little skirt. We found three or four copper knives, but
again they said that they came from the south. As in Spain
"west--west" had been his word, so now the Admiral
brooded upon south.

These folk had a very little gold, but they seemed to say
that theirs was a simple and poor village, and that we should
find more of all things farther on. So we left Concepcion,
the cross upon the rock showing a long way through the pure
air.

For two days we coasted, and at the end of this time we
came to a harbor of great beauty and back from it ran a
vale like Paradise, so richly sweet it was! Christopherus
Columbus was quick to find beauty and loved it when found.
Often and often have I seen his face turn that of a child
or a youth, filled with wonder. I have seen him kiss a
flower, lay a caress upon stem of tree, yearn toward palm
tops against the blue. He was well read in the old poets,
and he himself was a poet though he wrote no line of verse.

We entered here and came to anchor and the sails rattled
down. "Hispaniola--Hispaniola, and we will call this
harbor St. Thomas! He was the Apostle to India. And
now we are his younger brothers come after long folding
away. Were we more--did we have a fleet--we might
set a city here and, it being Christmas, call it La Navidad!"
Out came the canoes to us, out the swimmers, dark and
graceful figures cleaving the utter blue. Some one passing
that way overland, hurrying with news, had told these villages