The Enchanted Islands -1

The New World
The Enchanted Islands -1 
Columbus did not intend to remain long at San Salvador. His landfall there, although it
signified the realisation of one part of his dream, was only the starting-point of his
explorations in the New World. Now that he had made good his undertaking to "discover
new lands," he had to make good his assurance that they were full of wealth and would
swell the revenues of the King and Queen of Spain. A brief survey of this first island was
all he could afford time for; and after the first exquisite impression of the white beach,
and the blue curve of the bay sparkling in the sunshine, and the soft prismatic colours of
the acanthus beneath the green wall of the woods had been savoured and enjoyed, he was
anxious to push on to the rich lands of the Orient of which he believed this island to be
only an outpost.
On the morning after his arrival the natives came crowding down to the beach and got
down their canoes, which were dug out of the trunk of a single tree, and some of which
were large enough to contain forty or forty-five men: They came paddling out to the ship,
sometimes, in the case of the smaller canoes which only held one man, being upset by the
surf, and swimming gaily round and righting their canoes again and bailing them out with
gourds. They brought balls of spun cotton, and parrots and spears. All their possessions,
indeed, were represented in the offerings they made to the strangers. Columbus, whose
eye was now very steadily fixed on the main chance, tried to find out if they had any
gold, for he noticed that some of them wore in their noses a ring that looked as though it
were made of that metal; and by making signs he asked them if there was any more of it
to be had. He understood them to say that to the south of the island there dwelt a king
who had large vessels of gold, and a great many of them; he tried to suggest that some of
the natives should come and show him the way, but he "saw that they were not interested
in going."
The story of the Rheingold was to be enacted over again, and the whole of the evils that
followed in its glittering train to be exemplified in this voyage of discovery. To the
natives of these islands, who guarded the yellow metal and loved it merely for its shining
beauty, it was harmless and powerless; they could not buy anything with it, nor did they
seek by its aid to secure any other enjoyments but the happiness of looking at it and
admiring it. As soon as the gold was ravished from their keeping, however, began the
reign of lust and cruelty that always has attended and always will attend the knowledge
that things can be bought with it. In all its history, since first it was brought up from the
dark bowels of the earth to glitter in the light of day, there is no more significant scene
than this that took place on the bright sands of San Salvador so long ago—Columbus
attentively examining the ring in the nose of a happy savage, and trying to persuade him
to show him the place that it was brought from; and the savage "not interested in going."
From his sign-conversation with the natives Columbus understood that there was land to
the south or the south-west, and also to the north-west, and that the people from the
north-west went to the south-west in search of gold and precious stones. In the meantime
he determined to spend the Sunday in making a survey of the island, while the rest of
Saturday was passed in barterings with the natives, who were very happy and curious to
see all the strange things belonging to the voyagers; and so innocent were their ideas of
value that "they give all they have for whatever thing may be given them." Columbus,
however, who was busy making calculations, would not allow the members of the crew
to take anything more on their own account, ordering that where any article of commerce
existed in quantity it was to be acquired for the sovereigns and taken home to Spain.
Early on Sunday morning a boat was prepared from each ship, and a little expedition
began to row north about the island. As they coasted the white rocky shores people came
running to the beach and calling to them; "giving thanks to God," says Columbus,
although this is probably a flight of fancy. When they saw that the boats were not coming
to land they threw themselves into the water and came swimming out to them, bringing
food and drink. Columbus noticed a tongue of land lying between the north-west arm of
the internal lagoon and the sea, and saw that by cutting a canal through it entrance could
be secured to a harbour that would float "as many ships as there are in Christendom." He
did not, apparently, make a complete circuit of the island, but returned in the afternoon to
the ships, having first collected seven natives to take with him, and got under way again;
and before night had fallen San Salvador had disappeared below the north-west horizon.
About midday he reached another island to the southeast. He sailed along the coast until
evening, when he saw yet another island in the distance to the south-west; and he
therefore lay-to for the night. At dawn the next morning he landed on the island and took
formal possession of it, naming it Santa Maria de la Concepcion, which is the Rum Cay
of the modern charts. As the wind chopped round and he found himself on a lee-shore he
did not stay there, but sailed again before night. Two of the unhappy prisoners from
Guanahani at this point made good their escape by swimming to a large canoe which one
of the natives of the new island had rowed out—a circumstance which worried Columbus
not a little; since he feared it would give him a bad name with the natives. He tried to
counteract it by loading with presents another native who came to barter balls of cotton,
and sending him away again.
The effect of all that he was seeing, of the bridge of islands that seemed to be stretching
towards the south-west and leading him to the region of untold wealth, was evidently
very stimulating and exciting to Columbus. His Journal is almost incoherent where he
attempts to set down all he has got to say. Let us listen to him for a moment:
"These islands are very green and fertile, and the breezes are very soft, and there may be
many things which I do not know, because I did not wish to stop, in order to discover and
search many islands to find gold. And since these people make signs thus, that they wear
gold on their arms and legs,—and it is gold, because I showed them some pieces which I
have,—I cannot fail, with the aid of our Lord, in finding it where it is native. And being
in the middle of the gulf between these two islands, that is to say, the island of Santa
Maria and this large one, which I named Fernandina, I found a man alone in a canoe who
was going from the island of Santa Maria to Fernandina, and was carrying a little of his
bread which might have been about as large as the fist, and a gourd of water, and a piece
of reddish earth reduced to dust and afterwards kneaded, and some dry leaves—
[Tobacco]—which must be a thing very much appreciated among them, because they had
already brought me some of them as a present at San Salvador: and he was carrying a
small basket of their kind, in which he had a string of small glass beads and two blancas,
by which I knew that he came from the island of San Salvador, and had gone from there
to Santa Maria and was going to Fernandina. He came to the ship: I caused him to enter
it, as he asked to do so, and I had his canoe placed on the ship and had everything which
he was carrying guarded and I ordered that bread and honey be given him to eat and
something to drink. And I will go to Fernandina thus and will give him everything, which
belongs to him, that he may give good reports of us. So that, when your Highnesses send
here, our Lord pleasing, those who come may receive honour and the Indians will give
them of everything which they have."