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THK S?MTKK WAtCHMAK, Established April, 1 SSO. "Be Just aad Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Troth's THK TRUE 80UTHKON. Ketabllehed June, 136? Consolidated Aug. 2, 1881.1 SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1891. New Series-Vol. Xl. No. 18. *B?U?t4 evory "STodnssiar, BY N. GK OSTEEN, SUMTER, S. C. TKRM8: Two Dollars per an nam-in advance. A.DTIKTI8IMIITS. 0?e Square, first insertion.................$1 00 ?Tery subse?aen t i aaertioo.................. : 50 Contracts for three month*; or longer will ba ?Kde at reduced rates. Aa coatmantcattoo* which subserve priYate interests will be charged for as ad vertisemen ts. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. AB VICE TO Wossr If you would protect yourself from Painful, Profuse, Scanty, Suppressed or Irregular Men? struation you must use BRADFI ELD'S FEMALE REGULATOR s? CiKlIBH^iUX, April 26,1886. ? 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P??iun, Ft. Gaines, Ga., writes: "I hare so hesitancy in recommending it, as it cered me of dyspepsia. For any iuitber information inquire of) your druggist. For sale by all druggists. sansas NATIONAL MKS, OF SUMTER. STATS, CITY ASS COUNTY DEPOSI ? TOBY, SOMTSR, S. C. Paid ap Capital . ... . $75,000 00 fcarplus Fond ...... 10,000 00 Transacts a General Banking Busin ?ss. Careful attention given to collections. SAVINGS DfiPARTM EN T.. Deposits of $1 and upwards received. In? terest allowed at the rate of 4 per cent per annota. Payable quarterly, on 6rst days of January, April, July and October. B. H. WALLACE, Vice President. L. S. Caxso*, Aug. 7 Cashier._ W BIM ll sunt, SUMTER, S C. CHT AND COUNTY DEPOSITORY. Transacts a general Banking business. Also bea Deposits of $1.00 and upwards received. Interest eaicaiated at the rate of 4 per cent, per asa?, payable quarterly. W. F. B. KAYNSWORTB, A. Wans, Ja-, President. Cashier. Aug 21. V7. ALSTO? P?isGts, JR. J.CHART/TOX RIVERS. NICKEL SAVING BANK, - CHARLESTON, S.C. Deposits of .05 and upwards received. In* (crest allowed at the rate of 5 per cent, per ?anuas. Payable quarterly on first days of January, April, July and October. Careful Attention Give* to Collections. .rf PRINGLE & RIVERS, - -AGENTS. Oct 23._ L D. JOHNSTON, SUMTER, & C., Practical Carpenter, Contractor AND BUILDER, WOULD RESPECTFULLY inform toe . ? citizens of Sumter and surrounding country that he is prepared to furnish plans, ?nd estimates on brick and wooden buildings AU work entrusted to him will be done irst class. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. A og 19_o BLI ILYA DENTIST. Office -OVER BROWNS k PURDY'S STORE. Entrance oa Vain Street, Between Browns ? Purdy and Durant k Son. OFFICE HOURS: - 0 to 130 ; 2 to 5 o'clock. Sumter. S. C , April 29. G. W. DICK, D. D. S. . Office over Bugs o's New Store, twraaxec ox tun STRXCT SUMTER, S. C. OtSce Hours.-9 to 1;30 ; 230 to 5. Sent 8 Dr, T. W. BOOKHART, DENTAL SURGEON. Office orer Baltman 4 Bro.'s Shoe Store. ?.- ENTRANCE ON MAIN STREIT. SUMTER, S. C. Once Hours-9 to 1:30 ; 2:30 to 5. April IT-o ;_ GLENN SPRINGS MINERAL WATER A Sale, Pleasao and Effective Remedy for al diseases of the IT ACTS ON THE BOWELS, CLEANSES TBE SYSTEM, AND REGULATES THE LIVER, And is a specific for mort FEMALE DISORDERS. SIMPSON & SIMPSON, Proprietors, Glenn Springs, S. C. For sale by all leading Druggists. MCHEY TO LEND ,N IMPROVED FARMING LANDS at 8 per cett, io tatest-and a & mmission. LEE k MOISE. Sept. IS ix, ! The Great Discoverer's First Voyage to America. A Far More .Wonderful Story Than the Most Bril liant Imagination Has Yet Conjured: Told in the Words of One of the Masters of Litera? ture. Washington Irring was perhaps tho most fascinar inc writer of history the world has yet produced. A mont; the wost delightful of his work? is The Life and Voraces of Columbus." How thc great explorer (born at Genoa In 1439 passed ranch of his boyhood and early man? hood on the sea: how, at thirty-five, .nail, well formed, muscular and pf an elevated and dig tKfied demeanor.** he went to Portugal and married there: the submitting of his plans for i seeking a new world to the Portugu?**? hing: that monarch's dishonorable conduct Sn hold I lng Columbus in suspense while he secretly dispatched a rossel on the proposed rente to discover if there was any foundation for his theory: the return of the emissaries after a few days* westward sailing over a stormy waste of waters to ridicule the would be explorer and als project- all those and many other incidents connected with Columbus* career previous to his setting ont on hi? first voyage are enter? tainingly given in Boole I of Irving's "Colum? bus and Hie Voyage?.** f n Book 11 ls related the explorer*? efforts to interest Ferdinand and Isahella of Spain in his plans, and his success, his preparations for his r voyage, the delays in soc uri hg volunteers, and how. when nothing was being effected. Martin A?oaro I*inxon anti his brother. Vicente Yan ex Pinz?n,. -navigators and owner? of vessels, stepped forward, furnished one of the vessels needed, and by their influence secured the completion of the outfit and the men required. Tills book concludes with the hoisting of the flag of Admiral Christopher Col uni bus on the largest of the three vessels composing his fleet, the Santa Maria. Tho next largest vessel, the Pinta, wa? commanded hy Martin Alonzo 1*in ?ou, accompanied by his brother. Francisco Mart?n, as pilot: the third, the Nina, being un? der Vicente Vanea Pinz?n. One bund ns I and twenty persons manned the fleet. On the Sd of August, 1492. taking leave of the people of Palos, who looked upon the depart ure of their friend? with eh ?my foreboding*, the three lit? tle vesseia, no one of which was much larger than a modern canal boat, spread their sails to the breexe-and departed for the unknown. The narrative here following constitutes Books III and ? Vand-seren