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

groves with which nc 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 q river, whence it was but
four days Journey to Cubanacan, place
Astounding in gold. By this they desig-
mated province situated in the center
of Cuba-nacan, in their language, sig
nifying the midst. Pinzon, however,
had studied intently 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 then that Cuba was
not an island, but terra frina, extending
a vast distance to the north, and that tho
king who reigne1 in this vicinity was at
war with the great khan.
This tissue of errors and misconcep-
tons he Immediately communicated to
Columbus. Ii put IN end t. the delusion
in which the admiral had hitherto in
dulged, that this was the island of Ci-
pango; but 1t substituted another no less
agreeable. He concluded that he must
have reached the mainland Of Asia, or,
as he termed it, India, and if 10, 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 neighDoring country.
must be some oriental pOtentate of con-
sequence; he resolved, therefore, to seek
the river beyond the Cape of Palms and
dispatch Il present to tho monarch with
one Of the letters OF recommendation
from the Castiiian sovereigns and after
visiting his doIninions he would proceed
to the capital Of Cathay, the .5ideuce Of
I 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 do 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
vent the boat on shore again in the after
noon with an Indian interpreter, who
was instructed to assure tho people of
the pcaceable and benehcent intentions
of the Spaniards, and that they had no
connection with the grand khan. After
the Indian had proclaimed this from the
boat to the sayagcs on the beach, part Of
it, no doubt, to their great perplexity, he
threw himself into the water and swan
to shore. He was well received by the
natives, and succeeded SO effectually in
calming their fears that before evening
there were more than sixteen canoes about
the ships, bringing cotton yarn and other
simple articles Of traffic. Columbus for
babe all trading for anything but gold,
that the natives might be tempted to
produce the real riches Of their country.
They had none to offer; all were desti-
tute of ornaments Of the precious metals,
excepting one, who wore in lis nose a
niece Of wrought silver.
Columbus understood this man to say
that the king lived abour the distance of
four days journey in tho interior, that
many messengers had been dispatched
to give him tidings of the arrival of the
strangers upon the coast, and that in
less than three days time messengers
might be expected from him in return,
snd many merchants from the interior to
trade with the ships. 1t is curious to
observe how ingeniously the magma
ton of Columbus deceived him at every
step, and how he wove everything into
a uniform web Of false conclusions
Poring over the map Of Toscanelli, re-
ferring to the reckonings Of his voyage
and musing GA the misinterpreted words
OF the Indians, heimagined that he must
be on the borders of Cathay and about
100 leagues from the capital of the
grand khan. Anxious to arrive there,
and to delay as little as possible in the
territories of an infeaor prince, he de-
termined not to await the arrival OF
messengers and merchants, but to dis
patch two ENJOYS to seek the neigh
boring monarch at his residence.
For this mission he chose two Span
iards-Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Tor
res-the latter converted Jew, who
knew Hebrew and Chaldaic, and even
something Of Arabic, one or other Of
which Columbus supposed might be |
known to this oriental prince. Two Indi-
ans were sent with them as guides-onee |
native OF Guanahaui and the other an in |
habltant of the hamlet on tho bank Of /
the river, The ambassadors were fur /
nished with strings Of beads and other |
trinkets for travelling expenses Instruc- :
tons We're given them toinform the king .
that Columbus had been sent by the Cas- |
titan sovereigns bearer Of letters and u /
present, which he was to deliver person. /
ally, for the purpose Of establishing an .
anicable intercourse between the powers.
They were likewise 10 inform themselves /
accurately about the situation and dis |
tances Of certain provinces, ports and /
rivers, which the admiral specified by .
name from the descriptions which he had /