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


THE LANDING OF COLUMBUS.
For several days the departure of Co
lumbus was delayed by contrary winds
and calms, attended BY heavy showers,
which last had prevailed more or less
was the season of the autulnnal rains,
which in those torrid climates succeed
the parching heats Of fsummer-commenc
ing about the decrease of the August
moon and lasting until the month of No
\ vember
At length at midnight, Oct. "a, he SEE
sail from the island of Isabella, but was
nearly becalmed until midday; a gentle
wind then sprapg up, and, as he Observes
began to blow most ainoropsly Every
sail was spread, and he stood toward the
west-southwest. the direction in which
he was told the land of Cuba lay from
Isabella After three days navigation,
in the course of which he touched at a
group of seven or eight small islands,
which he caHed Islas de Arena-supposed
\ to be the present Mucaras islands-aRd
I having crossed the Bahama bank and
/ channel, he arrived on the morning Of
the 28th of Octob D in sight of Cuba The
part which he first discovered is supposed
to be the coast to the west of Nuevitas del
Principe
AS he approached this-noble island he
was struck with its magnitude and the
I grandeur of its features: its high and
airy mountains, which reminded him Of
those of Sicily; its fertile valleys and
long sweeping plains, watered by noble
rivers; its stately forests; its bold pro-
montories and stretching headlands,
which melted away into the remotest
4 distance. He anchored in a beautiful
river Of transparent cleainess, free from
rocks and shoals, its banks overhung
with trees. Here landing, and taking
possession Of the island he gave it the
name Of Juana, in honor of Prince
Juan, and to the river the name Of San
I Salvador
On the arrival Of the ships two canoes
put off from the shore, but fed on see
I ing the boat approach to sound the river
for anchorage The admiral visited two
cabins, abandoned by their inhabitants.
They contained but few nets made Of
the fibers Of the palm tree, hooks and
harpoons Of bone, and some other fish
! ing implements, and one of the kind of
| dogs he had met with on the smaller
islands, which never bark He ordered
that nothing should DO taken away or
deranged
Returning to his boat he proceeded for
some distance up the river, more and
more enchanted with the beauty Of the
country. The banks were covered with
high and widespreading trees; some
4 bearing fruits, others flowers. while in
some both fruit and flower were min
gled, bespeaking perpetual round Of
( fertility; among them were many palms,
but different from those of Spain and
Africa With the great leaves Of these
\ the natives thatched their cabins
The continual eulogies made by Co
lumbus on the beauty of the country
were warranted by the kind of scenery
he was beholding. There is 4 wonderful
splendor, variety and luxuriance in the
vegetation of those quick and ardent
climates. The verdure of the groves,
and the colors Of the flowers and bios
SONS, derive vividness from the trans
parent purity of the air and the deep se-
renity of the azure heavens. The for
ests, too, are full Of life, swarming with
birds Of brilliant plumage. Painted va
rieties of parrots and woodpeckers create
a glitter amid the verdure of the grove,
and humming birds rove from flower to
\ flower, resembling, as has well been said,
animated particles of Il rainbow. The
scarlet famingoes, too, seen sometimes
through an opening Of forest in a dis
tant savanna, have the appearance Of
/ soldiers drawn up in battalion, with an
advanced scout on the alert to give no
tice of approaching danger. Nor is the
least beautiful part of animated nature
! the various tribes Of insects peopling
I every plant and displaying brilliant
coats of mail. which sparkle like pre-
cious gems.
4 Such is the splendor Of animal and
vegetable creation in these tropical eli
mates, where an ardent sun imparts its
own luster to every object and quickens
nature into exuberant fecundity. The
! birds in general are not remarkable for
i their notes, for it has been observed that
in the feathered race sweetness Of song
rarely accompanies brilliancy Of plu-
mage. Columbus remarks, however,
I that there were various kinds which
sang sweetly among the trees, and he
frequently deceived himself in fancying
that he heard the voice of the nightin-
gale, bird unknown in these countries.
He was, in fact, in a mood to see every
\ thing through favoring medium. His
I heart was full to overfiowing for he
was enjoying the fulfllment Of his
hopes and the hard earned but glorious
reward of his tolls and perils. Every
thing around him was beheld with the
enamored and exulting eye of discov-
erer, where triumph mingles with adj
miration, and it is difficult to conceive
the rapturous state Of his feelings while
thus exploring the charms of virgin
world, won by his enterprise and yalor.
From his continual remarks on the
beauty Of scenery and from his evident
delight in rural sounds and objects, he
appears to have been extremely open to
those happy Influences exercised over
some spirits by the graces and wonders
Of nature. He gives utterance to these
feelings with characteristic enthusiasm,
and at the same time with the artless-
ness and simplicity Of diction Of a child
When speaking Of some lovely scene
among the groves, or along the fiowery
shores of these favored islands, he says,
zone could live there forever. Cuba
broke upon him like an elysium = 1t is
the most beautiful island he says, that
eyes ever beheld, full of excellent ports
and profound rivers. The climate was
more temperate here than in the other
islands, the nights being neither hot nor
cold, while the birds and crickets sang
all night long Indeed there is a beauty
in tropical night, in the depth Of the
dark blue sky, the lambent purity Of the
stars, and the resplendent clearness Of
the moon that spreads over the rich land