chapters of Book V, comprising a complete account of Columbus* first voyage, the most important exploring ex? pedition that ever sailed from any port. It ls given in Washington Irving's words without change or ?limination, and is a far more won? derful story thatt any the most brilliant imagi? nation baa ever ret conjure :?. CHAPTER L DEPASTURE OP COLUMBUS ON HIS FIRST VOYAGE. WASHINGTON IRVING. When Columbas set sail or this mem? orable voyage be commenced a regalar journal, intended for the inspection of the Spanish sovereigns. Like all his other tram-sections, it evinces how deeply he was impressed with the grandeur and solemnity of his enterprise. He pro? posed to keep it. as he afterward ob? served, in the manner of tnt? Commenta? ries of Caesar, It opened with a stately prologue, wherein in the following words were set forth the motives and views which led to bis expedition: **In nomine D. N. Jesu Christi Where? as most Christian, most high, most ex? cellent and most powerful princes, king and queen of the Spains, and of the islands of the sea, our sovereigns, in the present year of 1492, after your high? nesses had put an end. to the war with the Moors who ruled in Europe, and had concluded that warfare in the great city of Grenada, where on the 2d of Jan? uary of this present year I saw the royal banners of your highnesses placed by force of arms on the towers of the Al? hambra, which is the fortress of that city, and beheld the Moorish king sally forth from the gates of the city and kiss the rojal hands of your high? nesses and of the lord the prince, and immediately in that same month, in consequence of the information which I had given to your highnesses of the lands of India, and of a prince who is called the grand khan, which is to say in our language, king of kings; how that many times he and his predecessors had sent to Home to entreat for doctors of our holy faith to instruct him in the ?mei,and that the holy father had never provided him with them, and thus so many people were lost, believing in idol? ?tries and imbibing doctrines of perdi? tion; therefore, your highnesses, as Cath? olic Christians and princes, lovers and promoters of the holy Christian faith and enemies of the sect of Mohammed and of all idolatries and heresies, determined to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the said parts of India to see the said princes and the people and lands and discover the nature and disposition of them all and the means to be taken for the conversion of them to our holy faith, and ordered that I should not go by land to the east, by which it is the custom to go, but by a voyage to the west, by which course, unto the present time, we do not know for certain that any one hath passed. Your highnesses, there? fore, after having expelled ail the Jews from your kingdoms and territories, commanded me in the same month of January to proceed with a sufficient armament to the said parts of India: and for this purpose bestowed great favors upon me, ennobling me, that thencefor? ward I might style myself Don, appoint? ing me high admiral of the ocean sea and perpetual viceroy and governor of all the islands and continents I should discover and gain, and which hencefoi> *srd may be discovered and gained in the ocean sea, and that my eldest son should succeed me, and so on from gen? eration to generation forever. MI departed therefore from the city of Granada on Saturday, the 12th of May, of the same year 1492, to Palos, a seaport, where 1 armed three ships, well calcu? lated for such service, and sailed from that port, well furnished with provisions and with many seamen, on Friday, the 3d of August, of the same year, half an hour before sunrise, and took the route for the Canary islands of your highnesses, to steer my course thence and navigate until I should arrive at the indies, and deliver the embassy of your highnesses to those princes and accomplish that which you had commanded. For this purpose I intend to write during this voyage very punctually from day to day all that I may do and see and experi? ence, as will hereafter be seen. Also, uiy sovereign princes, besides describing each night all that has occurred in the day, anti in the day the navigation of the night, I propose to make a chart, in which I will net down the waters and lands of the ocean sea in their proper sit nations ander their bearings; and fur? ther, to compose a book and illustrate the whole in picture by latitude from the eqinoctial, and longitude from the west; and upon the whole it will be es? sential that I should forget sleep and at? tend closely to the navigation to accom? plish these things, which will be a great labor." Thus are formally and expressly stat? ed by Columbus the objects of this ex? traordinary voyage. The material facts still extant of his journal will be found incorporated in the present work. it was on Friday, the 8d of August, 1492, early in the morning, that Colum? bus set sail from the bar of Saltes, a small island formed by the arms of the OdieL in front of the town of Hnelva, steering in a southwesterly direction for the Canary islands, whence it was his intention to strike due west As a guide by which to sail he had prepared a map or chart, improved upon that sent him by Paolo Toscanelli. Neither of those now exists, but the globe or planisphere fin? ished by Martin Behem In this year of the admiral's first voyage is still extant, and furnishes an idea of what that chart of Columbus must have been. It exhib? its the coasts of Europe and Africa from the south of Ireland to the end of Gui? nea, and opposite to them, on the other side of the Atlantic, the extremity of Asia, or, as it wan termed, india. Be? tween them is placed the island of Ci pango, or Japan, which, according to Marco Polo, lay 1,500 miles distant from the Asiatic coast In bis computations Columbus advanced this island about a thousand leagues too much to the