrel might float off
and survive.
These precautions in some measure
mitigated his anxiety, and he was still
more relieved when, after heavy show
ers, there appeared at sunset streak Of
clear sky in the west, giving hopes that
the wind was about to shift to that quar-
ter. These hopes were confirmed; fa-
vorable breeze succeeded, but the sea
still ran SO high and tumultuously that
little sail could be carried during the
night.
On the morning Of the 18th, at day
break, the cry Of land was given by Rui
Garcia, mariner in the maintop. The
transports of the crew at once more
gaining sight of the Old World were al
most equal to those experienced on first
beholding the New. The land bore east
northeast, directly over the Prov Of the
caravel, and the usual diversity Of opin-
ion concerning it arose among the pilots
One thought 1t the island Of Madeira;
another the rock Of Cintra, near Lisbon;
the most part, deceived BY their ardent
wishes. placed it near Spain. Columbus,
however, from his private reckonings
and observations, concluded it to be one
of the Azores. A nearer approach proved
it to be an island; it was but five leagues
distant. and the voyagers were congrat-
ulating themselves upon the assurance
of speedily being in port when the wind
veered again to the east-northeast, blow
ing directly from the land, while heavy
sea kept rolling from the west.
For two days they hovered in sight OF
the island, vainly striving to reach it, or
to arrive at another island of which they
caught glimpses occasionally through the
mist and rack of the tempest. On the
evening of the 18th they approached so
near the first island as to cast anchor,
but, parting their cable. had to put to
sea again, where they remained beating
about until the following morning, when
they anchored under shelter Of its north
ern side. For several days Columbus
had been in such state Of agitation and
anxiety as scarcely To take food or re-
pose. Although suffering greatly from
a gouty affection to which he was sub
ject, yet he had maintained his watchful
post on deck, exposed to wintry cold. to
the pelting of the storm and the drench-
ing surges Of the sea. 1t was not until
the night of the nth that he got little
sleep, more from the exhaustion Of ma
ture than from any tranquility of mind.
Such were the difficulties and perils
which Intended his return To Europe.