The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-09-29
HISTORICAL STORY
The New World.
UNITED States

called Italy. Europe is q grand division OF
what Is called the Eastern Continent. IL you
get abord a ship at New York, a great city
in our country, and sail eastward across the
Atlantic Ocean for hunuredS OF miles you will
reach Europe.
Did you ever see the ocean, Wen, II you
never did, must tell you that IL is a great body
of salt water. The Atlantic Ocean is so large
that, II you sailed across IL, You would 90 on for
days ana days without seeing any land, and the
Pacific Ocean is larger still. A fast steamship
can 20 out and travel about on the oceans for
weeks and months, while the people on board
would see everywhere above and around them
only the sky and water.
When Columbus was "a boy, he was very poor
ana had to work hard for his living. When
very young he became q sailor and almost all
OF his life was spent in going from one place to
another on the oceans and seas.
In those days the people Of Europe did not
know Il thing about theCountgy we livei in. There
were no white people here then, and no towns,
farms. churches, schools. railroads, nor any OF
such things, Tn land was covered with for
ests, swampS and praries, The forests were
full OF wild animals thousands of deer and bufta-
Ices, or bis0ns .roamend over the praries, while
millions OF birds flew about in the forests and
over the plains.
The only people here then were the Indians,
or red men. They were wild saVageS, who went
nearly naked or dressed in the skins OF animals
killed by them. They lived in huts made Of
skins or of the boughS and bark OF trees. They
raised nothing TO eat, except u little maize, or
Indian corn, and u few other vegetables, and
lived mostly on the flesh OF wild animals and
birds killed and fish caught by them,
They had no mills to grind their corn, but
beat IL with stones into q sort OF hominy. They
had no stoves. nor iron and tin vessels for
cooking, but roasted their meat on the ends Of
sticks or on the Goals, and they had "a few pots
made of stone or clay, to boil things in. They
did not know anything about onr God, but
believed there was q Great Spirit, who lived
somewhere in the happy hunting ground, to
| xUb "a shaw NF1Vtl1 a IN Mon Annth vino
their spirits. or souls, would be with their
Great Spirit and enjoy themselves hunting for
ever, They were very cruel and fierce, and the
different tribes were continually lighting
| against cath other.
Wen. the people of Europe did not know any
thing about this country. but Columbus, ana u
few others, said that the earth was round and
that, il he sailed westward from Europe, he
would go around the world to Asia. Most Of
the wise men said. however. that If he were to
sail 30 the west and go far enough, he would
fall off the edge of the earth into IA deep pit.
perhaps into the pit where the devil and his
angels are kept in prison: because, they said,
the world was hat like a great plain, on which
were many hills and mountains.
Columbus was very poor ana not able to hire
ships and men to 90 across the ocean, so he
went from place TO place and country to coun-
try, trying to get kings and queens and great
and rich men to help him. lie Travelled about
in this way for years without success, until he
was almost ready TO give up In despair. At
last a great, rich queen sent for MIN one day
and promised TO finnish him some ships and
sailors.
1t was not very easy to lind sailors that were
willing to 90 with Columbus. In those days
there were no schools for everybody, as we
have now, so the common sailors did not know
a thing about geography except what theYlearn-
ed by sailing from place to place. Ine priests
were the only ones, asa rule, wi o studied books.
and they said the Bible taught THAT the GarIu
was ftat. therefore, II Columbus sailed too far
west he and his men would perish. The ignor-
ant sailors believed the priests and were afraid
to go. However, by promising big pay, enough
men were al last found to nan three small
vessels.
IAe great qussn who helped Columbus was
named Isabelle. Her husband Was named
Ferdinand, ana he was the king and she the
duaea OF Spaia But She queen did not give
geixsnbnS all Ne moRsy he A%sded. Ous-Nghta
Of WiEt he waAIsa was gwen ~ s0AA 81 ais
other friends in Spain.