east, supposing it to be about the situation of Florida; and at this island he hoped first to arriva The exultation of Columbus at finding himself, after so many years of baffled hop?. fairly launched on his grand enter? prise, was checked by his want of con? fidence in. the resolution and persever? ance of his crews. As long as he re? mained within reach of Europe there was no security that, in a moment of re? pentance and alarm, they might not re? nounce the prosecution of the voyage and insist on a return. Symptoms soon appeared to warrant his apprehensions. On the third day the Pinta made signal of distress; her rudder was discovered to be broken and unhung. This Columbus surmised to be done through the con? trivance of the owners of the caravel, Groniez Rasc?n and Christoval Quintero, to disable their vessel and cause her to be left behind. As has already been ob? served, they had been pressed into the service greatly against their will, and their caravel seized uj>on for the,expedi? tion, in conformity to the royal orders. Columbus was much disturbed at this occurrence. It gave him a foretaste of further difficulties to be apprehended from crews partly enlisted on compul? sion, and all fnll of doubt and forebod? ing. Trivial obstacles might, in the present critical state of his voyage, spread panic and mn ti ny through his ?hipsand entirely defeat the expedition. The wind was blowing strongly at the time, so that he could not render assist? ance without endangering his own ves? sel. Fortunately Martin Alonzo Pinz?n commanded the Pinta, and being an adroit and able seaman succeeded in se? curing the rudder with cords so sis to bring the vessel into management This, however, was but a temporary and in? adequate expedient; the fastenings gave way again on the following day and the other ships were obliged to shorten sail an til the rndder could be secured. This damaged state of the Pinta, aa well aa her being in a leaky condition, determined the admiral to touch at the Canary islands and seek a vessel to re? place her. He considered himself not far from those islands, though a different opinion was entertained by the pilots of the squadron. The event proved hi? superiority in taking observations and keeping reckonings, for they came in right of the Canaries on the morning of the 9th. They were detained upward of three weeks among these islands, seeking in vain another vessel. They were obliged, therefore, to make a new rudder for the Pinta and repair her for tire voyage. The lateen sails of the Nina were also al? tered Into 6quare sails, that she mjght work more steadily and securely and be able to keep company with-the other ves? sels. While sailing among these islands the crew were terrified at beholding the Tofty peak of Teneriffe sending forth volumes of flame and smoke, bei ng ready to take alarm at any extraordinary phenomenon and to construe it into a disastrous portent Columbus took great pains to dispel their apprehensions, ex? plaining the natural transes of those volcanic firos and verifying his explana? tions by citing Mount Etna and other well known volcanoes. While taking in wood and water and provisions in the island of Gomera, a vessel arrive?l from Ferro, which re? ported that three Portuguese caravels had been seen hovering oft that island, with the intention, it was said, of capturing Columbus. The admiral sus? pected some hostile stratigem on the part of the king of Portugal in revenge Cor his having embarked in tho service of Spain; he thereforo lost no time in putting to sea, anxious to get far from those islands and out of the track of navigation, trembling lest something might occur to defeat his expedition, commenced under such inauspicious cir? cumstances. CHAPTER IL FIRST NOTICE OF THE VARIATION OF THE N'KKDLE. CHRISTOPH KR COLUMBUS. Early in the morning of th9 Gth of September Columbus set sail from the island of Gomera, and now might be said first to strike into the region of dis? covery, taking leave of these frontier islands of the old world and steering westward for the unknown parts of the Atlantic. For three days, however, a profound calm kept the vessels loitering with nagging sails, within a short dis? tance of the land. This was a tantaliz? ing delay to Columbus, who wus im patient to find himself far ont of sight of either land or sail, which in the pure atmospheres of these latitudes may be descried at an immense distance. On the following Sunday, the 9th of Sep? tember, at daybreak, he beheld Ferro, the last of the Canary island*, about nine leagues distant This was the island whence the Portuguese caravels had been seen; he was therefore in the very neighborhood of danger. Fortunately a breeze sprang up with the sun, their sails were once more filled, and in the course of the day the heights of Ferro gradually faded from the horizon. On losing sight of this last trace of land the hearts of the crews failed them. They seemed literally to have taken leave of the world. Behind them was every? thing dear to the heart of man; country, family, friends, life itself; before them everything was chaos, mystery and periL In the "perturbation of the moment they despaired of ever seeing their homes. Many of the rugged sea? men shed tears and some broke into loud lamentations. The admiral tried in every way to soothe their distress and to inspire them with his own glorious anticipations. He described to them the magnificent countries to which he was about to conduct them; the islands of the Indian seas teeming with gold and precious stones; the regions of Mangi and Cathay, with their cities of unrivaled wealth and spleudor. He promised them [and and riches, and everything thai could arouse their cupidity or inflame their imaginations, nor were these promises made for purposes of mere deception; he certainly believed that he should realize them all. He now issned orders to the command? ers of the other vessels that, in the event