Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-10-17
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA.

On Friday. August Sd, 1872. Chris
toforo Colombo. known in Castilian
as Don Christobal Colon, with his
120 men, after confessiDg to the prior
of the Franciscan monastery La
Rabida, received the sacrament, and
shortly thereafter, embarked on the
Plnta, Nina and Santa Maria lying
at Saltez, near Palos, Spain. 1t had
taken him eleven weeks to organize
the ships company and fit out the
expedition. Some of the sailors we're
secured by promise of four months
pay in advance and freedom from
arrest for two months after the ex.
petition, but a large proportion were
secured by force, and thus it came
that large part OF Columbus crew
were refugees from justice and cap.
tiyes OF the slave gang. The Santa
Maria, the flag ship, was unlike the
other vessels, a decked craft she
had keel ninety feet long, four
masts, an armament Of heavy guns
and stone firing implements, eight
anchors, and was manned by sixty
men. Rodriguez Sanchez, the in
81 ector general of the feet, was
aboard. The other two ships were
small sized caraveIs very shallow.
Martin Pinzon was captain, and
Francisco Martin, his brother, pilot
of the Nina; third brother Vim
cent Sanez, they all came OF fam.
lily of navigators), was master of the
Pinta. The feet had besides its
ninety sailors, physician and a
surgeon it carried provisions for a
year. Columbus, Father Juan Pc.
rez and the PInZon brothers paid
one eighth of the expense of the ex-
pedition; Isabella, from the treasury
Of CASTLE advanced 1900 forms as
a first instalment toward the rest.
Columbus by contract he carried
with him was to be admiral over all
newly discovered lands, to have a
title of whatever valuables he could
get, be arbiter with his governors in
subsequent dispute as TO lands and,
on advancing one.eiGhth of the ex.
pense, he might obtain that proper.
ton of the proceeds of subsequent
ventures. On Sept. 9th the feet
was at Canary Isles, a slight acct.
dent to the Pinta being the only &C.
cident of the trip. Hearing of the
approach of the Portuguese men-of
war, the vessels quickly turned west.
ward, not without many forebodings
of disaster, however, on the part OF
the crew. There was great alarm
on the 18th when 1t was discovered
that the magnetic needle pointed
away from the pole. Columbus con.
cocted story to meet the occasion.
On the 10th in the warm belt of the
trade winds; on the 18th, in the
Saragossa, or sees of sea weed no
bot tom at 200 fathoms. Next day
are some incidents. The greatest
was STORM on the 23d, when the
crew could hardly be kept from
mutiny on account of their fears.
On October LIST Columbus calculated
that the fleet was 70S leagues from
the Azores, and predicted the ships
would discover land 1.-THE East In
dles) in forty or fifty leagues. On
the 18th, the Nina thought it had
discovered land, but it turned out to
be a cloud. The next three days
the course was west southwest. 1t
was during this time that the plot to
throw the officers overheard and
return, was Matched out, but it new
er manifested in any violence. On
the 11th the Pinta took a rudely-
carved block and the Nina branch
with red berries. The course was
changed to the west, but after yes.
pers Columbus doubled the watch.
offering silken doublet to the man
who first sighted land in addition to
Isabella's prize of 10000 maravedis
(S110); Columbus saw light that
night at ten O'Clock, but bis officers
did not verify bis statement. Rod
rigo Inana, common sailor, discov-
cred land at 2 A. NJ, Friday, Oct IL,
1892, signal gun on Pinta mark
ed the event; Columbus was awarded
the prize, however. At dawn they
came in full sight, and at sunrise
lowered boats. Columbus was first
to step ashore. all kissed the ground
and thanked God. He claimed the
land in the name of the Grown of
CASTLE. IL was one ofthe Bahamas,
be called it San Salvador; authori-
ties think it was Waiting Island.
Later Columbus sailed southwark to
look for gold mines, discovering
others of the Bahama group and
Hayti. On January 4. 1903, he sailed
for Spain. reaching Palos on March
10. For further information see the
81 Secret Log Book of Columbus y at
II sAw~w-