Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03
HOW COLUMBUS WAS WRECKED.
And How He Was Treated by the Abo-
rhymes.

And How He Was Treated by the Abo-
From the Century.
Guacanagari was eager to see more of the
Spaniards, and sent numbers of the light
hearted people to welcome them and bring
them gifts of every sort. Their enthusiasm
was unbounded, their generosity unstinted.
The land was gay with festivities, the sea
swarmed with canoes. On nearing the caravels
the Indians that crowded them stood up, ten
dering them all kinds of offerings, with gestures
of devotion, as in idolatrous worship.
Beholding all this enthusiasm, Columbus dis
patched formal embassy to Guacanagari, and
on hearing their report he determined, despite
the prevailing land breeze, to weigh anchor and
some five leagues distant. He set OUT at day.
break on December "a. Little progress was
made during all that day. The night came,
Christmas Eve, and Columbus determined to
celebrate it rs best befitted his own health and
the comfort of his own crew, bv enioyine a
sound sleep. He retired, worn out BY three
nights of vigil following three days of herculean
labor. Sweet must have been his rest His dis
covery of that new world whose very existence
had been denied, the endless upspringing of
Eden isles. the simple races bound to nature BY
such mysterious ties and soon to be brought into
the fold of civilization and Christianity. must
have filled his mind with happy dreams
on this the first restful Christmas Eve he
had passed in thirty years of titanic contest
with all the world, and at times even with
his own self. 1t was midnight. when the echoes
of childhood and of times long past fill the
slumberius ear. The heavens smiled and the
sea was calm. The sailors slept soundly, sure
of their bearings and sea-room because pre-
coded by the little feet of skifs and canoes sent
by Columbus to the Indian king. ships boy
held the helm, so assured were they all Of the
fairness of the weather and the safety of their
course-when the flagship suddenly struck
upon. sunken reef. Columbus instantly di-
vined his peril and hurried on deck. With
lightning rapidity he gave orders to cut away
the mast and throw the cargo overheard. But
the remedy was futile: II was no mere strand
ing, it was wreck. With the desersion of the
Pinta and the loss of the Santa Maria only the
smallest and fraiest of the three caraves that
had set sail from Palos remained. He went on
board the Nina and sent fresh embassy to
Guacanagari. giving an account of the disaster,
while he stood off and on till day broke. When
the chief learned the misfortune he sought in
every way to alleviate il. spariHg neither means
nor sacrifice. Disastrous indeed il was to face
such superstitious races. who confded in the
prosperity and success of I'll. supernatural, with
the slender remnants Of such a wreck, which
showed how the sea overcomes all created
things and bows US all TO its sovereign power
But the sentiment Of hospitality was uppermost
in that faithful tribe and in their kindly non
arch. All the succOr needed in that sad hour
and all requisite provision for the future. were
given to the sufferers with admirable orderli-
ness. The salvage of the wreck was riled on
shore and under the chiefs orders. scrupu-
lousy guarded by the natives as though it were
their own. The cargo was rapidly discharged
and stored in place of safety, without the loss
of pins point.