Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-29

tue dlT Hlll tilo bhy. l. ue ldlt VI HIMSELF
and his ships in the unknown regions
which he traversed often depended
upon these observations, and the sa-
gacity at which he arrived in declpher-
ing the signs of the elements was looked
upon by the common seamen as some
thing almost supernatural. In the pres
ont instance he noticed where the great
bands of floating weeds commenced
and where they finished, and in emery
ing from among them couclu led him
self to he in about the same degree of
longitude as when he encountered them
on his outward voyage-that ia to say
about 260 leagues west Of Ferro.
On the 10th of February, Vicente
Yanes Pinzon, and the pilots Ruiz and
Bartolomeo Roldan, who We're on board
of the adniral's ship, examined the
charts and compared their reckonings to
determine their situation, but could not
come to any agreement They all sup
posed themselves at least 100 leagues
nearer Spain than what Columbus be-
lieved to be the true reckoning, and in
the latitude of Madeira, whereas he
knew them to be nearly in direction
ever, to remain III their error, and even
added to their perpleXity that they
might retain but Il confused idea of the
voyage and he alone possess a clear
knowledge of the route to the newly dis
covered countries.
On the 18th of February, as they were
hatteling themselves with soon coming
in sight of land, the wind came on to
blow violently, with a heavy sea, they
still kept their course to the east, but
with great labor and peril. On the fol-
lowing day after sunset the wind and
swell increased; there were three flashes
of lightning in the north-northeast
considered by Columbus as signals OF an
approaching tempest 1t soon burst upon
them with frghtful violence; their
small and crazy vessels, open and with
out decks, were little fitted for the wild
storms of the Atlantic; all night they
We're obliged to scud under bare poles
AS the morning of the 14th dawned
there was a transient pause, and they
made little sail; but the wind rose
again from the south with redoubled We
henence, raging throughout the day
and increasing in fury in the night,
while the vessels labored terribly in IL
cross sea, the broken waves of which
threatened at each moment to over
wheln them or dash them to pieces.
For three hours they lay to, with just
sail enough to keep them above the
waves, but the tempest still auglnenting
they We're obliged again to scud before
the wind The Pinta was soon lost sight
OF in the darkness of the night. The ad-
iniral kept as much as possible to the
, northeast to approach the coast of Spain
and made signal lights ut the masthead
for the Plnta to DO the same, and to keep
in company The latter, however. from
the weakness Of her foremost, could not
hold the wind. and was obliged to scud
before it directly north For some time
she replied TO the signals OF the admiral
but ner lights CLEANED more and more
distant until they ceased entirely, and
nothing more was seen of her.
Columbus continued to scud all night,
full of torebodlng, OF the fate of hi, own
vessel and OF fears for the safety of that
of Pm2on As the day dawued the sea
presented trignttul waste of wild,
broken waves lashed iuto fury by the
gale He looked around anxiouslv for
the Pinta, but She was nowhere TO be
sen He now made little sail to keep
his vessel ahead Of the sea, hest its hus
waves should break over her AS TIN
SIM ' Sc, The wind ard the waves ro-
VITA ii, and throughout q dreary d.,
the ncN!oss bark WAS driven along b,
the fury Of the temp Il.
Seeing al human skill baflled and con
founded, Columbus enleavored to pro
pitiate heaven By solemn VOWS and act
of prnance BY his orders number O
beans, equal to the mum bel Of persons OF
board, We're put into Il can. on one q
which WAS cut the SIGN of the cross
Each Of the crew made Il VOW that
/ should he draw forth the marked bean
he would mako q pilgrimage to to.
shrine OF Santa Maria de Guadalupe
bearing wax taper of five pounds
WEI rht. The admiral was he first /,
PIT in his hand and the lot fell upon him
From that moment he considered him
fell a pilgrim, borui to perform tn,
vow. Another lat WAS cast in tiie SAM
way for pilgrimage to the chapel O
our Lady of Loretro, which fell upon
seaman named Pedro dc Villa, ald tn
admiral engaged to bear the expenses o
: his journey. a third lot WAS also cas-
for pilgrimage to Santa Clara lie Mo
l guer, to perform a solemn mass and T.
wa,cA ii! nlglL IN the chapel and til
- likewise fell upon Columbus.
! The TEMPEST a-iil raging with unabate,