they expressed, so far as their exclamations and gesticulations could be understood, the utmost astonishment at everything they saw. Of course, there could be no communication except by dumb show, but the natives were very willing to attempt to pronounce such English words as the sailors gave them, and they succeeded so well in their efforts, and showed so much docility in trying to learn, that Columbus was convinced, he said, "that they could all be made Christians with very little difficulty."

They were, however, very poor, and apparently very ignorant and helpless. Columbus saw scars upon the persons of some of the men, and he asked by signs what was the cause of them. They signified in reply that the scars were from wounds given in a fight, and that the enemies with whom they fought came from some other islands near. The only weapons, however, which they had were the javelins above spoken of, which were formed of a simple shaft, pointed with the tooth of some animal. They seemed to have no idea of any cutting tool or weapon whatever, for when Columbus showed them a saber, one of them took hold of it by the blade and cut his hand with it, at which he and all the others seemed inexpressibly surprised.

COLUMBUS NOT SATISFIED.

Although the triumph of Columbus was now in one sense complete, his expectations and promises in regard to the discovery of land having been fully realized, still in one aspect of the scene before him he was far from being satisfied, and that was the appearance of poverty which both the country and the people presented. He had supposed that he was coming to the Indies, to a land rich in gold and gems, and in every other species of wealth that the heart could desire. A great many tales had been told by travelers who had visited India by the route over land through Persia and Arabia, of an island called Cipango, which lay to the east of India, and was said to be full to overflowing with every species of costly and precious treasure. There seems to have been no limits to the credulity of people in those days in respect to the wonderful richness of the east, and this island of Cipango in particular filled all imaginations as a sort of enchanted land where the fabulous narratives of the Arabian Nights, in respect to stores of golden utensils and precious gems laid up in the treasuries of princes, and vast accumulations of the richest merchandise in the markets were to be fully realized. It is now supposed that

Japan was the island actually referred to, under the name of Cipango, in the accounts which the travelers received, so that there was a real territory to serve as a foundation for these tales, although the pictures which they presented to the imagination were all splendid illusions.

Columbus' mind was full of Cipango when he discovered land, and he was somewhat disappointed to find that although the country of which he had taken possession with so much formality was beautiful, the inhabitants seemed to be miserably poor. They were willing to give anything that they possessed for a nail, or a glass bead, but then they seemed to have nothing to give but parrots, cotton balls, and rudely made javelins, barbed with bone.

ASTONISHMENT OF THE NATIVES.

The next day after the landing the number of natives upon the shore in the neighborhood of the vessels greatly increased-the new comers doubtless having been drawn to the spot by rumors of the arrival of the strangers, which had spread into the interior and along the coasts. Some came in boats which were made of logs hollowed out by fire. These boats were of various sizes, some being in

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tended to carry only one man, while others were

large enough to contain forty or fifty. The Spaniards were surprised to see how well made these boats were, and how fast they could be propelled through the water. They were navigated by paddles shaped, as Columbus said in his account of them, "like an oven shovel." The boats were, however, very easily upset, and whenever one of them went over the natives all leaped out into the water, and then righting the boat they bailed out the water with calabashes, which they always carried with them for this purpose, and clambered in again. There were no clothes to be dried after such an accident as this, for the men were all naked.

Those that had no boats found no difficulty in swimming off to the vessels, whenever they wished to go on board.

The vessels all this time were anchored at some distance from the shore of the island, and within the reef. The water, being protected by the reef, was smooth, and so perfeetly clear that the bottom could be seen at a great depth.

The swell of the sea was rolling in heavily all the time against the outer face of the reef, but not disturbing the broad expanse of sheltered water within. The air was delightfully serene. The vegetation which adorned the shores was most