The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-11-10
AMONG sAvAoEs.
How Columbus Was Wrecked and How
the Aborigines Treated Him.

How Columbus Was Wrecked and How
the Aborigines Treated Him.
Guacanagari was eager to see more
of the Spanlards and sent numbers OF
his light hearted people to welcome
them and bring them gifts OF every
sort Their enthusiasm was I'M
bounded, their generosity unstinted.
The land was gay with festivities the
sea swarmed with canoes On near
ing the caravels. the Indians that
crowded them stood up, rendering all
kinds of offerings with gestures OF
devotion. as in idolatrous worship.
Beholding all this enthusiasm. Col
umbus despatched formal embassy
to Guacanagari. says the Century. and
on hearing their report he deter
mined. despite the prevailing land
breeze to weigh anchor and sail to
the dominions OF his friends which
were some five leagues distant He
set out at daybreak on December "a.
Little progress was made during all
that day. The night came Christmas
Eve and Columbus determined to
celebrate it as best beftted his own
health and the comfortof his own crew.
by enjoying a sound sleep. He re-
tired, worn out by three nights OF
vigil following three days OF herculean
labor. SweeC must have been his
rest! His discovery of that new world
whose very existence had been denied.
the endless up-springing OF Eden-isles
the simple races bound to nature by
such mysterious ties and soon to be
brought into the fold of civilization
and christianity must have filled his
mind with happy dreams on
this the first restful Christ
mas Eve he had passed in
thirty years of titanic contest with
all the world, and at times oven with
his own self. 1t was midnight when
the echoes of childhood and Of times
long past fill the slumbering ear The
heavens smiled, and the sea was
calm. The sailors slept soundlN sure
of their bearings and room be-
cause preceded by the little fleet of
skiffs and canoes sent by Columbus to
the Indian king. A ships boy held
the helm, so assured were they all OF
the fairness of the weather and the
safety of their course when the flag
ship struck upon sunken reef Co.
lumbus instantly OWNED his peril
and hurried on deck. With lightning
rapidly he gave orders to cut away
the mast and throw the cargo over
board. But the remedy was futile; it
was no mere stranding, it was a
wreck. With the desertion of the
Pinta and the loss of the Santa Maria
only the smallest and frailest of the
three caravels that had set sail from
Palos remained. He went on board
the Nina, and sent a fresh embassy
to Guacanagari. giving an account
of the disaster while he stood
off and on till day broke. When
the chief learned the misfortune he
sought in every way to alleviate it
sparing neither means nor sacrifice.
Disastrous indeed it was to face such
superstitious races. who confided in
the prosperity and success of the
supernatural. with the slender rem
nants of such wreck, which shows
how the sea overcomes all created
things and bows us all to its sover-
eign power. But the sentiment of
hospitality was uppermost in that
faithful tribe and in their kindly mon
arch. All the succor needed in that
sad hour. and all requisite provision
for the future. were given to the suf-
ferers 4 with admirable orderliness.
The salvage of the wreck was piled
on shore and. under the chiefs orders,
scrupulously guarded by the natives
as though it were their own. The
cargo was rapidly discharged and
stored in place of safety, without
the loss of pins point sssssS@