of separation by any accident they mould continue directly westward, but after sailing 700 leagues they should [ay by from midnight until daylight, as at about that distance he con fi? lent ly expected to. find land In the meantime, as he thought it possible he might not discover land within the dis? tance thus assigned, and as he foresaw that the vague terrors already awakened imong the seamen would increase with the space which intervened between them and their homes, he commenced a stratagem which he continued through ?ut the voyage. He kept two reckon? ings; one correct in which the true way >f the ship was noted and which was re? gained in secret for his own government; ;n tho other, which was open to general inspection, a number of leagues was iaily subtracted from the sailing of the ?hip. so that the crews were kept in ig lorance of the real distance they had idvarieed. On the 11th of September, when about 150 leagues west of Ferro, they fell in Kith part of a mast, which from its size nppeared to have belonged to a vessel >f about 120 tons burden, and which had evidently been a long time in the water. The crews, tremblingly alive to every :hing that could excite their hopes or fears, looked with rueful eye upon this svreck of some unfortunate voyager, irifting ominously at the entrance of those unknown seas. On the 13th of September, in the even? ing, being about 200 leagues from the island of Ferro. Columbus for the first time noticed the variation of the needle, i phenomenon which had uever before seen remarked. He perceived about lightfall that the needle, instead of pointing to the north r.fcir, varied about aalf a point, or between five and six de? crees, to the northwest and still more m the following morniug. Struck with this circumstance, he olwerved it atten? tively for three days and found that the variation increased as he advanced. He it first made no mention of this phenom? enon, knowing how ready his people svere to take alarm, but it soon attracted the attention of the pilots and filled them mth consternation. It seemed as if the rery laws of nature were changing as ;hey advanced, ard that they were en? tering another world, subject to un? known influences. They apprehended :hat the compass was about to lose its nysterious virtues, and without this ruide what was to become of them in a rast and trackless ocean? Columbus tasked his science and inge? nuity for reasons with which to allay :heir terror. He observed that the direc ion of the needle was not to the polar (tar, bnt to some fix*d and invisible >oint The variation, therefore, was not ?used by any fallacyin the compass, but rj the inovemont of the north ?tar itself, .vhich. Uk? the oth?r heavenly bodies, md its changes and revolutions, and every day described a circle around the pole. The high opinion which the pilots entertained cf Columbus as a profound tstrouomer gave weight to this theory, md their alarm subsided. As yet the so? ar system of Copernicus was unknown; ;he explanation of Columbus, therefore, .vas highly plausible and ingenious, and it shows the vivacity of his mind, ever ready to meet the emergency of the mo? ment The theory may at first have been idvanced merely to satisfy the minds )f others, but Columbus appears subse jnently to have remained satisfied with it himself. The phenomenalhas now be? come familiar to us. but we still continue ignorant of its cause, lt is ono of those mysteries of nature, open to daily obser? vation and experiment, and apparently simple from their familiarity, but which an investigation make the human mind conscious of its limits, baffling the expe? rience of the practical and humbling the pride of science. CHAPTER UL VARIOUS TERRORS OP TH It SEAMEN. On the 14th of September the voyagers were rejoiced by the sight of what they considered harbingers of land. A heron and a tropical bird called the Rabo de Junco, neither of which are supposed to venture far to sea. hovered about the ships. On the following night they were struck with awe at Inholding a meteor, or, as Columbus calls it in his journal, a srreat flame of fire, which seemed to fall from the sky into the sea about four or five leagues distant. These meteors, common in wann climates, and espe? cially under the tropics, are always seen in the serene aznre sky of those lati? tudes, falling aa it were from the heavens, but never beneath a cloud. In the transparent atmosphere of ono of those beautiful nights, where every star shines with the purest luster, they often leave a luminous train behind them, which lasts for twelve or fifteen seconds, and may well be compared to a flame. The wind had hitherto been favorable, with occasional though transient clouds Find showers. They had made great progress each day, though Columbus, according ti? his secret plan, contrived to suppress several leagues in tho daily reckoning left open to the crew. They had now arrived within tho in? fluence of tue f vado wind, which, follow? ing the sun. blows steadily from east to west between the tropics and sweeps >ver a few adjoining degrees of ocean. ? With this propitious breeze directly aft, they were wafted gently but speedily over a tranquil sea, so that for many days thevdid nut shift a sail. Columbus perpetually recurs to the bland and tem? perate serenity of the weather, which in this tract of the ocean is soft and re? freshing without being cool. In his art? less and expressi ve language he compares the pure and balmy mornings to those of April in Andalusia, and observes that they wanted but the song of the night? ingale to complete the illusion. "He had reason to say so," observes the vener? able La Casas; *4for it is marvelous the suavity which we experience when half way toward these Indies; and the more the ships approach the lands, so much more do they perceive the temperance and softness of the air, the clearness of the sky and the amenity and fragrance sent forth from the