Class Book rr^ J c:^ GopyRghtN°__c2i2 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. The Development of Our Flag OUR COUNTRY IN STORY THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS t)T+Ue4,^ci ov^ev o^ Sf, Fran OF THE PERPETUAL ADORATION- ST. ROSE CONVENT, LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN SCOTT, FORESMAN AND COMPANY CHICAGO NEW YORK Copyright 1917 by Scott, Foresman and Company MAY 28 1917 ©CI.A4G2722 FOREWORD This little book, intended for use in the fifth and sixth grades of our elementary schools, embodies in a series of stories many of the more notable events in the history of our country. In these various narratives are portrayed the Catholic missionary, discoverer, ex- plorer, and statesman, bringing out the influence of faith on char- acter and actions. Another distinctive feature of the book is that while it deals with projects, and emphasizes the elements of cause and effect, it still contains all the ethical value of a biographical work. Children delight in stories. The dramatic, the picturesque, the personal, appeal powerfully to the youthful mind, leading it to see the past as a living present, and to think the thoughts and expe- rience the feelings of those who now live only in their words and deeds. When reading about Columbus, Father Marquette, or Washington, the child is charmed; it quite intuitively imbibes ethical principles and acquires without special effort the knowledge of what is in itself dry, unattractive fact-matter. "Truth embodied in a tale Will enter in at lowly doors." Accordingly, the historic events described in this text are made to center about some hero, and are presented in a manner to attract and claim the attention of the youthful mind, inspiring it with a desire to search farther into the broad field of history. Thus this little book will achieve the main object of its mission — it will become a basis for the more advanced study of history in the seventh and eighth grades. The subject matter has been arranged in chronological order as nearly as possible. No attempt, however, has been made to give a connected account of historical topics. On the contrary, each set of narratives is a separate unit complete in itself. The two first series of stories, "A Pathway Across the Atlantic" and "Balboa and Magellan Prove That Columbus Had Discovered a New Conti- nent," treating on discovery, pi-epare the way for the colonization of the American continent. "The Story of a Great River" is repre- sentative of the period of exploration. "The Great Southwest" embodies the great scheme of civilization and christianization. "On the Banks of the Potomac" and "Our National Banner" stand for 3 4 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY the organization of the American nation. "West to the Mississippi," "West to the Pacific," and "A Missionary to the Far West" carry emigration and industry across the Alleghanies into the Mississippi Valley, thence over the Rockies to the Pacific; "The West Is Linked with the East" finally connects the extreme ocean coasts by the story of the first transcontinental railroad. Thus all the subjects taken together contribute toward forming a peculiarly charming and valuable whole. The teacher's attention is called to the several maps and numerous illustrations by means of which events and characters are presented more clearly and accurately to the mind. At the end of each series of stories are found questions which not only stimulate thought about what has been presented in the text, but also furnish an incentive for additional reading. In addition to the questions are references to historical poems and songs. The reading or singing of these stirring poems and ballads will aid wonderfully in firing the imagination and fixing a principle or fact of history in the memory. In the preparation of this book original records, old journals, and various other authentic sources have been freely consulted and utilized. We would acknowledge indebtedness to the Jesuit Fathers at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and Spokane, Washington; and to a number of other Reverend members of the clergy who read the manuscript and offered helpful advice and suggestions. Special mention is due to Father Zephyrin Engelhardt, O. F. M., Santa Barbara, California, the author of Missio7is and Missionaries of California. Besides reading very closely the entire manuscript, he offered freely for use in this book any matter, maps, or illustra- tions from his books that might prove suitable for the purpose. We are indebted to the Bobbs-Merrill Company for kind permission to reproduce seven illustrations from The Conquest of the Northwest; to the Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company for permitting the use of the illustration "Meeting with the Natives," from Towle's Magellan; and to Dodd, Mead & Company for the illustration "A Patagonian," from Guillemard's Ferdinand Magellan. Our thanks are also due to Mr. F. A. Wadleigh, passenger traffic manager of the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad Company, for the photograph from which the engraving "The Great Divide" is reproduced. Credit must also be given Miss Mary E. Tobin, Principal of the Marquette School, Chi- cago, Illinois, for reading proofs and offering valuable suggestions. CONTENTS PAGE I. A Pathway across the Atlantic 1. A Long-Ago Voyage 9 2. The Northmen on American Shores 13 3. The Need of a New Waterway to the Far East. . 19 4. Columbus Proposes a Westward Voyage to the Far East 24 5. Columbus Sails on a Westward Voyage 33 6. Columbus Finds Strange Coasts 38 7. Columbus Returns to Spain 42 8. Three More Westward Voyages 47 II. Balboa and Magellan Prove that Columbus Had Dis- covered A New Continent 1. The Discovery of the Pacific 52 2. The First Voyage around the World 60 III. The Story of a Great River 1. A Visitor from Quebec at St. Ignace 73 2. On the Way to the Mississippi 78 3. Down the Mississippi to the Arkansas 86 4. Homeward Bound. The Death of Father Marquette 94 5. The Mississippi Explored from Source to Mouth. . 98 IV. The Great Southwest 1. The Franciscan Padres in the South 102 2. The Jesuit Padres in Lower California 106 3. The Fi'anciscan Padres in Upper California 110 4. The California Mission System . 123 V. On the Banks of the Potomac 1. The Old Dominion 136 2. The Land of the Sanctuary 140 3. Mount Vernon 146 4. Two Great Sons of Maryland 162 5. Our Capital City 174 5 Q CONTENTS PAGE VI. Our National Banner 1. The Origin of Our Flag 183 2. The Meaning of Our Flag 187 VII. West to the Mississippi 1. Colonial Means of Travel 200 2. Through Cumberland Gap to Kentucky 207 3. Down the Ohio to the Northwest Territory 224 4. The Old National Pike 248 VIII. West to the Pacific 1. Jefferson Adds Louisiana to the United States. . . 259 2. An Exploring Expedition to the Far West 263 IX. A Missionary to the Far West 308 X. The West Is Linked with the East 1. The Forty-Niners 316 2. Early Means of Communication Between the East and the West 322 3. The First Railroad across the Continent 326 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS PAGE The Development of our Flag (color) Frontispipce Statue of Leif Bricson 9 i-'t. Brendan and His Monks Set Sail for a Western Land 12 Ruins of the Cathedral of Garda, Greenland 15 The Landing of the Northmen ... 16 Map of Norse Voyages 18 Genoa Today 20 The Boy Columbus 21 Map of Two Principal Trade Routes to India 22 Map — The World as Known in Columbus's Day 25 Toscanelli's Map 27 Christopher Columbus 28 Queen Isabella 2!) Columbus's Room at La Rabida. . SI Columbus before Queen Isabella at Granada 32 The Ships of Columbus 36 The Landing of Columbus 39 Map Showing Route of Colum- bus's First Voyage 40 Wreck of the Santa Maria 42 Columbus before the Spanish Court after His PMrst Voyage. . 45 Ruins at Isabella 48 Balboa Being Carried on Board in a Barrel 54 Indian Village ia Darien 56 Balboa Taking Possession of the Pacific 59 Ferdinqnd Magellan 61 Magellan's Fleet 63 A Patagonian of Today 67 Magellan Meeting with the Na- tives of the Philippine Islands. 7(> Map of Magellan's Voyage around the Globe 71 St. Ignace 73 Interior of St. Ignace 74 Father Marquette 7v> The Burial of De Soto iu the Mis- sissippi 78 PAGE Statue of Joliet 80 Map Showing Explorations of Father Marquette and Joliet, La Salle, and Father Hennepin. 83 Along the Wisconsin River 85 Along the Mississippi River 87 Indian Calumets 89 A Fleet of Indian Canoes Accom- panying Father Marquette and Joliet to the Arkansas River. . . 92 Death of Father Marquette 96 La Salle Taking Possession of the Mississippi River 99 The Aztec Calendar Stone 104 Indians at Work in the Field .... 108 Monument to Padre Serra at San Diego Ill Padre Junipero Serra 114 Founding the San Diego Mission. .116 The Founding of the San Carlos Mission at Monterey 119 Map Showing Old California Mis- sions 121 A Padre Making His Way through the Wilderness 124 Life at a Mission 126 Bells of San Gabriel Mission 128 Discovery of San Francisco Bay. .129 Santa Barbara Mission 132 At the Fountain of San Gabriel Mission 135 Map Showing a Strip of the At- lantic Seaboard 137 Virginia Manor House and Slave Quarters 139 Landing of the Maryland Colo- nists 143 A Scene on the Potomac 145 The Wharf at Mount Vernon. . . .147 Mount Vernon 148 Martha Washington 130 George Washington 152 Washington Praying in the For- est 154 Washington at Mount Vernon . . . 156 Washington Entering New York. .159 8 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS PAGE Bishop Carroll 163 Georgetown University 16T Charles Carroll 1"'^ Signing the Declaration of Inde- pendence ^^'■^ The White House Today 1"7 Our Capitol 180 The Birthplace of Our Flag ISS Betsy Ross and Her Maids Have Completed Our First National Flag I- 193 Francis Scott Key 197 A Stage Coach 200 A Packhorse > ■ • ■ 203 A Conestoga Wagon 204 A Post-Rider en a Corduroy Road.20."'> An Old-Tirne Chaise 20G A Part of the Cumberland Gap Today 209 Daniel Boone 212 A Herd of Buffalo 21ti Boonesboro 218 Attacked by an Indian 221 The Boone Monument 223 Blockhouse at Fort Pitt 228 A Pioneer Home 230 Corn Island 233 Capture of the English Com- mander at Kaskaskia 237 Father Gibault .238 St. Francis Xavier Church at Old Vincennes 242 Clark's Coucil with the Indian Chiefs 244 The March to Vincennes 24."> Statue of George Rogers Clark . . 247 A Packhorse Train Crossing the Mountains 249 Henry Clay Addressing the Sen- ate 2,50 Map of the Cumberland Road. . . .252 A Conestoga Wagon at a Tollgate.253 PAGE Emigrants on the Old National I'ike 255 A Tavern 256 Napoleon Bonaparte 259 Thomas Jefferson 262 Meriwether Lewis 264 Mulberry Hill 265 William Clark 266 Map ol" (lie Lewis and Clark E.xpe- ditioii 269 Pelican 272 Decoying the Antelope 274 Buffalo Fleeing Before the In- dians 278 Sacajawea 282 Captain Lewis Viewing the Falls of the Missouri 284 The Continental Divide 288 Wild Horses 290 Xez Perccs Indians 293 Mt. Hood 295 A Waterfall of the Columbia 298 -V Herd of Elk 301 Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces Tribe 303 Fulton's First Steamboat 306 A Flathead Indian Home of To- day 309 Father De Sniet 310 St. Mary's Mission among the Flatheads 312 The Sacred Heart Mission 313 San Francisco in 1849 317 Emigrants on Their Way to Cali- fornia 31!) Digging and Washing Gold 321 Colonel William F. Cody 323 Overland Express Stage and I'ony Express 325 Joining the Two Pacific Rail- roads 329 A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 1. A LONG-AGO VOYAGE Here is a picture of an interesting statue which adorns Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. For the meaning of this beautiful monument we must go to the rugged island of Iceland, located between Scandinavia and Greenland, and close to the Arctic circle. The inhabitants of Iceland possess a wealth of hand- written history stories, or sagas, as they are called. These famous Icelandic sagas tell us of a great prince, Eric the Red, so named because he had red hair, Eric was born in Nor- way, where he lived, not in a castle, but in a large, rude- ly built wooden house with an open roof. Norway is a land of snow-capped moun- tains and woodland plains, of thousands of lakes and numerous mountain torrents. Its high-walled coast is deeply cut by numberless bays, and is fringed by count- less islands which are rich in meat and eggs and birds and fish. In this rugged country, Eric led a wild, free life. He fearlessly followed the sharp bark of the wolf, and tracked the shaggy bear into its favorite haunts. Above 9 STATUE OF LEIF ERICSON 10 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY all, did the boy Eric love to sit before a roaring fire and listen to the stories of the chiefs or vikings, as they were called, from the Norwegian word viks, meaning "bay." These vikings were tall, strong, and fine-looking men with blue eyes, long, light hair, and shaggy beards. They were clad in rich clothing and glittering armor with curious iron helmets. The proudest possession of the viking was his ship. The prow, or front, was high, and usually had a savage- looking dragon's head upon it. Its stern looked like a huge dragon's tail. Both head and tail were covered with gold and seemed all on fire when the sun shone upon them. The long oars resting in the oar-locks of the swelling sides looked like so many legs. The single brightly-colored sail, set into a huge block of wood, resembled the wings of the dragon. From the masthead of this strange ship fluttered a square yellow flag with the picture of a raven upon it. Hardy, vigorous, and daring were the pagan Northmen. But they were sometimes also fierce and cruel. They made their way far around Cape North to the White Sea, and even sailed as far south as Algiers and Constantinople. They enjoyed nothing more than a raid upon European market towns, many of which they left in ashes. Eric delighted in the vikings' tales of successful plun- der. There was, however, one story of a gentler nature which was especially interesting to the young viking. Would you like to hear this story as it was told at the firesides of the Northmen about a thousand years ago? If so, find St. Brandon's Bay on the map of Ireland. Let us imagine ourselves living almost fifteen hundred years ago on this famous bay. It is a beautiful summer morning. A boat is anchored in the bay. On the shore we see a man clad in the garb of a monk. His bearing is A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC H noble. His kindly face expresses wisdom, prudence, and manly courage. This man is the holy abbot, St. Brendan the Voyager. About him are gathered groups of monks. All are silent and thoughtful, awaiting the signal to embark. "Let us," says St. Brendan, "set out on our long voyage in the name of the Holy Trinity." And where are these voyagers going ? They are setting out in search of an unknown western country in which they expect to find strange people whom they will teach to know and love God by the wonderful stories of Bethle- hem, of Nazareth, of Jerusalem, and of Calvary. A favorable wind spreads and fills the sail, and the brave little company speeds smoothly on. Before long every trace of land is lost. The lonely bark seems but a tiny speck upon the mighty, boundless ocean. "Tell us," says one of the monks to St. Brendan, "do you really believe that there is another country far away to the westward?" "I do," answers St. Brendan. "We are told that long, long ago, even before Christ came upon this earth, the pagan people of our nation discovered a wonderfully beautiful western island in which lived a happy people." "May we hope to be as fortunate as were these first western navigators?" asks another monk thoughtfully. As if to say "no" to the good monk's inquiry, the wind suddenly ceases to blow, and the boat comes to a stand- still. The monks eagerly reach for the oars and take turns at propelhng the bark along. But alas, their strength is soon spent, and on beholding the seemingly endless expanse of water, they begin to lose courage. But the holy Brendan knows no fear. "Be not afraid, my good Brothers," he answers. "Trim the sail and let the vessel float whither Providence will guide it." 12 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 13 The boat now drifts steadily and safely westward. But our brave voyagers are weary and hungry. Their store of food and drink is fast giving out. They have already been forty days upon the water, and all this while have not seen even a sign of land. "Look!" exclaims one of the monks in sudden joyous surprise. "Do you see that vast stretch of land and those towering hills shaded in the mists?" With joyful hearts the brave navigators steer towards the land. They moor their boats and hasten to step ashore, where they fall on their knees and raise their hearts and voices to God in fervent thanksgiving. They find the new land covered with rocky cliffs and fertile plains, and see sparkling streams flowing into the sea. Heavy forests bound the horizon. Who can describe the joy and delight of St. Brendan and his brave companions ! For seven long years they wander about, exploring the country and enjoy- ing the newness of its scenes and products. Then they return to their native land. Where Brendan's voyage really led him we do not know. The story of his strange adventures, however, spread throughout Europe. The bold, sea-roving Northmen told and retold the tale at their firesides and recorded it with their own bold adventures in their sagas. And why, do you think, did Eric like the story of St. Brendan in particular ? Undoubtedly because this adven- turous young Northman thought of making such a long Western voyage himself some day. 2. THE NORTHMEN ON AMERICAN SHORES Eric the Red became the proud captain of a large viking ship, representing a dragon. In this ship he roved the seas in every direction, robbing and plundering as he went. He finally got into a quarrel with some of his countrymen. 