The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-10-04

signed and he went about among his friends
to secure influence for his expedition. In
view of the hundred vessels sent on an
expedition IL little later to negotiate mar
riagc with northern nation, the prepura-
tions for CohlmbuSs voyage were scant
and meager May 18th, behold Columbus
eate with joy, leaving Granada and by the
way of Cordova, Seville, Huelva and Mag
ner, Fastening on to the little port OF
Palos. Today it exists as small village OF
street and astonished at its own
reputation. The town, for some
offense to the crown, was compelled
to tit out two caravels for the expedition.
hird, wfit Was c;hed ffnGGvu ae AGGuBBn n5
which he named the Santa Maria, com
ing qualities. Martin Alonzo Pinson took
another ship, the Pinta, and the other the
Nina or the baby" put in command
of brother, Vincente Ianez Pinson. 1t
was hard work TO get a crew. Whoever
heard of deliberately making a voyage out in
to the sea of darkness, amid storms, water
spoutS, gorgonS, krakens and awful mon
sters ready to engulf the sailors? Did not
the setting sun shine red because it looked
down on hell? What crew had ever re-
turned that was blown out iAiY that sea?
The Jails had to be cmpted before the
Santa Maria could be manned. and not one
man from Palos was III the admral's
snip vi the ninety men whose names
one freshman, William Harris and an En-
Slshman, Arthur Laws. 1t was the goth
OF June, finding all sorts of obstacles, put
III the way to hinder the start, that IL prenp-
tory order was made by the crown to i'm
press men to get the ships ready, but it
was the Sd of August before everything
was ready to sail. The fleet was like q
convict ship. 1t was believed none of them
would ever return, and their families and
friends chung to them with despair akin To
EIpna oh ~
little fleet, rs it sailed briskly to the south
west, ad made for the Canary islands.
There, the rudder of the pinta ave out. its |
rascally owners purposely disabling her As |
volcano abaze at night, and while waiting |
on the islands, heard tales of westward !
lands, floating reeds and birds ut sea- and |
even of two bodies of men unlike any here |
IoiorG known; AZ last all preparations were |
complete, and with sinking hearts and aw- |
full fears. the men set sail into the I'M
known and lmtless sea. Columbus stood
directly west from Gomera on the 9th Of
September. But three days passed and
they had only gone thirty miles. when the
trade winds sprung up, and on the 9th they
lost sight of Ferro. The next day they
run $50 miles, but Columbus, who dis1
trusted his crew with good reason, only
recorded IA in his log book, and thus
kept q double entry all the voyage.
Tn the 18th. there was Il graat consterna-
ton at the discovery that The needle no
longer pointed to the poll star. and it took
all Columbus's ingenuity to explain the mar
vel and prevent alarm, and even he was
not satisfied On the 10th. the ship en-
tered the Sartgsso sea, that vast floating
prairy of seaweed six times larger than
France, and Astounding in fish, crabs and
other creatures which feed on The red and
yellow berries of the seaweed. All though
hey We're in shoal water, but the sound
ngs showed great depth, now known
o be over two miles The sea
seemed to be thick, but the fresh
1reeze drove them steadily on, ard
hey plowed with even keels through this
ocean meadow, formed by The great cir