The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-02-14

had been able to borrow, peg or steal,
from the moment he had first con-
celved the idea of remaining with the
Indians. He was, therefore, fairly
we'll prepared for the enterprise he
had undertaken. It was only neces-
sary to work on the superstition and
simplicity of the natives to have a
free course.
HE decided not to show himself
till the morning, but in the early
dawn of the next day, when the saw
ages were gathered for their first
meal, he suddenly appeared among
them, with the full effect of having
descended from the sky. Their sur
prise was wholly joyous, and with
shouts of 'Turey! Turey!' they gath
cred around him, and Mendoza per-
ceived by their use of this word,
which, among them, meant something
celestial or divine, that he was re-
ceived as a god. That he mad re-
turned to them while hes companions
had chosen to depart seemed a
special act of condescens;on, and to
show their appreciation of this favor
they prostrated themselves before him
and kissed the hem of his mantle.
"This was precisely the effect that
Pedro had desired to produce, and he
was not slow to avail himself OF the
great advantage it gave him. He at
once assumed the position of the visi-
Bile representative of their presiding
deity, and from that moment his in
fuence over these simple and amiable
children Of nature was supreme.
mendoza had no cause to fear that
any search would be made for him by
Columbus, but he had determined to
run no risks and at once made known
his intentions to seek for the con-
cealed city and its ruler in the interior
of the island. During the time that
the admiral's messengers had spent in
this search, Pedro had seen enough
Of the country to feel sure that it be-
came finer and richer the further it
was explored; and it had been because
Of his selfish desire to have its wealth
entirely to himself that he had per-
sistently discouraged his companions,
declaring to them, Notwithstanding all
the Indian guides protested to the con-
trary, that only disappointment and
fatigue, with the probability Of death
under the tropio heat, laybefore them
if they persevered in the hopeless
search. Now, however, he set forth,
accompanied by several of the natives,
and feeling confident Of. success in
that same search, while he listened
eagerly to their predictions that they
would soon arrive at the kingdom Of
Ornofay.
"Ever since his arrival on the ISL
and Pedro had especially noticed two
young Indians of exceptional quick
ness and intelligence. They excelled
in pantomime and learned words and
phrases of Spanish SO readily that very
soon he could communicate easily with
them, 80 that now he had no difficulty
in making himself understood. These
youths he took on his expedition to
the interior, aud they proved of sig
nal value in the course of the journey
afterward.
1.-THE Indians had, at first, described
their chieftain's city as being at dis
tance of four days walk, but, owing
to the extreme heat in the middle of
the day and the hilly character of the
country as they advanced from the
shore, Pedro found himself not yet at
the end of his journey when the four
days had heightened into seven.
"But on the evening Of that day
they had come TO a range of mount
aims beyond which, as his guides as
surea him, lay valley, hemmed in
by another range of mountains not yet
visible. The indians, who seemed su-
perior to fatigue, were for pushing on
at once; but Mendoza, wearied by q
march such as he had never known
bufore, and unwilling to admit that he
was quite worn out lest he should
peril his reputation as celestial be-
ing, peremtorily decided to wait till
morning, intimating to the Indians his
desire to greet the sun before proceed
ing further. As their rude religious
ideas embraced the god of day among
their deities, they readily responded
to this desire on the part of the celes-
tial stranger, and oil Frustrated them
selves before him, kissing the earth at
his feet and transported with joy when
he permitted them to press their lips
on his hand.
"Fruits and flowers and many kin2s
Of nuts grew everywhere in great
abundance, and crystal streams of
water were frequent. Besides this,
the Indians had brought q supply of
cassava bread-a thin cake, made from
the pulp of the yucca root-and skins
filled with the juice of o luscious grape
which grew in the woods in such pro-
fusion that the trunks and branches of
trees were often covered by its vines,
from which hung great punches Of the
purple fruit. Pedro Jared we'll, and
although he could not wholly Danish
anxiety in regard to his reception by
Ornofay, who might be neither SO
simple nor so hospitable as his pres
ent friends, he felt no serious alarm
and calmly retired to rest. His
Indians had prepared for him couch
made from the boughs of trees,
covered with heaps of leaves and long
grass, and strewn with the gorgeous
blossoms of the amaryllis, and as the
island was free from serpents and
every kind of reptile, sleeping in the
open oil @as as safe as it was pleas
ant. .~.|r
''At the dawning of the day, when
all the tropie sky was pale blush-rose.