Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-28

every reader. Mr.. Mackie uses the Span
iSh name, Cristoval Colon, instead Of the
AngliciZed form to which we are accus-
toned and to hear Columbus constantly
referred to as Colon, is little trying all
through. But one soon forgets to be
much annoyed by so slight thing and
every word Is telling. What shall 1quOte
to show the charm of the style? The
story is so long and the incidents crowd
upon one anOther's heels so fast that ii is
possible to be even coherent without
taking much time and many columns.
Here at random, Is a description OF
the first view Of the island of Cuba,
supposed by Columbus to be the
mainland of Asia. So beautiful coun-
try | have never SEEM the admirals
writes; and In saying this he does no dis
credit to his eXperience-fOT the western
end of that noble island as viewed from
the sea in the earlier hours of daylight is
truly vision of rarest lOveliness. The
keen eyes Of the great discoverer wand
cred past glittering beaches of whitost
sand, over the undulating surface OF lux
uriant forests, to where broad slopes Of
brightest emerald led gently upward in
ever mourning terraces to the vendure
covered foothills and frowning precipices
Of the gloomy sirras farther inland.
The light mist of morning which
gained strength, and along the forbidding
faces Of the loftier ranges the rising
vapors were blown in softly rolling
clouds, save where here and there, em
bOSOmed in some steep and shell
tered valley, they, hung smooth
aud motionless. The contrast be-
tween the brightness which flooded
the sea and sand and sunlit woods and the
shadows of the mighty rocks and deep
gOrges of the distant mountains grew
quickly less as the morning advanced ;
| but even the full glare of broad daylight
could not wholly dispel the purple shades
which fingered in the far recesses of the
rugged interior. Close down to
| the rivers edge came the dense forest of
| the tropics-a riotous confusion of but
| tressed trunks and festooned vines, visited
| roots and thOrny underground, oil bios
/ sOming boughs and Swaying orchids
| all mirrored in the polished surface of the
/ stream below. The splashing of the
! sailors oars alarmed a multitude Of gaily
painted birds which cleaned in the sun
| light as they swept into the shelter of the
woods, while from all quarters came the
chatter and music of thousand unseer
others"
unseen others" is queer English anC
rather spoils the effect, but the descrip
tion itself seems to me original and in
tense. mere al . many lHOit SuCI' dut
the instant Of the discovery of land, thu
moment of such import to the who'll
world, is thus described: just as thu
watch was again changing, toward
O'Clock, the clouds which had been hid
ing the moon blew off and the whole sci
for leagues around was bathed in floot
of clear white light Scarcely had tn
last shadows swept over the rolling SCI
when a brilliant fash of fire was seen Il
the direction of the Pinta and the dul
roar OF a cannon was borne down tn
wind to the vessels astern. 1t was tn
signal for land in sight, and the flagshi
pressed forward to join her foremost con
sort. AS her impatient sailors neare
the Pinta they had no need t
, ask the news, for directly befor
them, not more than couple 9
miles away, lay the low and rounde
SUBMITS of what were clearly sand hill'
while on the beach below a he tvy SUI
was dashing I'm lines of snowy foam.
= the very moment the moon emerged froi
t the clouds Juan Rodriguez Bermejo, on
! of the Pinta's seamen, from little villaa
, near Seville, had seen the first beams ia
7 on the glittering sand and frothy breaker
: and had hurriedly fired gun, with el
cited cries OF The landp The land
= Had the moon remained hidden but fe
minutes longer there would haYe been