The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-04-29
A DESPERATE FIGHT.
A MODERN VERSION or AN OLD
STORY ABOUT COLUMBUS.


An Account of tho Days when ci.risto-
pheS Columhus Played the Hello 81 =
Piraie-I IIow he Came to settle in Lis
bonA savage Battle a. soa.
Itis ono 81 those tales that illustrate
the manners Of this cruel age, The
pirates had long been the scourge Of the
honest Venetian tra Sometimes
they would disguise hais tes as mer
chantmen trading peacefully to Gambia
FOR wine, and then throwing OF their
disguises, would prey upon all around
them, No mercy was shown In these
fearful contests. Between the Hea rob
bera and the merchants there was q
lasting and deadly hostility II was to
the pirate class that the Columbi be-
longed and of an the cnrHaifs Of the
day they were the most renowned, The
elder Columbus had apparently lain in
wait il vain for the rich iieet that sailed
yearly To the north, But be had son,
known as Columbus Junior, who fol-
lowed the same profession and whose
tFne name was Nicolo GTiego, er Mich
olas the Greek. He at last succeeded i'll
the project which his father had SO long
essayed IN vain, The prize was Tempt
ing 0ne To the bold buccaneers. Tie
| Flanders galleys with their freight were
valued at coo, ,000ducats perhaps 50 i000,-
/ 000-and would have proved an immense
fortune 10 the eaptors could they have
4 retained the snoil,
IN 1885 the galleys were equipped with
[ unusual care, We have the decree Of
! the senate under which they set sail
The Doge Giovanni Moncenigo appoints
I the noble Bartolorneo Mimic captain
i with q salary 0f 600 dneats. -Four gIeat
/ galleys are provided, and 10 each cap
tain bounty Of $500 golden dueats Is
promised upon their safe return to Ven-
| ice, This money was to be paid out of
/ the tax on the Jews, and calls up anew
| Shakespeape's unreal pieturei it Is plain
that the merchants Of Venice were the
true Shylocks of the time A medical
man was assigned TO the feeti his salary
was only nine dacats q month
Minute rules are given for the con-
duct 0f the expedition. The freight is
| to be paid to the state, No deckloads
4 Of tin o. pewter ware are allowed ne
eHfFants nor nnlasses are 10 be stored
/ n tho Bold Two galleys were 70 so o
London or the English ports, the rest 70
6luys on Bruges On their passage they
might touch at Malaga and other poTts
IN Spain; on their return ship was de-
taehed 10 trade with the Mohammedans
along the Barbary shore. The Nene-
tians were too keen traders not TO find
profitable markets even in the lands oi
the infidel
The Columbi Or the GriegBs were Al
last to seize theiF prize, They watched
J with seven ships powerful, no doubt
and well equipped otf the Spanish coasi
to intercept the feet Of Bartolomee
Mimic Tho commander Of the pirates
was Nicolo Griego, the son, we are told
of the elder Columbus. His father hal
disappeared from sight But with hin
in the pirate ships was another Colum
bus, the future disaoYerer and admira
Of the Indies. In his Life Fernando
Columbus boasts of his fathers share il
this famous engagement-fam famous be
cause II led to tho settlement Of Column
bus at Lisbon, his marriage and his fu
ture exploits
He was now man Of at least nifty
hardened by thirtg,six years Of cesseles
adventure. What position he held Il
the pirate fleet, whether as commando
Or seaman, his son does not tell. WI
! only know that he served under hi
! relative, Columbus or Griego, and tina
be fought with desperate energy in thI
famous sea fight of Cape ST. Vincent
trhe corsai1a, or Golnmbi, approaches
: their prey ia the evening They waite,
| ali night on Che still Atlantic, and i
I the morning rushed upon the Vanetiana
/. Itwas sever, perhaps eight, ships agains
: four The galleys were heavy ladel
! and unmanageable compared to thei
/ swift assailants Fhs Golulnhi had eFi
I IDENTIFY resolved 70 make sure Of thei
prey They sailed under the Frencl
{ nag, and may have been fitted ont i
Genoa. Twas the custom of the pirates
E IL seems, 10 assume false colors Bu
dreadful was Tho CONTEST and tierce til
fight that ragged an day, rs Celnnlbn
I had told bis son, on Tie tranqnii sea-
! the scene, nearly four centuries LATER, Q
the baftie Of st. Vincent and his naEra
1 tive il coniifmed BY the Venetian q
q chiyes Ihe four great gallegs unde
3 Bartclomeo Mipio defended themselYe
with uufailing courage.
From tne frst to the twentieth hon
4 | they heat oH their savage assailants
d Tie ships grappled with each other an
& fought hand fo hand They used, II
I are told srtiheial fire, and the pirate
fastened their ships to the galleys b
/ books and iron chains. Then, 20 dQuhl
2 they boarded and were az last success
ful. And then Fernando Colon relate
s The romantic incident that led be thiHlsl
Z to the discovery IF aew wqFld, Hh
q shjp HI which his father fought wa
lashed BY chains and looks 10 3 grel
Fenesian galley The Nenetisns eeef
& 70 haNe set Columbus ehip On lTe, ill
4 Aasnea consumed both vessels. Ting onl
resource leit g tlie survivor was 70 Zee
g into the sea-
lclunbn ap exceilent s@il4tilel
Il seize3 aR or that aQetea neaf Kim, an
partly resting sn Il ana partly sWipliniiiE
{. sustaina5 hin.el N tae water M lnal
AA3AAg t4t fsEN itf+R w 4f fi - fti4 t'i' ttts
i tle coast 81 FaFtugal, ana made hia wa
towara n Wesriedi Aalf inalllpate
was aasned ppqn The shore ile hll
much aiAeulfS "a raYixing htnlsei
3 Bat he Was nsar Lisbon End made h
Is way, shrNE clled panpiiess seaina
q t9tha dIirqus cHpiia agisa VAN
rqpee n