Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-09-17

0NoPc anu LIZ DniAuy BIONtS, ~ CNdTIA
more captivating than the splendor Of
The day
In the sweet smell Of the woods and
the odor Of the flowers Columbus fan
cied he perceived the fragrance Of OH
entail spices, and along the shoreshe found
shells of the kind of oyster which pro-
duces pearl. From the grass growing to
the very edge of the water he inferred
the peacefulness Of the ocean which
bathes these islands, never lashing the
shores with angry surges, Ever since
his arrival among these Antilles he had
experienced nothing but soft and gentle
weather, and he concluded that per-
petual serenity reigned over these happy
seas. He was little suspicious Of the oc-
casional bursts Of fury to which they are
liable. Charlevoix, speaking from actual
observation, remarks: '.The sea of those
islands is commonly more rranqa7l than
ours; but, like certain people who are ex-
cited with difficulty, and whose trans
ports of passion are as violent as they
are rare, so when the sea becomes irri-
tated, it is terrible It breaks all bounds,
overhows the country, sweeps away all
things that oppose it, and leaves h-ight-
ful ravages behind to mark the extent Of
It's inundations 1t is after these tenn
pests, known by the name Of hurricanes,
that the shores are covered with marine
shells, which greatly surpass in luster
and beauty those Of the European seas"
1t is singular fact, however, that the
hurricanes, which almost annually dew
astate the Bahamas and other islands
in the immediate vicinity Of Cuba, have
been seldom known to extend their in
fuence to this favored land It would
seem as If the very elements were
charmed into gentleness as they ap-
preached it.
In kind of riot of the imagination,
Columbus finds at every step something
to corroborate the information lie had
received, or fancied he had received,
from the natives He had conclusive
proofs. as be thought, that Cuba pos
sessed mines of gold and groves Of
spices, and that its shores abounded with
pearls. He no longer doubted that it
was the island Of Cipango. and weighing
anchor coasted along westward, in which
direction, according to the signs Of his
interpreters, the magnificent city Of its
king was situated. Ia the course of his
voyage he landed occasionally, and visit
ed several villages. particularly one on
the banks Of large river, to which be
gave the name of Rio de los Mares.
The houses were neatly built of
branches of palm trees in the shape Of
pavilions, not laid out in regular streets
but scattered here and there among the
groves and under the shade of broad
spreading trees, like tents in camp-as
is still the case ia many Of the Spanish
settlements, and IN the villages in the
interior Of Cuba. The inhabitants fed
to the mountains or hid themselves in
the woods
Columbus carefully noted the archi-
lecture and furniture Of their dwellings.
The houses were better built than those
he had hitherto seen. and were kept ex-
tremely clean. He found III them rude
statues and wooden masks carved with
considerable ingenuity. All these were
indications Of more art and civilization
than he had observed i'll the smaller is-
lands, and he supposed they would go On
increasing as lie approached terra frma.
Finding in all the insimplements for
fishing, he concluded that these coasts
were inhabited merely by fishermen,
who carried their fish to the cities in the
interior He thought also he had found
the skulls Of cows. which proved that
there were cattle il the island; though
these are supposed to have been skulls of
the manati or seacalf found on this coast.
After standing to the northwest for
some distance, Columbus came in sight
Of a great headland, to which, from the
groves with which it was covered, he
gave the name Of the Cape of Palms,
and which forms the eastern entrance to
what is now known as Laguna de Moron.
Here three Indians, natives of the island
of Guanahani, who were on board of the
Pinta, informed the commander. Mar
tin Alonzo Pinzon, that behind the cape
there was a river, whence it was but
four days journey to Cubanacan, a place
abounding in gold. By this they desig-
mated a province situated in the center
of Cuba-nacan, in their language, sig
nifying the midst Pinzon, however,
had studied iutently the map of Tosca-
nelli, and had imbibed from Columbus
all his ideas respecting the coast Of Asia.
He concluded, therefore, that the Indians
were talking of Cublai Khan, the Tartar
sovereign, and Of certain parts Of his
dominions described by Marco Polo. He
understood from theI that Cuba was
not an island, but terra firlna, extending
vast distance to the north, and that the
king who reigned in this vicinity was at
war with the great khan.
This tissue of errors and rnisconcep-
tions he Immediately communicated to
Columbus. 1t put an end to the delusion
in which the admiral had hitherto in
dulged, that this was the island of Ci-
pango; but it substituted another no less
agreeable. He concluded that he must
have reached the mainland Of Asia, or,
as he termed it, India, and if so, he could
not be at any great distance from Mangi
and Cathay, the ultimate destination Of
his voyage. The prince in question, who
reigned over this neighboring country
must be some oriental potentate of con-
sequence; he resolved, therefore, to seek
the river beyond the Cape Of Palms and
dispatch present to the monarch with
one of the letters of recommendation
from the Castilian sovereigns, and after
visiting his dominions he would proceed
to the capital Of Cathay, the residence Of
the grand khan
Every attempt to reach the river in
question, however, proved Intellectual
Cape stretched beyond cape; there was
no good anchorage the wind became
contrary, and the appearance of the
heavens threatening rough weather, he
put back to the Rio lie los Mares.
On the 1st of November. at sunrise, he
sent the boats on shore to visit several
houses, but the inhabitants fed to the
woods. He supposed they must have
mistaken his armament for one Of the
securing expeditions sent by the grand
khan to make prisoners and slaves. He
sent the boat on shore again III the after
noon with an Indian interpreter, who
was instructed to assure the people of
the peaceable and beneticent intentions