Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-10-01
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
BUILDING OF THE FoRTREss OF La NAvl-

to shore, and site chosen and prepara-
! tions made for the erections of Il tower.
When Guacapagari was informed of the
intention of the admiral to leave past
of his men for the defense Of the island
from the Caribs. while he returned TO
his country for more, he was greatly
overjoyed. His subjects manifested
equal delight at the idea of retaining
these wonderful people among them,
and at the prospect Of the future arrival
of the admiral with ships freighted
with hawks bells and other precious
articles. They eagerly lent their assist
ance in building the fortress, little
dreaming that they were assisting to
place on their necks the CALLING yoke af
perpetual and toilsome slavery.
The preparations for the fortress were
scarcely commenced when certain In
dians, arriving at the harbor, brought
report that great vessel. like those of
the admiral, had anchored III river at
the eastern end of the island. These
tidings for time dispelled a thousand
uneasy conjectures which had harassed
the mind of Columbus, for of course
this vessel could be no other than the
Pinta. He Immediately procured q
canoe from Guacanagari, with several
Indians to navigate it, and dispatched
Spaniard with letter to Pinzon, couched
in amicable terms, making no complaints
of his desertion, but urging him to join
company Immediately.
After three days absence the canoe re-
turned. The Spaniard reported that he
had pursued the coast for twenty leagues
but had neither seen nor heard anything
of the Pinta. He considered the report
therefore, as incorrect. Other rumors,
however, were Immediately afterward
circulated at the harbor Of this large
vessel to the eastward; but, on investi-
cation, they appeared to Columbus to be
equally undeserving of credit. He re-
lapsed, therefore, into his doubts and
anxieties in respect to Pinzon. Since
the shipwreck of his vessel, the desertion
of that commander had become matter
Of still more serious moment and had
obliged him to alter all his plans. Should
the Pinta be lost, as was very possible in
voyage Of such extent and exposed to
SO many uncommon perils, there would
then be but one ship surviving Of the
rnree wnIcn nad set sail from I'aIos, ano
that one an Indifferent sailer.
On the precarious return of that crazy
bark, across an immense expanse OF
ocean. would depend the ultimate sue
cess of the expedition. Should that one
likewise perish, every record of this great
discovery would be swallowed up with
it; the name of Columbus would only be
remembered as that of mad adventurer,
who. despising the opinions of the
learned and the counsels of the wise, had
departed into the wilds of the ocean
never to return; the obscurity of hit
fate. and its imagined horrors, might
deter all future enterprise, and thus the
New World might remain, as heretofore.
unknown to civilized man. These con.
siderations determined Columbus tc
abandon all further prosecution of his
voyage, to leave unexplored the magnifi
cent regions which were inviting him OIL
every hand, to give up all hope for the
present Of finding his way to the dolnip.
ions of the grand khan, and to lose nc
time in returning to Spain and reporting
his discovery.
While the fortress was building be
continued to receive every day new
proofs of the amity and kindness Of
Guacanagari. Whenever he went on
shore to superintend the works he was
entertained in the most hospitable man.
nj hrrf hot 1lrfa of fosv ID L..
est house in the place prepared for his
reception, strewed or carpeted with palm
leaves, and furnished with low stools OF
0 black and shining wood that looked
like jet. When he received the admiral
it was always in a style of princely gen.
erosity, hanging around his neck some
jewel Of gold or making him some pres
ent of similar value.
On one occasion he came to meet him
on his landing, attended by five tribu.
tary caciques, each carrying coronet Of
gold; they conducted him with great
Difference to tho house already men.
toned, where, seating him in one of the
chairs, Guacanagari took off bis own
coronet of gold and placed it upon his
head. Columbus in return took from bis
neck collar CT fine colored beads, which
he put round that of the cacique; he in
vested him with his own mantle of fine
cloth, gave him pair of colored boots
and put on his finger large silver ring,
upon which metal the Indians set a great
value, it not being found in their island.
The cacique exerted himself to the ut
most to procure great quantity Of gold
for the admiral before his departure for
Spain. The supplies thus furnished and
the vague accounts collected through the
medium Of signs and imperfect interpre-
tations gave Columbus magnificent ideas
of the wealth in the ldterior Of this
island. The names of caciques, noun
tains and provinces were confused to-
gether in his imagination aud supposed
to mean various places where great
treasure was to be found: above all, the
uame of Cibao continually occurred, the
golden region among the mountains
whence the natives procured most Of the
ore for their ornaments. In the pimento
or red pepper which abounded in the
island he fancied he found a trace Of
oriental spices, and he thought he had
met with specimens of rhubarb.
Passing, with his usual excitability,
from state Of doubt and anxiety to one
of sanguine anticipation. he now consid-
cred his shipwreck as providential
event mysteriously ordained by heaven
to work out the success Of his enterprise.
Without this seeming disaster he should
never have remained to find out the
] secret wealth Of the island. but should