The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-11-13


they accused him of assuming boastful
and vainglorious tone when talking with
the king of his discovery, as if he would
revenge himself upon the monarch fo1
having rejected his propositions.
With the greatest eagerness, therefore,
they sought to foster the doubts which
had sprung up in the royal mind Some
who had seen the natives brought in the
caravel declared that their color, hair
and manners agreed with the descrip-
tion of the people of that part of India
which lay within the route of the Portu.
guese discoveries, and which had been
included in the papal bull. Others OBJ.
served that there was but little distance
between the Tercera islands and those
which Columbus had discovered, and
that the latter, therefore, clearly apper.
tanned to Portugal Seeing the king
much perturbed in spirit, some even
went so far as to propose. as means of
impeding the prosecution of these enter
prises, that Columbus should be assas-
sinated, declaring that he deserved death
for attempting to deceive and embroil
the two nations by his pretended discov-
cries. It was suggested that his assassi-
nation might easily be accomplished
without mourning any odium, advantage
might be taken Of his lofty department
to pique his pride, provoke him into an
alteration, and then dispatch him as il
in casual and honorable encounter.
1t is difficult to believe that such
wicked and dastardly counsel could have
been proposed to monarch SO upright
as John II, but the fact is asserted by
various historians, Portuguese as well as
Spanish, and it accords with the perfidi-
Gus advice formerly given to the mon
arch in respect to Columbus There is a
spurious loyalty about courts, which is
often prone to prove its zeal by its base.
ness, and it is the weakness of kings to
tolerate the grossest faults when they ap-
pear to rise from personal devotion.
Happily the king had too much mag
nanimity to adopt the iniquitous meas
ure proposed. He did justice to the great
merit Of Columbus, and honored him as
distinguished benefactor of mankind,
and he felt it his duty as a generous
prince to protect all strangers driven by
adverse fortune to his ports. Others of
his council suggested more bold and
martial line of policy. They advised
that Columbus should be permitted to
return to Spain, but that before he could
fit out second expedition a powerful
armament should be dispatched, under
the guidance of two Portuguese mari
ners who had sailed with the admiral.
to take possession of the newly discov-
cred country, possessson being after all
the best title and an appeal to arms the
clearest mode Of settling so doubtful
question.
This counsel, in which there was
mixture of courage and craft, was more
relished by the king, and he resolved
privately, but promptly, to put it in ex-
ecution, fixing upon Don Francisco de
Almeida, one of the most distinguished
captains of the age, to command the ex-
pedition.
In the meantime Columbus. after being
treated with distinguished attention,
was escorted back to his ship by Don
Martin de Norona and numerous train
of cavaliers of the court, mule being
provided for himself and another for his
pilot, to whom the king made a present
of twenty espadinas, or ducats, of gold.
On his way Columbus stopped at the
monastery of San Antonio, at Villa
Franco, to visit the queen, who had ex-
pressed an earnest wish to see this ex-
traordinary and enterprising man, whose
achievement was the theme of every
tongue. He found her attended by few
of her favorite ladies, and experienced
the most flattering reception. Her maj
esty made him relate the principal events
of his voyage and describe the countries
he had found, and she and her ladies
hung with eager curiosity upon his mar
ration.
That night he slept at Llandra, and
being Oh the point of departing in the
morning, servant of the king arrived
to attend him to the frontier, II he pre-
ferred to return to Spain by land, and to
provide horses, lodgings and everything
pc might stand in need of at the royal
expense. The weather, however, having
moderated, he preferred returning in his
Putting to sea, therefore, on
the 18th of March, he arrived safely at
the bar of Saltes at sunrise of the 18th,
and at midday entered the harbor of
Palos, whence he had sailed on the Sd
Of August in the preceding year, having
taken not quite seven months and half
to accomplish this most momentous of
all maritime enterprises
[To BE coNTISEupI