Gloucester County Democrat., 1891-09-03

weeds were at first regarded with great
satisfaction, but at length they became
IN many places so dense and matted a.
In some degree to impede the sailing Of
the ships, which must have been under
very little headway The crews now
called to mind some tale about the
frozen ocean, where ships were said to
be sometimes fixed immoyable. They
endeayored, therefore, to avoid as much
as possible these floating masses, lest
some disaster Of the kind might happen
to themselves. Others considered these
weeds as proof that the sea was growing
shallower, and began to talk Of lurking
rocks and shoals and treacherous quick
sands and Of the danger Of running
aground, as it were, in the midst Of the
ocean, where their vessels might rot and
fall to pieces far ont Of the track Of
human aid and without any shore whero
the crews might take refuge They had
evidently some confused notion Of the
ancient story Of the sunken island of
Atlantis, and feared that they were ar
irving at that part Of the ocean where
navigation was said to be obstructed by
drowned lands and the rains Of an in.
quilted country
70 dispel these fears tie admiral had
frequent recourse to the lead. but though
he sounded with a deep sea line he still
found no bottom The minds Of the
crews, however. had gradually become
diseased. They were full Of vague ter
rors and superstitious fancies. they con
strued everything into a cause Of alarm
ard harassed their commander by in
ccssant murmurs
For three days there was continu-
ance Of light summer airs from the
Fouthward and westward, and the zen
was as smooth as 4 mirror. "A whale
was seen heaying up its huge form at 4
distance, which Columbus immediatelV
pointed out as favorable Indication,
affirming that these fish were generally
in the neighborhood Of land. The crews,
however, became uneasy at the calmness
OF the weather They observed that tho
contrary winds which they experienced
wRse transient and unsteady and 8,
light as not to rnifie the surface OF tho
sea, which maintained q sluggish calm
like lake Of dead water Everything
differed they said. ia these strange re-
gions from the world to which they had
been accustomed The only winds which
prevailed with amy constancy and force
were from the east, and they had not
power to disturb the torpid stiffness Of
the ocean There was risk, therefore,
either of perishing amid stagnant and
shoreless waters or of being prevented
by contrary winds from ever returning
to their native country.
Columbus continued with admirable
patience to reason with these fancies
observing that the calmness Of the sea
must undoubtedly De caused by the
vicinity of land in the quarter whence
the wind blew. which, therefore, had
not space sufficient to act upon the sur
face and heave up large waves. Terror,
however, lnultiplies and varies the forms
of ideal danger thousand times faster
than the most active wisdom can dis
pei them The more Columbus argued
the more boisterou5 became the muir
mur5 Of his crew, until, on Sunday, the
25th Of September, there came on a
Aaavy swell of the sea, nnscupInPanied
by wind. This phenomenon often oc-
ours in the broad ocean, being either the
expiring undulations Of some past gale
or the movement given to the sea by
some distant current Of wind; it was.
nevertheless, regarded with establishment
by the mariners and dispelled the inn
aginary terrors occasioned by The calm.
Columbus, who as usual considered
himself under the Immediate eye and
guardianship Of heaven in this solemn
enterprise. intimates i'll bis journal that
this swelling Of the. sea. seemed provi-
dentially ordered to allay the rising
clamors Of his crew, comparing it to
that which 50 miraculously aided Moses
when conducting the children Of Israel
out Of the captivity Of Egypt