groves, and forests: much more certainly than in April in Andalusia." They now began to see large patches of herbs and weeds drifting from tho west, and increasing in quantity as they advanced. Some of these weeds were such as grow about rocks, others such as are produced in rivers; some'were yel QCEKN ISABELLA. low and withered, others so green as to have apparently been recently washed from land. On one of these patches was a live crab, which Columbus carefully preserved. They saw also a white tropic? al bird, of a kind which .never sleeps upon the sea. Tunny fish also played about the ships, one of which was killed by the crew of the Nina. Columbus now called to mi ucl the account given by Aristotle of certain ships of Cadiz, which, coasting the shores outside of the straits of Gibraltar, were driven westward by an impetuous east wind until they reached a part of the ocean covered with vast fields of weeds, resembling sunken islands, among which they beheld many tunny fish. He supposed himself ar? rived in this weedy sea. as it had been called, from which the ancient mariners had turned back in dismay, but which he regarded with anima teil hope as in? dicating the vicinity of land. Not that he had yet any idea of reaching the ob? ject of his search, the eastern end of Asia; for, according to his computation, he had come but 860 leagues since leaving the Canary islands, and he placed the main land of India much farther on. On the 18th of September the same weather continued; a soft steady breeze from the east filled every sail, while, to use the words of Columbus, the sea was as calm as the Guadalquivir at Seville. He fancied that the water of the sea grew fresher as he advanced, and noticed this as a proof of the superior sweetness and purity of the air. The crews were all in high spirits: each ship strove to get in the advance, and every seaman was eagerly on the look? out; for the sovereigns hail promised a pension of 10,000 mara vadis to him who should first discover land. Martin Alonzo Pinz?n crowded all canvas, and as the Pinta was a fast sailer he generally kept the lead. In tbs afternoon he hailed the admiral and informed him tiat, from the flight of a great number o>? birds and from the ap? pearance of the northern horizon, he thought there was land in that direction. There was in fact a cloudiness in the north such ns often hangs over land, and at sunset it assumed such sha pe? and masses that many fancied they beheld islands. There was a universal wish, therefore, to steer for that quarter. Co? lumbus, however, was persuaded that they were mere illusions. Every one who has made a sea voyage must have witnessed the deceptions caused by clouds resting npon the horizon, es? pecially about sunset and sunrise, which the eye. assisted by the imagination and desire, easiiy converts into the wished for land. T is is particularly the case within the tropics, where the clouds at sunset assume the most singular appear? ances. On the following day there were driz? zling showers, unaccompanied by wind, which Columbus considered favorable signs; two boobies also flew on board the ships, lards which, he observed, seldom fly twenty leagues from land. He sounded, therefore, with a line of 200 fathoms, but found no bottom. He sup? posed he might be passing between is? lands lying ti) tho north and south, but was unwilling to waste the present fa? voring breeze by going ia search of them; besides.he bad confidently affirmed that land was to be found by keeping steadfastly to the west; his whole expe? dition had been founded ou such a pre? sumption; he should, therefore, risk ali credit and authority with his people were he to appear to doubt and waver and to go groping blindly from point to point of the compass. He resolved, there? fore, to keep one bold cours? always westward until he should reach the coast of india, and afterward, if advisable, to seek these islands on his return Notwithstanding his precaution to keep the j?cople ignorant of the distance they had sailed, they w^re now growing extremely nneasy at the length of the voyage They had advanced much far? ther west than ever man had sailed be? fore, and though already beyond the reach of succor, still they continued dai? ly leaving vast tracts of ocean behind them and pressing on ward and onward into that apparently boundless ab}*ss. It is true they had l>een flattered by vari? ous indications of land and still others were occurring, but all mocked them with vain hopes; after being hailed with a transient joy the}* passed away, one after another, and the same intermina? ble expanse of sea and sky continued to extend before them. Even the bland and gentle breeze, uniformly aft, was now conjured by their ingenious fears into a cause of alarm; for they began to imag? ine that tho wind in these seas might al? ways prevail from tho east, anti if so, would never permit their return to Spain. Columbus endeavored to dispel these gloomy presages, sometimes by ?argu? ment and expostulation, sometimes by awakening fresli hopes and pointing ont new signs of land. On the 20th of Sep? tember the wind veered, with light breezes from the southwest. These, though adverse to their progress, had a cheering effect upon the people, as they proved that the wind did not always pre? vail from the east. Several birds also visited the ships: three of a small kind j which keep about groves and orchards came singing in the morning and flew away again in the evening. Their song ' cheered the hearts of the dismayed mari? ners, who hailed it as the voice of land. The larger fowl, they observed, were strong of wing and might venture far to sea? but snch small birds were too feeble to fly far, and their singing showed that they were not exhausted by their flight Un the following day there was either a profound calm or light winds from the southwest The sea, as far as the eye could reach, was covered with weeds; a phenomenon often observed in this part of the ocean, which has sometimes the appearance of a vast inundated meadow. This has been attributed to immense quantities of submarine plants which grow at the bottom of the sea until ripe, when they are detached by the motion of the waves and currents and nse to the surface. These fields of weeds were at ?