Evening star., 1898-08-27

CCXX myles, are called by the inhabitants
'Cumana and Mancapana.'
Rich in Pearls.
Islands Margarita and Cumana no longer
produce those precious pearl oysters, but
nearly a hundred years after their dis
covery, or in 1887, 316 kilograms of pearls
were sent thither to Spain; and among
them five kilos. of great beauty a present
to King Philip H. 1t was on his third voy-
age to America that Columbus drew nearer
to the equator than ever before, and he
was filled with alarm lest the increasing
heat of the tropics should cause his ships
TO 1all apart and sink. Learned phioso-
phers had assured him that in the tropical
region he would find everything sublimated
to the last degree; hence it would be pro-
ductive of pearls and precious stones par
ticularly emeralds and diamonds subli-
mated in telluric crucbles Thus he was
not surprised at the discovery of pearls.
He recalled what the great Pliry said; that
pearls w=re the product of oysters that
slept with thei~ mouths open, into which
the dews of heaven fell at night, and We're
transmitted into iridescent stones And
Columbus found, in the Bay of Cumana,
oysters clirging to trees with their shells
open; as they may be seen today; but they
We're not the pearl-bearing variety. Nearly
one hundred years later Sir Walter Raleigh
came to the Gulf of Paria and there found
similar oysters, as witness: 'In the way
between were divers little brooks of fresh
water and one of salt, that had stores of
CiSters upon the branches of the trees and
Were very salt and well tasted All their
oysters grow upon those boughs and
spraies, and not on the ground"
InvincibIe Armada Late.
These were the beginnings of the Span
ish Main. Spanish settlers followed hard
after the discoverers. but it was not until
1916 or II that the first English ships
came into the Caribbean, being two ships
of war under Sebastian Cabot and Sir
Thomas Pert. Two years after that the
first English trading vessel arrived at
Puerto Rico. Captain John Hawkins fol-
lowed in 1865 and Captain Francis Drake
IN 1oI2; but no settlement was formed by
either. 1t was during this audacious voy-
age of brakes that the gallant seaman
climbed tree on the highest point of
Darien and saw for the first time the
Pacific ocean, which he later sailed across,
being knighted by Elizabeth on his re-
turn, Iii 15S1. He was then engaged in the
exciting sport of 'singeing the King of
Spain 5 whiskerS'-in other words of at
tacklng his ships in home ports and harry
ing the ports of his foreign possessions
II was his wise policy in attacking ami
cestroylng so many of the Spanish store
shlps IN the harbor of CadiZ that DELAYED
the 1nvincible Armada" which was fit
TED out by Philip IL to invade England
and aided in accomplishing its ultimate
destruction.
Drake and Hawkins
As the Spanish settlements on the main
increased, and from the interior country
as well as across the isthmus from the
mines of Peru, came vast treasures of
gold and silver, which was taken to Spain
in slow-sailing galleons, Sir Francis and
his companion freebooters had most royal
sport and royal plunder. AS early as l563
or the year before Shakespeare was born
hawkins made a profitable voyage to
Guihea and back, bringing to the West
indies a cargo of slaves. He was the origi-
nal SLAYER, as his friend and kinsman,
brake. was the original royal freebooter
IN the interim of his Shaving voyages he
sacked ana bombarded Spanish cities in
the Caribbean, or bombarded them first and
sacked them afterward, and Drake did the
same ThiS pair of precious priyateers
made the Caribbean sea an exceedinqIv
warm place for the Spanish galleons, and
LOT the spanish settlements as we'll They
were the first ones who discovered that
there was milk in the West Indian cocoa
nut. According to tradition it came about
IN 'his way: Sir Francis was once walking
through Wlld cocoanut grove on the
north coast of South America He noticad
among other things that while the cocoa
nuts grew high and out of reach vet in
tHe Tree tops numerous bands of monkeys
aVed: You don't see the connection? We'll
Sr FRANCIS didn't at first. A native showed
it to him. 'A'o"e GU
Ihe Englishman was thirsty; he wanted
Sohethins to drink. He is said not to have
peen singular in this respect, for British
ers are Always thirsty, and always after
something to drink. They usually get il
TOO: Sir Francis got it-or. rather. the
native got it for him.
You see Ze cocos?" he is said to have
said to the buccaneer
Yes"
And you see ze monks?"
"Of course
Veil, zen, eef you do want ze cocos. all
you must do is to keeck ze tree" Saving
which. the native hastened to a nIace nf
safety. while Sir Francis advanced valiant
ly and kicked the coco tree There being
no immediate result. he kicked it again.
and then he got it-"in the neck''-for in