The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-25

Guacanagari to beg assistance, which came
at once. But the stanch old craft was too
firmly imbedded in the sand TO be rescued
10y any means they could devise. The stTsin
on her timbers opened her seams, and she
began to I'll. Yet the work was prolonged
with the force Of desperation througbous
the moonlit tropical night.
Morning-Christmas lmorning- dawned
on scene OF singular interest. Our fancy
likes TO range back through four shadowy
centuries 70 the new worlds first Christ
mas and that remote aud otherwise insig~
nltfcant sand spit IN the Caribbsan-to that
10 gotten picture in which the cevout
children OF holy mother church and loyal
subjects OF their most Catholic msJesties OF
t'astile, Arsgon and Leon toiled in thankful
fellowship with the generous savages whom
they had regarded ss heather. To seward
Of the stranded vessel lay the carayel Nina
and a small iohlla Of canoes. Around
Heated spars, casks, coops aud general
wreckage. 1t hsd for some hours been evil
dent that the ship was doomed to lay her
bones to rest in Davy Jones locker, and the
admiral, with the coming Of daylight, Logan
to transfer to the Nina what was left of her
provisions. In this work the cacique and
his younger brother directly assisted him.
Though articles considered inestimable
treasures we're handled in great quantities
by the heather, among them the hawks
Antilles, not one article vas stolen. GuaS
canagari himself stood guard over the
stores. The conduct OF the natives was so
gratifying to the admiral that be wrote in
his Journal, 20 show TO Ferdinand and lsa-
bella
SO auhiAble so reasonable. so peaceebls are
these that declare to your maiesties that theFe
Is not in the worl1 a better people. They love
their neighbors as themselves. And their dis
course IS ever sweet and gentle. And though it
Is true that they are naked, vet are their man
nerS decorous aud praiseworUhy.
Toward noon the Spaniards discontinued
work. For almost eighteen hours they had
labored with scarcely an intermission aud
nature could stand no more. Their i'm
mediate prospects were as bright as they
could reasonably hope for, as the more port
able provisions and stores had been trans
ported TO the Santa Maria's consorr. They
now determined to rest until the cool of the
day, whsh they should resume work. On
coming TO this decision they rowed TO the
shore and. in accordance with their custom,
erected a cross 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 nightfall the work of transferring
was taken no, but 30 great had been the
moral and physical strain on the crews that
it was soon Judged best to await the eusu-
ing morning, and after a vesper chant all
hands save small watch turned in, some
on the shore and some on board the Nino.
Thus ended Columbus Christmas an tho
year OF discovery, 1892.
AS for Pinzon, his Christmas was spent
either on the southern coast Of Cuba or the
northern side of Hispauiola. Partly be-
cause the 6irpinutive Nina, whose regular
complement included but twenty -four souls,
was too small to hold in additio the sixty
six in the Santa Maria company and the six
Bahama Indians whom CoIum bus wished 10
take as captives to Spain, and partly to RS
tain his hold over the discoF cred islands,
the admiral decided to build fort aud to
leave q garrison in it. While he was MAX
log up his mind TO this effect no made
search on Christmas evening for a site. On
the same evening he also chose the name
for the fort. This was The Ma
tivity." As soon as the remaining provis-
ions had either been removed to the caravel
or given in charge OF Don Diego de Arans,
Cordovan cavalier. who was 90 he left in
charge of the fertilization, Columbus CONS
menced the work of excavation, in which
be was assisted by Guacauagari. who feared
Q descent from the hostile CAribs. Finding
gold ornaments were numerous among the
cacique's people, Columbus reasoned him
selt into regarding bis misfortune of Christ
mas eve as blessing in disguise. He wrote
III MS Journal:
hope that, on my return from Spain TO this
place. STALL find ton of gold detained in traf-
nc by the SO | shall leave behind; and also mines
and spices discovered In such quantities that
our soyereiRns, Def rs three years, shall be
able TO start crusade for the Ceverance Of
tie holy sepulcher.
Ten days were consumed in building,
arminR and provisioning the fort. On Jan.
3, 1893, leaving De Arava with 81
Spanlards Englishman and 1 Irishmau
(the first Irish immigrant), Columbus en-
harked on the Nina and set sail for Europe,
with 20 Caucasians and Bahama natives
on board. On the 9th he fell in with the
missing Pinzon and the PIMA. Ga March
Is all these vessels arrived at PaIos, the
port from which they had sailed the pre-
ceding August.
Hardly had the Nina sank, hull down, 10
the eastern horizon when the garrison OF
The Nativity began to abuse the native1.
Ultimately a band of Indians from the In
terror OF Hispaniola surprised the fort aud
msssacred the Spaniards to man.
DANIEL ID. BIDWELL.