The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-10-16

avail, and the Lucayen interpreter had
to be the orator. He made a regular
speech after the Indian manner, in which
he extolled the power, the wealth and
munifcence of the white man. When
he had finished, the Indians crowded
round these wonderful beings, whom, as
usual, they considered more than human
Some touched them, examining their
skin and raiment, others kissed their
hands and feet in token of submission or
alteration. In little while the men
withdrew and were succeeded by the
women, and the same ceremonie les were
repeated Some of the women had a
slight covering of netted cotton around
the middle, but in general both sexes
were entirely naked There seemed to
be ranks and orders of society among
them, and a chieftain of some authority,
whereas among all the natives they had
previously met with a complete equality
seemed to prevail.
There was no appearance of gold or
other precious articles, and when they
showed specimens of cinnamon, pepper
and other spices, the inhabitants told
them they were not to be found in that
neighborhood. but far off to the south
west.
The envoys determined, therefore, to
return to the ships. The natives would
fain have induced them to remain for
several days; but seeing them bent on
departing great number were anxious
to accompany them, imagining they
were about to return to the skies. They
took with them, however. only one Of the
principal men, with his son, who were
attended by a domestic.
On their way back they for the first
time witnessed the use of weed, which
the ingenious caprice of man has since
converted into universal luxury in
defiance of the opposition of the senses.
They beheld several of the natives going
about with firebrands in their hands and
certain dried herbs which they rolled up
in a leaf, and lighting one end put the
other in their mouths and continued ex-
haling and putting out the smoke. A
roll of this kind they called tobacco, a
name since transferred to the plant Of
which the rolls were made The Span
iards, although prepared to meet with
wonders, were struck with astonishlnent
at this singular and apparently nauseous
indulgence
On their return to the ships they
gave favorable accounts of the beauty
and fertility of the country. They had
met with many ha1nlets of four or FIVE
houses, well peopled, embowered among
trees laden with unknown fruits of
tempting hue and delightful flavor.
Around them were fields cultivated with
the agi or sweet pepper, potatoes, maize
or Indian corn, a species of lupin or pulse.
and yuca, whereof they made their cas-
sava bread. These, with the fruits Of
the groves, formed their principal food.
There were vast quantities of cotton.
some just sown, some in full growth.
There was great store of it also in their
houses, some wrought into yarn, or into
nets, of which they made their ham,
mocks. They had seen many birds of
rare plumage but unknown species;
many ducks; several small partridges;
and they heard the song of a bird which
they had mistaken for the nightingale
All that they had seen, however, hetok-
ened primitive and simple state of So
ciety. The wonder with which they
had been regarded showed clearly that
the people were strangers to civilized
man, nor could they hear of any inland
city superior to the one they had visited.
The report of the ENJOYS put an end to
many splendid fancies of Columbus
about the barbaric prince and his capital
He was cruising, however, in region of
enchantment, in which pleasing chimeras
started up at every step, exercising by
turns a power over his imagination.
During the absence of the emissaries the
Indians had informed him, by signs, of a
place to the eastward, where the people
collected gold along the river banks by
torchlight and afterward wrought it
into bars with hammers. In speaking Of
this place they again used the words Ba-
beque and Bohio, which he, as usual,
supposed to be the proper names of is
lands or countries. The true meaning of
these words has been variously explained.
It is said that they were applied by the
Indians to the coast of terra firma, called
also by them Caritaba. 1t is also said
that Bohio means house, and was often
used by the Indians to signify the popu-
lousness of an island. Hence it was fire.
quently applied to Hispaniola, as well as
the more general name Of Hayti, which
means high land, and occasionally Quis-
queya, j. g., the whole, on account of its
extent.
The misapprehension of these and
other words was a source of perpetual
error to Columbus. Sometimes he sup
posed Babeque and Bohio to signify the
same island; Sometimes TO be different
PLACES or islands; and Quisqueya he sup
posed to mean Quisai or Quinsai, i. e.,
the celestial city, mentioned by Marco
Polo.
His great object was to aprive at some
apulent and civilized country of the
east, with which he might establish
commercial relations, and whence he
might carry home quantity of oriental
merchandise as rich tFal,hy of his dis
coyery. The season was advancing; the
cool nights gave hints of approaching
winter; he resolved, therefore, not to
proceed farther to the north. nor to lin
ger about uncivilized places. which, at
present. he had not the means of colo
nixing, but to return to the east-south-
east in quest of Babeque, which he trust
ed might prove some rich and civilized
island on the coast of Asia.
Before laayintr fha riyer IN which ha