14 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY and had to flee to Iceland for his life. Here he became as lawless as ever, and was again obliged to seek safety in flight. But in which direction did he this time turn his drag- on's head? Hear him shouting in tune with the lashing waves as he pushed out from the shore: "West, west, on to the westward, my trusty dragon, steer me on !" And on, on, ever westward, dashed the fearless viking. He was already far out at sea. Dense clouds hid the sun by day and the stars by night. Fogs and mists sur- rounded him. But the sea king knew no fear. Setting a screeching raven free, the viking watched its flight with intense, straining eyes. But the raven soon returned, and Eric knew that no land was near. So on, on, through the fog, against storm and wind, he again pushed his trusty dragon. Once more he set his feathered pilot free. This time the bird did not return ; so the sea king rowed with all speed in his power in the direction of its flight, and soon came upon a large island all covered with ice and snow, excepting one spot on the low, southwestern coast which was overgrown with green grass and shrubs. The sea king swung his dragon around what is now Cape Fare- well and leaped upon the largest island on the globe. Eric the Red named this gray and white country of rocks and ice and polar bears Greenland, thinking that his friends would be more anxious to come and settle in this new land if he gave it this inviting name. After whihng away three years on the coast of Greenland, Eric ventured back to Iceland. He soon returned with a num- ber of friends and kinsmen. Other Icelanders followed, and by and by a thrifty colony grew up on the south- western coast of Greenland. A certain young Icelander named Biarni wished to join his father in Greenland. On his way thither, he was A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 15 RUINS OF THE CATHEDRAL OF GARDA, GREENLAND driven out of his course by a storm. When the storm was over, he caught sight of land to the southward. This land being so far out of his way, he paid but little attention to it, and steered northward, finally reaching Greenland. He later returned to Norway, and the news of his having seen land to the south greatly interested Eric's son, named Leif. Leif's home was in Iceland, but he happened to be in Norway at the court of King Olaf at the time. The young Northman at once re- solved to see the new land. So he bought Biar- ni's ship and with some thirty hardy sailors pre- pared for his long ocean voyage. Meanwhile the mis- sionaries of the Catholic Church had been preaching the Gospel throughout the land of Norway. King Olaf had become a zealous Catholic. Leif Ericson, too, with his whole crew of sailors, had become a convert, and his chief motive in sailing westward was to take missionaries to Greenland. Let us picture to ourselves the noble captain and his brave crew setting out from Norway in the year 1000, fourteen years after Eric the Red had discovered Green- land. This famous Norse leader was thirty years of age, a stately, prudent, and wise man. His ship was a real viking boat except that, above its fluttering yellow banner with the raven, rose the cross. The voyagers reached Greenland in safety, and from there Leif turned his course southward and presently sighted the coast seen by Biarni. He touched upon what may have been the peninsulas of Labrador and Nova 16 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Scotia. After about three weeks' sailing from Green- land, Leif and his company landed upon what was prob- ably the coast of Massachusetts, near Boston, or, possibly, Rhode Island. With shouts of joy the hardy Northmen leaped upon our American continent. In some places they found the land barren and bleak. Rocky tracts stretched back to snow-capped western mountains. In other places were great forests in which the deer roamed, beautiful flowers TIIK LAXDIXO OF THE KORTHMEN bloomed, and many kinds of birds sang. The waters of the bays and rivers were alive with fish. The sagas tell us that one of Leif's party, a German, hailed some clus- ters of berries with intense joy. "It is grapes we have found !" he exclaimed, "such as abound in my native land. This is truly a land of the vine." "So it is," said Leif, "and therefore we shall call it Vinland. It is really a far better country than Greenland, and the Northmen will gladly come to live in it. Let us erect log huts and spend the winter here." The party passed a very comfortable winter in what A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 17 may have been the region back of the present site of Boston. They found the weather mild compared with the extreme cold of their native country. When springtime came, they all returned to Greenland. Leif now became chief of the Greenland colony in the place of his father who had died. He never again visited the country he had discovered, but his brother, Thorvald, and some other people from Greenland, came at different times to Vinland. Some came only to visit, while others remained and built homes. Before long a little Norse village sprang up. Soon the settlers found, to their great surprise, that strange, broad-faced, copper-colored people lived in the new country. Who were these people? The Northmen, considering them an inferior race, called them "skraelings." They were probably Indians. The skrael- ings came to trade with the newcomers, and the vikings noted that they used bows and arrows and stone hatchets, and that their boats were made of skins. These skraelings did not long remain friendly. One day while they were very busy exchanging their furs for strips of red cloth, a bellowing steer, belonging to the new settlers, burst from the woods. The furious creature scat- tered the sand in showers as it made directly for the crowd of traders on the beach. The poor skraelings were so frightened that they fled headlong in every direction. Ever after they showed themselves unfriendly. Some weeks later, a great many of the skraelings came up the river in their skin-boats, all yelling and howling at the top of their voices. A savage attack followed, in which Thorvald was killed by a poisoned arrow. The brave young leader was buried on a pleasant cape, the very spot from which he had joyfully cried out when landing: "On this beautiful spot I should like to fix my home." A cross was set at his head and one at his feet and the place called Cape of the Cross. 18 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY There was great joy among the people in the little Norse village when one day a blue-eyed baby boy came to them. He was the first white child born on the conti- nent, and was named Snorri. Snorri and his mother later went on a pilgrimage to Rome, where they told the Holy Father all about Vinland, the good new country in the far West. ATLANTIC BR OCEAN ^c:>'"''''^ MAP OF NOKSE VOYAGES Trading voyages between Greenland and Vinland be- came common and continued for many years. The last record oi a Norse ship going from Greenland to Vinland for timber is in 1347. Then an awful plague, called the "Black Death," ravaged the countries of the Northmen, sweeping off about one-third of the people. After this we hear no more of the hardy viking in North American waters. The people of Europe did not, at that early date, know enough about geography to understand the impor- tance of Leif Ericson's discovery. And gradually even A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 19 the story of the Norse voyages to a distant western country was quite forgotten, excepting that the people had a vague sense of something done somewhere. This something, however, is clearly and truly stated in the Icelandic sagas, which tell us that the Catholic Norwegian, Leif Ericson, with his Catholic Norse crew, was the first of Europeans to set foot on the American continent. Such is, in short, the meaning of the beautiful statue of Leif the Lucky now standing in Boston, gazing sea- ward. 3. THE NEED OF A NEW WATERWAY TO THE FAR EAST In the northern part of the sunny land of Italy, sheltered by the Apennine Mountains, is located the grand old sea- port town of Genoa. One day, nearly five hundred years after the daring Northmen had visited and named Vin- land, a child of about eight years of age was seen making his way along the sea-beach of Genoa. His fresh, ruddy face was surrounded by a wealth of golden hair which fell in rich waves upon his shapely shoulders. His frank blue eyes were unusually thoughtful for one so young. "How I should like to stay here all day," cried the delighted lad. "But I am on an errand for my mother and must be off." Just then a large ship appeared in the distance. The boy's keen blue eyes kindled with pleasure. Forgetting all about his mother and his errand, he bounded away toward the wharf to see the vessel come in and hear the news the sailors might have to tell about the wonders of far-av/ay countries. The morning grew to noon, the afternoon to evening, and still the boy tarried. Meanwhile his good parents had become much alarmed over their little boy's long absence. The whole household was greatly excited, fearing that the child was lost. But 20 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY at nightfall the boy returned, and when his mother, almost beside herself with fright, flew to meet him, he answered simply, "I've been on the seashore." But the little lad loved his parents dearly, and a grieved look in his thought- ful eyes told them that he was sorry for having caused them so much anxiety. GENOA, TODAY Who was this boy, so fond of the sea and so interested in the ships that sailed upon its waters? He was Chris- topher Columbus, the son of poor but good and pious parents. He was born in the busy seaport town of Genoa, in a high, six-story house, about the year 1446. The father of little Christopher wp.z a simple working- man, a wool-comber by trade. He prepared wool for spinning and weaving, work which is now done by ma- chinery. It took all the father could earn to keep his five children, four boys and a girl, in food and clothing. But when the good man saw how fond his little Christopher was of the sea, he sent him, when only ten A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 21 years old, to a famous school at Pavia, located about fifty miles north of Genoa. While at this school the boy Columbus studied arithmetic, geography, and much about the stars and about life upon the ocean. After studying diligently for a few years at Pavia, Christopher was obliged to return home to assist his father in his work of wool-combing. We might think that he very soon forgot all he had learned at school, but he did not. For he was a studious boy, and just as eagerly as he had listened to his teachers at Pavia, so now he read every book of travel and every sailor's story that he could lay hands upon. Whenever the boy was not working he would sit on the seashore for hours with a book in hand, looking toward the deep blue waters, watching the ships going to or returning from distant countries. ^"^ ^o^' columbus Many, indeed, were the ships that the youthful Colum- bus saw come and go, for the old seaport town of Genoa was at that time the great depot, or trading center, for the whole of Europe. Its busy tradesmen sailed far east past Constantinople and across the Black Sea to the very borders of Asia. Here they loaded their vessels with rich silks, dyestuffs, gums, spices, ivory, and precious stones. These costly products had been previously brought to the shores of the Black Sea from India, either on the backs of camels, or on ships and river boats to and up the Tigris or the Euphrates River. India, as spoken of by Europeans at that time, included the distant and then scarcely known parts of Asia, particularly China, known as Cathay; Japan, called Cipango; and also the East Indies, or Malay Archipelago. 22 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY With their ships laden with the treasures of the East, the Genoese sailors would hasten back home. There they unloaded their precious cargoes on to other trading ves- sels which lay waiting to receive and carry them to all parts of Europe. In this rich trade with the East, Venice was a great rival of Genoa. Venice, however, reached India by way of the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea. P E .^-^„.,,„^ MAP OP TWO PRINCIPAL TRADE ROUTES TO INDIA Need we wonder that this sea-faring Italy became the mother of the discoverers of our country? Or that its merchants claimed that no one in Europe could spice wine or season meat without helping to make rich some one of their cities ? Or shall we be surprised to learn that Columbus went to sea when only fourteen years of age? He made his first voyage as cabin boy on a galley that sailed on one of the great trading voyages to the East. When not yet sixteen, he sailed beyond the Strait of Gibraltar, way around and along the western coast of Africa, as far south as Guinea. He later also voyaged as far north as England and Iceland. A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 23 Distant voyages like these meant far more at that time than a voyage around the world does at present, for people had a great dread of the wide, unknown ocean. They imagined that it contained boiling seas, great whirl- pools, and frightful sea-monsters. These were all only imaginary dangers. But life on the sea was in fact full of real dangers in the days of Columbus. The cities of Italy were constantly at war among themselves and captured one another's ships wherever they could. The Moors, enemies of Christian Europe, were always sailing back and forth, seizing ships and killing the sailors or selling them into slavery. In short, piracy, or seizing without right the ships belonging to another, was quite a common thing in those times, and a vessel at sea had to be ever on the watch and ready to fight its way. At one time in a sea-fight with pirates, Columbus lashed his ship to that of the sea-robbers. After some hard fight- ing both vessels caught fire. Clouds of smoke rolled over the water. The crash of falling masts mingled with the stifled cries of victory, rage, and pain. Only when both ships were fast sinking did Columbus plunge into the sea to save his life. With the help of a floating oar, he made his way to the nearest shore, which was six miles away. On landing, he knelt and earnestly thanked God for his narrow escape from death. He was happy to find that the coast upon which he thus landed was that of Portugal. For the little nation of Portugal was at the time foremost among the countries of the world in the discovery of new lands. Its brave sailors had ventured farther away from home than those of any other country. The learned and daring Portuguese navigator. Prince Henry, had discovered the Azores, the Madeiras, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Canaries. They 24 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY had even safely crossed the equator, with its imaginary boiling seas and frightful giants, and reached the very southernmost tip of Africa. This tip they called the Cape of Storms, but King John 11 later renamed it the Cape of Good Hope, thinking that there were now good hopes of reaching India by an all-water route. Need we wonder that Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, became the center and school of geographical learning, where the most famous navigators, map-makers, and scholars of the time met? It was, therefore, to Lisbon that Columbus directed his steps. Here he made charts and maps for a living, and spent his leisure hours study- ing arithmetic, geography, and astronomy. In the meantime the sea-captains of Genoa one day returned home with empty ships. What had happened? The barbarous Turks had conquered Constantinople, and Christian sailors could no longer safely pass through the Bosporus, or Strait of Constantinople, into the Black Sea to Asia. At about the same time Egypt began to ask excessive dues for passage over the Red Sea. This made traveling by way of the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea so expensive that Venice could no longer reap any profit from her trade with India over this old trade route. Thus both of the famous trade routes to the East were suddenly blocked. Commerce ceased, and the cities of Italy became as miserably poor as they had been exceedingly rich. The people of Europe, however, could not well do without the rich trade of the East, and they began to ask them- selves if some other route could not be opened. 