^3t regarded with great satisfaction, but at length they became in many places so dense and matted as in some degree to impede the sailing of the ships, which must have been under very little headway. The crews now called to mind some tale about the frozen ocean, where ships were said to be sometimes fixed immovable. They endeavored, therefore, to avoid as mnch as possible these floating masses, lest some disaster of the kind might happen to themselves. Others considered these weeds as proof that the sea was growing shallower, and began to talk of lnrking rocks and shoals and treacherous quick? sands and of the danger of running aground, as it were, in the midst of the ocean, where their vessels migbir rot and fall to pieces far out of the track of human aid and withont any shore where the crews might take refuge. They had evidently some confused notion of the ancient story of the sunken island of Atlantis, and feared that they were ar? riving at that part of the ocean where navigation was said to t>e obstructed by drowned lands and the ruins of an in gulfed country. To dispel these fears the admiral had frequent recourse to the lead, but thongh he sounded with a deep sea line he still found no bottom. The minds of the crews, however, had gradually become diseased. They were full of vague ter? rors and superstitious fancies; they con? strued everything into a cause of alarm and harassed their commander by in? cessant murmurs. For three days there was a continu? ance of light summer airs from the southward and westward, and the sea was as smooth as a mirror. A whale was seen heaving up its huge form at a d'stauce, which Columbus immediately pointed ont as a favorable indication, affirming that these fish were generally in the neighborhood of land. The crews, however, became uneasy at the calmness of the weather. They observed that the contrary winds which they experienced were transient and unsteady and so light as not to ruffle the surfaco of tho sea, which maintained a sluggish calm like a lake of dead water. Everything differed, they said, in these strange re? gions from the world to which they had been accustomed. The only winds which prevailed wi th* any constancy and force were from the east, and the}* had not power to disturb the torpid stillness of the ocean There w;is a risk, therefore, either of perishing amid stagnant and shoreless waters or of being prevented by contrary winds from ever returning to their native country. Columbus continued with admirable patience to reason with these fancies observing that the calmness of the sea must undoubtedly be caused by the vicinity of land in tho quarter whence the wind blew, which, therefore, had not space sufficient to act upon the sur? face and heave up large wave?. Terror, however, multiplies and variss the forms of ideal danger a thousand times fastei than the most active wisdom can dis? pel them. The more Col nm bus argued the more boisterous became the raur murs of his crew, until, on Sunday, the 25th of September, there cann? on a heavy swell of the sea, unaccompanied by wind. This phenomenon often oc? curs in the broad ocean, being either the expiring undulations of some p:iat gale or the movement given to the sea by some distant current of wind; it was. nevertheless, regarded with astonishment by the mariners and dispelled the im aginary terrors occasioned by the calm. Columbus, who as usual considered himself under the immediate eye and guardianship of heaven in this solemn enterprise, intimates in his journal that this swelling of the sea seemed provi dentially ordered to allay the rising clamors of his crew, comparing it to that which so miraculously aided Moses when conducting the children of Israel out of the captivity of Egypt. CHAPTER IV. DISCOVERY OF LAND. CISC. FERDINAND. The situation of Columbus was daily becoming more and more critical. In proportion as lie approached the regions where he expected to find land the impa tience of his crews augmented. The fa vorable signs which iucreased his eonfi dence wore derided by them as delusive, and there was danger of their rebelling and obliging him to turn back when on the point of realizing the object of all his labors. They beheld themselves with dismay still wafted onward over the honndles* wastes of what appeared to them a more watery desert surrounding the habitable world. What was to lie come of t Hem should their provisions fail? Their ships were too weak and de? fective even for the great voyage thor had already made, but if they were still to press forward, adding at every mo meut to the immense expanse behind them, how should they ever lie able to return, having no intervening port where they might victual ami refit. In this way they fed each other's | , discontents, gathering together in little knots and fomenting a spirit of mutinous opposition; and when we consider the natural fire of the Spanish temperament and its impatience of control, and that a great part, of these men were sailing on compulsion, we cannot wonder that thero was imminent danger ?>f their breaking forth ititoopen rebid lion and compelling I Columbus to tum back. In their secret I ] conferences they exclaimed against him j | as a desperado. ?