The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-12-27
A CHRISFMAsuWRECK.
ONE OF THE TEXATIONS OF CHRIS
TOPPER COLUMBUS.
Fred Ober LOOKS Up the Scene of the Wreck
How He Secured the Old Anchor of
4,Santa Maria-A Relic of Columbus.

to celebrate the first American Christmas
the historians seem to have overlooked it.
1t was in December, 1902. In the mid
die of October Columbus had sighted his
first land in the Bahamas. Sailing on he
had brought to view other islands of the
chain and reached Cuba the last of October.
Sailing away from Cuba and still sailing
eastwardly. sometime early in December he
saw before him the towering mountains
OF magnificent island, different in its veg
citation and the contours of its coasts from
all the new world land he had yet seen.
The first--Nina, the Pinta and the Santa
NIaria-haI held together across the ocean.
but on the coast of Cuba Captain Piuzon
and the Pinta had sailed off on his own ac-
count. So only the Nina and the Santa
Maria, with less than Il hundred men, stop
ned at the unknown island.
The native Indians themselves called the
island Hayti--"Ai,' high, I'll" land-thc
island of mountains. The eastern half the
aborignes termed QulsQuea, or Mother of
the earth" now called Sandomingo. Column
bus named the port he entered San Nicholas
in honor OF the saints day on which he
discovered it; and it is the same Mole San
Nicolas over which the governments of the
United States and Hayti had a qurrel d
year or TWO ago.
The little Nina went ahead sounding and
and dropped anchor in the spacious harbor.
They did not tarry long, but sailed on again
inst ahead Of big storm. They took ref
uge under the lee of Tortuga, the island
since made famous by the dreaded bucca-
uoers Noon and midnight they sailed,
visiting along at beautiful harbors and vii
,agrs until they came to the splendid bay of
Acul There they first heard of the Indian
king. Guacanagari. and also of the heart of
great gold country. the Ciboa. You know
oil, oil
time expecting to arrive at the region Of the
Graud Khan. and he felt sure that this CT
boa must mean the Cipango described by
Marco Polo in his wonderful book.
Cacique Guacanagari sent Columbus an
invitation to visit him. also rich present
q cotton girle attached to which was a
mask with ears. tongue and nose, all of
beaten gold. Columbus was sure now he
was near Marco Polo's gold regions. At
sunrise next day they spread their sails for
the visit. That was the day before Christ
mas. bright and beautiful. There was a
light breeze, and the sea was as smooth as
glass.
All the sailors breathed easy for almost
the first time. For three months past they
had been on the lookout for calamity: they
had feared the tradewind would always
blow from the east so that they could never
return to Spain; that If they
sailed so far down, down, down
the watery hill they could nev,
the serpents and the mermaids, the sub
marine monsters and the terrene blpedsi but
today they had no fears, though even the
vessel was hurryins to destruction.
Amout midnight the admiral went to
his cabin to sleep. Following his example,
although he had cautioned them to main
tain a careful watch, the seamen then on
deck seized the occasion to sleep, leaving the
helm in care of a boy.
The Wreck of the Santa Maria.
e.. hal how.
only mention of him at all is the brief state
ment that the helm was left in his charge.
But I'm sure he got cuffed and kicked by
the sailors for their own negllgence. POOR
little chap! | can imagine his terror when
the accident happened. I'm sure he was a
mere s.ipe of a boy and only about fifteen
or sixteen years old. Well, he would be
some 416 years of age by this time, and
ones sympathy would be wasted on boy
of that age.
there was an unseen force tugging at the
vessels keel; strong, treacherous current
that forced the Santa Maria upon sand
bank The first intimntion the boy at the
helm had of anything amlss was through
the beating of the waves up against the
side of the ship. The rudder became I'M
movable The young sailor cried out TO
the men, the admiral rushed on deck. They
lightened the vessel, cut away the mastS
and carried an anchor out to windward,
fixed in the sands!
She was a total wreck. The crew were
transferred to the Nina, which came as
near to the reefs as she could and lay by
till morning They were only four or hVe
miles away when the vessel struck the
reef from the Indian village Guarico. Co
lumbus sent the news to the Cacnque Qua
canagari and the Cacique hurried a fleet or
canoes to the reefs. i'll which all the wreck
age was taken to the shore and stored IN
huts assigned by Guacanagari for that pur-
pose near his own residence.
This was Monday, the 9th of December,
on the evening of our Lords nativity, about
midnight.
Until dawn Christmas day they worked.
loading and unloading the wreckage. At
dawn this had been accomplished. by day
light the shipwrecked mariners were shar-
ing the hospitality of the noble Guacana gari.
Not man was injured, not an ounce OF pro-
visions lost not a spar nor nail detacha-
bic that was not safely landed with them,
yet in the words of Robinson Crusoe,
what an awful deliverance" was theirs:
1t was Il gloomy Christmas morning for
these hundred men. 1000 miles from home
with but one frail caTave to take them back.
SO honest were the Indians that no guard
was necessary around their efiects, even
though such trifes pine and hawksbels
We're worth more than their weight in gold.
The admiral was greatly pleased with them
and paints q vivid picture i'll his letters to
Isabella and Ferdinand.
Their shapes are fine. of both men and
women, and their color not black. though
they paint themselves. most of them red.
They all. both men and women, go about
totally naked. but your highnesses may be
assured that they possess many commenda-
bic customs. The houses and towns are
very handsome and the inhabitants live in
settlements. each under a sovereign or judge,
70 whom they pay implicit
obedience. Their king is served
with great reverence and every
Thing is practicad with such decency that
it is highly pleasing to witness it. They
have great memory and curiosity and are
very eager in their inquiries as to the use
and nature of all things they see. Thus
was the admiral impressed by these inno-
cent people and their paradisiacal made OF
existence.
Gold from the Heart of CibaO.
At sunrise the day after Christmas, the
caciQue paid visit OF state to the adj
miral on board the Nina. His Indian sub
jects swarmed in canoes around the cara
vel, holding out pieces of gold and crying
out ''chug, chug," intimating that they
wished to barter the nuggets of hawks
bells, over which they went wild with
joy. Seeing that such trifes brought i'll
exchange great pieces of gold, Columbus
was delighted, and Guacanagari, quick to
note the change. assured him that it gold