The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-25
CHRISTMAS 400 YEARSAGO
HOW COLUMBUS ELERR ATED THE
DAY IN TIE NEW WORLD.

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DAY IN TIE NEW WORLD.
On Christmas Eve Hts Flagship Ran
Aground ard Sank on the Island OF
Heyti-Ralsing the Cross and Cele-
brstins Macs With Friendly Inoisns.
NEW YosK, Dec 2a.-Christianity IN the
western world is but four centuries old and
Dec. % will mark the 400th anniversary Of
the first Christmas celebrated in the ccci-
dental hemisphere. Aside from the cardinal
points Of the Christian creed OF the fifteenth
or any other century. tbs Incss, the Monte
-umss and the red Indians lacked even the
gentle spirit taught By Christ. Within 800
years Of that old. forgotten day when the
Genoan adventursr celebrated the nativity,
America has opened her II ,00O. goo square
miles to civilization; and, in place of the 100
Caucasians who observed the Christmas OF
J 1872 in the new world. fully 170,O 600 COO
Americans will hail the Christmas OF 1892
The first American observance OF the 6av
was far from a merry one. It was spent by
Columbus and his ships company amid
scenes of the greatest worldly excitement
consequent upon the greatest disaster WI ich
had befallen the expedition On Christmas
eve the admiralis flagship, the Santa Maria,
which had 50 stoutIy plowed unknown ssas
since that distant September day when she
dropped astern the outerlNost Canary
island, laid her clumsy Spanish bones to
rest off the coast Of what is now Hayti Her
crew spent the following day, Christmas,
partly on the Haytian shore and partly on
her consort, the tiny caravel Nina.
The story Of the disaster and the day may
be told in this wise:
Soma kafora r. n&h -
expedition, and the second in size, the car
avel Pinta, In command of the admirars
trusted adviser, Martin Alonzo PinZon, had
deserted, taking advantage of a stress Of
weather as pretext to sail westward, ito
ward Cethay," in search of gold N mes, said
by the aborigines to lie in that direction.
This Information came to Columbus while
he was lying off the rocky iDlet at the north
western extremity of Hayti, now named
Tortuga de Mar, the future hotbed of the
buccaneer and msrooners of the Spanish
| main. The news preyed on his mind so
heavily as to unfit him for exerting him
self with his accustomed vigor and watch
fulness. 1t was, perhaps, Indirectly respon-
sible for the loss OF the Santa Maria.
Sailing after brief interval from the
Tortugan roadshead the flagship squared
away for the coast of Hayti and entered
upon her closing days. On the 81 she met
the Nina, and, as night was shutting down.
both came TO anchor in the Bay Of Acul,
now as then one Of our Mother Natures
choicest tropical pictures, In quarter Of
the world where she is fond spendthrift
instead OF the misery philosopher she sp-
pears in higher latitudes. The next morn~
ing was one of unclouded brilliauce. When
the sun had fully chased the / light shadows
away over the shorelands the Santa Marias
lookouts discovered q large canoe rounding
little point. This was propelled 10y
I
by the copper-colored "heaCheD,"
now familiar to the good Catholic eyes of
the adventurers. 1t rapidly approached.
AS it lay beside the flagship gorgeously
dressed STRIPPING arose in the stern and
waved small branch of some tropical
palm. Him, the admiral, with the aid of
the natives he had carried away as intorpre-
ters from Wstling's Island. soon learned to
be an envoy from the cacI1ue Tor prince of
that part Of HaYti, bearing al invitation to
visit his master at the capital, situated on
the shore OF an inlet about league distant.
To this Columbus replied with a promise
that he would make the visit three days
later, on the 25th. The canoe then returned
Fortunately afterward the admiral pru>
dectly dispatched O boats load 10 reconn0i-
tire. Following il the direction Of the visitors
this party presently found tho inlet and, on
the banks OF small river flowing into the
inlet, the capital. the largest and most
finely constructed town which they had as
yet seen since leaving the old world They
received a hospitabls welcome. or moro
properly speaking, they we're royalty feted.
having previously given TO the island the
name OF Hispanicla Tor Little Spain'), ow-
ing TO its green and inviting shore lands,
they were now more than ever pleased with
IL and It's inhahitants. They gave to the
river the name Punta Santa which during
the subsequent French occupation, was
changed to Grande Rivie-e. They left
flushed with the aboriginal wine and with
stomachs sumptuously loaded with yams,
cocoanut milk and strange triumphs of the
heather cuisine, On rejoining their COM
rades they go drew tie long bow and
painted such appetzing pictures that the
whole expedition at once became athirst
for tine cacique's hospitality. Among other
items OF information the boats crew re-
ported that the name of their entertainer
was Guacanagari, and OF the town
Guarico. cr
In the morning watch Of the Gath. the
day following their return Columbus gave
orders that the expedition should start for
Gnacansgari'e capital. The yards of the
two crafts were triced away and a start was
made in a light wind that blew almost dead
ahead. This breeze, light aud battling as 1t
was, soon died down, and by noon the two
tiny craft rose and fell as slumberously
dhO InS LnHACblAy On tuo Tranquil SWollS OIL
the Caribbean as lace sways on the bosom
Of a sleeping mother. The afternoon hours
slowly wore by to the same conditions. The
sun OF lat. 10 beat down on the
motionless decks and filed the air
with that dangerous dream inviting
quality which only travellers in the tropics
can understand. Shore and sea and. eky
were bathed ia drowsiness. The watch off
duty slept in shady hooks on deck or In
their hammocks below. Evening came, but
brought with it no change. The old watch
ought relief in sleep aud the now did the
least work necessary. Even the admiral,
overcome ~ the heat of the most uucomS
Portable day OF tie entire voyage. retired to
his cabin. His departure vas noticed bv
the watch on deck, several OF whom found
inviting places in the, shadow OF sails
and ere long drifted into blissful
oblivion. In a short hour mora the sturdy
old Santa Maria was il charge of a nodding
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