Columbus.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 21 November 1891, Page 2

Columbus.

• On the third of August 1492 Columbus sailed from the port ot Palos in search of a new world. Just four hundred years after, the people who have benefited by his discoveries intend holding a gigantic exhibition at Chicago. Everything that can be done to find new matter relating to this hardy mariner, who was swept upon the coast of Portugal, supported upon an oar is now being done. At the request of the Latin American Bureau of the World's < 'olnmbian Exposition, Cardinal Gibbons has requested the proper officers of the several religous orders of the Eoman Catholic church, both in Europe and America, to cause their achieves to be searched for historical records bearing upon the discovery and settlement of the New World. It is known that every ship that left Spain, beginning with the first voyage of Columbus, carried among its crew a priest or a friar, and that these missionaries made voluminous reports to the heads <M their different orders, few of whict were ever published. It is believed that the archives of the church are filled with valuable historical material. The interest in the work done by this navigator makes many towns desirous of claiming the honour of being his birth place. The savants and historians of Italy arc now deeply interesting themselves in the qnestion of Columbus' real birthplace, Five or six places besides Genoa claim the honor, and among them is Bettola. It is reported that proofs have lately been discovered establishing Bettola's claim, and that the town will erect a monument to Columbus at once, and intends to send an envoy to the World's Fair with these proofs and other histori. cal documents of interest. It will be remembered that from his third voyage Columbus returned to Spain a prisoner and in chains. This indignity was put apon him by a new Governor, who had been sent out to take his place, because his enemies said that he was using his power to benefit himself. The Governor who arrested him feared there might be an attempt at rescue. So he trained a big gun on the entrance of the citadel, or castle, in which Columbus was confined. That cannon has lain in the same place until now, when Mr Ober, a World's Fair representative, recovered it, and with the permission of the Governor of San Domingo, brought it to the United States. It has been shipped to Chief of Construction Burnham in order that he may use it in some way in ornamenting the Exposition grounds.