190 F. A. Oher — In the Wake of Columbus. 



thinnest. Still the natives have their " farms," as they call them, 

 from which they gain the scantiest subsistence ; at the time of my 

 visit, a year ago, they were on the verge of starvation. 



The particular spot at which it is thought Columbus and his 

 crew landed on that memorable October morning, 1492, is on 

 the northeastern coast of Watlings island at the end of a bay 

 now known as Greens harbor. From the light-house, half a 

 mile distant, the whole coast is visible, and the beautiful beach 

 lies before 3^ou, a stretch of silver sands some two miles long, 

 terminated by promontories of coral, and bordered by a low 

 growth of sea-grape, dwarf palmetto, and sweet-smelling shrubs, 

 such as the southern coast of Florida yields. Near the south- 

 eastern extremity of this beach, where the coral rock of the head- 

 land juts out toward the barrier reefs, it is assumed that the 

 famous landing took place ; but the spot is as desolate now as 

 at that time, four hundred years ago, no sounds breaking the 

 stillness except the murmur of the waves and the cries of sea- 

 birds. On the promontory there stands a monument, erected 

 by the correspondent of the Chicago Herald in 1891, who arrived 

 at the conclusion, after careful examination, that this was the 

 landing-place. 



Regarding the natives found in possession by Columbus, we 

 can only say that they have long since disappeared. It was 

 during the first century of Spanish occupation that their exter- 

 mination was brought about through deportation to Haiti to 

 labor in the mines. 



Columbus describes them well, and also the few articles of 

 domestic use they had in their possession, as well as the flocks 

 of parrots 9.nd the animals of the island. Parrots are no longer 

 found here, but > are still seen in flocks on Acklins island, a 

 hundred miles or so away. The only relics of the aborigines I 

 succeeded in finding were the stone implements they used in 

 their agricultural operations, such as celts, locally known as 

 "thunderbolts," a few bones, and a skull. All these are shown 

 in the monastery of La Rabida, that most interesting building 

 erected at the Exposition through the recommendation and 

 efforts of Mr W. E. Curtis, and which contains also other invalu- 

 able relics of the great discoverer, presenting an epitome of 

 American history. 



The present inhabitants of Watlings are mostl}^ black and 

 colored, some 700 in number, and have no knowledge of the 