AT Iast, wnen ali was ready, Columbus and
his men sailed away from Spain, from the 0 W
of Palos, and turned their vessels across the
great Atlantic Ocean. 1t was on u bright day
in August, about four hundred years ago. Many
people stood on the shore and watched them as
Lhey sailed away, Some cheered them on. as
they thought that Columbus and his men would
lind land over the sea and return, but most OF
the people were sad, because they Thought the
men were sailing to destruction,
Columbus ana his men sailed on for days and
weeks without seeing land. AS long as sthe
weather was bright, The sailors were satisfied;
but, at last, the rains fell, the winds blew ana
even in the daytime, black clouds made it
dark and dismal all around. The winds made
the water roll in great waves or pillows, Just
as if the mountains and hills should.be made to
roll along on the ground. The three little yes
sells danced ABOUT on the water, Just as our
houses might dance about il the hills should
roll under them, being hrSt on the top Of a
billow, or hill OF water, and then down in a
trough. or valley OF water-sometlmes with
their bows pointing to the sky, climbing a wave
or billow, and then pointing TO the bottom OF
the ocean, rushing down into a trough.
The raging Of the storm and OF the water was
so terrible, that the poor sailors became very
much frightened ana expected their vessels
and themselves to sink TO the bottom of the
sea. They thought of what the priests and
Others had said about the worlds being fiat.
and that, II they kept sailing on, they would fall
into a pit OF destruction. They thought that
the great rain the bowling winds. the rolling
waves, the black clouds and dark days all
proved that they were getting close to the
edge Of the world, and that they would soon
Jump of into the terrible pit, SO they wanted
to turn back before 1t should be too late.
Columbus knew it was silly to believe such
thingSand did all he could to make them go on.
He told them that the great king and queen OF
Spain would punish them, il they turned back;
that there was no danger, and that they would
soon find land. He pointed out to them some
aocks of birds flying by, which, he said, proved
that land was near; and he alec showed them a
branch from a tree. having on it leaves and
berries, which must have t1oated from land
close by. He told III m that the people Of Eu-
rope would think them the greatest men in the
world, If they found "a Il, and promised them a
great deal ofmoney, Il taey would keep onSb by
talking to them in tli9 way he persuadedthem
TO sail on for a few daS .tnger.
One night, not long l.t. t this, Columbus was
keeping watch on deck nd saw Il light, which,
he thought, came from Il fire on land, so the
vessels stopped and dropped their anchors
In the morning they saw land close to them
and were as proud and happy as men can well
be, Then Columbus and some OF his men
dressed themselves in their best clothes, got
into a boat and went ashore. Columbus had a
Spanish flag in his hand, the stan OF which he
stuck into the ground and declared that the
new country should belong to Spain.
While Columbus and his men were landing
some Of the people who lived there-the ma
tives-were in the bushes, watching them,
They had never seen ships before and thought
they were huge birds, and thai tina sails were
their great wings. They had never seen any
white men before, and thought the huge birds.
with their great white wings, had brought them
from another world, perhaps from that world
the Great Spirit lived In. Their skins were SC
white, and their boards and dress seemed SO
strange, that the natives thought they must
be spirits or gods and were afraid OF them.
At last one of the natives venture out OF
the bushes and went towards the white men.
holding out his hand TO show that he wished to
be friendly. Tn whites received him kind
~, so the Otner natives came TO them also.
These people had on very little clothing
and Columbus, when he saw their red or
copper-colored skin, wondered who they
were, However, he thought he had landed in
that portion OF Asia called India. so he called
them Indians, and the people found on this
coRtinent have been called Indians ever since.
The Spaniards and Indians could not under
stand each others words, 80 they talked by
making signs. The red men treated the whites
kindly, brought them fruits and other things to
eat and told them all they could about the new
country.
Columbu learnd that he was on an island
and named it San Salvador. After sailing
about among the Bahama aad West Indian
Islands, he resumed to Spain, taking with
him some fruiss from the new land and, it
Is said, some Of she natives that he had per-
suadsd to come.on his ships. And then, when
they we're aboard, he made prisoners of them
and toek theI1 away.
When Columbus first resurned 10 Spain. they
nnada = nrant faaa nrar hin. La nnnAn 49,.