4. COLUMBUS PROPOSES A WESTV^ARD VOYAGE TO THE FAR EAST The question of a new trade route to the East was earnestly discussed by the learned men gathered in the A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 25 Portuguese capital of Lisbon. But at that time all the wise men of all the world — and they were learned for their time — knew less about geography than a nine-year- old schoolboy of nowadays. Westward from Asia, everybody knew, stretched the Sea of Darkness, as the Atlantic Ocean was then called. But beyond a little distance none knew what this Sea of THE WORLD AS KNOWN IN COLUMBUS \S DAY Darkness was or what it contained, for sailors had not ventured far westward, fearing they might fall over the edge into space or be swallowed up by great whirlpools or sea-monsters. Columbus, like many of the wisest men of his day, thought that the earth is a globe. He was confirmed in these ideas by talks with experienced sailors. While in Iceland he had been reminded of the voyage of St. Bren- dan, and had also heard of the westward sea-travels of Leif Ericson. He read and heard of a Franciscan, a companion of St. Francis, who had gone as missionary 26 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY to eastern Asia ; of another Franciscan who had preached there some years later. Each of these monks had brought back to Europe the news that an open ocean lay to the east of China. "This ocean," thought Columbus, "must be the same that bounds western Europe." Columbus was greatly interested in a book written by a renowned Italian traveler named Marco Polo. Polo had spent over twenty years in the Kingdom of the Great Khan, as China was then called. In his book he told of the golden gates, the marble bridges, the grand palaces, and other dazzling wealth of its numberless cities. Columbus also read and studied a Latin book whose title in Enghsh is "The Image of the World." This book, written by a learned cardinal of the Catholic Church, shows clearly that the scholars of all times, even from the days before Christ, thought that the earth is a globe, and that eastern Asia lay directly opposite western Europe. Is it surprising that a man like Columbus, after hearing and reading all these things, should have made the bold resolution to seek India by a westward voyage ? "If I should succeed in reaching India by a westward voyage," said our hero, "I would prove that the earth is a globe, and would also open for Europe a short and easy route to the riches of the East. Over this new water- way the coveted treasures of Asia could be brought to the very doors of Europe; and by means of them the Holy Sepulchre of our Lord could be rescued from the infidel Turks. Who knows but that in this far western country live millions of human beings who have never heard of God and His love for mankind ? We shall bring to them the light of the Christian Faith." Such were the motives and such the plans of Columbus as he eagerly set about drawing a map of a westward route to the shores of Asia. On this map he located a A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 27 great many guesswork islands in the Atlantic, and a short distance beyond these, about where America is, he drew the eastern coast of Asia, never dreaming of the existence of another continent lying between western Europe and eastern Asia. While Columbus was still busy at his map, he heard of a great astronomer named Toscanelli, living at Florence, Italy. Eager to know what this learned man might think of his plans, Columbus wrote and asked him what TOSCANELLI 's MAP he thought of the idea of sailing by a westward route to the kingdom of the Great Khan. In return, Toscanelli sent Columbus a map and also a letter, in which he assured the great navigator that his ideas were correct and that he could undoubtedly reach India by sailing west. Encouraged by the famous astronomer's letter, Colum- bus hastened home from Portugal to tell the people of his native town that he would find a new waterway to India for them if they would but give him ships and money for the purpose. The Genoese people, however, were too poor to help Columbus in his enterprise. Be- sides, they thought his plans foolhardy and sent him away as a worthless dreamer. 28 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Columbus then went back to Portugal and laid his plans before King John. The king favored the idea of a west- ward voyage to India, but did something very unworthy of himself: he fitted out a ship and gave the captain the charts of Columbus, with orders to sail westward to Asia. The captain started out, but the charts and plans of Columbus without the great man's faith and courage could do him little good. A few days of stormy weather soon frightened him back to Lisbon, where he told stories of terrible experi- ences and made sport of Columbus's ideas. Keenly hurt, but not dis- heartened, our noble hero turned to leave Portugal, turned to leave the com- pany of its wise and learned men who had found it easier to teach that the earth is round and that Asia could be reached by sailing westward, than to prove these facts by an actual voyage. His wife, who was a Portuguese, had meanwhile died, and there was no longer anything that bound him to Portugal. So, taking his little six-year-old son Diego, he set forth on foot across the mountains to Spain. He sometimes carried the child, sometimes led him by the hand, and thus reached Spain. Here he visited a relative, an aunt of the little Diego. Leaving the child in charge of this good woman, he hastened to seek King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who were then the rulers of Spain. But he had come to Spain at an unfavorable time. The country was then in the midst of a long war with the CHRISTOPHER COLUMBL'S A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 29 Moors. These Moors were a Mohammedan people who had passed from Arabia into northern Africa, and thence across the Strait of Gibraltar into Spain. The Spaniards were at the time slowly, though surely, driving off these infidel people. But King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were moving about with the army from camp to camp, and Columbus could not expect them to give much atten- tion to his pleadings. Nevertheless, he one day succeeded in see- ing the Queen at Cor- dova. He explained his charts and plans to her. "If Spain will help me in this undertak- ing," said he to Queen Isabella, "I will not only open a rich trade for her with the East, but will add a new em- pire to her kingdom." The pious and beau- tiful Queen Isabella was a learned, zealous woman. She understood Columbus, was pleased with his ideas and plans, and felt confident that he would successfully carry out what he had promised if he were given the necessary help. She knew, however, that Spain had become poor by her long war with the Moors, and that the govern- ment would not be willing to risk money on what it might consider a foolhardy enterprise. Notwithstanding, she asked a council of learned men to say what they thought of the ideas of Columbus. These men declared that it seemed quite impossible to reach India by a westward QUEEN ISABELLA 30 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY route. As a result, the Spanish court would neither con- sent nor refuse to assist Columbus. The Queen, however, promised him that she would again take up the matter in earnest after the war was over. Though greatly disappointed, Columbus resolved to wait patiently. But day after day, month after month, and year after year passed in weary waiting. The good man became poorer and poorer, and his hair was fast turning gray. Many began to look upon him as a fool. "You claim that the earth is shaped round like a ball," said they to him. "If it is, tell us, can a ship sail up-hill ? Do the people on the other side walk on their heads? Why don't they drop off? Do the rain and the snow fall upward ? Do the trees grow with their tops downward ?" Even the children tapped their foreheads and smiled meaningly when they met the great man on the street. Can you see the noble, tall, and powerful form of Colum- bus, his calm, thoughtful face, as he passed along with his long gray hair streaming in the breeze? Could the insults of a rude, ignorant people render this noble man, with his great heart and lofty thoughts, less noble? Notwithstanding, our hero was often heart-sick over his long waiting. He finally visited the King and Queen once more in camp, but again received no decisive, not even a hopeful answer from them. He had waited and pleaded for eight long years in Spain, and, tired of trying to do anything further in this country, he now made up his mind to seek a home either in France or England, with the hope of securing help in one of these countries. One day our hero and his youthful son Diego were walking along a road leading over a high bluff. On the top of this bluff, overlooking the sea, stood a Fran- ciscan monastery called La Rabida. Weary and hungry, the two travelers sat down to rest near the convent gate. A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 31 The good Fathers invited the strangers in and gave them food and drink. The learned prior, Father Juan Perez, became greatly interested in the noble traveler, and the latter finally told him all about his plans and also of his failure to interest the Spanish government in them. The worthy prior v^as well acquainted with the Queen. Mounting his mule, he made a long journey of two hun- dred miles to Granada, where he called upon his royal COLUMBUS 'S ROOM AT LA RABIDA friend and so earnestly pleaded the cause of Columbus with her that she at once sent for the great navigator. The latter arrived at Granada in time to see the last crescent flag lowered, and a glittering silver cross raised in its stead upon the highest tower of the Alhambra, the beautiful castle of the Moorish king. Now that the war had come to such a happy close, the King and Queen were willing to listen to Columbus. They favored his plans and seemed inclined to help him. But when the King asked Columbus on what terms he would make the voyage, the latter said that he wished to be 32 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY made admiral of the ocean and governor of all the lands he should discover; and, also, to receive one-tenth of all the gold and other wealth that might be acquired. These were strong demands for the son of a poor wool-comber, and the King rejected them. The great Genoese now left the Spanisn court with the intention of setting out for France at once. He was sadly COLUMBUS BEFORE QUEEN ISABELLA AT GRANADA disappointed, it is true, but was determined, nevertheless, to hold his claims and still carry out his plans. He had not gone many miles from Granada before he was over- taken in a pass of the mountains by a messenger from the Queen, who summoned him back to court. "I have my own little kingdom of Castile," said Isabella to him, ''and if the King feels that he cannot risk the money of the kingdom of Aragon on a seemingly fool- hardy undertaking, I am willing to pay a large part of the expenses of your voyage from my own treasury. I shall even gladly give up my jewels to help you, should this be found necessary." How much we owe to good A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 33 Queen Isabella, who thus made it possible for Columbus to find a New World ! The demands of Columbus were now granted, and one of the most important papers that ever held an agreement was signed by the sovereigns and their new admiral. With gracious thoughtfulness, the Queen appointed the boy Diego one of the pages of her court — a rare honor usually bestowed only on the sons of the highest nobles. Deeply grateful, Columbus knelt to kiss the hand of the noble Isabella, and then hastened away to the distant seaport town of Palos. How happy he must have been to find himself thus on the road to success after nearly twenty years of opposition, disappointments, and weary waiting! The people of Palos were ordered by the Spanish govern- ment to supply Columbus with ships and sailors. They received the news with dismay. "Surely," said they, "neither ships nor sailors will ever return." 5. COLUMBUS SAILS ON A WESTWARD VOYAGE Three boats were finally fitted out and manned with crews of unwilling sailors, many of whom had been re- leased from prison for the purpose of joining the enter- prise. Two of the ships were of the kind called caravels — light vessels something like our ordinary masted schooner used in coasting trade. Of the three ships, the Pinta was the fleetest, and the Nina the smallest. Neither of these two vessels was decked. The largest of the three ships, the Santa Maria, was decked and served as the Admiral's flagship. The sails of the vessels were rich in color, with designs of the cross, images of the suffering Christ, and the arms of Spain painted upon them. The three vessels were lying in the harbor of Palos for some days, waiting a favorable wind to carry them west- ward. Shortly after midnight on the morning of August 34 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 3, 1492, came this favorable wind. Father Juan Perez hastened to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the monastery of La Rabida. Columbus and his crew of ninety men assisted and received Holy Communion. One-half hour before sunrise, Columbus ordered the sails to be unfurled in the name of Jesus Christ, and the little west-bound fleet pushed out to sea and sped on its dangerous voyage, followed by the doubts, fears, and prayers of those on shore. On losing sight of the last traces of land, the courage of the sailors began to fail. The idea that they were now entirely separated from all most dear to them — country, home, and friends — made them feel much like men who are condemned to death. For a few days the vessels glided smoothly along. Then a slight storm came up, in which the Pinta lost a rudder. Perhaps the sailors broke it off, thinking that Columbus might leave them behind and thus give them an opportunity to turn back. The fleet was, however, nearing the Canary Islands. On reaching them, Columbus landed and mended the rudder of the Pinta. He also repaired a sail of one of the other vessels. Then the navigators again continued climbing up the water hill of the world and sliding down on the other side, as they thought. Just when the Canaries were fading out of sight, the sailors were terrified to see fire and smoke and hear a noise like thunder coming from the islands. Columbus quieted their fears by explaining that the fire and smoke and thunder were caused by an eruption of some volcano on the Canary Islands. When this island group, the last-known land to the west, finally disappeared altogether, the navigators felt sure they were plunging down-hill into A world of waves, a sea without a shore, From which they surely could return no more. A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 35 One day they noted that the needle of the compass was no longer pointing directly to the north star, and their fears increased. The change in the magnetic needle, which we can now easily account for, led them to fear that the bewitched instrument might be leading them into de- struction to punish them for their foolhardy undertaking. Though greatly puzzled himself, the Admiral told his sailors that the needle of the compass had not changed, but that the north star had changed its position in the sky, in the same manner as many other stars do. Fortu- nately, these faint-hearted men had great faith in the Admiral's superior knowledge of these matters, and they were quite satisfied with his explanation. But before long the ships struck into a vast region of floating seaweeds resembling an endless green prairie. To add to the trouble, the wind suddenly ceased to blow, and the boats stood for some days without "nor breath nor motion ; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean." A long rope with a heavy weight was quickly let down into the water, but it did not reach the bottom. "So you see we are not run aground," said Columbus. "Then we must be close to the edge of the earth, and will suddenly fall off into space," screeched some of the men, frantic at the mere thought. As if to have pity on these cowardly mariners, a strong breeze filled the sails and carried the vessels once more into clear waters. A number of times the navigators saw a mirage, or false appearance of land, such as is sometimes caused by the effects of the light and heat of the sun upon the air. Each time a joyous alarm was given, and the crews passed through alternate fits of joy and dejection. They at length became day by day more sullen 36 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY and threatening. One of the wretched men even hinted that it would be an easy thing for them to push Cokimbus into the sea and return home, saying that the Admiral had slipped and fallen overboard while gazing at the stars, as he was wont to do. The treacherous suggestion might have been carried out had not all on board felt that they should need Columbus