The times., 1898-11-21
Observation-Disclosures
Maria Teresa Cast Ashore Near
the Very Spot.
A SINGULAR COINCIDENCE
The Great Discoverer Supposed to
Have Made His First LandfaIl on
WatlinEs Island-His Course Re
traced by the yaErant Spanish
Island.

A singular coincidence in connection
with the Inflated Maria Teresa, the lead
ing vessel in the luckless fleet of Admiral
Cervera. is that, after an aimless voyage
across the Atlantic to be ridded and sunk
by American shells, raised and reanimat-
ed by American pluck and enterprise and
again abandoned she should retrace, with
the aid of wind and waves, the course
taken by Christopher Columbus in his
Spanish caravels, and find a last resting
place near the very spot where the great
admiral first sighted land, in October,
1892.
According to Washington Irving and
Humbolt, Columbuss first landing was
made on Cat Island, where the Maria Te-
resa is ashore Later investigators, how
ever. have come to the conclusion that
the Iandfall was made on the northeast
shore of Watlings Island. which lies
about fifty miles to the eastward.
Certain 1t is that tie first landing was
made somewhere about midway the Ba-
hama chain. most probably on Watsing's
Island, as that corresponds minutely with
| a description of the land given in the
journal of Columbus.
Cat Island lies about midway of the
| Bahama chain. a Thousand miles from
| New York and closely resembles Italy
| in general outline. 1t is in the shape of
a boot, forty-two miles in length and
| from three to four miles In breadth. Co
Iunlbus point which has been given to
| the world as the first American landfah
| of the great discoverer lies at the heel
of the boot. and at its southeastern ex-
| tremity.
| After leaving his first landing. Column
| bus sailed in a roundabout way for the
| island of Cuba reaching its north coast
near the present port Of Gibara. From
rnere he coasted to Cape Maysi, crossing
| the channel to Haiti where he lost his
flagship on "A reef in the harbor of Cape
| Haitien. built a fort. left forty Of his
men and returned to Spain.
The conclusions of Washington Irving
| as to the landing place Of Columbus were
unuuestioned until trifle less than half
Il century ago, when work by Capt.
| Beecher. entitled The Landfall OF Co
lumbus." appeared. followed shortly by an
exhaustive work by Capt. G. V. Fox, OF
the American navy.
Capt Beecher believed that the landing
was made on Watlings and Capt. Fox
| advocated the Island of Samana. or At
, wood Cay. The former theory was sup
| ported by Lieut.. Murdock. OF our navy,
who began his Investigations on the coast
of Cuba and followed the course OF Co
lumbus back to the island first sighted
which he decided to have been Watlings
Later explorers. among them Walter
Weliman, the arctic explorer. have thor
oughly examined the Islands. and have
also arrived at the conclusion that the
Island of Watlings was the first land
sighted by the great navigator The jour
nal of Columbus gives the same impress
sion. According TO the journal the cara
vels lay just outside the reefs. from
which point Columbus describes the view
as follows:
This island is large and very leve
(Cat Island is quite hilly), has very
large lagoon in the middle. is without any
mountain, and is all covered with YER
dure most pleasing to the eye
On Sunday, October II, he writes: IA
dawn I ordered the boats of the ship and
of the caraveIs TO be got ready and went
along the island. | was afraid of a rect
of rocks which entirely surrounds this
island, although there is within ii depth
and ample harbor for all the vessels oi
Christendom: but the entrance is narrow
II is true that the interior of the belt
contains some rocks, but the sea i:
there as still as a WELL
AS to the name at present applied e
the latter, the .unromantic appellation oi
Cat no one seems to know when II
was bestowed The native name of that
first isiand-be it Cat or Watlings-was
Guanahani. and Columbus called ii Sar
Salvador.