Part 26 (1/2)
On ht of the sareat beauty, covered with forests, and extremely populous
It was called Guanahani by the natives, but Colu its coast, where it ran to the NNE he found a harbor capable of sheltering any number of shi+ps This description corresponds minutely with the SE part of the island known as San Salvador, or Cat Island, which lies east and west, bending at its eastern extremity to the NNE, and has the same verdant and fertile appearance The vessels had probably drifted into this bay at the SE
side of San Salvador, on the ht; nor did Colu from it, open the land so as to discover that what he had taken for its whole length was but a bend at one end of it, and that thefar to the N W From Guanahani, Columbus saw so many other islands that he was at a loss which next to visit The Indians signified that they were innumerable, and o to the largest in sight, which appeared to be about five leagues distant; some of the others were nearer, and some further off The island thus selected, it is presumed, was the present island of Concepcion; and that the others were that singular belt of s past the island of San Salvador in a SE and N W direction: the nearest of the group being nearer than Concepcion, while the rest areSan Salvador in the afternoon of the 14th for the island thus selected, the shi+ps lay by during the night, and did not reach it until late in the following day, being retarded by adverse currents Coluave this island the name of Santa Maria de la Coucepcion: he does not s fro to it We know that in all this neighborhood the current sets strongly and constantly to the WNW; and since Colu in an opposite direction, or to the ESE Besides, when near Conception, Coluest he had yet seen; but he tells us that he anchored off Concepcion, and did not stand for this larger island, because he could not have sailed to the west Hence it is rendered certain that Colu from San Salvador to Conception; for, from the opposition of the wind, as there could be no other cause, he could not sail towards that quarter Now, on reference to the chart, we find the island at present known as Coucepcion situated E
SE froues
Leaving Concepcion on the 16th October, Colue island seen to the ard nine leagues off, and which extended itself twenty-eight leagues in a SE and N W direction He was becalmed the whole day, and did not reach the island until the following , 17th October He naain, with a view to run round it, and reach another island called Sa at SE by S, the course he wished to steer, the natives signified that it would be easier to sail round this island by running to the N W
with a fair wind He therefore bore up to the N W, and having run two leagues, found a marvelous port, with a narrow entrance, or rather with two entrances, for there was an island which shut it in co out of this harbor by the opposite entrance at the N W, he discovered that part of the island which runs east and west The natives signified to him that this island was smaller than Samoet, and that it would be better to return towards the latter It had now beco up a breeze from W N
W, which was ahead for the course they had been steering; so they bore up and stood to the ESE in order to get an offing; for the weather threatened a storm, which however dissipated itself in rain The next day, being the 18th October, they anchored opposite the extremity of Fernandina
The whole of this description answers most accurately to the island of Exuma, which lies south from San Salvador, and S W by S from Concepcion The only inconsistency is, that Columbus states that Fernandina bore nearly west froues in extent Thischain of keys called La Cadena for part of the same Exuma; which continuous appearance they naturally assume when seen from Concepcion, for they run in the sas, when seen from the same point, are likeesterly as well as southwesterly As a proof that such was the case, itapproached these islands, instead of the extent of Fernandina being increased to his eye, he now re, whereas before it was estiht; he now discovers that instead of one island there were many, and alters his course southerly to reach the one that was most conspicuous
The identity of the island here described with Exuma is irresistibly forced upon the mind The distance from Concepcion, the remarkable port with an island in front of it, and farther on its coast turning off to the ard, are all so accurately delineated, that it would seeh the chart had been drawn from the description of Columbus
On the 19th October, the shi+ps left Fernandina, steering SE with the wind at north Sailing three hours on this course, they discovered Sa at its north point before noon
Here they found a little island surrounded by rocks, with another reef of rocks lying between it and Saave the name of Isabella, and to the point of it opposite the little island, that of Cabo del Isleo; the cape at the S W point of Sauna, and off this last his shi+ps were brought to anchor The little island lay in the direction from Fernandina to Isabella, east and west
The coast froues to a cape, which Columbus called Fermosa from its beauty; this he believed to be an island apart from Sa Cabo Laguna, where he remained until the 20th October, Colu with shoals inside the s Near this extremity of Isabella they found a lake, from which the shi+ps were supplied ater
This island of Isabella, or Saa, which lies east of Exuma, that it is only necessary to read it with the chart unfolded to beco resolved to visit the island which the natives called Cuba, and described as bearing W S W froht, the comly to the W S W The wind continued light, with rain, until noon, when it freshened up, and in the evening Cape Verde, the S W point of Fernandina, bore N W distant seven leagues As the night beca to the reckoning two leagues