to bring them back home safely. One evening when the three ships had drawn closely SANTA jMAKIA together to sing the Salve Regina, as they were accus- tomed to do at nightfall, all the men on board the Pinta and the Nina suddenly leaped upon the deck of the Santa Maria. In the twinkle of an eye, the three united crews surrounded the Admiral. With furious looks and upraised swords, they demanded of him that he return at once to Spain. What a trying moment this must have been for Columbus! But he stood unflinching in their midst and boldly declared: "I have started out in search of the Indies, and nothing can induce me to turn back until,, with A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 37 the help of Heaven, I shall have reached the shores of the land that I am seeking." Strange to say, not one of that enraged company dared touch the fearless speaker. With manly courage and unfailing trust in God, he now gently quieted their rebellious spirits. He asked them to thank God for having led them thus far safely through waters which had never been sailed before. He also assured them that land was near. In truth, land was near. A flock of land-birds was one day seen flying toward the southwest. Soon there were other unmistakable signs of land, such as floating logs, carved sticks, and thorny branches with red berries. The crews now gave way to the wildest excitement, and ninety pairs of eyes were strained day and night to catch the first sight of land. One evening Columbus saw a light moving in the dis- tance, as if someone were walking along the shore with a torch. At two o'clock that night, on Friday, October 12, 1492, one of the sailors way up in the masts of the Pinta saw distinctly a long, low coast ahead which was brightly lit up by the moon. He at once burst forth in the loud cry, "Land ! Land !" The report of a gun immediately announced the happy news to the rest of the boats. Who can describe the feel- ings of Columbus and his band of sailors when, after that long ten weeks' voyage, a great stretch of seashore lay before their eyes. With exultant joy they fell upon their knees, thanking and praising God. The rising sun revealed a low, sandy island which was one of the Bahama group, now known as Watling Island. As the ships drew nearer, the mariners found the shore exceedingly beautiful. Orchards of unknown trees bore an abundance of many kinds, of fruits. There were bright, fragrant flowers and climbing vines. The ocean waves 38 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY rolled gently upon the sandy beach. The air was pure and fragrant, and the skies were blue and cloudless. G. COLUMBUS FINDS STRANGE COASTS Columbus gazed with deep, silent happiness upon the fair new land which he had so often pictured to himself, and which he found even more beautiful than he had ever dreamed it could be. His noble heart beat fast with joy, while his thoughts rose to heaven in grateful prayer. He clad himself in a splendid uniform of scarlet and gold. Then, with the royal banner of Spain in one hand and his own white, swallow-tailed flag with the cross and crown in the other (See frontispiece), he joyously went ashore, followed by all on board. With streaming tears he fell upon his knees adoring God, and three times kissed the soil of the new land to which Providence had so wonderfully directed him. The sailors followed the example of their Admiral. They, too, were deeply touched. Picture our hero at that moment. How noble he looked as he arose and stood with the bright light of the morning sun full upon him ! He planted the royal banner of Spain with the usual ceremonies of the Church ; and, while its splendid colors unfurled to the breezes for the first time on that distant shore, he solemnly offered the new land to the Holy Trinity and took possession of it for Ferdi- nand and Isabella. A large cross was also erected, and the island named San Salvador, or Holy Savior. Next the Admiral called upon his sailors to promise him submission as the representative of the King and Queen of Spain. This they willingly did, for, fancying that princely wealth and horrors would now come to them through their great leader, they most eagerly wished to A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 39 please him. Wild with joy, they pressed around him, some embracing him, others throwing themselves upon their knees before him, kissing his hands and his clothes, and begging pardon and favors from him. Meanwhile a multitude of copper-colored, half -clad men, women, and children had been looking on with timid wonderment from behind trees and bushes. They thought that the three ships were huge, white-winged birds which LANDING OF CMDLUMBUS had brought the newcomers down from heaven. By and by they approached shyly and touched and felt of the strangers to make sure that they were real. Then they freely offered balls of cotton yarn, tame parrots, and gold ornaments to the Spaniards in return for glass beads, small bells, and other shiny trinkets. Columbus noted with joy that these strange people, so unlike any he had ever seen, were a gentle race who would readily be won over to Christianity. Thinking that he had reached India, he called them Indians. But had Columbus really reached India and landed on 40 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY an island off the eastern coast of Asia? Surely these dusky people were not clad in India's richly-dyed silks, or adorned with India's costly rubies and pearls. And though the air was full of pleasant odors, no fragrant spices grew on the trees and bushes, Columbus was somewhat puzzled, but believed, nevertheless, that he was in the ocean which the two Franciscans had said was east of China, and which Marco Polo had described as crowded with thousands of spice-producing islands. MAP SHOWING ROUTE OF COLUMBUS 'S FIRST VOYAGE The great discoverer cruised from island to island, everywhere raising his voice in praise and thanksgiving to God, planting the cross, and taking possession of the land for Spain. He named one island St. Mary of the Conception, another Fernandina, and still another Isabella, He coasted for a number of days along the northeastern shore of what is now Cuba, and was greatly delighted with the beauty of the scenery. "This must be Cathay!" he exclaimed in an outburst of joy. Were his dreams of many years really becoming true? Was this at last the reward of his patient toil and waiting of nearly one-fifth of a century ? Having with him a friendly letter from the sovereigns of Spain for the Great Khan, he at once sent two runners to seek the famous eastern ruler. The two explorers found neat villages with spacious houses around which A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 41 lay fields of corn, potatoes, and tobacco — three plants until then unknown to Europeans. The two travelers were surprised to see the natives form the large leaves of the tobacco plant into rolls resembling cigars. These rolls they called tabaccos and smoked them with delight. The strangers also passed vast fields of growing cotton and saw heaps of cotton yarn waiting to be woven into coarse cloth or knotted into large nets which were hung between trees or posts. These suspended nets the Indians called hamacas and slept in them at night. It is therefore from the Indians that the white men have learned to smoke tobacco and to use the hammock. When the two Spaniards returned to the ships and re- ported what they had seen, Columbus was both interested and puzzled. Where, thought he, are the great cities with their towering palaces of gold and marble ? Where is the home of the Great Khan ? Where the wealth of silks and jewels and spices? Poor Columbus! He did not know that the cities for which he was searching were on the other side of the globe, nor that the Great Khan and his heirs had long ago been exiled from their kingdom. The ports of China had long since been closed against strangers, and Columbus could not have entered them if he had come upon them. Columbus thought, however, that Cuba was China, and that, therefore, Japan must lie to the eastward. Accord- ingly, he set out in search of the island, and came upon our present Haiti. He was charmed with the grandeur of its mountain scenery. It had numerous lakes and rivers, about which flourished endless varieties of trees, some so tall that they seemed to touch the stars. Deli- cious fruits and fragrant flowers grew in rich profusion, and birds of many kinds were singing in December. 42 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY "This is surely Cipango," exclaimed Columbus, and, since it quite resembled the more beautiful provinces of Spain, he named the island Hispaniola, or Spanish Land. The great discoverer might have continued his explora- tions for some time longer but for a grave mishap: The Santa Maria ran upon a sand -bank and was beaten to pieces by the wind and the waves. The Pinta had treacherously sailed away k^ -Til^^—gaiir JM™" ^ some time previous and had IliN^ , ' ■' t.^^ not again returned. Now ■^ — ^-fe that only one of the vessels, the frail and undecked Nina, was left, Columbus began to feel alarmed. "What a misfortune," said he, "if we should all be obliged to remain here and the news of our wonder- ful discovery thus never reach Spain !" WRECK OF THE SANTA 7. COLUMBUS RETURNS TO SPAIN Columbus hurriedly constructed a fort on Hispaniola with the timber of the wrecked Santa Maria. This fort he called Nativity because the island had been discovered on Christmas day. Leaving a settlement of forty well- armed volunteers with provisions for a whole year, Colum- bus and the remainder of his sailors went on board the Nina. The Nina had not gone far when its crew was sur- prised to sight a ship in the distance. It was the Pinta. At the request of its repentant captain, its crew came once more under the command of Columbus. After the two vessels were well on the way, a storm arose and raged with such violence that the two frail boats were A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 43 in great danger of being dashed to pieces. The frightened sailors prayed loudly to Heaven for help, vowing, if their lives were spared, to go in solemn procession to the near- est shrine of Our Lady at the first port they should enter. Fearing that his ship might be wrecked and the knowl- edge of his discoveries never reach Europe, Columbus hastily wrote two accounts of his voyage. These he wrapped in cloth and enclosed in large cakes of wax, placing each into a barrel, which he sealed securely. One of the barrels was thrown into the sea and the other set upon the stern of the vessel, that it might float away in case the ship should go down. The great man thought that at least one of the barrels might be drifted to the coast of Europe and there be found and opened and the story of his discovery thus be made known to the world, even though he and his crew should be lost. After the storm had ceased, Columbus was grieved to find that the Plnta had again disappeared. He feared that the vessel had been wrecked and that its crew had perished. Scarcely had the sea become calm once more when another gale came up and raged with terrible fury. Nevertheless, the storm-tried Nhia finally carried her crew safe and unharmed into the harbor of Palos on a Friday afternoon of March, 1493. The people hastened in joyful throngs to meet the incoming vessel and wel- come the mariners home, while the convent bells of La Rabida, joined by other bells of the city, pealed forth a gladsome greeting. While the bells were yet ringing, the Pinta, too, sailed into the harbor with the Admiral's flag floating proudly from her main mast. The vessel cast anchor side by side with the Nina. Was her captain glad to find the ship of Columbus safely anchored in the harbor? Alas, no! The storm had driven his vessel into the Bay of Biscay. From 44 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY there the wretched man had written a letter to the King and Queen in which he claimed for himself the honor of all that had been done, and asked the favor of calling at court to give a full account of the discovery. When he entered the harbor of Palos, the Nina lay hid- den by a bend in the river so that he could not see her until close upon her. How miserably wretched the man must have felt at the unexpected sight of the Nina, which he thought lay at the bottom of the sea ! He crept from the Pinta and hastily made for the shore in a small boat, whence he slunk away as quickly as possible. The shame of his conduct was more than he could bear and he died suddenly a few days later. How happy Columbus and his companions must have felt to be home again ! Home again after such unheard-of experiences! Home again in full number! In full num- ber? Yes; the Nina and the Pinta had together brought back every man belonging to Palos. Of the volunteers who had remained at Fort Nativity, not one was a native of the city. Remembering the vow made during the storm, these weather-worn men formed in rank and marched in procession to the Franciscan convent of La Rabida. Father Juan Perez said the Mass of Thanksgiv- ing and the whole crew assisted with sincere devotion and heartfelt gratitude. As soon as King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella heard that the great Admiral had arrived, they summoned him to court at Barcelona. What a gallant sight it must have been to see the great discoverer seated in almost royal splendor on the King's horse, heading a great procession through the very streets where once he had walked poor and friendless. Then the people looked upon him as a madman ; now they shouted his praises as the great finder of a path across the Atlantic to the Indies. A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 45 But the greatest honors which came to our glorious hero were those showered upon him by the Spanish sovereigns and their court. All the noble company — the King and Queen, the courtiers, the great nobles of Spain, and the youthful page Diego — arose when Columbus drew near. Kneeling, the Admiral respectfully kissed the hands of the sovereigns who directed him to a seat in their pres- COLUMBUS BEFORE THE SPANISH COURT AFTER HIS FIRST VOYAGE ence, nor would they reoccupy their golden thrones until they saw Columbus seated. Such distinctions as these were then shown only to kings and queens. With gentle dignity, the Admiral told the story of his wonderful voyage. He vividly pictured the beauty and described the strange products of the lands which he had found. The seven gaily-painted and strangely decorated Indians whom he had brought along were objects of great interest to all, especially to the Queen. The sample prod- 46 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY ucts of the new land — gold, brightly-colored birds, cotton, tobacco, and potatoes — also excited much curiosity. But surely these Indians and the potato and tobacco plants which they taught us to use and cultivate were not the treasures of the East which Columbus had gone out to seek. Nevertheless, the Indians were but a few of the multitude of human beings in the New World whose souls were precious treasures to be won for heaven. Tobacco and the potato have since been of greater value to the civilized world than all the dazzling riches of India. But did the Spanish sovereigns and their. court believe that Columbus had really been in India? They did, for he told them that he believed the northeastern coast of what is now Cuba to be the eastern extremity of China; that our Haiti was the island of Japan ; and that the num- berless other islands which he had seen were some of the islands described by Marco Polo. All that he said corre- sponded so well with the then-known geography of China, Japan, and the Indies that no one thought of doubting that Columbus had really found a short, all- water route to India. The Admiral acknowledged that he had not yet come upon the golden and marble palaces, the costly silks, the preciotis jewels, nor the fragrant spices of India, but he thought that he had been very near them and would un- doubtedly find them on a second voyage. The prize for the first sight of land was awarded Columbus because he had seen the moving light upon the shore. Then Isabella rose, With face illumined: then overcome with joy She sank upon her knees, and king and court And nobles rose and knelt beside her, And followed them the sobbing multitude ; Then came a burst of joy, a chorus grand, And mighty antiphon — "We praise thee, Lord, and, Lord, acknowledge thee. And give thee glory! — Holy, Holy, Holy!" A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 47 8. THREE MORE WESTWARD VOYAGES Now that Columbus had proved that one could sail up and down the water hill of the world without falling off, he found no trouble in getting men and money for a second voyage. This time he started out with seventeen ships and fifteen hundred men on board, twelve of whom were missionaries. Among thfe latter was also found the ever loyal friend of Columbus, Father Juan Perez. Three of the vessels were large store-ships and were laden with horses, mules, and other animals; also with seeds and roots of many kinds of