The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-12-22
governor. who CAME into power the min.

way we ehOu nave been Sent Lock TO
New York quicker.
Watlings was 200 mi; away. We
had decided that if visit 10 " atlings
produced the physical evidence neces-
sary to establish its claims beyond Goubt.
well ard goou If not, Ire We're 10 study
the other islands IN The order I'll their
theoretical probability. How 70 get
harbOr were sloops, yachts and schoon-
ers galore. One smelled of her last
cargo, Jamaica rum; another of sponges,
a third of fist. a fourth of porltry. The
kabins of all We're mere cells. And il
was the season of the year when calmb
reigned for lays at time. The only
steam vessel in port was the steamship
tender, g. crude craft with Il bottom as
fiat as a st. let car, keellesS and not
lovely. Besiues she cost L pretty penny.
But we bothered the expense and took
her, hove into her our cement and sup
plies, employed some more masons with
their tools, bought half ton Of precious
ice, hired "Sandy," the most famous
pilot of the Bahamas; borrowed an
American flag of the consul, and with
the stars and stripes flying at masthead
steamed away.
A day and Il night of alternating calm
and storm, through rocky passages and
over dangerous shoals, and we were at
Cat island, which Washington Irving
do 20, 4 L,
solemnly confirmed us the San Salvador
of Columbus. For half day we steamed
along the coast of Cat island, and ex-
amined it very carefully. 1t bears no
mblance whatever to the island
which Columbus described in his jour
nal. For fifty years it has been Il San
Salvador under false pretenses.
In the afternoon we reached WatlingS
Palm trees and hazy vistas. matched
huts and outlying reefs over which tho
surf broke lazily marked its shores. A
boat at once put off to us. 1t contained
all the officials of the island--the local
magistrate, the port otfieer the post
master, the sheriff, the colonel of the
militia and many more-all in the per-
son of Captain Maxwell Marin, the only
white resident of the island, a veritable
Pooh Bah, monarch of Il coral isle. His
salary is $2C9 Il year, and he has been
there thirty years.
Captain Marin became our guide,
counselor, friend and foeman With
him we explored tho island A coral
| rock it is, a dozen miles long and half
as broad, containing large lagoons of
brackish water, covered with tropical
vegetation, nearly Surrounded hy reefs.
Eight hundred negroes live hcT; ulling
altogether probably score OF acres of
land, subsisting principally on fish ard
other sea food. They are an honest.
pious, temperate people. Their chief
failing is a predisposition toward piracy,
and woe to the cargo of the ship that Is
wrecked upon their shores. This pirat-
ical tendency they came naturally by,
for this coral island was once the rendez-
vous of infamous Blue Beard, and some
of these poor people are no doubt his
| direct descendants.
But | could see little in this island
save Christopher Columbus. At every
turn the great discovcrer was suggested.
The salt lagoon appeared to echo back
his name; the sands Of the shore seemed
to bear the impress Of his feet the surf
breaking over the reefs chanted the "Te
Deum in imitation of Colum!:,!s himself.
The spirit of Columbus dominates every
thing in Watlings, overshadows every
thing, leaves nothing else to be though.
of or written about.
And no wonder. Here WAS everything
that Columbus described i'll his journal
the large lagoon in the middle of the
island" the luxuriant vcrdure, the
reefs running all round that island
the hills near the shore, the piece Of
land like an island, yet which is not an
island, but could easily be made one" as
an admirable sight for Il fort; the harbor
lying hard by, in which all the ships Of
Christendom could lie All these and
many more Of the things which Column
bus had described we found, and at first
knew instinctively, and later proved TO
! a mathematical certainty, that this was
the birthplace Of the New World.
A little bay, two miles from the piece
Of land like an island" chose after
much exploration as tie very spot at
which the landing was made. That this
| island was the San Salvador Of Colum-
bus know; that this pretty bay, with
| its overhanging headian1 and shining
| beach. was the more particular scene Of
the discovery believe. In IL" nature
Of things it cannot be proved, Though
there is much in its favor Near it j.
| high hill which Columbus probably first
saw in the moonlight Of that f";"tul
morning. 1t is the first bit Of coast 10 the
| south, free enough from reefs to permit
safe landing. 1t is at :. point where" Co
| lumbus would have rowed north north
easterly to see the other side e the
island" as he says he did the second
morning after his arrival, Oh this occa-
sion discovering the piece Of land like
an island" and the wonderful harbor in
which the water is still a3 il a well
| On the promontory which Hitr'i lis
head above the little bay we eroc.cd u
memorial 1t was constructed Of coral
| limestone found hard by. Thirty ma
tive workmen were employed cutting
roads with their machetes, bringing for
ward materials, mixing mortar anl car
rying cement up the hillside. S.siilfnl
boatInen brought supplies fro. the
steamer through tie dan sc-ot.s oral
reef The American lag faat-' I'm a
staff as we worked. and the IA .ent
l grew day by day. The sun beat with
tropical fierceness; our drinking water
was dipped out of the hollows of the rocks,