The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-10-16
.IRVINC'S COLUMBUS.
The Great Discoverer's FRS
Voyage to America.
CHAPTER vII.-Continued.

was struck with its magnitude and the
grandeur of its features; it's high and
airy mountains, which reminded him oi
those of Sicily; its fertile valleys and
long sweeping plains, watered by noble
rivers; its stately forests; it's bold pro
montories and stretching headlands
which melted away into the remotest
distance He anchored in a beautiful
river of transparent clearness. free from
rocks and shoals, it's 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
Salvador
On the arrival of the ships two canoel
put off from the shore, but fed on SEQ
ing the boat approach to sound the rivea
for anchorage. The admiral visited two
cabins, abandoned by their inhabitants.
They contained but few nets made oi
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 be 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
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 Il wonderful
splendor, variety and luxuriance in the
vegetation of those quick and ardent
climates The ve7dure 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 Sc
yenity 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 a rainbow. The
scarlet ha1ningoes, too, seen sometimes
through an opening of a forest in 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
every plant and displaying brilliant
coats of mail, which sparkle like pre-
cious gems.
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
their notes, for it has been observed that
in the feathered race sweetness Of song
rarely accompanies brilhancy of plu-
mage. Columbus remarks, however,
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 mood to see every
thing through favoring medium. His
heart was full to overf1owing, for he
was enjoying the fulfillment 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 a discov-
erer, where triumph mingles with ad-
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 howery
shores of these favored islands, he says,
ssone could live there forever. Cuba
broke upon him like an elysium. st 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 aad crickets sang
all night long. Indeed there is 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
scape and the baliny groves, charm
more captivating than the splendor Of
the day.
In tho sweet smeIi OF the WOODS ana
the oder of the flowers Columbus fam
cied he perceived the fragrance OF ORR
entail spices, and along the shores he found
shells of the kind of oyster which pro
duces pearl From the grass growing to
the very edge of The water he inferred
the peacefulness of the ocean which
bathes these islands, never lashlng the
shores with angry surges. Ever since
his arrival among these Antilles he had
experienced nothing but soft and gentle
weather, and he concluded that per
petual serenity reigned over these happy
seas. He was little suspicious of the &C.
easional bursts Of fury TO which they are
- L.