plants. Columbus this time in- tended to start a permanent settlement on Haiti. The expedition reached Haiti after a pleasant voyage of sixty-three days. Here a gloomy welcome awaited the newcomers. The colony of the Nativity had been entirely destroyed, not one man remaining to tell what had hap- pened. A number of corpses were dug up near the fort, which had been pulled down and partly burned. Columbus built a new fortification some miles distant from the site of Fort Nativity and founded the first Christian town in the New World, which he called Isabella. It may be interesting to know that the Indians were as much alarmed when they one day unexpectedly saw a rider on horseback as the skraelings of the Northmen were when the bellowing steer burst from the woods. They thought that the rider and horse were one being and when the rider leaped from the back of the horse, they were terrified, thinking that the one creature had sepa- rated into two. They feared also that the horse might eat them up, and we are told that hundreds of hostile Indians would flee before a single man on horseback. One would wish that the story of Columbus might end here, for the remainder of it is sad indeed. With the sec- 48 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY ond landing of Columbus on Hispaniola began the worst of his troubles. The management of the little colony of Isa- bella became a trying task for the good man. The new settlers were disappointed when they did not find the wealth and fortunes they had promised themselves, and became extremely discontented and unruly. To make mat- RUINS AT ISABELLA ters still worse, some of the Spanish officers at court and also in Hispaniola, were jealous of the honors shown Columbus. They encouraged the colonists to rebel against him and to complain about him to the King and Queen. How well these wretched officers succeeded in their wicked work may be seen from the following incident : A crowd of rude men, just returned from Hispaniola, were one day gathered in the courtyard of the Alhambra. Loudly cursing Columbus, they followed after the King, A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 49 and, catching hold of his robes, they cried, "Pay us! Pay us !" Is it surprising that Columbus finally lost favor with his sovereigns ? He, however, speedily regained their esteem and confidence on his return to Spain. Columbus soon sailed on a third voyage to the land which he had found. He continued his explorations and discovered several more islands. He also touched for the first time upon the American continent near the mouth of the stream now known as the Orinoco River. But his troubles kept on increasing. Even the King and Queen were beginning to feel disappointed because he did not find the riches of Asia. Besides, a Portuguese named Da Gama had meanwhile sailed around Africa to India and brought back a wealth of treasures from the East. "Why did not Spain seek this new route to India instead of trying to get there by crossing the Atlantic?" asked the enemies of Columbus. The charges brought against Columbus became so seri- ous that the Spanish sovereigns sent an officer named Bobadilla to examine matters. This wicked man put Columbus in irons and sent him home in chains. Imagine the great, the noble Columbus in irons — chained like the meanest criminal! The master of the ship was shocked at the sight and wanted to remove the chains. "No, no," said Columbus. "They shall not be taken off unless the King command that it be done. I will keep these iron fetters for the rest of my life as relics of the reward I am receiving for my services." When the noble prisoner arrived in Spain, the whole nation was indignant at the insult offered him. Ferdinand and Isabella ordered that the chains be removed immedi- ately. When Columbus met the Queen and saw tears in her eyes he threw himself upon his knees before her and wept and sobbed aloud. But he was still the great strong- 50 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY hearted Columbus, He still meant to reach India by' a westward voyage, even though Da Gama had reached it by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. We, therefore, find our hero making a fourth and last voyage across the Atlantic. This time he cruised along the coast of what is now Central America. On the Isthmus of Panama, which he named Darien, he found the Indians wearing whole plates and large pieces of gold hanging by cords from their necks. These Indians told Columbus that the land along which he was coasting was narrow and that another large body of water lay on the other side of it. Columbus understood them to mean a narrow strait instead of a narrow land and became much excited. "I will find that narrow channel," said he, "and through it sail into the waters beyond, which must be the Indian Ocean. I will yet find a way to the riches of the East." He did not know as we know now that on the other side of the narrow strip of land lay the mighty Pacific. As it was, he continued his- explorations for some time longer, ever hoping but never succeeding, of course, in finding any proofs that he had reached India. Finally, after a year of frightful hardships and dangers, he returned to Spain only to find the noble Queen Isabella on her death- bed. She died a few weeks later. Father Juan Perez had also died ; and with the death of these two noble persons, the best friends of Columbus and the only protectors of his rights and good name had passed away. Our hero was now in very feeble health and after eighteen months more of trials and sufferings, we find him resting upon his death-bed at Valladolid. Imagine him lying in his lonely chamber, the bare walls of which were adorned only with the chains which had once held him as a prisoner. About him were gathered his two sons, a few Franciscan Fathers, and some friends. His great mind A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 51 was still clear and strong ; his thoughts were on Heaven. Full of faith and hope and love, conscious to the last, the great discoverer died with the words, "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." Thus passed from the scenes of this life, Christopher Columbus. He had sought India by a westward route, but found a mighty continent instead. The memory of his marvelous achievement shall live forever, and as there is but one American continent on our globe, so there is but one Christopher Columbus among the heroes of the world's history. Questions for Thought 1. Who of the European people were the first to land on the North American continent? 2. Find out all you can about the sagas. 3. Of what historical value is the story of St. Brendan? 4. Why did the discovery of North America by the Northmen arouse no corresponding interest in Europe, and why did it not result in further discovery and in permanent settlement ? 5. Write an account of the boyhood of Columbus, telling how he came to be a learned man and a daring sailor. 6. What conditions in Europe forced the people to look for a new water-route to the East ? 7. Write in your own words an account telling how the Amer- ican continent was incidentally discovered by Columbus. 8. Describe the landing of Columbus. 9. Tell what you think might have happened if the Nina, too, had been wrecked. 10. Was Columbus really an unusually great man ? Give rea- sons for your answer. Selections for Reading The Norsemen — John Greenleaf Whittier The Skeleton in Armor — Henry Wadsworth Longfellovv Columbus — Joaquin Miller Christopher Columbus — Eliza Allen Starr II BALBOA AND MAGELLAN PROVE THAT COLUMBUS HAD DISCOVERED A NEW CONTINENT 1. THE DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC Columbus had really discovered a hitherto unknown grand division of land. But the people of Europe did not know this. Though they called the newly discovered continent "New World," they named it thus merely be- cause it was new and unexplored. For they still beheved that Columbus had found India and the long-sought all- water route leading to it. Great numbers of Spaniards soon followed the pathway across the Atlantic and built new homes and towns, a little New Spain, on the islands discovered by Columbus, thinking all the while that these islands were the East Indies. They were, however, greatly puzzled not to find the spices, the precious stones, and the silks of India. Thus, by and by, people began to think that, after all, Columbus had not reached India but had found a large new country lying between the Atlantic Ocean and some other great sea which they thought washed the shores of Asia. To find a passage through this new land and across this other great sea to the riches of India became the one ambition of every enterprising explorer who crossed the Atlantic. Before long, some Spanish sailors cx:3lored the coast of the Isthmus of Panama which had been previously dis- covered and named Darien by Columbus. They found considerable quantities of gold and learned from the In- dians that the country contained rich deposits of the pre- cious metal. The news caused great excitement in Spain. 52 DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC 53 Soon everybody began to talk about making voyages to the New World. The ship-builders could not work fast enough to supply the ships that were needed. Many peo- ple set out with wild hopes to look for gold, while others went in search of a passage through the new land. When the news that there was gold in Darien reached Haiti, a party of eager men set out in two ships for the land of promise. This happened about four years after the death of Columbus. When the adventurers were well on their way, the crew in one of the ships was surprised by a great pounding noise in the hold of the vessel. "It seems as if the barrels are getting alive," said one of the men. And in proof of his statement, one large cask rolled and rocked right up to the commander. The top of the cask flew off and out leaped a handsome young sailor. He shook his velvet cloak and dangling sword into place and looked at the interesting group of sailors who were gazing at him in dumb surprise. "It is Balboa!" cried the captain indignantly. "Yes, I am Balboa," was the calm and fearless reply. "I'll put you off on the shore of the first desert island we come to," said the angry commander. "Oh, no, good captain, you won't do that," pleaded Balboa. "I can be of help to you. I've been at Darien before, and know the country." The captain felt that Balboa was right. He knew the young man to be a good sailor, a trusty soldier, and a clever adventurer, just the man to make the enterprise a success. He therefore decided to take the intruder along. But who was this Balboa ? And why did he choose this strange way of going to Darien ? He was a Spanish noble- man who had led a wild, free life, spending and borrowing money until he was heavily in debt. Then he came to the New World. After cruising about and exploring the coast 54 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY of Darien until his worm-eaten ship gave out, he went to Haiti. Hoping to save enough money to pay his debts, he tried farming. Instead of paying his debts, however, he added new ones to the old and soon was in debt to nearly everybody on the island. To escape prison, he had himself taken in a barrel to one of the ships bound for Darien, where he was stored among the provisions as salt beef. BALBOA BEING CARRIED ON BOAKD IN A BAKKEI. The young man was bold, hardy, and reckless, but also intelligent, kind-hearted, and unselfish. He was wont to do everything in a generous, dashing manner. Do you wonder that he soon became a great favorite among the sailors? He skillfully piloted the ships to the shores of Darien and landed them in a favorable place. Some stray explorers from other points on the coast joined the new- comers and a httle colony was started. Among those who thus joined the party was Pizarro, who later became famous as the conqueror of Peru. The commander soon found himself unable to govern his band of restless adventurers and was glad to return to DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC 55 Haiti. The colony promptly chose Balboa as its leader. Balboa was anxious to surprise his King with the first gold from Darien. So one day he sent his faithful friend Pizarro, with six companions, to explore what was said to be a very rich gold region. The little band were soon fiercely attacked by some Indians. They defended them- selves manfully but were finally obliged to flee for their lives, and, worst of all, leave a wounded man behind. "What an unheard-of shame!" exclaimed Balboa angrily. "Must it be said of a Spaniard that he left a poor wounded comrade in the hands of savages?" "No ! No ! It shall not be !" replied Pizarro. Hasten- ing back to the scene of the attack, he soon returned safe with his wounded friend. On one of his explorations, Balboa visited a certain powerful Indian chief who commanded thousands of war- riors. His village lay at the foot of a high mountain in a vast, beautiful plain. When told that the Spaniards were approaching, the chieftain, attended by his five sons and throngs of devoted people, hastened to welcome them. Balboa and his companions were royally served and made to feel quite at home. What surprised them most of all was the house of the chief. It was very skillfully built of wood and was eighty feet wide and one hundred fifty feet long. In it were a great many large chambers. Some of these served as store rooms and were filled with bread, venison, and various drinks made of maize and roots. In a spacious hall were preserved the bodies of the chief's dead relatives. These had been dried, richly dressed, and adorned with gold and precious stones. They hung all along the walls and the Indians regarded them with re- ligious veneration. The chief's eldest son, a bright, generous young man, gave Balboa a large quantity of gold. "Here is our first 56 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY gold from Darien," said the delighted Balboa. "I shall at once weigh out one-fifth of it to our King, and then divide the remainder among us." The Spaniards immediately fell to quarreling, each one fearing that he might get less than the others. The dusky young brave did not know the value of gold and could not understand why these white people should quarrel about such a trifle. Disgusted, he INDIAN VlLLAtili IN IIAKIEN struck the scales a blow with his hand, scattering the glittering treasure all about the place. "Spaniards, you are foolish," said he. "You have left your peaceful homes to come and disturb ours ; you are ex- posing yourselves to great dangers and sufferings — all for only these yellow kernels and lumps of earth. But if this yellow stuff is really so precious in your eyes, I can tell you where to find an abundance of it." "Where? Where? Tell us quickly!" cried the eager gold-hunters. "Do you see those lofty mountains?" asked the young chief, pointing to the south. "From the highest of those DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC 57 peaks, you can see a mighty water. The streams that flow down into it ghtter with gold, and the chieftains who live on its shores eat and drink from golden vessels." Balboa could scarcely believe his ears. "A mighty water? — It must be the sea that bounds the shores of China, Japan, and the Indies !" He was most impatient to start out at once in search of that mighty water. But before leaving the prosperous Indian village, he saw the chief, his sons, and many of his people instructed and received into the Church. The ruler was given the name Carlos when baptised in honor of St. Charles and in compliment to the youthful prince of Spain. Balboa now chose about two hundred hardy men, who were willing to follow him to the ends of the earth. A number cf Indians also joined the party. The chief told Balboa that he would need at least one thousand men. "For," said he, "you will meet with powerful Indian tribes, many of whom are fierce and cruel cannibals." "We have not a sufficient number of men," said Balboa, "so let us take along a number of blood-hounds instead." And patting the head of his own faithful hound, he de- clared, "This animal is as good as the best bodyguard to me." In truth, the hound never left his master and the Indians so feared the dog that they fled at his very appearance. The fearless party pushed on toward the lofty moun- tains pointed out by the young Indian chief. The way sometimes led through dense and tangled forests. Count- less monkeys chattered in the branches of the trees. Brightly colored parrots screeched and scolded at them from among the flowers and bushes. Ugly snakes lay hissing across their path. Sometimes they struggled up a rugged mountain only to slide down an awful precipice on the opposite side. Deep 58 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY and rapid rivers had to be crossed in frail boats or on trembling bridges. And many a weary traveler sank dead beneath the scorching rays of the tropical sun. Again, the explorers met bands of yelling and howling Indians armed with slings and war-clubs. But these savages always fled in terror as soon as the Spaniards fired upon them or let loose their blood-hounds. Only men of iron strength and will could have endured and overcome the difficulties which thus met Balboa and his companions at every step. After traveling for twenty days, the exploring party at length came to the foot of a peak from which, their Indian guides told them, the great ocean might be seen. Balboa could scarcely control his feelings. He climbed alone to the top of the mountain, which he reached Sep- tember 25, 1513. — And what did he see? Below him were rocky cliffs and dense forests and green plains and rush- ing streams. — Not the promised water? Ah! Yes! Far in the distance it glittered in the morning sun and stretched south and west as far as the eye could reach. Balboa was speechless with joy. Stretching out both arms toward the mighty expanse of water, he knelt upon the bare peak and with streaming tears thanked Heaven for being the first white man to look upon the new water. He then beckoned to his companions who hastily ascended the mountain. Balboa pointed to the great water and exclaimed, "Behold, my faithful companions ! Behold that mighty sea ! Behold the reward for all my toils ! You shall all share in the glory of all that is or will be here discovered, conquered, and won over to God. Let us raise our voices to Heaven in praise and thanksgiving." The sturdy adventurers gave vent to their feelings in a powerful Te Deum. Can you imagine a grander scene? How the mountain-tops must have echoed and re-echoed that glorious hymn of thanksgiving! Do you not think DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC 59 that God and His holy angels looked with pleasure upon that lofty peak in Darien ? Gazing far away over the seemingly endless water, Bal- boa exclaimed: "How happy King Ferdinand will be when he is told of this wonderful discovery ! In his name I take possession of the ocean, islands, and surrounding country." A huge cross was firmly planted and the name of the sovereign of Spain cut into the trunks of great " ~ ~ ~~ n trees. / .