Gloucester County Democrat., 1891-09-03

lands of the ocean sea in their proper
situations under their bearings; and fur
ther. to compose a book and illustrate
the whole in picture by latitude from
the eqinoctial and longitude from the
west. and upon the whole it will be es-
sential that | should forget sleep and at
tend closely to the navigation to accom-
plish these things. which win be a great
labor
Thus are formally and expressly stat
ed by Columbus the objects of this ex-
traordinary voyage. The material facts
still extant of his journal will be found
incorporated in the present work.
I 1t was on Friday, the 3D. of August,
1892 early in the morning, that Colum-
bus set sail from the bar Of Saltes, a
small island formed BY the arms Of the
Odiel in front Of the town Of Huelva,
steering in a southwesterly direction for
the Canary islands, whence it was his
intention to strike due west As a guide
by which to sail lie had prepared a map
or chart, improved upon that sent him by
Paulo Toscanelli. Neither of those now
exists, but the globe or planisphere fin
4 ished by Martin Behem in this year OF
\ the admirals first voyage is still extant,
and furnishes an idea of what that chart
of Columbus must have been 1t exhib-
1 its the coasts Of Europe and Africa from
I the south Of Ireland to the end Of Gui-
nea, and opposite to them. on the other
/ side of the Atlantic the extremity of
Asia, or as it was termed, India. Be
tween them is placed the island Of Ci-
/ pango or Japan, which, according to
Marco Polo. lay 800 miles distant from
the Asiatic coast In his computations
Columbus advanced this island about
thousand leagues too much to the east,
Eupposing it to be about the situation Of
Florida. and at this island he hoped first
to arrive
The exultation Of Columbus at finding
himself, after so many years of baffied
hope. fairly launched on his grand enter
prise. was checked by his want of con-
tidenee in the resolution and perseyer-
ance of his crews As long as he re-
manned within reach of Europe there
was no security that. in moment of re-
pentance and alarm. they might not re-
nounce the prosecution Of the voyage
and insist on return Symptoms soon
appeared to warrant his apprehensions.
On the third day the Pinta made signal
Of distress; her rudder was discovered to
be broken and unhung. This Columbus
surmised to be done through the con-
triyance of the owners of the carayel,
Gomez Rascon and Christoval Quintero,
to disable their vessel and cause her to
be left behind. As has already been OBJ
served, they had been pressed into the
service greatly against their will, and
their carayel seized upon for the expedi-
ton, in conformityao the royal orders.
Columbus was much disturbed at this
occurrence. 1t gave him a foretaste Of
further difficulties to be apprehended
from crews partly enlisted on compul-
sion, and all full of doubt and forebod-
ing. Trivial obstacles might, in the
present critical state of his voyage,
spread panic and mutiny through his
ships and entirely defeat the expedition.
The wind was blowing strongly at the
time, SO that he could not render assist
ance without endangering his own yes
sol Fortunately Martin Alonzo Pinzon
commanded the Pinta, and being an
adroit and able seaman succeeded in se-
curing the rudder with cords SO as to
bring the vessel into management This,
however, was but temporary and in
adequate expedient; the fastenings gave
way again on the following day and tho
other ships were obliged to shorten sail
until the rudder could be secured.
This damaged state of the Pinta, as
well as her being in leaky condition,
determined the admiral to touch at the
Canary islands and seek a vessel to re-
place her He considered himself not far
from those islands. though a different
opinion was entertained by the pilots Of
the squadron The event proved his
superiority in taking observations and
keeping reckonings, for they came in
sight of the Canaries on the morning of
the 9th
They were detained upward of threo
weeks among these islands, seeking in
vain another vessel They were obliged,
therefore, to make new rudder for the
Pinta and repair her for the voyage.
The lateen sails Of the Nina were also al
tered into square sails, that she might
work more steadily and securely and be
able to keep company with the other yes
sells.
While sailing among these islands
the crew were terrified at beholding the
lofty peak of Teneriffe sending forth
volumes of flame and smoke, being ready
to take alarm at any extraordinary
phenomenon and to construe it into a
disastrous portent. Columbus took great
pains to dispel their apprehensions, ex-
planning the natural causes Of those
volcanic fires and verifying his explana-
tions by citing Mount Etna and other
well known volcanoes.
While taking in wood and water and
provisions in the island of Gomera, a
vessel arrived from Ferro. which re-
ported that three Portuguese caravels
had been seen lowering off that island,
with the intention. it was said, of
capturing Columbus The admiral sus-
pected some hostile stratagem on tho
part Of the king Of Portugal in revenge
for his having embarked in the service
OF Spain; he therefore lost no time in
putting to sea, anxious to get far from
those islands and out of the track Of
navigation, trembling lest something
might occur to defeat his expedition,
commenced under such inauspicious cir
cumstances
CHAPTER IL
FIRST NOTICE OF THE VARIATION OF THE
NEEDLE