Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-02

When they had still further recovered
from their fears they approached the
Spaniards, touched their boards and ex.
amined their hands and faces, admiring
their whiteness. Columbus was pleased
with their gentleness and confiding sim.
picity, and suffered their scrutiny with
perfect acquiescence, winning them by
his benignity. They now supposed that
the ships had sailed ont Of the crystal
armament which bounded their horizon,
or had descended from above on their
ample wings, and that these marvellous
beings were inhabitants Of the skies.
The natives of the island were no less
objects of curiosity to the Spaniards, diff.
fering, as they did, from any race OF men
they had ever scen. Their appearance
gave no promise of either wealth or civ.
ilization, for they were entirely naked,
and painted with variety of colors.
With some it was confined merely to a
part OF the lace, tho nose or around the
eyes; with others it extended to the
whole body, dnd gave them a wild and
! Fantastic appearance. Their complexion
WAS of teWny or copper hue, and they
were entirely destitute of boards. Their
hair was not crisped, like the recently
discovered tribes Of the African coast,
under the same latitude, but straight
and coarse, partly cut short above the
ears, butsome locks were left long behind
and falling upon their shoulders Their
features, though obscured and disfgured
by paint, were agreeable; they had lofty
Soreheads and remarkably fine eyes.
They were of moderate stature and well
formed; most Of them appeared to be
under thirty years of age; there was but
one female with them, quite young,
naked like her companions, and beauti-
fully formed.
AS Columbus supposed himself to have
landed on an island at the extremity
of India, he called the natives by the
general appellation of Indians, which
was universally adopted before the true
nature Of his discovery was known, and
has since been extended TO all the aborig-
mails of the New World.
The islanders were friendly and gen
tie. Their only arms were lances, hard
ened at the end by fire, or pointed with
flint, or the teeth or bone Of fish.
j
they appear acquainted with its proper
ties; for when a drawn sword WAS pre-
sented to them, they unguardedly took
it by the edge.
Columbus distributed among them
colored caps, glass beads, hawks bells
and other trlfles, such as the Portuguese
We're accustomed to trade with among
the nations Of the gold coast of Africa.
They received them eagerly, hung the
beads round their necks, and We're Won
derfully pleased with their finery and
with the sound of the bells The Span
iards remained all day on shore refresh
ing themselves after their anxious voy-
age amid the beautiful groves of the
island, and returned on board late in the
evening delighted with all they had seen.
On the following morning, at break Of
day, the shore was thrQuged with the
natives; some swan off to the ships,
others came In light barls which they
called canoes, formed of single tree,
followed, and capable Of holding from
one man to the number Of forty or fifty.
These they managed deXterously with
paddles, and, if overturned, swan about
in the water with perfect unconcern, as
if IN their natural element, rightin9 their
canoes with great facility, and bailing
| them with calabashes.
They 4ere eager to procure moro toys
and trinkets, not apparently from any
idea of their intrinsic value, but because
everything from the hands of the stran-
gers possessed supernatural virtue in
their eyes, as having been brought from
heaven; they even picked up fragments
of glass and earthenware as valuable
! prizes. They had but few objects to
offer in return, except parrots, Of which
| great numbers were domesticatcd among
them, and cotton yarn, Of which they
had abundance, and would exchange
large balls Of five and twenty pounds
weight for the mcrest trife.
They brought also cakes OF kind Of
bread called cassava, which constituted
principal part Of their food, and was
afterward an important article Of pro-
visions with the Spaniards. 1t WAS
formed from a great root called yucca,
which they cultivated in fields. This
they cut into small morsels, which they
grated or scruped, and strained in Il
press, making broad, thin cake, which
WAS alterward dried hard and would
keep for q long time, being stepped in
water when caten. It WAS insipid, but
nourehiug, though the water strained
from 1t in the preparation was deadly
poison There was another kind Of yucca
destitute Of this poisonous quality, which
was eaten in the root, either boiled or