On the ain to WSW, until nine o'clock, when he had run five leagues; he then steered west until three, when he had run eleven leagues, at which hour land was discovered, consisting of seven or eight keys lying north and south, and distant five leagues from the shi+ps Here he anchored the next day, south of these islands, which he called Islas de Arena; they were low, and five or six leagues in extent
The distances run by Columbus, added to the departure taken from Fernandina and the distance froive a suues is about three less than the distance from the SW point of Fernandina or Exuroup of Mucaras, which lie east of Cayo Lobo on the grand bank of Bahama, and which correspond to the description of Columbus If it were necessary to account for the difference of three leagues in a reckoning, where so iven on conjecture, it would readily occur to a sea night of bloeather, is but a small one The course from Exuma to the Mucaras is about SW by W The course followed by Columbus differs a little fro sail from Isabella, to steer WSW, and since he afterwards altered it to west, webeen run out of his course to the southward, while lying to the night previous
Oct 27--At sunrise Columbus set sail from the isles Arenas or Mucaras, for an island called Cuba, steering SSW At dark, having ues on that course, he saw the land, and hove his shi+ps to until ain at SSW, and entered a beautiful river with a fine harbor, which he named San Salvador The journal in this part does not describe the localities with thehas hitherto been noted; the text also is in several places obscure
This port of San Salvador we take to be the one non as Caravelas Grandes, situated eight leagues west of Nuevitas del Principe Its bearings and distance from the Mucaras coincide exactly with those run by Colurees, as far as can be ascertained by charts, with the port which he visited
Oct 29--Leaving this port, Coluues, he ca NW, which we take to be the Punta Gorda; and, ten leagues farther, another stretching easterly, which will be Punta Curiana One league farther he discovered a se one, to which he gave the name of Rio de Mares This river e a bold entrance: it had for landmarks two round mountains at the S W, and to the WNW a bold promontory, suitable for a fortification, which projected far into the sea This we take to be the fine harbor and river situated west of Point Curiana; its distance corresponds with that run by Columbus from Caravelas Grandes, which we have supposed identical with Port San Salvador Leaving Rio de Mares the 30th of October, Coluues, when he saw a cape, to which he gave the name of Cabode Palmas This, we believe, is the one which foruna de Moron Beyond this cape was a river, distant, according to the natives, four days'
journey from the town of Cuba; Colu lain to all night, he reached the river on the 31st of October, but found that it was too shallow to admit his shi+ps This is supposed to be what is non as Laguna de Moron Beyond this was a cape surrounded by shoals, and another projected still farther out Between these two capes was a bay capable of receiving small vessels The identity here of the description with the coast near Laguna de Moron seeuna de Moron coincides with Cape Paluna de Moron with the shoal river described by Columbus; and in the western point of entrance, with the island of Cabrion opposite it, we recognize the two projecting capes he speaks of, hat appeared to be a bay between them This all is a remarkable combination, difficult to be found any where but in the same spot which Columbus visited and described Further, the coast from the port of San Salvador had run west to Rio de Mares, a distance of seventeen leagues, and froues to Cabo de Palrees fully hat has been here supposed The wind having shi+fted to north, which was contrary to the course they had been steering, the vessels bore up and returned to Rio de Mares
On the 12th of Noveo in quest of Babeque, an island believed to abound in gold, and to lie E by S froues with a fair wind, they canized the one which lies just west of Punta Gorda Four leagues farther they saw another, which they called Rio del Sol It appeared very large, but they did not stop to examine it, as the as fair to advance This we take to be the river non as Sabana Coluues fro west froues San Salvador, therefore, rely, on reference to the chart, we find Caravelas Grandes situated a corresponding distance froues froues from Rio de Mares, Columbus came to a cape which he called Cabo de Cuba, probably fro it to be the extremity of that island This corresponds precisely in distance from Punta Curiana with the lesser island of Guajava, situated near Cuba, and bethich and the greater Guajava Colu in for Port San Salvador
Either he did not notice it, fronificent island before him, or, as is also possible, his vessels ues wide, while lying to the night previous to their arrival at Port San Salvador
On the 13th of Nove the shi+ps passed a point two leagues in extent, and then entered into a gulf that ht separated Cuba froe basin between two mountains
He could not determine whether or not this was an ar shelter froain Hence it would appear that Columbus must have partly sailed round the smaller Guajava, which he took to be the extre aware that a few hours' sail would have taken him, by this channel, to Port San Salvador, his first discovery in Cuba, and so back to the same Rio del Sol which he had passed the day previous Of the two mountains seen on both sides of this entrance, the principal one corresponds with the peak called Alto de Juan Daune which lies seven leagues west of Punta de Maternillos The wind continuing north, he stood east fourteen leagues from Cape Cuba, which we have supposed the lesser island of Guajava It is here rendered sure that the point of little Guajava was believed by him to be the extre to leeward of the above- the island of Bohio, and says that he discovered twenty leagues of it running ESE and WNW