The Pleasantville press., 1924-02-06
COLUMBUS rs
TRAVEL WRITER
Wrote of What e Found Rnoaq
the Indies.
SIDELIGHTS CT LGaG g9YseE

the great travel writer's Of all times
and you will get many names-Alareo
Polo, Richard Hakluyt, Henry n.
stanley-probably none viii mention
Columbus.
If he did and you inquired (which
Columbus?" he would conclude you
were asking q trick question.
THE fame Of Christopher Columbus
as the discoverer Of America has
both overshadowed his own remarka-
bly, observant account Of what he
found among the Indies and the bio
graphical narrative of his son. Ferdi-
nand Columbus" says a bulletin from
the National Geographic society.
Both documents are accessible and
known to geographers and historians.
Indeed, the latter's authorship has
aroused considerable controversy, yet
they are not read 50 popularly as are
many other travel classics"
Trees stretching Up to Stars"
An example Of the descriptive style
of Columbus is quoted from his re-
marks about Cuba. which he called
Juana, and at first believed to be a
part of the China coast Columbus
wrote:
This island is surrounded by many
very safe and wide harbors not ex-
celed by any others that I have ever
seen. Many great and salubrious riv-
ers flow through it. There are also
many very high mountains there
"All these islands are very beauti-
full, and distinguished by various
qualities; they are accessible and full
of a great variety of trees stretching
up to the stars, the leaves of which
believe are never shed, for ! saw them
as green and flourlshing as they are
usually in Spain in the month of May:
some of them were blossoming, some
were bearing fruit. some were in other
conditions each one was thriving in
its own way. The nightingale and
various other birds without number
were singing in the month of Novem-
ber when 1 was exploring them. There
are besides. in the said Island of Jua-
ma, seven or eight kinds of palm trees.
which far excel ours in height and
beauty. just as all the other trees.
herbs and fruits do"
Believed Visitors Celestial.
OF the natives Of the Islands Colum-
bus wrote:
These people practice no kind of
idolatry; on the contrary they firmly
believe that all strength and power,
+and in fact all good things are in
heaven, and that I had come down
from thence with these ships and sail
ors; and in this belief I was received
there after they had put aside fear.
Nor are they slow or unslz.lled, but d
efcenent and acute understanding
and the men who have navigated that
sea give an account of everything in
an admirable manner; but they never
saw people clothed. nor this kind of
ships"
One island. which Columbus called
Aateunin, probably Martinique he be-
lieved to be inhabited only by women. /
"These women" he said, perform /
no kind of work of their sex for they /
use bows and darts; they protect /
themselves with sheets of copper. /
They tell of another island whose in |
habtants are without hair. and which +
abounds in gold above all others"
Explorers Commercial Report.
The explorers summary of the com /
mercial advantages of the Islands I
said: It promise this, that if l am sup
ported by our most invincible SOY
ereigns with a little of their help, as
much gold can be supplied as they will f
need. indeed as much Of spices. Of cot +
ton, of ehewing-gum (which IS only +
found in Chios) also as much of +
aloes-wood, and as many slaves for
the navy as their majesties will wish +
10 demand
Interesting sidelighGs on the FIRST
transatlantic voyage abound in the
biography Of Ferdinand Columbus, +
based on his illustrious fathers log. t
This journal contained a surprising +
amount of data telling what winds F
blew. how far he sailed with each par
ticular wind, what currents were found. +
and everything that was seen by the
way. whether birds fishes or any other +
thing"
How Lobster Played It's Part.
Every school child knows that the
birds gave the mariners their first
inkling of their approach to land; the
lobster has scarcely had his due for
confirming the portent of the birds. +
Ferdinand Columbus writes:
Next day (September 17) the sea- /
weed was seen in much greater guam
tfty, and small live lobster was OBJ /
served among the weeds; from this
circumstance many affirmed that they
were certainly near the land.
In addition to his duties as mariner
and his task of keeping a yOluninouS
journal Columbus frequently had to
keep his men from turning back by
shrewd and ingenious appeals. Follow
ing the excitement Of his men over the +
irregularities of the compass, the nar-
rator says that Columbus alleged
that It was occasioned by the polar
star making a circuit round the pole.