1492 Part 14

He stood on deck watching. "Cuba--Cuba! Have you not read of Cublai Khan? The sounds chime!"

"Cublai Khan. He lives in Quinsai."

"Ay. His splendid, capital city. Buildings all wonderful, and gardens like Mahound's paradise!"

"But if it is c.i.p.ango?"

"Ay. It may be c.i.p.ango. We have no angel here to tell us which. I would one would fly down and take us by the hand! Being men, we must make guesses."

Beautiful to us, splendid to us, was this coast of Cuba! We sailed by headlands and deep, narrow-necked bays, river mouths and hanging forests and bold cliffs. We sailed west and still headland followed headland, and still the lookout cried, "It stretched forever like the main!"

We came to a river where ships might ride. Sounding, we found deep water, entered river mouth and dropped anchor, then went ash.o.r.e in the boats. Palms and their water doubles, and in the grove a small abandoned village. We had seen the people flee before us, and they were no more nor other kind of people than had showed in Concepcion or Fernandina.

Yet were they a little wealthier. We found parrots on their perches, and two dogs, small and wolf-like that never barked. In one hut lay a harpoon tipped with bone, and a net for fishing. In another we found a wrought block of wood which Fray Ignatio p.r.o.nounced their idol.

We went back to our ships, and leaving river, sailed on in a bright blue sea. The next day we doubled a cape and found a great haven, but silent and sailless, with no maritime city thronging the sh.o.r.e. What was this world, so huge, so sparely, rudely peopled?

We came to anchor close under sh.o.r.e in this haven. Again the marvelous water, but now it laved a bold and great country! We landed. Canoes fastened in a row, another village, most of the folk decamped, but a few brave men and women tarrying to find out something about heaven and its inmates. With toys again and pacific gestures we wiled them to us.

There was upon the _Santa Maria_ a young Indian who had chosen to come with us from Fernandina. He had courage and intelligence, was willing to receive instruction and baptism from Fray Ignatio, and first and last followed the Admiral with devotion. The latter had him christened Diego Colon. We taught him Spanish as fast and soundly as we might, and used him as interpreter. The tongue of his island was not just the tongue of Cuba, but near enough to serve. All these Indians have a gift of oratory and dote to speak at length, with firm voice and great gestures. Now we set Diego Colon to his narration. We of Castile had so much of the tongue by now that we could in some wise follow.

Forth it poured! We were G.o.ds come from heaven. Yonder stood the chief G.o.d that the others obeyed. He was very great, strong, good, wise, kind, giving beautiful gifts! We were all kind--no one was going to be hurt.

We made magic with harac--which we called "gold." In heaven was not enough harac. So important is it to the best magic that a chief G.o.d has come to earth to seek it. We also liked cotton and things to eat, especially ca.s.sava cakes, and we liked a very few parrots. But it was gold that in chief we wanted. The man who brought the G.o.ds gold might go home with gifts so beautiful that there was never anything seen like them! Especially is there something that the G.o.ds call "bells" that ring and sound in your hand when you dance! Gold--do you know where to find it? Another thing! They desire to find a G.o.d who dropped out of the sky a long time ago, and has now a people and a great, marvelous village.

Thinking he might be here, they have dived down to our land, for they dive in the sky as we dive in water! The name of the G.o.d they hunt is Grand Khan or Cublai Khan, and his village is Quinsai. Have you heard of him? They are very anxious to find him. The chief G.o.d with white hair and wonderful clothes--It is what they call clothes; under it they are as you and me, only the color is different--the chief G.o.d will give many bells to any folk who can show him the way to Quinsai. Gold and Quinsai where lives the G.o.d Grand Khan.

As might have been expected, this brought tidings. "Cubanacan!

Cubanacan!" Whatever that might mean, they said it with a.s.surance, pointing inland. Diego Colon interrupted their further speech. "There is a river. Go up it three days and come to great village. Cacique there wearing clothes. All men there have gold!"

Pedro Gutierrez spoke. "They'll promise anything for a hawk bell!"

"What do they understand and what do they not understand? What do they say and what do they not say?" That was Martin Pinzon. "Between them all we are fooled!"

The Admiral, who was gazing inland after the dark pointing finger, turned and spoke. "At the root of all things sit Patience and Make Trial!

"Well, I know," answered Pinzon, "that if these ships be not careened and mended we shall have trouble! Weather changes. There will be storm!"

He was right as to ships and weather, and the Admiral knew it and said as much. I never saw him grudge recognition to Martin Pinzon. It has been said that he did, but I never saw it.

