THE DISCOVERY.
[Æt. 56; 1492]
When the day dawned, an island was seen to be close at hand, and
the desire to go ashore was so keen that in all probability little
attention was paid to breakfast. The officers put on all their best
clothes, and Columbus and the two Pinzons, each bearing flags with
appropriate devices, entered the boats and were rowed ashore. What were
considered appropriate devices to be borne on banners such as were
used on the occasion of the landing of Columbus, we do not know, the
historians having forgotten to describe the banners with minuteness.
Perhaps “Heaven bless our Admiral” and “Cuba Libre” were the so-called
appropriate devices.
The natives, assuming that Columbus and his companions had a brass
band with them, which would begin to play when the boats should reach
the shore, precipitately fled, and concealed themselves. As soon as
he landed, Columbus threw himself on his knees, kissed the earth, and
recited a prayer. He then took possession of the island in due form,
and announced that it was called San Salvador; though how he had thus
early discovered its name we are not told. Everybody was then made to
take an oath of allegiance to Columbus as Viceroy, in the presence of
the notary whom he had so thoughtfully brought with him.
Business being thus properly attended to, the sailors were allowed to
amuse themselves by tasting the strange fruits which they saw before
them, and by searching earnestly but without success for a wine-shop.
The natives gradually took courage and approached the strangers, whom
they decided to be emigrants from heaven. Columbus smiled sweetly on
them, and gave them beads, pocket-knives, pin-cushions, back numbers
of the _Illustrated London News_, and other presents such as are
popularly believed to soothe the savage breast. As, however, they did
not seem to appreciate the Admiral’s speeches, and as the sailors could
find no rum, the order was given to return to the ships. The natives
thereupon launched their canoes and paddled out to the vessels to
return the visit of the Spaniards. They brought with them specimens of
a novel substance now known as cotton, and a few small gold ornaments,
which created much enthusiasm among the sailors. The Admiral promptly
proclaimed that gold, being a royal monopoly, he only had the right to
buy it, and that, in view of the immense importance which he foresaw
that cotton would assume in dressmaking and other industries, he should
conduct the cotton speculations of that expedition himself. As the
natives, when the conversation turned upon gold, mentioned that, though
there was no gold in San Salvador, the islands farther south were full
of it, Columbus only waited to lay in wood and water, improving the
time by a boat expedition along the coast, and then set sail in search
of fresh discoveries.
During the next few days a number of small islands were discovered,
all of which were flowing with copper-colored natives and wild fruit,
but they did not appear to produce gold. The natives were in all cases
amiable and full of respect for the supposed heavenly visitors, but
they stoutly denied that they had any gold. Indeed, had they been
questioned about chills and fever, instead of gold, they could not
have been more unanimous in asserting that their particular island was
entirely free from it, but that it abounded in the next island farther
south.
All these islands belonged to the Bahama group, but Columbus assumed
that they were in the neighborhood of Japan, and that the mainland of
Asia must be within a few days’ sail. As soon therefore as the sameness
of constantly discovering new islands began to pall upon him, he set
sail for Cuba, where, as the natives told him, there was a king whose
commonest articles of furniture were made of gold. He thought it would
be well to visit this deserving monarch, and buy a few secondhand
tables and bedsteads from him, and then to sail straight to Asia; and
so accomplish the real purpose of his voyage.
It is a pity that we are not told whether the natives talked Spanish,
or whether Columbus spoke the copper-colored language. When so many
discussions on the subject of gold were had, it is evident that
somebody must have made rapid progress in learning one language or the
other, and from what we know of the Admiral’s conversational powers,
it is quite probable that he mastered the San Salvadorian grammar and
spelling-book, and was able to read, write, and speak the language
within the first twenty-four hours after landing.
On the 28th of October Columbus reached Cuba, having picked up a host
of small islands on the way. He was delighted with its appearance, and
decided that, instead of being an island, it must be the mainland.
For days he coasted along the shore, frequently landing and examining
the deserted huts from which the inhabitants had fled on his approach.
Judging from the entries made by Columbus in his journal, there was
never such another island since the world began; but he is compelled
to admit that the natives were not sociable. In fact, he never
exchanged words with them until the interpreter whom he had brought
from San Salvador threw himself overboard and swam ashore. The natives,
regarding him as less ferocious and dangerous than a boat, permitted
him to land, and listened to his account of the Spaniards. They were
even induced to launch their canoes and visit the ships, where they
were received by Columbus, who assured them that he had no connection
with the Emperor of China--a statement which must have struck them as
somewhat irrelevant and uncalled for.
The place where this interview was held is now known as Savanna la Mar.
The harbor being a safe one, Columbus decided to remain and repair his
ships, and to send an embassy by land to Pekin, which he was confident
could not be more than two days’ journey into the interior. Two
Spaniards and the San Salvadorian native were selected as ambassadors,
and supplied with a letter and presents for the Chinese Emperor, and
Columbus with much liberality gave them six days in which to go to
Pekin and return.
After they had departed, the ships were careened and caulked, and
other little jobs were invented to keep the men out of mischief. As to
gold, the natives told the old story. There was none of it in their
neighborhood, but there was an island farther south where it was as
common and cheap as dirt. Seeing how the description pleased the
Admiral, they kindly threw in a tribe of natives with one eye in their
forehead, and a quantity of select cannibals, and thus increased his
desire to visit so remarkable an island.
In six days the ambassadors returned. They had found neither Pekin
nor the Chinese Emperor--nothing, in fact, except a small village, a
naked chief, and a community of placid savages who had no gold and were
entirely devoid of interest. They brought back with them a few cold
potatoes, a vegetable hitherto unknown to Europeans, and they casually
mentioned that they had seen natives in the act of smoking rolls of
dark-colored leaves, but they attached no importance to the discovery,
and regarded it as a curious evidence of pagan degradation. Little
did they know that the dark-colored leaves were tobacco, and that the
natives were smoking Partagas, Villar-y-Villar, Intimidads, and other
priceless brands of the Vuelt Abajo. The sailors were cursing the
worthlessness of a new continent which produced neither rum, wine, nor
beer, and yet it was the native land of tobacco! Thus does poor fallen
human nature fix its gaze on unattainable rum and Chinese Emperors, and
so overlook the cigars that are within its reach.