The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-05
WHERE COLUMBUS LANDED.
MIR. wellman Returns After Erecting n
Monument on the Spot.


Monument on the Spot.
Mr.. Walter Wellman, the well-known
Washington correspondent of the Chicago
Herald has returned to the city from his ex-
pedition to mark the spot where Columbus
first set foot on the Western Hemisphere
Mr.. Wellman's paper sent him on his hstori-
cal errand, and he performed it promptly and
he feels confident, correctly. But as it has
always been matter of dispute among his
torians and geographers just where Columbus
did land, Mr.. Wellman expects to become in
volved in lively controversy. How
ever, he is prepared for this
He has been studying the question flor some
months, and the opinion which he formed be-
fore he started on his expedition to the West
Indies became firm conviction through his
actual observation among those islands.
The weight of evidence on the question of
Columbus first landing place, according to
MIR. Wellman's researches among the histor-
ical documents bearing on the subject
pointed to watlings Island, about 200 miles
southeast of New Providence, in the
Bahamas, as the first land that Columbus
struck Mr.. Wellman about q month ago
started for New York for this island, going first
to Nassau by the regular steamer. AT Mas
sau he chartered small steamer and sailed
to Watlings Island. Here he found ample
evidence in support of his opinion that
this was the land where Columbus first
touched on his westward voyage on the 18th
of October, 1902. The size, shape natural
features. and trend of the coast line CORE
sponded in an unmistakable manner with the
description of the island given in Columbus
journal. So here Mr.. Wellman cast anchor
and erected handsome monument to mark
the spot where the discoverer of the New
World first touched the land of the Western
Hemisphere.
Mr.. Wellman has highly interesting story
to tell of his experiences at Watlngs Island.
This is one of the Bahama group and belongs
to England. 1t is of coral foundation, at no
point more than 140 feet above the level of
the sea. 1t is about thirteen miles long and
seven wide, and in the centre of it is a large
lagoon. None of its present inhabitants,
who number but few hundreds, are
descendants of the aborigines who
welcomed Columbus. Its present in
habitants are negroes with the exception
OF Mr.. Nairn, the local magistrate, his two
sisters, and his niece. The latter are English
people. Mr.. Nairn holds Office from the Gov
ernor OF the Bahamas, and is the Pooh-Bah Of
Watlings Island. He holds all the offices there
are, and gets $3.50 year for doing it.
"The negroes of the island are fine look
ing race physically" Mr.. Wellman said, sal
removed from barbarism. We were on the
island for five days and it was the greatest
event that has occurred there within the
memory OF the present generation. We hired
number of them to help our men in building
the monument, and we paid them so cents
day, which was gilt-edged price. They
speak English and are in way very religious.
They are solemn race, with none of the fun
of the American darkey in them. They be-
long to the Church Of England and have
minister on the island of their own color.
There are three churches at different parts of
the island; The largest, a thatched hut, per-
haps 30x2O feet in dimensions, is called the
Cathedral. The negroes positively refused to
work on Sunday"
The first installment of Mr. Wellman's ex-
periences on his expedition appeared in the
Chicago Herald Of yesterday morning, filling
two pages 1t is illustrated by Mr.. Lederer,
the artist, who accompanied Mr.. Wellman on
the expedition