The Indians sprang out, the San Salvador man with them.
Leaving canoe, they ran across sand into wood. The _Nina's_
men took the canoe and brought it to the _Santa Maria_. In
it were balls of cotton and calabashes filled with fruit and a
chattering parrot. It was the first thing of this kind that
had happened, and the Admiral's face was wrathful. He
had a simple, kindly heart, and though he could be vexed
or irritated, he rarely broke into furious anger. But first
and last he desired peaceful absorption, if by any means
that were possible, of these countries. We absorbing them,
they absorbing us; both the gainers! And he had warm
feeling of romance-love for all this that he was finding.
He saw all his enterprise milk-white, rose-bright. And his
pride was touched that the Indian who had seemed contented
had not truly been so, and that the _Nina_'s men had disobeyed strict commands for friendliness. He would
restore
that content if possible, and he would have no more unordered
chasing of canoes. The Nina's men got anger and
rebuke, Captain Cristoforo Colombo mounting up in the
Admiral.
He would let nothing in the canoe be touched. Instead
he had placed aboard 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.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158