^ With shouts of joy and ex- S - ' ultation, the explorers then descended the seaward slope of the mountain. After four days they reached the shore of the great water. A wide ; bay extended to the horizon. Balboa called it the Gulf of St. Michael in honor of the feast of the day. The great '^-^^'^^^^ ''tlT..T.fr^^''''' ""^ new water was some time later named the South Sea because it lay to the south of Darien. The tide was out, but it soon returned, rolling and surging about the explorers until they stood knee- deep in water. Then, raising a sword in one hand and a banner of the Blessed Virgin in the other, Balboa again took possession of the sea and all that was in it for Spain. Three crosses were cut into the trunks of huge trees grow- ing near by. These three crosses were to tell all who came thither that the great water had been discovered and claimed in honor of the Holy Trinity. Balboa promptly sent the news of his great discovery to Spain. We are told that even at that early time he thought of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. 60 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Like Columbus, Balboa too had his enemies, jealous and narrow-minded men. Foremost among these was the new governor sent from Spain to succeed Balboa. This man accused our hero of being an intended rebel. On this false charge he had the young man beheaded. Balboa died like a true Catholic hero. After having de- voutly received the holy sacraments of Penance and Com- munion, he ascended the scaffold with a manly step, knelt, and calmly laid his head upon the block. One moment only, and the illustrious discoverer of the Pacific had yielded his soul to God. 2. THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD Part One. Magellan Is Bound for the Spice Islands BY a Westward Route Columbus discovered what he thought was India; and Balboa discovered what he believed to be a new sea. In his mind, this new sea was merely a large gulf or bay washing the shores of India ; for America seemed to him, as it did to many others of that time, merely a break- water to protect the rich shores of India against the wind and the waves. We know, however, that Balboa had discovered the largest of the five oceans, the mighty Pacific. But how did we come to this knowledge? Five years after Balboa had raised the cross on Darien to watch, as it were, over the great new water, a famous Portuguese stood at the door of the royal castle of Spain asking to see the King. The eighteen-year-old grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella, known as Charles I of Spain, received him. ''What is it that brings you to the court of Spain, Fer- dinand Magellan?" asked the young King. "How can Portugal spare so brave a soldier and so great a sailor ?" FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD 61 "I came," said the fiery-eyed Magellan, "to offer you my services for which the King of Portugal no longer cares." "I understand," said the King, "but how do you mean to serve me?" "You know, noble King, that since Da Gama has found a water route by way of the Cape of Good Hope to India, Portugal is growing rich from her trade with the East. I have been in the Indies for many years and know what great wealth can be gotten by buying spices from the natives of the Moluccas, or Spice Islands." "I am well aware of all this, Magellan, but Spain cannot expect to enter upon a trade over a route and in lands that are claimed by Portugal." "You are mistaken, noble King," said Magellan. "See this globe made by the learned men of my country. Here, west of the Cape Verde Islands, is the Line of De- marcation, fixed by Pope Alexander VI. This line ex- tends from the north pole to the south pole. As you well know, all the newly-discovered lands in the hemisphere east of this line are Portuguese possessions and all the newly-found lands in the half -world west of this line are Spanish possessions. You will note that the Spice Islands lie within the Spanish half of the world. Now my plan is this: If you will give me ships and men, I will find you a route to the Spice Islands which will not interfere with the route now followed by Portugal." FERDINAND MAGELLAN 62 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY "My grand-parents, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, thought that the voyage of Columbus had found for Spain this westward route to the Spice Islands." "Yes, I know, but Columbus did not go far enough west. I shall finish what he began. I believe that the American continent extends south somewhat like Africa. Hence, I will follow its coast southward until I can sail around a cape like that of Good Hope into the South Sea, discovered by Balboa. In that sea must lie the Moluccas, or Spice Islands. And to prove that I have opened the way to the Moluccas, I shall bring back such loads of cloves and ginger and pepper and nutmeg and camphor and opium as never yet entered any Spanish port." According to Magellan's globe the Moluccas did lie in the Spanish half of the world. We, however, know from the globes of the present day that these islands were at that time on the Portuguese side of the dividing line. As it was, the King was delighted with Magellan's ideas and plans. "You may have the ships and the men for the asking, my good Magellan," said he. "But I pray you, make haste and lose no time. You may be sure, the King of Portugal will not be willing to have one of the bravest of his mariners show Spain the way to the rich store of spices in the Moluccas, which, since the golden days of Genoa and Venice, only Portugal has enjoyed. He may send out his men to waylay and carry you back home." Does it not seem strange that Spain and Portugal and other commercial nations of those days were so eager to trade in spices? We, too, enjoy the spices for the flavor they give, but they are not such sources of wealth to us as they were to Europeans at the time. The reason is quite simple. In our day meat and other food-stuffs can be speedily carried from one place to another while still fresh. In those times this could not be done, and the FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD 63 people either kept their food from spoiUng, or made salted meats and partly spoiled foods taste better by the use of spices. They greatly relished savory herbs, fruits, nuts, seeds, rinds, barks, and roots, which they ground into powder and sifted on their choice dishes. A seat at meal- time near the spice-box was the seat of honor. Some of these spices were also thought to possess healing proper- ties and were used as remedies against pains and diseases. MAGELLAN'S FLEET To supply this great demand for spices, cloves, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon, opium, camphor, vanilla, and many other aromatic products, some with names too hard to remember, were secured from the Indies and sold in the European markets at high prices. In truth, the spices of India were more eagerly coveted than were its silks and gold and precious stones. Magellan set about in good earnest getting ready for his voyage to the Spice Islands. Five ships were easily secured. They were named San Antonio, Concepcion, Vic- toria, Santiago, and Trinidad. The last mentioned was Magellan's flagship. Though much better than Colum- 64 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY bus's ships, these vessels were, nevertheless, small, old, and not at all fit for a long voyage. A goodly supply of provisions was stored away in the holds of the vessels. "The natives of the Moluccas," said Magellan, "will not give their costly spices for money, but they will load us with them for mere shining trinkets." Therefore, instead of filling his purse with money, this wise sea captain took with him enormous quantities of bright-colored cloth, small looking-glasses, scissors, knives, fish-hooks, and many kinds of glittering brass trinkets; and no less than five hundred pounds of glass beads and twenty thousand little bells. Magellan was at last prepared to start out upon his wondrous journey. After having devoutly assisted at High Mass in the church of St. Mary of Victory in Seville, he and his crew of nearly three hundred men boarded their ships, and sailed down the river to the port of San Lucar. From here the brave voyagers put out to sea on September 20, 1519. For two long months they steered southwest. At one time there would be scarcely any wind to drive the ships along. Then again the wind and waves would become so violent that the frail little vessels were in great danger of being dashed to pieces. At length, however, the marin- ers reached the most easterly point of South America. From here they followed the coast southward, entering each large bay with the hope that it might be a passage to the great ocean on the west. But the farther south they went the colder the weather became, and the more violent and constant were the storms. On the last day of March the little fleet finally sought safety in a sheltered bay, now Port St. Julian. Fish and birds, and wood for fire being plentiful here, Magellan decided to stay until spring. Spring in this latitude, how- FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD 65 ever, could scarcely be expected before August or September. Imagine what this long, lonely stay of nearly five months in a frigid climate meant for the sailors. As it was, a number of them had been prejudiced against Magellan by some wily Portuguese, even before leaving Spain. The difficulties and long duration of the voyage had sorely tried their patience, and their commander had often suf- fered much from their insolent behavior. But the idea of spending the winter at Port St. Julian, doing nothing, was more than they could bear. They began to murmur and complain loudly. "No one has ever gone farther south than this," said they. "To be sure, the land stretches from the north pole to the south pole, and if no one has found a strait it is un- doubtedly because there is none to be found. Our lives are worth more to us than all the spices of the Moluccas. Let us return home." But Magellan, who had so often encouraged his men and calmed their fears, now declared, kindly though firmly, that he would never turn back, but go right on until he should find either a strait or the end of the continent. "Then," said he, "we can push on to the land of spices. Would you have it said in Spain that we were cold and afraid, and so came home without having found that which we went out to seek?" The leader's words this time fell upon deaf ears. For his worst enemies were the captains of the ships. These had led the sailors to distrust him. "This Magellan," said they, "is a Portuguese. How richly his Portuguese King would reward him if he should lead these five Spanish crews into destruction! We can well take care of this fleet ourselves. It will be an easy task to attack the Trinidad and kill Magellan. Then we shall be free 66 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY to do as we choose — continue our way or return home." Only too well did the treacherous sea captains succeed in winning over the crews to their own vicious views. On the second day after putting into Port St. Julian, a little boat of the Trinidad happened to come near the San Antonio. It was told curtly to keep away since the San Antonio sailors no longer acknowledged Magellan as their commander. Magellan promptly sent the boat to each of the remaining ships as a test and thus learned the sad truth that only the Santiago besides his own crew had remained faithful to him. Little, however, did the rebellious sea captains know the man with whom they were thus dealing. They had learned to know him as a man who despised hardships and laughed at dangers. They had often been appeased by his kind dealings and winning manners ; they had also felt the effects of his iron will-power. But they were now to meet with a startling surprise. With the sudden- ness of a flash of lightning, a band of Magellan's trusty men leaped and rushed on board the Victoria, killed the obstinate captain, and so frightened the crew that they surrendered without delay. The combined crews of the three faithful ships then sur- prised and subdued the San Antonio in a similar manner. The Concepcion was now glad to plead for mercy. Thus the mutiny was promptly quelled and the company was satisfied to settle down snugly in their boats for the winter. Part Two. The Spice Islands Are Reached by a Westward Route One day Magellan and his companions had an amusing surprise. A great giant clothed in a llama-skin mantle ap- peared dancing and singing upon the shore. This gigantic FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD 67 figure with his long flowing hair presented an interesting sight indeed. The sailors at once made friends with the visitor and invited him on board their ships. Soon other natives came to see the newcomers. All of them, even the women, were very tall. They averaged about six feet in height; some were even taller and few shorter. These tall people were good-natured and gentle. Their feet were wrapped in skins which made them look so over-large that the Spaniards called the country Patagonia, or the land of the clumsy-footed. During the course of the winter, the Santiago, while out on a cruise, was wrecked, but her crew was saved, though only after frightful sufferings. At length, toward the end of August, the weather became somewhat warmer. After thoroughly repairing the ships and stocking them with food supplies, Magellan raised a large cross upon the shores of Patagonia and then left Port St. Julian. Sail- ing southward, he came upon a mountainous archipelago. Smoke and fire rose from the peaks of the largest island, so Magellan called it Tierra del Fuego — the land of fire. The weather continued stormy and the mariners advanced so slowly that they reached the headland still known as Cape Virgin only on St. Ursula's day, two months after leaving Port St. Julian. The little fleet then entered a channel separating Tierra del Fuego from Patagonia. After sailing for almost a A PATAGOXIAX UP' TuDAY 68 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY month, Magellan one day said to his companions, "This must be the long-sought passage to the great ocean. The Moluccas cannot be far away ! Shall we go on ?" "No! No!" replied the captain of the San Antonio. "Our provisions are again running short. Since we are now sure that there is a strait, let us go home." Most of the sailors, however, declared : "Let us keep on until we reach the goal." Magellan said quietly and firmly, "I shall go on and keep my promise to the King of Spain even if I shall be obliged to eat the leather straps of the ships' rigging." So on they sailed for many, many weeks. The San Antonio, however, stole away through some side channel and re- turned to Spain. "How long this channel seems," said the sailors one day. "Shall we ever come to the end of it ?" They did not know as we do now that the Strait of Magellan, as it has since been named, is more than three hundred miles long. Im- agine the joy of this tried little band of explorers, when on the thirty-eighth day they passed out into the great South Sea which