4. Providence, however, reserved to Columbus himself this first glimpse, which he had purchased at the expense of twenty years of his life, and of untiring perseverance. While walking the quarter-deck alone, at midnight, and sweeping the dark horizon with his keen eye, a gleam of fire passed and disappeared, and again showed itself on the level of the waves. Fearful of being deceived by the phosphorescence of the sea, he quietly called a Spanish gentleman of Isabella's court, in whom he had more confidence than in the pilots, pointed out the direction in which he had seen the light, and asked him whether he could discern anything there. 5. He replied that he did, indeed, see a flickering light in that quarter. To make the fact still more sure, Columbus called another in whom he had confidence to look in the same direction. He said he had no hesitation in pronouncing there was a light on the horizon. But the blaze was hardly seen before it again disappeared in the ocean, to show itself anew the next moment. Whether it was the light of a fire on a low shore, alternately appearing and disappearing beyond the broken horizon, or whether it was the floating beacon of a fisherman's boat, now rising on the waves, and now sinking in the trough of the sea, they could not determine. 6. Thus both land and safety appeared together in the shape of fire to Columbus and his two friends, on the night between the 11th and 12th of October, 1492. The Admiral, enjoining silence, kept his observation to himself, for fear of again raising false hopes, and giving a bitter disappointment to his ships' companies. He lost sight of the light, and remained on deck until two in the morning, praying, hoping, and despairing alone, awaiting the triumph or the return on which the morrow was to decide. 7. He was seized with that anguish which precedes the great discoveries of truth, when suddenly a cannon-shot, sounding over the sea a few hundred yards in advance of him, burst upon his ear the announcement of a new-born world, which made him tremble and fall upon his knees. It was the signal of land in sight! made by firing a shot, as had been arranged with the Pinta, which was sailing in advance of the squadron to guide their course and take soundings. s. At this signal a general shout of "Land ho!" arose from all the yards and riggings of the ships. The sails were furled, and daybreak was anxiously awaited. The mystery of the ocean had breathed its first whisper in the bosom of the night. Daybreak would clear it up openly to every eye. Delicious and unknown perfumes reached the vessels from the outline of the shore, with the roar of the waves upon the reefs and the soft land breezes. 9. The fire seen by Columbus indicated the presence of man, and of the first element of civilization. Never did the night appear so long in clearing away from the horizon; for this horizon was to Columbus and his companions the second creation of God. The dawn, as it spread over the sky, gradually raised the shores of an island from the waves. Its distant extremities were lost in the morning mist. It ascended gradually, like an amphitheatre, from the low beach to the summit of the hills, whose dark green covering contrasted strongly with the blue heavens. 10. Within a few paces from where the foam of the waves breaks on the yellow sand, forests of tall and unknown trees stretched away, one above another, over the successive terraces of the island. Green valleys and bright clefts in the hollows afforded a half-glimpse into these mysterious wilds. Here and there could be dis covered a few scattered huts, which, with their outlines and roofs of dry leaves, looked like bee-hives, and thin columns of blue smoke rose above the tops of the trees. Half-naked groups of men, women, and children, more astonished than frightened, appeared among the thickets near the shore, advancing timidly, and then drawing back, exhibiting by their gestures and demeanour as much fear as curiosity and wonder, at the sight of these strange vessels, which the previous night had brought to their shores. 11. Columbus, after gazing in silence on this foremost shore of the land so often determined by his calculations, and so magnificently coloured by his imagination, found it to exceed even his own expectations. He burned with impatience to be the first European to set foot on the sand, and to plant the flag of Spain-the standard of the conquest of God and of his sovereigns, effected by his genius. But he restrained the eagerness of himself and of his crew to land, being desirous of giving to the act of taking possession of a new world a solemnity worthy of the greatest deed, perhaps, ever accomplished by a seaman; and, in default of men, to call God and His angels, sea, earth, and sky, as witnesses of his conquest of an unknown hemisphere. 12. He put on all the insignia of his dignities as Admiral of the Ocean, and the Viceroy of these future realms; he wrapped himself in his purple cloak, and taking in his hand an embroidered flag, in which the initials of Ferdinand and Isabella were interlaced, like their two kingdoms, and, surmounted by a crown, he entered his boat and pulled toward the shore, followed by the boats of his two lieutenants. 13. On landing, he fell on his knees, to acknowledge, by this act of humility and worship, the goodness and greatness of God in this new sphere of His works. He kissed the ground, and, with his face on the earth, he wept tears of double import, as they fell on the dust of this hemisphere, now for the first time visited by Europeans-tears of joy for the overflowing of a proud spirit, grateful and pious-tears of sadness for this virgin soil, seeming to foreshadow the calamities and devastation, with fire and sword, and blood and destruction, which the strangers were to bring with their pride, their knowledge, and their power. 14. He then gave to this land the name of San Salvador. His lieutenants, his pilots, and his seamen, full of gladness, and impressed with a superstitious respect for him whose glance had pierced beyond the visible horizon, and whom they had offended by their unbelief-overcome by the evidence of their eyes, and by that mental superiority which overawes the minds of men, fell at the feet of the Admiral, kissed his hands and his clothes, and recognized, for a moment, the power of genius; yesterday the victims of his obstinacy—now the companions of his success, and sharers in the glory which they had mocked.---Lamartine. Columbus set sail from Saltes near Palos, a town in Spain, on Friday the 3d of August, 1492, with three vessels and 120 men. On the evening of the 10th of October he promised his men, who had mutinied, that if they would obey his commands for three days longer, and if during that time land were not discovered, he would abandon the enterprise and return to Spain. mutineers, those who resist or ders. verified, proved to be true. restrained, kept back. insignia, ornaments denoting viceroy, one who rules in the devastation, laying waste. What evidences had Columbus that he was not far from land? What effect had these evidences upon the mutineers? Describe what Columbus saw when walking the quarter-deck alone at midnight. To whom did he first communicate his thoughts? How was this announcement of the discovery of land made known? Describe the appearance of the land from the vessels on the morning of the 12th of October, 1492. What did Columbus do on landing? Describe the conduct of the officers and seamen towards Columbus. THE SHIP-BUILDERS. 1. The sky is ruddy in the east, And, spectral in the river mist, The ship's white timbers show. Then let the sounds of measured stroke And grating saw begin; The broad-axe to the gnarlèd oak, The mallet to the pin! 2. Hark!―roars the bellows, blast on blast, And fire-sparks, rising far and fast, All day for us the smith shall stand The groaning anvil scourge. 3. From far-off hills, the panting team. For us the raftsmen down the stream Rings out for us the axe-man's stroke |