The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-01-01
JASPER, INDIANA. FRIDAY JANUARY /. 1891.

proofs or tne smlty ana unnness or
Gnacznagari Whenever he went on
shore 70 superintend the works he was
entertained Ia the most hospiiablr man
ner BY that chieftain Tie mad the larg-
est house IN the place prepared for ais
reception. strewed or czfpeted with palm
leaves. and furnished with los stools u
. black and shining wood that looked
like JET. When be received the admiral
u was always In . style Of princeIy gen.
erosity. hanging around his neck some
jewel Of gold or making him some pres
ent Of similar value
On one occasion he came 70 meet him
on his landing. attended by five tribu-
tary caciques. each carrying . coronet Of
gold. they conducted him with great
Difference 70 the house already men
toned. where. seating him in one Of the
chairs. Guacanagarl took Of his own
coronet Of gold and placed il upon his
head. Columbus Ia return took from his
neck . collar Of 6ne coiored beads. which
be put round that Of the cacique; he in
vested him with his own mantle Of fine
cloth. gave him pair Of colored boots
and put on his finger = large silver ring.
upon which metal the Indians set q great
value. II not being found in their island
The caciqne exerted himself to the ut
most to procure . great quantity Of gold
for the admiral before bis departure for
Spain The supplies thus furnished and
the vague sccounts collected through the
medium Of signs and imperfect interpre-
tations gave Columbus magnificent ideas
Of the wealth In the interior Of this
Island The NAMES Of csciques. noun
talns and provinces were confused to
gether in his imagination and supposed
to mean various places where great
treasure vas 10 be found. above all. the
name Of cbao continually occurred. the
golden region among the mountains
whence the natives procured most Of the
ore for their ornamental In the pimento
or red pepper which abounded in the
island he fancied be found q trace Of
oriental spices. and be thought be had
met with specimens OF rhubarb
Passing with bis usual excitability,
from a state OF doubt and anxiety TO one
Of sanguine anticipation. be now consid-
cred his shipwreck - . providential
event mysteriously ordained by heaven
to work out the success Of his enterprise
Without this seeming disaster be should
never have remained 70 find out the
secret wealth Of the island. but should
merely have touched at various parts Of
the coast and passed on Asa proof that
the particular hand Of Providence was
exerted in It. be cites the circumstance
Of his having been wrecked In perfect
calm. without wind or wave. and the de-
sertion Of the pilot and mariners when
sent to carry out an anchor astern, for
had they performed bis orders the veasel
would have been hauled Of. they would
have pursued theirvoyage and the treas-
ures OF the island would have remained
secret But now be looked forward to
glorious fruits 70 be reaped from this
seeming evil. ''for be hoped be- said,
that when be returned from Spain he
should find ton Of gold collected in
traffic BY those whom be had left behind,
and mines and spices discovered in such
quantities that the soyereigns before
three years. would be able TO undertake
crusade for the deliverance OF the holy
sepulche.- the grand object to which he
had proposed that they should dedicate
the fruits Of this enterprise
Such was the visionary yet generous
enthusiasm Of Columbus the moment
that prospects Of vast wealth broke upon
his mind What In some spirits would
have awakened . grasping and sotdid
avidity 70 accumulate. Immediately filed I
his imagination with plans Of magnif-
cent expenditure. But how vain are our
attempts to interpret the inscrusable de-
crees Of Providence. The shipwreck,
which Columbus considered an act Of 4
divine favor to reveal to him the secrets
Of the land shackled and limited all his Il
after discoveries II linked his fortunes
for the remainder Of his life 70 this H.
land. which was doomed to b to him
source Of cares and troubles, 20 involve
him in Thousand perplexities. and to
becloud mis- declining years with huinil-
Ime 49, "A a.