Balboa had discovered seven years pre- vious. When Magellan thus saw his way open to another sea, he was so overcome that he wept for joy. He planted a cross on the cape from which he first saw the sea, saying, "It will direct us if ever we shall come this way again." The broad expanse of water seemed so calm and quiet to our hero after the many storms through which he had passed, that he called it the Pacific, or peaceful ocean. "Three more weeks," said he, "and we shall feast on the fragrant riches of the Spice Islands." Ah, poor, brave Magellan! Little did these navigators realize that the worst of their hardships were still before them. The wa- ters of the Atlantic were strange to Columbus, it is true, FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD 69 but the mighty Pacific was utterly unknown to Magellan and his hardy little party who were "the first that ever burst Into that silent sea." With his remaining three ships Magellan pushed north- ward, away from the Antarctic cold, and then steered west- ward. An idea of the huge size of our planet gradually dawned upon the weary navigators as they sailed on, on, for days, weeks, and months, ever watching the western horizon as closely and anxiously as Columbus had done. Their sufferings from hunger, thirst, and disease became indescribable. They ate almost anything that could be chewed or swallowed, even gunpowder and sawdust, and the very leather straps of their ships* riggings. Many died, and all were sick and on the very verge of despair. ''Was this earth after all, round ? Would there be an end to this journey?" they asked each other. "Was not their commander leading them into endless space and miserable death?" But Magellan, with lion-like courage, pressed forward. At last, after three months, on March 6, 1522, they came upon a group of islands. Here fruit, vegetables, and meat were plentiful. The natives were friendly but proved to be such expert thieves that Magellan called the islands Ladrones, or islands of robbers, by which name they are still known. Another week of sailing westward brought the naviga- tors to a second group of islands. And for the first time in history did the eyes of white men gaze upon what are now our Philippines. These islands were thus named some years later after King Philip II of Spain. Magellan was overjoyed to meet here traders from China and other parts of the mainland of Asia. India had at length 70 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY been reached by a westward route. The great sea cap- tain now knew that he had crossed the meridian of the Spice Islands, which must, accordingly, lie to the south. With intense joy he realized that he could now complete his sail around the world without any further difficul- ties; for the remainder of his route would be through seas which were familiar to him and which he had often MAGELLAN MEETING WITH THE NATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS traversed for Portugal. Already he saw himself back in Spain, the hero of the greatest achievement in the history of the world. Poor Magellan ! Instead of pushing on to the Moluccas at once, he first tried to win over the natives of the various islands to promise that they would obey the Spanish King and trade only with the people of Spain. He found all the chiefs friendly and willing, except on the little island of Mactan. Here tht ruler would not yield to his wishes. Magellan tried to conquer the island, but he and a number of his men were most cruelly killed by the natives. Not for an enormous reward and all the FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD 71 glittering trinkets the Spaniards could offer would the savages give up the body of Magellan. A monument now stands on the spot on which the greatest of sailors, Magellan, is supposed to have been slain. The Spaniards were now too few in number to take care of three ships. Hence they burned the Concepcion and then sadly set out southward toward the long-looked- for Moluccas. They finally found them and landed with ofM'>-'J' yl^/i'ort fet.Juliun Hft^ti TIERRA DEL FUEGO MAP SHOWING MAGELLAN 's VOYAGE AROUND THE GLOBE great rejoicing. They bartered their remaining store of trinkets and loaded their two little crafts with twenty- six tons of cloves. When they hoisted their sails to steer homeward they found, to their great disappointment, that the Trinidad had sprung a leak and had to be left behind. The greater part of her crew died of famine and scurvy. The remainder finally fell into the hands of a band of Por- tuguese. The only remaining vessel, the Victoria, commanded by Elcano, crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and finally reached Seville, in September of 72 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 1522, just three years after Magellan had started out on his westward voyage. Of the five ships and nearly three hundred men, only one ship and eighteen sick and fam- ished men came back to tell the sad, though wonderful story of the first voyage around the earth. The tried little band went at once in solemn procession to the church of St. Mary of Victory, here to off"er thanksgiving for their safe return. Thirty years earlier, Columbus, believing the earth to be round, had sailed westward to India, as he thought. The voyage of Magellan around the world was the first positive proof that the earth is round ; that Columbus had not reached India, but had discovered a new continent; and that the earth is very much larger in size than any one had ever believed it to be. Magellan had no near relatives, hence Elcano, who had completed the great voyage, was given among other hon- ors, a coat-of-arms, representing a globe with the motto : "Thou didst first sail around me." But it was Magellan who had planned the great voyage and who had directed it firmly through the whole unknown part of its route. To him alone belongs the glory of the first voyage around the world, the greatest that was ever made. Questions for Thought 1. What was the meaning of that grand Te Deum on Darien? 2. Show on the globe or on the map of the world, by means of the Line of Demarcation, that the Spice Islands were in the Por- tuguese half of the world and not in the Spanish, as Magellan thought they were. 3. What do you admire most in Magellan as a hero ? 4. What important facts did the enterprise of Balboa and Magellan prove to the world? Selections for Reading Balboa — Nora Perry Darien — Edwin Arnold Ill iT. IGXACE THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 1. A VISITOR FROM QUEBEC AT ST. IGNACE On the map of the United States look for two peninsu- las of Upper Michigan which approach each other from the north and south to within a distance of nearly four miles. They project midway between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, whose waters seem to be forever playing catch with each other through the Straits of Mackinac. On the northern peninsula was located many years ago the early Jesuit mis- sion of St. Ignace, The day on which our story begins was the feast of the Immaculate Con- ception. The little bell of St. Ignace had ceased ringing. From the open door of the mission church came the sounds of music and prayer. The altar was a blaze of light. Before it knelt, with eyes raised to the Sacred Host, a Jesuit missionary. About him were gathered Indians of the Huron and Ottawa tribes and also a little group of French traders and hunters. The rudely-built mission churches of those early days were often furnished by the kings and nobles of Europe, who wished to awaken within the natives love and respect for the sacred services. Thus it was with St. Ignace. The cope which the missionary wore on this occasion had been given by the King of France. The finest of linens covered the altar. The monstrance was set with precious 73 74 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY stones and the canopy above it was of purest gold. But the greatest surprise was the large organ which filled the chapel with sweet music. To its notes the Indians, on this particular evening, sang in their own wild way the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. Among the pious gathering at this Benediction service were two of the heroes of this story — the missionary at the altar. Father Marquette, and a famous French fur trader named Joliet. The former was about thirty-six years old. The latter was some years younger and was de- votedly attached to the zealous young Jesuit. The missionary seemed very happy about something. His wan face was lit up with more than earthly joy. "How happy Father Marquette seems this evening," said a Frenchman named Pierre to Joliet as they sat down to chat after having left the httle mission church. "Did you bring him such good news from Quebec ? Why, the noble priest seemed more in heaven than on earth when he walked down the beach in the midst of his noisy flock to welcome you ! Come, Joliet, tell me what errand brings you here so late in the season. And what has your coming to do with our beloved Father Marquette?" "First of all, old friend, let me tell you a little about the early life and zealous plans of Father Marquette, so that you may better understand his happiness this even- ing," answered Joliet thoughtfully. "This simple, humble priest," he continued, "living in the poor, rude surroundings of this American wilderness, was born in a grand castle of noble and wealthy parents. The family of the Marquettes is one of the oldest and most noted in the famous old city of Laon in France. INTERIOR OF ST. IGNACE THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 75 Father James Marquette was well educated, and, even as a child, he dearly loved the Blessed Virgin Mary. He entered the Society of Jesus when only seventeen. Dur- ing the next twelve years of study and teaching, the one great wish of his life was to labor and become a martyr among the American Indians. "His frail body and meek and gentle disposition, how- ever, did not seem to fit him for the hardships of the American missions. Nevertheless, his ardent wish was finally granted. After a stormy and dangerous voyage, he reached Quebec in September, 1666. Twenty days later he went to Three Rivers, located about seventy miles above Quebec on the northern bank of the St. Lawrence. This little French outpost was the center of a large number of Jesuit Indian missions. Father Mar- quette had at last entered upon his life work." "His first difficulty," interrupted Pierre, "must have been the Indian languages. I have been told that some of the learned Jesuit Fathers cannot, with the best of study, learn these languages. But Father Marquette, I have heard, has learned not only one, but six of them !" "Yes," said Joliet, "he studied hard under one of the Fathers at Three Rivers. He is especially gifted in this respect ; besides, the languages of the tribes bordering on the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes are much alike." "But how did Father Marquette get to St. Ignace? And what, I ask again, is the cause of his deep, quiet joy this evening?" "During his two years' stay at Three Rivers, Father Marquette not only studied the new languages, but he also wandered far and wide through the wilderness visit- ing the shifting Indian camps. The experience he thus gained, together with his fine command of the Indian languages, prepared him well for his chosen work. He 76 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY was appointed to the Lake Superior missions, the most distant outposts of New France. Laboring first among the Indians at Sault St. Marie, and then at La Pointe, he finally came here to St. Ignace. "Of his tireless labors here, you know. He has gone about doing good among these wild children of the forest. He has taught them lessons of virtue, purity, patience, and forgiveness. How hard he has tried to win them from their foolish supersti- tions ! He has baptized hun- dreds of dying children, and has cheered the sick and suffering. Yonder are the cabins of his converted Hurons and Ottawas. Here to the south are the wig- wams of some pagan Indians, who, though they esteem him highly, will not be con- verted. "Now and then Illinois Indians have come far from the southwest. They have told of a mighty river which flows through their country and so far away to the south that no one knows into what ocean or gulf it empties. 'Come, great Blackrobe, to our village,' they pleaded. 'Thousands of Illinois are waiting for you. There are also many other tribes living on the banks of the great river. Come and tell all the redmen how to pray and how to please the Great Spirit.' "Here was the field for the boundless zeal of Father Marquette," Joliet continued, with his face all aglow. "For years the priest has hoped against hope and prayed to the Blessed Virgin to help him discover the great river FATHER MARQUETTE THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 77 and thus meet the numerous Indian tribes dwelling upon its banks. At last, today, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the feast of all the year to him, I bring him the news that he has been chosen by his superior, while I have been appointed by the governor of New France, to discover the Mitchi Sipi, or great river, as the Indians call it." "Ah," said Pierre, "now I understand why Father Mar- quette's great loving heart is overflowing with joy. But, Joliet, how do you happen to know all these things about the good priest?" "I studied a number of years in a Jesuit house at Que- bec," said Joliet. "While there I met Father Marquette and learned, partly from him and partly from other Jesuits, what I have told you." While Father Marquette and JoKet were ^waiting for spring to come and melt the ice in the Straits, they spent their time making plans and learning all they could from the Indians concerning the great river. Kneeling on the ground with crowds of curious redmen around them, they drew a rude map of the Mississippi and the streams flow- ing into it, wondering all the while whether it flowed into the Atlantic or into the Pacific. They knew that Colum- bus had discovered a new continent, but they thought, like all other Europeans at the time, that the new conti- nent was only a narrow body of land. A river passage through this narrow land to a western ocean was still as eagerly sought as in the days of Columbus and Balboa. "Where do you think the Mitchi Sipi empties?" asked a French hunter of Pierre one day. "We know," returned Pierre, "that a brave Spaniard named De Soto set out over one hundred years ago in search of a rich empire. He found neither, but did come upon a great river in which he was finally buried." 