168 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



On the 28th, at dawn, Columbus discovered an island, which, 

 in its extent and in its general characteristics, reminded him 

 strongly of Sicily, in the Mediterranean. As he approached, his 

 senses underwent a species of confusion from the miraculous 

 fertility and luxuriance of the vegetation. In his journal, he 

 does not attempt to describe his emotions, but, preserving the 

 silence of stupefaction, says simply that " he never saw any thing 

 so magnificent." He no longer doubted that this beautiful spot 

 was the real Cipango. He landed, gave to the island the name 

 of Juana, and commenced a search for gold, which resulted in a 

 complete disappointment. On leaving Cuba, he gave it a name 

 which he thought more appropriate than Juana, styling its 

 eastern extremity Alpha and Omega, being, as he thought, the 

 region where the East Indies finished and where the West 

 Indies began. This error of Columbus was the cause of the 

 North American savages being called Indians — an error which 

 has been perpetuated in spite of the progress of geographical 

 discovery, and which will doubtless endure forever. 



On the 6th of December, he discovered an island, named 

 Haiti by the natives, and which he called Hispaniola, as it re- 

 minded him of the fairest tracts of Spain. He found that the 

 inhabitants had the reputation with their neighbors of de- 

 vouring human flesh ; they were called Caniba people, an epithet 

 which, after the necessary modifications, has passed into all 

 European languages. The Caribs were the nation meant. At 

 this point, the captain of the Pinta deserted the fleet, in order 

 to make discoveries on his own account. Soon after, the Santa 

 Maria was wrecked upon the coast of Haiti, and Columbus, 

 thinking that this accident was intended as an indication of the 

 Divine will that he should establish a colony there, built a fort of 

 live timber, in which he placed forty-two men. He weighed 

 anchor in the Nina, on the 11th of January, 1493, and shortly 

 after fell in with the Pinta. He pretended to believe and accept 

 the falsehoods and contradictions which Pinzon alleged as the 



