The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-16
NI1}liss f;sgle
MRS. C. COLUMBUS.
She Discovered Christopher and
He Discovered America.
His Achievement Due to the Inspiration
of Two Lovely Women-His Wife Put
Him Up to It-TIis Queen Fur
nished the Funds.
IcoPYRIGHT, 1927

Since the time when ''in the begin
ming" Eve coaxed Adam to eat the ap-
pie, and thereby established the prece-
dent of woman's power, man has never
httained distinction, either for good or
evil deeds, without the aid and guild
Rnce of lovely-or otherwise gifted
woman. To Ewes inquiring mind and
nctive ambition Adam owes his place in
the worlds history. Had he been left
to himself he would never have been
known beyond the confines of Eden.
The career of Christopher Columbus
affords striking example of renown
gained by achievements which were in
stigated by a woman. Who was the
potent she whose influence unquestion-
ably awakened within him the spirit of
discovery? Let history tell the tale
About the year 1885, there appeared
In the gay circles of Lisbon's high life
an Italian cavalier named Filippo Pales-
trelli, who had wandered from his SUM-
ny home in Piacenza to Portugal, pre-
sumably in the pursuit of pleasure.
That the Portuguese capital found IA
Vor in his eyes may also be surmised,
for he tarried there and in time became
naturalized to the extent of changing
the photography of his name, writing it,
Perestrello. His son, Bartolomeo, en-
tered the service of Prince Henry, son
of John l. of Portugal and Philippa, his
English queen.
In the early days of the fifteenth CEN
fury, Prince Henry became deeply in
terested in the scheme of reaching
India, the land of sweet spices and gold
en- promise, by the circumnavigation
of Africa. Prior to his time Portuguese
mariners had been exceedingly timor
Gus about venturing far from their
coast. The Sea of Darkness, as the At
lantic was then called, possessed untold
terrors for them. Prince Henry, in a
scholarly manner, endeavored to over
come superstition. He established a
naval college and observatory at Sag
res, summoned the most eminent pro-
fessOrs eff nautical science, caused inn
proved maps and charts to be made and
the compass to be more generally used
At last he aroused degree of interest
in his schemes, and in 141S he dispatched
three of his most skillful navi-
gators, JoaO Goncalvaz Varco,
Tristao Vaz Toxeira and Bartolomeo de
Perestrello, on voyage of exploration
along the coast of Barbary. They had
scarcely gotten out of sight of land
when violent storm arose which drove
their vessel out of its course. By what
seemed special providence they drifted
into safe harbor on the shore of an
unknown island, which they named, in /
gratitude for their deliverance, Porto |
Santo. When the storm abated they
perceived what was apparently low
bank of clouds in the western horizon,
but which proved, upon investigation,
TO be another island, Astounding in tim
Der lands, in consequence of which fact
they named it Madeira, the Portuguese
for timber. Elated with their success,
they made all possible speed back to
Portugal and reported to their royal
commander.
Prince Henry at once fitted out three
ships, which he gave to his captains,
with orders to return and colonize the
islands TO Perestrello he assigned the
governmentship of Porto Santo. Filled
with ambition by the honor conferred
upon him by his prince, Perestrello
sought in his enthusiasm to rival the
achievements of the first great naval
captain, Noah. Had he been content to
emulate the maratime success only of
that time-honored sailor all would have
been well with him Unfortunately he
underworld to compass his geological
exploits as well, not rejecting that
Noah, in his day and generation, pos
sessed the earth, compared to which his
little island was a somewhat limited