Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-20
A Day on Shore, No. 1s.

Magellan must nave made his head
quarters at the little island of Tinian
Certain it is that after nearly $50 wears
have elapsed, the ruins of te,nple
erected by that navigator are still to be
seen Five hundred yards from the
beach. on a narrow piece of level
ground between two hills whose sides
are overgrown with fan palms and lime
trees, are the corner posts of what was
once undoubtedly place of worship,
built by that stern, uncompromsing,
stubborn, and at times cruel Spanish
discoverer of strange lands. centuries
ago. Three of these granite columns
still stand, the fourth was almost hid
den in rank growth of grass, weeds
and flowers. This temple was not far
from 20 feet square in its day. and with
| in that space Magellan undertook, with
| out doubt. to remodel the crude ideas
| of simple people, that for all time had
| bowed to the great red sun as he came
up out of the eastern ocean, sending to
Ftheir heated shores the invigorating
| trade breeze; to them a god worthy of
| their worship, a thing to reverence and
adore How we'll he succeeded can be
| imagined when it is known that 100000
people have been reduced TO less than
| 10, 600. these few having from necessity
embraced the religion forced upon
them, their numbers continually
growing less, owing to disease brought
| among them from other lands, and the
! iron hand of Spanish rule. that has
+; crushed them ever since that knighted
hero of Spain won the admiration of
| his queen, by losing his life at the
hands of those that he oppressed be-
yond forbearance.
| BY the assistance of a Shipnate l
| mounted the tallest post and stood up
right upon it, six or seven feet from the
ground. Inland. commencing at the
ruins was field of sweet potatoes.
| Just upon the hillside were growing
melons and sGuashes, while away be-
yond a small patch of Indian corn just
in the milk was having its ears pulled
! by a Chimaro man to be marketed on
ship board among the fleet in the har
| Dor. I had scarce taken in the lay of
/ the land when crash among the
| bushes, a mad rush and a ''woof' so
surprised me that | nearly lost my
! balance. my three shipmates disap-
| peared as suddenly as If the earth had
| opened and swallowed them. and in
| their place an enormous razor back
| hog. every brstle erect. his head. the
| the largest part of him. great, white,
=, curling tusks that lifted his lips into
a sardonic grin. little eyes that fairly
| sparkied with cussedness. the whole
| brute a picture of black, bristling rage.
| 4 moments thought convinced me that
| was perfectly safe so long as | held
| he fort, and | had no idea of getting
any better acquainted with the long
! nosed gentleman at my feet. The in
| reduction was sufficient. | whistled
| until | attracted the attention of the
! corn gatherer. He seemed to take in
, the situation at once. disappeared for
| q. moment, then reappeared with three
| dogs that soon cleared the way for me
To get to the beach in safety. If Ma
| Sellan could have seen me thus monop-
| olizing the corner stone of his temple
| doubt if his dignity could have with
| Stood the colnical condition of things
/ | smile. even now, when | think of it.
| In tramp through the low lands
we found growing among the bushes
| the red pea, called by sailors, black
/ eyed Susans." When a child ! was
/ told that they We're Guinea peas and
We're SO called because natives of that
| country We gathered all we wished
| from the vines that climbed higher
| than my head. We found mummy
apples in the mountain. admired the
rich purple and green of its outer COW
eiing but leave it's flavor to be crit
| cized if necessary, by others. We
rested al noon under the broad spread
-,
spring of brackish water, but quenched
| cur thirst with cool refreshing
draught of the milk of the green nut,
cutting through the husk and soft
shell, drinking therefrom a most de-
liciouS thirst quencher. ManiOc grows
here after manner. Whether the
plant is native of the islands or
brought here from some other land
don't know. Cassaya and tapioca are
prepared from manioc but the people
here cook the huge tubers by baking
in the ground, and eat it with their
fish. Like toad stools or mushrooms,
some of which are poisonous, so some
species of the manioc are poisonous
and the test is the same. Eat heartily,
if poisonous, you die if not-well, you
live to eat again.
TO eat and enjoy it / would advise
anyone to seek some other land than
Tinian, even if your entertainer was
no less a parsonage than the governor
himself. However, when invited to
dine with his 'excellenza," it would be
a highly improper thing to refuse and
in fact it never entered my mind that
| could refuse and hence did not
Gathered around stationary table
built of bamboo splits. with legs of
same material, not split. all fastened
solidly to the wall and covered with
cloth of immaculate Wilderness, sat his
eXcellenza, the governor. his wife, Sc
nora Elfrieda, their daughter, Sen
orita Alameda, sweet sixteen, il cap
itano and my exceedingly dimunutive
self. PrimerO-ah, / beg pardon, the
old smattering of Spanish comes to the
front occasionally. first, a ''leetle beet
de aguadent." This was the COVER
nor's invitation. 1t would have been
an objectionable rudeness to have re-
fused. Je whillikins but wasn't it
strong. 1t was fortunate for me that