>ent, in a mad phantasy. i npon doing something extravagant to J . render himself notorious. What were ? their sufferings and dangers to one evi? dently content to sacrifice his own life , for the chance of distinction? What obli- , g?tions bound them to continue on with , him. or when were tile terms of thc agreement to be considered as fulfills Tiley had already penetrated nuknow seas, nntraversed by a sail, far beyor where man bad ever before ventnre They had done enough to gain ther selves a character for conrage and hard hood in undertaking such an enterpri and |iersisting in it so far. How muc farther were they to go in quest of merely conjectured land? Were they sail on until they perished or until a return home became impossible? In sue a case they would be the authors of the own destruction. Un the other hand, should they coi suit their safety and turn back befoi fc>o late, who would blame them? AH complaints made by Colnuibns would I of no weight; he was a foreigner, witl out friends or influence; his schemes ha been condemned by the learned and di countenanced by ?>eopie of all ranks. ? had no party to uphold him. and a hos of opponents whoso pride of opinio would lie gratified by hisfailure. Ur, i an effectual means of preventing h complaints, they might throw him inl the sea and give out that he had falbe overboard while busy with his instn meuts contemplating the stars, a repoi which no one would have either the ii clination or the nieaus to controvert Columbus was not ignorant of th mutinous disposition of his crew, but b still maintained a serene and stead countenance, soothing some with gentl words, endeavoring to stimulate th pride or avarice of others, and openl menacing the refractory with signal put ishment should they do anything to in pe<le the voyage. Un the 25th of September the win again became favorable, and they wer able to resumo their course directly t the west. The airs being light and th sea calm the vessels sailed near to e;icl other, and Columbus had much convet sation with Martin Alonzo Pinz?n 01 the subject of a chart, which the forme hvJ sent three flay? hefore on board o the Pinta. Pinz?n thought that accord ing to the Indications of the map the.1 ought to be in the neighborhood of Ci pango and the other islands which th admiral had therein delineated. Columbus partly entertained the sami Idea, but thought it possible that tb ships might have been borne out of thei; track by the prevalent currents, or tha they had not come so far as the pilot! had reckoned He desired that tlie char might be returned, and Pinz?n, tying i: to toe end of a cord, flung it on board U him. While Columbus, his pilots ant several of Iiis experienced mariners wen studjing the map, and endeavoring tx make out from it their actual position they heard a shout from the Pinta, am looking up beheld Martin Alonzo Pin zon mounted on the stern of his vessel, crying, "Land! land! senor, I claim my reward 1" He pointed at the same time to the southwest, where there was in? deed an appearance of land at aboul twenty-five leagues distance. Upon this Columbus threw himself on his knees and returned thanks to God, and Mar? tin Alonzo repeated the "Gloria in Ex celsis, in which he was joined by his own crew and that of the admiral. Theseamen now mounted to the mast? head or climbed about the rigging, straining their eyes in the direction pointed out The conviction became sc general of land in that quarter, and the joy of the people so ungovernable, that Columbus found it necessary to vary from his usual course and stand all night to the southwest The morning light, however, put au end to all their hopes, as to a dream. The fancied land proved to be nothing but an evening cloud and had vanished in the night With dejected hearts they once more re? sumed their western course, from which Columbus would never have varied but in compliance with their clamorous wishes. For several days they continued on with the same propitious breeze, tran? quil sea and mild, delightful weather. The water was so calm that the sailors amused themselves with swimming about the vessel. Dolphins began to alxnind, and flying fish, darting into the air, fell upon the decks. The continued signs of land diverted the attention of the crews and insensibly beguiled them onward. On the 1st of October, according to the reckoning of the pilot of the ad? miral's ship, they had come 5S0 leagues west since leaving the Canary islands. The reckoning which Columbo* showed the crew was 534, but the reckoning which he kept privately was 707. On the following day the weexls floated from east to west, and on tho third day no birds were to be seen. The crews now began to fear that they had passed between islands, from one to the other of which the birds had been flying. Columbus had also some doubts of the kind, but refused to alter his west? ward course. The people again uttered murmurs and menaces, but on the fol? lowing day they were visited by stich flights of birds, and the various indica? tions of land became so numerous, that from a state of despondency they passed to one of confideut expectation. Eager to obtain the promised pension, the seamen were continually giving the cry of land on the least appearance of the kind. To put a stop to these false alarms, which produced continual disap? pointments. Columbus declared that should any one give such notice, and laud not l>e discovered within three days afterward, he should thenceforth forfeit all claim to the reward. Ou the evening of the 6th of October Martin Alonzo Pinz?n began to lose con? fidence in their present course and pro? posed that they should stand more to the southward. Columbus, however, still Persisted in steering directly west Ob? serving this difference of opinion in a person so important in his squadron as Pinz?n, and fearing that chance or de? sign might scatter the ships, he ordered that, should either of the caravels be separated from him, it should stand to the west, and endeavor as soon as possi? ble to join company again; he directed, also, that the vessels should keep near to bim at sunrise ?and sunset, tis at these times the state of the atmosphere is most favorable to the discover)' of distant land. On the morning of the 7th of October, it sunrise, several of the admirals crew thought they beheld land in