Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-02-06

bus. Eratost henes, an ancient geogra.
pher, declared that it would be easy tc
sail west from Spain to India we're it moi
for the great distance. In 1857, two hun:
bred and twenty-five years before Column
bus, Roger Bacon suggested sailing west
ward to China.
ssIn the middle of the 9th century q
monk, Cosmas Indicopleustes, who had
been travelling merchant, wrote book,
describing the earth as rectangular
plane forming the floor of the universe,
of which the blue vault above was the
roof. After definitely locating the abode
of God in the attic, the garden of Eden
and few other places of popular inter-
est, he mildly says:-'As for the vain
blasphemers who pretend that the earth
is a round ball, the Lord has stultified
them for their ms until they impudently
pirate of antipodes, where trees grow
downward and rain falls upward. Such
nonsense l cannot abide Even SO late
as Columbus time there were current
stories of the flaming atmosphere and
steaming whirlpools OF the torrid zone,
dragon-infested islands, regions Of en-
chantment, bottomless abysses where the
ocean poured over the edge of the world
monsters of the deep that dragged down
vessels and distributed the crews as play
things to the mermaids' babies. The sea
serpent does not appear in the list; mixed
drinks had not been invented.
columbus, we may be sure, was far
too level headed to take notice of these
bugaboos, excepting as he had to combat
them when he came to make up his
crews. But he was not scholar; for
from his youth he had led a life of adven-
ture and hardship. His science consisted
of practical knowledge of navigation.
He could hardly have been acquainted
with the writings of Aristotle and the
ancient philosophers. He may have been
acquainted with those of Bacon. But
how could he, comparatively unlettered
man, distinguished the truth from the
many " lid theories y The answer would
explain the genius of the man.
"His intellectual greatness consists, ii
seems to me, in the prompt astuteness
with " hich he seized upon the truth and
rejected the error, and the persistent faith
with which he held to his conclusions.
Not learned, he yet recognized the voice
OF wisdom. Where he lacked experience,
an almost unerring logic made him mas
ter of circumstances.
sin brief, out of the mass Of conflict
was indeed round; that the ocean east oil
China was the same as that to the west OF
Europe; that the voyages down the coast
of Africa had proven that the passage in
to the Indian ocean, if indeed it existed,
was too remote and beset with too many
difficulties to the sailor of those days to
be considered in comparison with the
straight course westward; that the haz-
ar1, ,f hal a.ys
mate hazards of a sailor; that immense
wealth would flow through the route
when opened; that, with the treasure
thus obtained, an irresistible expedition
might be sent against the infidel Turk,
and the Holy Land restored to pious
hands.
"The only real error that can be found
in these conclusions is that based upon
an characterization of the size of the
earth, and the consequent bringing of
China to about the longitude of the east
coast of North America. To have mag
ined another continent and wide ocean
would have been to ignore the teachings
of mat hematicians and the best cartogra-
pliers of the age.
"But it was not merely an intellectual
choosing. The departure of Columbus
from the shores of Spain marks a high
moral, if not a spiritual, conquest. Co
lumbus was not entirely free from the
influence of the prevailing doubts and
superstitions of his time; no man is.
There is abundant evidence that he was
of highly sensitive and even mystical
nature. His vow to devote the largest por-
ton of all gains to the restoration of the
Holy Land shows the religious devotee,
although he was no saint. His prepare
tions were made with the cool and DELHI
crate purpose of man who was assured
yet, who can doubt that across the lofty
serenity of his mind there fitted, now
and again, the dark shadows of overhang-
ing doubt and awe of the unknown; that
through it all he heard the insistent voice
of destiny crying THE time has come
and thou art the man.
son the Sd of August, 1892, in the
misty light of early morning, Columbus
launched out upon that wonderful and
epoch-making voyage. And here we
must leave him. A few weeks ago fleet
of noble battleships started upon won
derful and epoch-making voyage. With
what pomp of glory were the brave men
who stood on the coming towers of their
magnificent floating cities sent on their
voyage.
"How different the departure OF that
August morning Three queer old tubs
with their queer crews putting out into
the same ocean, not steaming proudly for
port of expectant and applauding null
titudes, but floating out upon strange
sea into the vast unknown. No eager
concourse, exulting in the deed, strain
their eyes for last glimpse of the fine
captain. A few idle loafers about the
wharf jeering, few old coasting captains
shaking their wise heads, watch the hair
Drained commander on the high poop and
mutter cornfully:-'Another fool cut
loose from his moorings.'
"But that seafaring expedition against
ignorance, doubt and superstition, not
around the Horn with ports of call upon
the way, but on an untravelled course,
over the rim of the world into an abyss
of deepest mystery will ever have page
in history and glory of its own, which
no modern feet can ever share. And CO.