The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-28
seventy additional souls and provided with
scans stores, could convey she Adventures


seventy additional souls and provided with
scans stores, could convey shs adventurous
back TO old spain?
Every effcrt was AZ Once made 10 reacue
the ship. Her cannon and anchors and part
" her stores wore thrown overheard to
Tighten her. HRwserG were run out 10 the
Nina and TO hsr " pinnacs that her sea-
men BY pulling on them might slide the
hull back into desp water. Aboat was sent
10 duacnnnRarl to beg assistance, which
came NJ once. But the staunch old craft
was too firmly imbedded in the sand TO be
rescued by any means they could devise.
The strain On her tirnbers opened her seams
and she began 10 All. Yet the work was
prolonged with tho force Of desperation
t%hroughout the moonlit tropical night.
MISUNDERSTANDING morning-dawned
likes 10 range back through four ,shadowy
centuries to the new worlds first Christmas
and that remote mi otherwise insignificant
aand spit In the Csribbean-to that forgot
ten picture In which the devout children OF
holy mother church and loyal subjects OF
AraRon and Leon toiled in thankful fellow
ahip with the generous savaRes whom they
had regarded as heather. TO seawnrd OF
the stranded vessel lay the oaravel Nina
and a small fotilla of canoes. Around
hoased apars, casks. ooops and general
- AA uotA0 b0Gh VIZ
dent that the ship WAS doomed to lny her
bones to rest in Davy Jones' locker and
the admiral, with the coming of daylight,
began to transfer to the Nina what was
left OF her provisions. In this work the
cacique and his young brother directly as
sisted him. Though articles considered in
estimable treasures were handled in great
quantities BY the heather, among them the
hawks bills so fascinating to the Indians
OF the Antilles. not onc article was stolen.
G~uacnnaoari himself stood guard over the
stores. The conduct OF the natives was so
gratifying to the admiral that he wrote in
his journal. to show to Ferdinand and lisa
bella:
SO amiable. no reasonable, 80 peaceable
are these that l declare to your smaiesties
that there is not in the world q bstter peo-
pie. They love their neighbors as them
selves. And their discourse is ever sweet
and gentle. And though 1t is true that
they are naked. yet are their manner de.
corous and praiseworthy."
Toward noon the Spaniards discontinued
work. For almost eighteen hours they had
labored with scarcely an lntermission and
nature could stand no more. Their imme-
date prospects were bright MS they could
reasonably hope for. as the more portable
provisions and stores had been transported
TO the Santa Maria's consort. They now
determined to rest until the cool of the day,
when they should resume work. On COM
ing to this decision they iowed to the shore
and. IN accordance with their custom,
erected a GROSS on the highest point within
convenient distance. This done the yellow
banner of the Spanish Kingdoms, with its
castles and lions, was displayed and mass
was celebrated in honor OF the anniversary.
Toward nightfalI the work of transferring
was taken up, but 80 great had been the
moral and physical strain on the crews that
IL was soon judged best to await the snsu-
ing morning, and after a vesper chant nll
hands save a small watch TUNED in. some
on the shore and some on board the Nina.
year OF discovery, 1882.
As for PinZona his Christmas was spent
either on the southern coast Of Cuba or the
northern side of Hispaniola. Partly be-
cause the diminutive Nina. whose regular
complement included but twsnty-four
souls, was too small to hold. in addition to
the sixty-six in the Santa Maria COMPANY
and tho six Bahama Indians whom Column
bus wished to a as captives to Spain,
and partly to retain his hold over the dis
covered islands, the admiral decided to
build a fort and TO leave q garrison in it.
effect he made a search on Christmas eveu-
Ing for a site. IN the same evening he
also chose the name for the fort. This was
The Nativity" As soon as the remaining
provisions had either been removed to the
oaravel or given in charge of Don Diego de-
Ans oOAooFoh SdvhllcIs WHO WIS IL JIG
left in charge of the Fertilization. Column
bus commenced the work of excava-
tion, in which he was assisted by Gaucana-
eari, who feared a descent from the
hostile Cnribs. Finding gold o naments
We're numerous among the cacique's PEOPLE.
Columbus reasoned himself into regarding
his misfortune of Christmas eve as Il bless
ing in disguise. He wrote in his Journals:
Il hope that on my return from Spain to
this place / shall find a ton of gold obtained
In traffic by those l shall lenve behind; and
also mines and spices discovered in such
quantities that our sovereigns, before three
years. shall be able to start a crusade for
the deliverance of the holy sepulchre."
Ten days wero consumed in building,
arming and provisioning the fort. On Jan.
3, 1893. leaving De Arava with thirsy-eisht
Spaniards, one Englishman and one Irish
man (the first Irish immigrant). Columbus
embarked on the Nina and set sail for Eu-s
rope. with forty-nine Caucasian and six
Bahama natives on board. On the 9th he
fell in with the missing Pinzon and the
Pinta. On March Ii AL these vessels ar
rived at Palos. the port from which they
sailed the preceding August,
Hardly had the Nina sunk. hull down, in
the eastern horizon. whom the garrison of
"ihe Nativity" began to abuse the natives.
Ultimately a band OF Indians from the in
terror of Hispaniola surprised the fort and
massacred the Spaniards to q man.
DANIEL d. BIDwELI.
Iisuue head dolls, kid body, dolls, iointed