That night, on board the _Santa Maria_ there was held a great council.

At last it was settled that we should rest here a week and overhaul the ships, and that while that was doing, there should be sent two or three with Indian guides to find, if might be, this river and this town. And there were chosen, and given a week to go and come, Juan Lepe, Luis Torres and a seaman Roderigo Jerez, with Diego Colon, the Fernandina youth. Likewise there would go two Indians of this village, blithe enough to show their country to the G.o.ds and the G.o.ds to their country.

The next day being Sunday, Fray Ignatio preached a sermon to the Indians. He a.s.sumed, and at this time I think the Admiral a.s.sumed, that these folk had no religion. That was a mistake. I doubt if on earth can be found a people without religion.

Men and women they watched and listened, still, attentive, knowing that it had somehow to do with heaven. After sermon and after we had prayed and sung, we fashioned and set up a great cross upon cliff brow. Again the Indians watched and seemed to have some notion of what we did.

The remainder of the day we rested, and on Monday early Roderigo Jerez, Luis Torres and Juan Lepe with Diego Colon and two Cuba men made departure, We had a pack of presents and a letter from the Admiral. For we might meet some administrator or commandant or other, from Quinsai or Zaiton or we knew not where. This was the first of many--ah, so many--expeditions, separations from main body and return, or not return, as the case might be!

CHAPTER XIX

FOREST endless and splendid! We white men often saw no path, but the red-brown men saw it. It ran level, it climbed, it descended; then began the three again. It was lost, it was found. They said, "Here path!" But we had to serpent through thickets, or make way on edge of dizzy crag, or find footing through mora.s.s. We came to great stretches of reeds and yielding gra.s.s, giving with every step into water. It was to toil through this under hot sun, with stinging clouds of insects. But when they were left behind we might step into a grove of the G.o.ds, such firmness, such pleasantness, such shady going or happy resting under trees that dropped fruit.

We met no great forest beasts. There seemed to be none in this part of Asia. And yet Luis and I had read of great beasts. Dogs of no considerable size were the largest four-footed things we had come upon from San Salvador to Cuba. There were what they called _utias_, like a rabbit, much used for food, and twice we had seen an animal the size of a fox hanging from a bough by its tail.

If the beasts were few the birds were many. To see the parrots great and small and gorgeously colored, to see those small, small birds like tossed jewels that never sang but hummed like a bee, to hear a gray bird sing clear and loud and sweet every strain that sang other birds, was to see and hear most joyous things. Lizards were innumerable; at edge of a marsh we met with tortoises; once we pa.s.sed coiled around a tree a great serpent. It looked at us with beady eyes, but the Indians said it would not harm a man. A thousand, thousand b.u.t.terflies spread their painted fans.

The trees! so huge of girth and height and wherever was room so spreading, so rich of grain, so full, I knew, of strange virtues! We found one that I thought was cinnamon, and broke twigs and bark and put in our great pouch for the Admiral. Only time might tell the wealth of this green mult.i.tude. I thought, "Here is gold, if we would wait for it!" Fruit trees sprang by our path. We had with us some provision of biscuit and dried meat, and we never lacked golden or purple delectable orbs. We found the palm that bears the great nut, giving alike meat and milk.

By now Luis Torres and I had no little of Diego Colon's tongue and he had Spanish enough to understand the simplest statements and orders.

Ferdandina tongue was not quite Cuba tongue, but it was like enough to furnish sea room. We asked this, we asked that. No! No one had ever come to the end of their country. When one town was left behind, at last you came to another town. One by one, were they bigger, better towns? They seemed to say that they were, but here was always, I thought, doubtful understanding. But no one had ever walked around their country--they seemed to laugh at the notion--land that way, always land! On the other hand, there was sea yonder--like sea here. They pointed south. Not so far there! "It must be," said Luis, "that Cuba is narrow, though without end westwardly. A great point or tongue of Asia?"

The Cubans were strong young men and not unintelligent. "Chiefs?"

Yes, they had chiefs, they called them _caciques_. Some of them were fighters, they and their people. Not fighters like Caribs! Whereupon the speaker rose--we were resting under a tree--and facing south, used for gesture a strong shudder and a movement as if to flee.

South--south--always they pointed south! We were going south--inland.

Would we come to Caribs? But no. Caribs seemed not to be in Cuba, but beyond sea, in islands.

Luis and I made progress in language and knowledge. Roderigo Jerez, a simple man, slept or tried the many kinds of fruit, or teased the slender, green-flame lizards.

