The record-union., 1895-09-21

! took courage and We'd with each other in
bringing provisions to our ships.
BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE.
Tho savages ply their trade from
! island 10 island in large boats, narrow
! but firmly built, which are propelled
with oars faster than in Europe, one boal
sometimes carrying as many as eighty
roWers. All the people belong to the
same race-they have the same features,
customs and language; fact that will
| help in their conversion 10 Christianity.
Il think the island of Juana. the coast
! OF which we followed for 3D. miles, is
/ larger than England and Scotland to-
! getber, and that westward from our
course there are two countries one OF
which, Anan, Is inhabited by race of
people with tails. Hispaniola, | esti-
mate. must be greater in circumference
: than Snain, as that side of the quad
J rilateral which we followed measured 450
miles. AS l considered it an island of no
| little importance, took possession of it
| in the name OF my sovereign. One site
which we occupied l found naturally
/ adapted for commerce. and named it
| Navldad. / lett garrison there, sup
piled with arms and provisions to last
more than year, and ordered the build
! ing OF a tOrt-which ought to have been
| completed 10y that time. TIE natives
were peaceable, aud the king, who
treated me like brother, was specially
! friendly to Spain. Moreover, if they
| should change their attitude they would
! be p0werless, naked, timorous and un-
armed as they were. against our garrison
! safely intrenched III the fort. The Span
iards, if they kept we'll disciplined, might
! hold the entire island in subjection with
| out running any risk"
| Columbus remarks that the savages
had but one wife apiece. except the
| chiefs. who could have twenty. aud that
| the women did more work than the men,
| lie did not know whether they recog-
nized the rights of property; apparently
| they did not, as they helped themselves
| 10 each others possessions iudiscrimi-
nately. especially when it was matter
| OF food
We did not encounter any monstrous
| race of people in these islands, az Euro
! peans tancied," says Columbus, "but
everywhere the natives were cOmely,
their hair was straight and their skin
lighter than that Of the natives of
| Guinea. 1t was hot climate-prObab bly,
twenty-six degrees from the equator
The natives did not expose themselves 10
the heat, but dwelt in the mountain
regions, where the temperature was
! lower; in the colder seasons they pro-
tected themselves by eating hot meats"
FEROCIOUs MONSTERS.
Only the island of Quares appeared to
be inhabited by monsters Coluln bus
calls them anthropophagi. "who, in
large double canoes, piled their hideous
carnage of murder and robbery from
! island to island. These cannibals in
spired dread in all tho other natives
| They carried bows and arrows, and their
ferOcty. sccentuated by their hair, which
they wore long like the women Of other
| trIbeS, was deemed to be terrible.'
('Ol1Jfrl bUS saVg tbaV did mot pa11co II
! any greater concern than the peaceful
| natives. He adds that they internarried
! with the women Of the island of Matiueuo,
! the first TO lie sighted after leaving Spain.
! These women, to whom feminine traits
| are unknown, also carried bows and
arrows and wore armOr OF brass, which
metal abounded on this island.
/ Columbus was told Mat there existed
another island larger than iIispaniola.
/ the inha bitants OF which had no hair on
their bodies, and where gold was TO be
! found in prod giOus quantities. In his
| letter be proclaimed inat he had on his
ship natives from this island, as from
The others. and that the truth of his
statements would be borne out by these
natives.
The discoverer finished his letter by
promising to present the King, in return
Tor the slight assistance Afforded him as,
much gold as he could desire, as much
silk ana perfume as could be found in
Chic: as much alaes and rhubarb, and az
many heathen slaves as he could wish
for The garrison he left behind would
e X plore and would find further riches.
He would have carried his own discov-
cries further If his stay had been longer,
and ii he had been provided with the
necessary ships. His voyage had been
Interrupted by contrary winds and he
had stopped only long enough TO have
forts built OH the different islands.
He prOc.ailns that ais discovery is not
due 10 the exercise Of any human intel
Iigeuce, but That II was ordained by God,
"who at times uses His servants as in
strumeuts 10 work out his Miracles"
Any writer's VINO had made previous
mention OF these islands. he contends,
had done SO in spirit Of conjecture only,
and their assertions were not to be seri-
oUsly regarded.
LET the King, the Queen and all Chris
tendon therefore give thanks 10 our Lord
and Savior, through " hom such great
victory has been won. Let possession be
formed; let ihe churches be decorai ed
with leaves; let Christ rejoice on earth as
in heaven now that the light of salvation
may shine III so many souls. before this
IN darkness; let US be glad over the
triumph OF our faith, and at this Access
sion OF temporal advantages. which will
( aggrandiZe not only Spain, but every
( Christian land" Thus the letter con-
! clUdes.
HAD NO VISION OF AMERICA.
/ The text Of the letter is not unknown to
scholars. But wishing 10 place before
/ those who have not the means at hand for
J historical research, we have selected from
the volumiaous records of the Italian
Raccolta the letter to Gabriel Sanchez as
! the document that would best enable the
reader TO appreciate all that COiumb bus
/ had IN mind when he landed again in
/ Europe.
lie was then profoundly convinced of
/ the magnitude OF his achievements. III Q
Ieit the destined importance OF his dis
/ Covery, just As before he had felt that he
WAS destined to make that discovery. He
/ was proud of his work, but not surprised
( that his hope was realized. He had sailed
/ 10 The west seeking tho eastern confines
OF Asia. And he believed that his search
/ was successful. In his widest dreams
/ he had no vision OF America. In his
/ eyes The aboriylnes were Indians OF india.
And he was SURPRISED that these Indians
/ spoke o! no great country OF Cathay and
/ iLs cities. sill, he was not shaken in his
/ belief. Cathay, according 10 his ideas,
/ stretched away 10 tie westward OF that
land OF Juana CUBA; he had only
/ touched its eastern extremity. He was
/ delighted with the hospitality of the ma
( uEes aud with the luAuEIant vegetation
I OF Hispaniola {l4ayii).
tiaViug discovered this country, 1t was
/ not strange thai he slOuid be Inclined to
admire its great na;urai beauties and
actuaied alike 10y enthusiasm and inter-
/ est-dwei among the wonders Of that
lani beyond tho seas wnen he returned
/ 80 spain anG WAS given audiences before
! thckiug. lie promIS ii 20 DIiBg back
/ mountains OF gold from these isiands--
/ more ne must have promised tNan tLey
{ wogld yield at present. He told of an
untu.ored race. eager to welcome tie
WORDS of The gospel. Religion WAS one
+ OF tac motives that led 10 the discovery OF