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CHAPTER XVII
WE were in a throng of islands. We might drop all for a little while,then from masthead "Land ho!" None were great islands, many far smallerthan San Salvador. At night we lay to, not knowing currents and shoals;then broke the day and we flung out sail.
We had with us upon the _Santa Maria_ three San Salvador men. Theyhad come willingly, two young, fearless men, and one old man with awrinkled, wise, interested face. Assiduous to gain their tongue andimpart our own, the Admiral, beside his own effort, told off forespecial teachers and scholars Luis Torres and Juan Lepe. We did gainknowledge, but as yet everything was imperfect, without fine shading,and subject to all miscomprehension. But like the rest of us, theAdmiral guessed in accordance with his wishes and his previous belief.
All these islands lay flat or almost flat upon the sea. All showed ivorybeach, vivid wood, surrounding water, transparent and heavenly blue,inhabited by magically colored fish. When we dropped anchor, took boatand landed, it was to find the same astonished folk, naked, harmless,holding us for gods, bringing all they had, eager for our toys whichwere to them king's treasures and holy relics. Every island the Admiralnamed; he gave them goodly names! Over and over the Indians pointedsouth and west. We understood great lands, clothed men, much gold. Butwhen we next came to anchor, like small island, like men, women andchildren. We traded for a few more knobs of gold, but they were few.
Toscanelli's map and the Admiral's map lay on cabin table. "Islands inthe Sea of Chin--Polo and Mandeville alike say thousands--all gradesthen of advance. Beyond any manner of doubt, persevering west or west bysouth, we shall come to main Asia." So long as he ruled, there would beperseverance!
At Santa Maria de la Concepcion a solitary large canoe crowded withIndians was rowing toward us. One of the San Salvador young men aboardus fancied some slight, experienced some fear, or may even,--whoknows?--have wearied of the gods. Springing upon the rail he threwhimself into sea and made off with great strokes toward the canoe. Pedrobehind him shouted "Escape!" There was a rush to the side to observe.Fernando bawled, "Come back! or we'll let fly an arrow."
He swam, the dark, naked fellow, like a fish. Reaching the canoe, theIndians there took him in; he seemed to have a tale to tell, they allbroke into talk, the canoe went round, they rowed fast back to land. The_Nina_, lying near us, had her boat filling to go ashore. Her men hadseen the leap overboard and the swimmer. Now they put after, rowing hardfor the canoe, that having the start came first to beach. The Indianssprang out, the San Salvador man with them. Leaving canoe, they ranacross sand into wood. The _Nina's_ men took the canoe and brought it tothe _Santa Maria_. In it were balls of cotton and calabashes filled withfruit and a chattering parrot. It was the first thing of this kind thathad happened, and the Admiral's face was wrathful. He had a simple,kindly heart, and though he could be vexed or irritated, he rarely brokeinto furious anger. But first and last he desired peaceful absorption,if by any means that were possible, of these countries. We absorbingthem, they absorbing us; both the gainers! And he had warm feeling ofromance-love for all this that he was finding. He saw all his enterprisemilk-white, rose-bright. And his pride was touched that the Indian whohad seemed contented had not truly been so, and that the _Nina_'s menhad disobeyed strict commands for friendliness. He would restore thatcontent if possible, and he would have no more unordered chasing ofcanoes. The Nina's men got anger and rebuke, Captain Cristoforo Colombomounting up in the Admiral.
He would let nothing in the canoe be touched. Instead he had placedaboard a pot of honey and a flask of wine and three pieces of cloth,then with a strong shove it was sent landward, and the tide making in,it came to shore. We saw two venture from the wood and draw it up onbeach.
In a little while came around a point of shore a canoe with one Indianwho made toward us, using his oar very dexterously, and when he enteredour shadow holding up cotton and fruit. It was to be seen that he hadhad no communication with the men of the large canoe.
The Admiral himself called out encouragingly and snatching the firstsmall thing at hand held it up. The Indian scrambled on board. He stood,as fine a piece of bronze as any might see, before the Genoese, as greata figure as might be found in all Italy--all Spain--all Europe.
The elder touched the younger, the white man the red man, as a king, afather, might have touched a prince, a son. He himself took the youthover our ship, showing him this, showing him that, had the music playfor him, brought him to Fray Ignatio who talked of Christ, pointing oftto heaven. (To my thinking this action, often repeated, was one of thethings that for so long made them certain we had come from the skies.)In the cabin he gave the Indian a cup of wine and a biscuit dipped inhoney. He gave him a silken cap with a tassel and himself put round histhroat one of our best strings of beads, and into his hand not one butthree of the much-coveted hawk bells. He was kinder than rain afterdrought. First and last, he could well lend himself to the policy ofkindness, for it was not lending. Kindness was his nature.
In an hour this Indian, returned to his canoe, was rowing toward shorewith a swelling heart and a determined loyalty. He touched the island,and we could trust him to be missionary, preaching with all fervor ofheaven and the gods.
Ay, me!
Whatever the other's defection, he more than covered it, the return ofthe canoe aiding. Santa Maria de la Concepcion became again friendly.But the Admiral that evening gave emphatic instruction to Martin andVicente Pinzon and all the gathered Spaniards. Just here, I think, beganthe rift between him and many. Many would have by prompt taking, as theytake in war. Were not all these heathen and given? But he would haveanother way round, though often he compromised with war; never wantingwar but forced by his time and his companions. Sometimes, in the future,forced by the people we came among, but far oftener forced by greed andlust and violence of our own. Alas, again! Alas, again and again!
After Santa Maria de la Concepcion, Fernandina, and after Fernandinathe most beautiful of islands, Isabella, where we lay three days. Peopleupon this island seemed to us more civilized than the Salvador folk.The cotton was woven, loin cloths were worn, they had greater variety ofcalabashes, the huts were larger, the villages more regular. They sleptin "hamacs" which are stout and wide cotton nets slung between posts,two or three feet above earth. Light, space-giving, easy of removal,these beds greatly took our fancy.
Here we sought determinedly for spice-giving trees and medicinal herbsand roots. It was not a spicery such as Europe depended upon, but stillcertain things seemed valuable! We gathered here and gathered there whatmight be taken to Spain. There grew an emulation to find. The Admiraloffered prizes for such and such a commodity come upon.
We sailed from Isabella and after three days came to Cuba.