We slept this night high on the mountainside, on soft gra.s.s near a fall of water. The Indians showed no fear of attack from man or beast. They could make fire in a most ingenious fashion, setting stick against larger stick and turning the first with such skill, vigor and persistence that presently arose heat, a spark, fire. But they seemed to need or wish no watch fire. They lay, naked and careless, innocent--fearless, as though the whole land were their castle. Luis tried to find out how they felt about dangers. We pieced together. "None here! And the Great Lizard takes care!" That was the Cuban. Diego Colon said, "The Great Turtle takes care!"

Luis Torres laughed. "Fray Ignatio should hear that!"

"It is on the road," I said and went to sleep.

The second day's going proved less difficult than the first. Less difficult means difficult enough! And as yet we had met no one nor anything that remotely favored golden-roofed c.i.p.ango, or famous, rich Quinsai, or Zaiton of the marble bridges. Jerez climbed a tall tree and coming down reported forest and mountain, and naught else. Our companions watched with interest his climbing. "Do you go up trees in heaven?"

This morning we had bathed in a pool below the little waterfall. Diego Colon by now was used to us so, but the Cuba men displayed excitement.

They had not yet in mind separated us from our clothes. Now we were separated and were found in all our members like them, only the color differing. Color and the short beards of Luis Torres and Juan Lepe. They wished to touch and examine our clothes lying upon the bank, but here Diego Colon interfered. They were full of magic. Something terrible might happen! When Luis and I came forth from water and dried ourselves with handfuls of the warm gra.s.s, they asked: "Do they do so in heaven?"

The stronger, more intelligent of the two, added, "It is not so different!"

I said to Luis as we took path after breakfast, "It is borne in upon me that only from ourselves, Admiral to ship boy, can we keep up this heaven ballad! Clothes, beads and hawk bells, cannon, harquebus, trumpet and banner, ship and sails, royal letters and blessing of the Pope--nothing will do it long unless we do it ourselves!"

"Agreed!" quoth Luis. "But G.o.ds and angels are beginning to slip and slide, back there by the ships! We have the less temptation here."

He began to speak of a sailor and a brown girl upon whom he had stumbled in a close wood a little way from sh.o.r.e. She thought Tomaso Pasamonte was a G.o.d wooing her and was half-frightened, half-fain. "And two hours later I saw Don Pedro Gutierrez--"

"Ay," said Juan Lepe. "The same story! The oldest that is!" And as at the word our savages, who had been talking together, now at the next resting place put forward their boldest, who with great reverence asked if there were women in heaven.

Through most of this day we struggled with a difficult if fantastically beautiful country. Where rock outcropped and in the sands of bright rapid streams we looked for signs of that gold, so stressed as though it were the only salvation! But the rocks were silent, and though in the bed of a shrunken streamlet we found some glistening particles and sc.r.a.ping them carefully together got a small spoonful to wrap in cloth and bestow in our pouch of treasures, still were we not sure that it was wholly gold. It might be. We worked for an hour for just this pinch.

Since yesterday morning our path had been perfectly solitary. Then suddenly, when we were, we thought, six leagues at least from the ships, the way turning and entering a small green dell, we came upon three Indians seated resting, their backs to palm trees. We halted, they raised their eyes. They stared, they rose in amazement at the sight of those G.o.ds, Roderigo Jerez, Luis Torres and Juan Lepe. They stood like statues with great eyes and parted lips. For us, coming silently upon them, we had too our moment of astonishment.

They were three copper men, naked, fairly tall and well to look at. But each had between his lips what seemed a brown stick, burning at the far end, dropping a light ash and sending up a thin cloud of odorous smoke.

These burning sticks they dropped as they rose. They had seemed so silent, so contented, so happy, sitting there with backs to trees, a firebrand in each mouth, I felt a love for them! Luis thought the lighted sticks some rite of their religion, but after a while when we came to examine them, we found them not true stick, but some large, thickish brown leaf tightly twisted and pressed together and having a pungent, not unpleasing odor. We crumbled one in our hands and tasted it. The taste was also pungent, strange, but one might grow to like it.

They called the stick tobacco, and said they always used it thus with fire, drinking in the smoke and puffing it out again as they showed us through the nostrils. We thought it a great curiosity, and so it was!

But to them we were unearthly beings. The men from the sea told of us, then as it were introduced Diego Colon, who spoke proudly with appropriate gesture, loving always his part of herald Mercury--or rather of herald Mercury's herald--not a.s.suming to be G.o.d himself, but cherishing the divine efflux and the importance it rayed upon him!