the west, bnt so indistinctly that no one ventured to proclaim it, lest ho should be mis? taken and forfeit all chance of the re? ward; the Nina, however, being a good sailer, pressed forward to ascertain the fact. In a little while a flag was hoisted :it her masthead, and a gun discharged, being tho preconcerted signal for land New joy was awakened throughout the little squadron, anti every eye was turned to the west. As they advanced, how? ever, their cloud built hopes faded away, ind before evening the fancied land had again melted into air. The crews now sank into a degree of dejection proportioned to their recent excitement, but new circumstances ott- I imrred to arouse them. Columbus, h::v ing observed great flights, of small field birds going toward tho southwest, eon eluded they must be secure of some neighboring land, where they could find food and a resting place. He knew the importance which the Portuguese voy? agers attached to the flight of birds, by following which they bad discovered most of their islands. He had now come 750 leagues, the distance at which he bad computed to find the island of Ci pango; as there was no appearance ot it, he might have missed it through some mistake in the latitnde. He deter? mined, therefore, on the evening of the 7th of October, to alter his course to the west-southwest, the direction in which the birds generally flew, and coutinue that direction for at least two days. After all it was KO great deviation from his main course, and would meet tho wishes of the Pinzons, as well as be in? spiriting to his followers generally. For three days they stood in this di? rection, and the farther they went tre? more frequent and encouraging were tho signs of land. Flights of small birds of Various colors, some of them such as sing in the fields, came flying about the ships and then continued toward the south? west, and othera were heard also flying by in the night Tunny fish played about the smooth sea. and a heron, a pelican and a duck were seen, all bound in the same direction. The herbage which floated by was fresn and green, as if recently from land, and the air, Colum? bus observes, was sweet and fragrant as April breezes in Seville. All these, however, were regarded by the crews as so many delusions beguiling them on to destruction, and when on the evening of the third day they beheld the sun go down upon a shoreless horizon, they broke forth into turbulent clamor. They exclaimed against this obstinacy ra tempting fate by continuing on into a boundless sea They insisted upon turn? ing homeward and abandoning the voy? age as hopeless. Columbus endeavored to pacify them by gentle words and promises of large rewards: but finding that they only increased in clamor, he assumed a decided tone. He told them it was useless to murmur, the expedi tia;: had been sent by the sovereigns to seek the Indies, and, happen what might, be was determined to persevere, until, by the blessing of God, he should accomplish the enterprise. Columbus was now at open defiance v ith his crew, and his situation became desperate. Fortunately the manifesta? tions of the vicinity of land were such on the following day as no longer to ad? mit a doubt. Besides a quantity of fresh weeds, such as grow in rivers, they saw a green fish of a kind which keeps about rocks; then a branch of thorn with ber? ries on it, and recently separated from the tree, floated by them; then they picked up a reed, a small board, and above all, a staff artificially carved. All gloom and mutiny now gave way to sanguine expectation; and throughout the day each one was eage lyonthe watch, in hopes of being the first to dis? cover the long sought for land. In the evening when, according to in? variable custom on board of the admir? al's ship, the mariners had sung the4<Salve Regina" or vesper hymn to the Virgin, he made an impressive address to his crew. He pointed out the goodness of God in thus conducting them by soft and favor? ing breezes across a tranquil ocean, cheer? ing their hopes continually with fresh signs, increasing as their fears augment? ed, and thus leading and guiding them to a promised land. He now reminded them of the orders he had given on leav? ing the Canaries, that, after sailing west? ward 700 leagues, they should not make sail after midnight. Present appearances authorized such a precaution. He thought it probable they would make land that very night; he ordered, therefore, a vig? ilant lookout to be kept from the fore? castle, promising to whomsoever should make the discovery a doublet of velvet, in addition to the pension to be given hy? the sovereigns. The breeze had been fresh all day. with more sea than usual, and they baa made great progress. At sunset they had stood again to the west, and were plowing the waves at a rapid rate, th? Pinta keeping the lead from her superior sailing. The greatest animation pre*" vailed throughout the ships; not an eye was closed that night As the evening darkened Columbus took his station o? Che top of the castle or cabin on the high poop of his vessel. Banging his eye along the dusky horizon and maintaining an intense and unremitting watch. About 10 o'clock he thought he beheld a light glimmering at a great distance. Fear?* ing his eager hopes might deceive him he called to Pedro Gutierrez, gentleman of the king's bedchamber, and inquired whether be saw such a light; the latter replied in the affirmative. Doubtful whether it might not yet be some de? lusion of the fancy. Columbus called Rodrigo Sanchez, of Segovia, and made the sam? inquiry. By the time the latter had ascended the roundhouse, the light bad disappeared They saw it once or twice afterward in sudden and passing gleams, as if it were a torch in the bark of a fisherman, rising and sinking with the waves; or in the hand of some person ou shore, borne up and down as he walked from house to honse. 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