78 OUR COUNT RY IN STORY "It is true," said another Frenchman, "De Soto did discover the mouth of the great river widening into the Gulf of Mexico and named it the River of the Holy Ghost. But is that river the same one that Father Marquette and Joliet are going to look for? And even if it is, no more came from De Soto's discovery than did from that of the Northmen. If Father Marquette and Joliet THE BURIAI. OF DE SOTO IN THE MISSISSIPPI find the Mitchi Sipi they will be the discoverers of this stream just as truly as Columbus was the discoverer of America." Thus the winter months passed away at St. Ignace, and the eve of the great day on which Father Marquette and Joliet were to start out in search of the great river finally came. 2. ON THE WAY TO THE MISSISSIPPI On the morning of his last day at St. Ignace, Father Marquette sent for one of the young Frenchmen who was to accompany him on the morrow and told him to gather THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 79 some lilac blossoms and decorate the altar with them for the coming day. "Lilacs, in this wilderness, Father?" asked the lad surprised. "Yes, my boy, when I was a student in France, a mis- sionary brought a new plant from the East. After some years a great many of these plants lined the college walks and filled the air with their fragrance. We did so enjoy decorating the altar of the Blessed Virgin with them ! At one time, when one of our Fathers left for Canada, I gave him a small root, saying, 'Plant it, Father, in that distant land. When it will be time for the shrub to bloom, I shall join you in your labors.' At Quebec the good priest, true to my wishes, gave the shoot to another Father who was about to start out for the missions on the Lakes. This Father planted it on an island which he passed on his way to this mission. While here on a visit last year, he told me where to find my lilac bush.'' The boy hastened to the island where he was attracted by a rich fragrance to a whole patch of lilac shrubs in full bloom. He cut and carried home a large supply of the beautiful blossoms and arranged them on the altar for the next morning's Holy Mass. Father Marquette knelt late into that night before the altar and his fervent prayers rose with the fragrance of the lilacs toward heaven. With one great burst of love and trust he finally exclaimed, "Immaculate Mother, guide, bless, and protect us in the great work which we shall begin tomorrow!" Morning came. After Mass the whole of St. Ignace thronged to the beach. The Indians had clad themselves in their best skins and were gay with feathers and beads and dyed porcupine quills. But they seemed unhappy. "These Frenchmen," said they, "are going foolishly into 80 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY danger. Monsters and evil spirits live in that river. Sav- age beasts and cruel Indian tribes dwell on its banks." The dusky children of St. Ignace were more sorry than they could tell to see their beloved blackrobe leave them. "Why does he leave us? He must not go!" they said sadly. "What would the gulls do if the lakes were without water? What will the redmen do without their blackrobe?" Pierre and the four other Frenchmen who were to ac- company Father Marquette and Joliet had finished the final preparations and sat on the edge of their canoes waiting for the two leaders. "There comes Father Mar- quette!" called out Pierre. "Look at him ! Do you see that look of love and peace and kindness on his face? Is it any wonder that he wins the hearts of all that come near him, even of the wildest of savages? But there comes Joliet! looking as lordly as if he were Governor Frontenac himself. No doubt he wishes to impress every- body that this is not merely a voyage of adventure, but a government enterprise." Father Marquette spoke a few words of loving farewell, blessed his faithful Hurons and Ottawas, and, raising the cross, he began singing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. At once the whole crowd on the shore joined in and continued singing while the two canoes pushed out from STATUE OF JOLIET THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 81 the shore and sped noiselessly out of sight, stopping only to wave a last farewell to the throng of Indians and Frenchmen upon the white beach of St. Ignace. Poor Hurons ! Poor Ottawas ! You shall never see your gentle blackrobe again. Let us follow the little party on the map. With hearts as light as if upon a holiday excursion, they bravely paddled their way through Mackinac Straits into Lake Michigan. They soon entered the waters of Green Bay. At the mouth of the Menominee River, Father Mar- quette pointed out to his companions an Indian village. The wigwams were made of birch bark and looked like banks of snow among the green trees. "Do you see that large cross on yonder hill?" asked he. "It was raised by Father Allouez, and there are among these Menominees a large number of good Catholic Indians." "But see. Father!" exclaimed Pierre, "They are com- ing! They seem to know you." "Yes, I visited them last year," returned the mission- ary. "They may think that I am now coming to stay." The Indians welcomed Father Marquette with great joy. "Now you will remain with us," they pleaded. "I cannot," said the priest. "We are going far to the south to find the Mitchi Sipi and to visit the strange tribes of Indians living on its banks." The Menominees were greatly disappointed on hearing this news. "Do stay with us, Blackrobe," they pleaded. "Your leaving us is like the setting of the sun when all is left in darkness." The chief shook his head, saying, "Paleface, go not to find this river. Great monsters will swallow up you and your canoes. The tribes on its banks are cruel; they will take your scalps ; and the great heat in parts of that far-away country will bring you certain death." 82 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY "1 do not fear these distant savages, nor the river monsters, nor the scorching heat," said Father Mar- quette. "I have been sent by the Great Spirit to teach His Indian children to love Him, and I will gladly risk my life for a chance to save their souls for heaven." The good priest, however, promised them that he would visit them on his way back if possible. Then the explorers continued down Green Bay and soon entered a small stream now known as Fox River. On the banks of this river, some distance up-stream, was then located a large Indian village. A mission cross stood in the mid- dle of it ; for Father Allouez had visited these tribes and found them to be a gentle, docile race. Their cabins were made of rushes. They raised large crops of Indian corn and gathered the abundant wild plums and grapes. Three days were spent with these good Indians. "I have been sent," said Joliet to them, "by our governor to discover new countries. Father Marquette is sent by God to teach the Indians to know the great God of whom they have never yet heard." On departing, the Frenchmen took with them two of the redmen to act as guides; for, beyond this village no white man had as yet pushed his canoe. Directed by the two savages, they slowly paddled their way up the Fox River across the large Lake of St. Francis, now called Winnebago, and then back again upon the Fox River. The little band greatly enjoyed the ever-changing scenes along this portion of their voyage. Every now and then a turtle dived before their splashing paddles. Numberless ducks and blackbirds rose in sudden noisy flight from the wild rice swamps. The dainty snipe and the graceful deer fled in silent fear, though they had never before heard the white man's voice nor the hunter's gun. Groves of birch, pine, oak, and walnut lined the banks of the streams. THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 83 At length the river became narrow and almost choked with grass and Indian rice. The two guides now helped carry the canoes from the narrow sluggish Fox, for about +o^-3-(.o-)-o+.LA SALLE 4- +-(- -|-fATHER HENNEPIN MAP OF FATHER MARQUETTE'S EXPLORATIONS a mile and a half, across the portage of prairies and marshes to the broad, swift-flowing Wisconsin River, Then Father Marquette had a supply of food given to the two Indians. He also presented each with a necklace of beads. They felt richly rewarded for their 84 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY services and hastened back to their village as happy as children. Our voyagers stood and gazed in silent happiness upon the pure swift stream before them. "We have left the tributaries of our Great Lakes which connected us with Quebec and our countrymen," said Father Marquette, "and we are now about to set out on this strange river whose waters have never been disturbed by the paddles of a white man. Will it swallow us up in some cataract? or carry us to the Pacific Ocean? or to the Gulf of Mex- ico? or to the great river which we are seeking? Let us thank God for having led us safely thus far, and let us ask Him to guide and protect us still." All sank upon their knees in silent, earnest prayer. The party spent the rest of the day in hunting and fish- ing. The fishing was not good, but a number of ducks were caught. "Some plump, wild ducks, but no fish. Father," said one of the Frenchmen to the missionary on returning to camp. "You are not as good at it as are the Indians on the banks of the Fox," said Father Marquette, smiling. "They capture fish and ducks, all in one catch." "Tell me how they do it," returned the man, doubting the truth of the good Father's words. "Come, sit down with me and I shall tell you," said Father Marquette. "You must have noted the many bays and sluggish waters with their abundance of Indian rice on our way up the Fox River. In the fall of the year such places become the favorite haunts of wild ducks. The Indians, having often seen these birds dive into the water in search of kernels of wild rice, stretch nets so skillfully that they catch hundreds of fish and nearly as many ducks in one night." On the following morning our explorers were up and THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 85 astir with the rising sun. "Thus far," said Father Mar- quette before embarking, "we have been guided by what we heard from others concerning the country through which we have passed ; but now that we must be our own guides, we need help from heaven. I placed this explor- ing voyage under the protection of the Immaculate Mother of God before starting. And now that our way ALONG THE WISCONSIN RIVER is becoming dangerous and uncertain, we need her pro- tection more than ever; therefore, let us join in reciting each morning the Memorare three times in honor of the Immaculate Mother." All knelt upon the sand and prayed aloud to Mary Immaculate. And this was done every day during the whole voyage. The party now entered their canoes, pushed away from the land, and drifted rapidly down the beautiful Wiscon- sin River. "One does not tire at the pacldles going down this stream," said one of the men. "How swift the 86 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY current ! The skies are so blue, the air is so clear ! How beautiful the scenery! See how peacefully the deer and buffalo are grazing on these broad prairies and among the clumps of trees! How green and rich are the grass and shrubs! The air is filled with the music of singing birds and humming insects. Behold those showers of flowers of every kind and color!" 3. DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE ARKANSAS On, on they floated for a week until on June 17, 1673, a little more than a century before the Declaration of In- dependence, the last waves of the Wisconsin carried them into the broad, sweeping current of the great river of the New World, near the present site of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. "We gazed with rapture," writes the gentle Father Marquette, "with a joy that I cannot express, upon one of the noblest scenes in America." They had found the great Mississippi. And, extending his hands over the water, the priest said in slow and solemn words, "This river I call the River of the Immaculate Conception in honor of the Immaculate Mother of God." Down the great river they glided between smooth shores and rocky bluffs. The moose, elk, and deer were feeding on the shores and farther down vast herds of buffalo grazed on the plains. Swans splashed in the water and large flocks of turkeys were seen among the trees. "You have been so quiet of late !" said Joliet to Pierre one day. "Oh! there is so much to see and I am so glad Father Marquette let us come along," returned the old hunter. "I, too, am happy, Pierre. We are floating upon what is, perhaps, the largest river in the world. I do think that THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 87 this stream drains a continent larger than Europe. Can you imagine, Pierre, the grand cities that will grow up along this stream some future day? And we shall be forever remembered in history as the finders of the great waterway of the Western Continent." "But now, Joliet," said Pierre playfully, "let Father Marquette tell us what he sees in the times to come." "I," answered the humble priest, gazing thoughtfully into the distance, "see throngs of Christians — Indians ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI and whites — I see churches and schools. And, if you, Joliet, could then pass down this river as you do now, you would find crosses high up on the church towers taking the places of the rude mission crosses which now mark the Christian Indian villages." While the three were thus talking, the canoe was sud- denly struck by something and almost overturned. "It could not have been a tree nor a sand bank," said Father Marquette, "for the water is very deep here." "I see it !" exclaimed Pierre, "it is a fish as large as a man !" "There, there!" cried all in a chorus. The little band could not help but think of the horrible monsters against which the Indians had repeatedly warned them. The creature was a huge catfish. 88 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 'Mid scenes and with chats like these, the Httle party drifted down the Mississippi for fifteen days. During all this time they had seen no trace of human beings. "Footprints! A trail!" cried one of the explorers one day while the canoes were moving along close to the west bank of the river. "Not so loud," whispered Father Marquette, "there may be danger." The* party landed and silently examined the footprints and the trail. "There must be an Indian village near by," declared the priest. "I shall follow the path." "And since the leader should always set the example, let me accompany you, Father," said Joliet. Hoping and fearing, Father Marquette and Joliet, the first white men to tread the soil of Iowa, followed the path for six miles, when they saw from a distance three Indian villages located on a stream now known as the Des Moines River. Drawing near, they made known their presence by shouting loudly. The Indians at once swarmed out of their huts. Four old men came to meet the strangers. Two of them had peace pipes, trimmed with colored feathers. These they held aloft toward the sun as if asking it to smoke. "These are worshippers of the sun," said Father Marquette to JoHet. Then turn- ing to the Indians he said, ''Who are you?" "We are Illinois," they answered. The good priest's heart beat fast with joy on seeing before him the gentle Illinois. It was they who had told him of the great river. It was they who had begged him to come to their country and had thus awakened in him the wish to find the river and win over the savages on its banks. The Illinois, too, were happy when they saw the blackrobe for whose coming they had hoped and waited so long. They led the two Frenchmen to their aged chief, THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 89 who, to tell them that their coming made the sun shine brighter, shielded his eyes with both hands and said, "How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen, when you come to visit us ! Our village awaits you ; enter in peace into our wigwams. Thou knowest the Great Spirit, Blackrobe. I pray thee come and dwell with us that we may know Him, too." ^EHEE aH (I11(IiI|> ITi^^ 1 1) INDIAN CALUMETS The day was spent by the savages in speeches, feasts, songs, and dances. The next morning the chief with six' hundred of his Indians accompanied the Frenchmen to their canoes, assuring them again and again that their visit had made the Illinois very happy. Slowly down the river the party glided once more. One day, when passing beneath a line of rocks near the present city of Alton, Illinois, Pierre suddenly cried out, "The river monsters ! The river monsters !" and pointed to a highj smooth cliff on which were painted in red, green, and black, the frightful pictures of some Indian 90 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY gods. Father Marquette, describing these pictures, writes: "They have horns on their heads like those of a deer, a horrible look, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face somewhat like a man's, a body covered with scales, and so long a tail that it winds all around the body, pass- ing above the head and going back between the legs, ending in a fish's tail." The little party were still talking earnestly about the painted monsters when they suddenly heard a roaring, rushing noise. "What can it be? Are we coming to some great falls ?" they cried much frightened. "Ah! a greater danger than the painted monsters!" exclaimed Father Marquette. "See that broad torrent of mud rushing madly into the calm, blue waters of our river ! How it tumbles and foams and carries along with it logs and branches and uprooted trees! Never have I seen anything more terrific !" They had reached the mouth of the Missouri. Its wild current tossed and whirled about the little canoes and almost upset them. "Perhaps that mighty river comes from the Pacific Ocean," said Father Marquette thoughtfully. "We shall most Hkely find that our River of the Immaculate Conception flows into the Gulf of Mexico, and not into the Pacific, as we thought it might. Some day I shall come back and follow this new muddy river to its source. I shall yet preach to all the Indian tribes of this great New World who have so long been without a teacher." Little did the good priest think that his life was nearly spent. Nor did he dream that more than a century would pass before another Jesuit missionary, the great Father De Smet, would ascend the Missouri to the far West, and teach the Gospel to nearly every Indian tribe west of the Mississippi. THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 91 Passing the lonely forests which have since given room to our present city of St. Louis, the party soon came upon the mouth of a river which pours its clear waters into the Mississippi and which the Indians called the Ohio, or beautiful river. Gliding steadily on down-stream, they beheld one morning a band of Indians who carried guns — a sign that they had met with Europeans. Father Mar- quette raised aloft the peace pipe given to him by the Illinois. The savages at once became friendly and in- vited the Frenchmen ashore. They accepted the invita- tion but continued their journey the next day. Soon our heroes were obliged to hang up their sails as a protection against the scorching heat of the sun. Great swarms of mosquitoes tormented them by day and by night. Crouched in their boats behind the sails, they were one day suddenly surprised by frightful yells and war whoops from the west bank of the river. Savages in wooden boats shot out on the river above and below our little exploring fleet so that they could neither go on nor turn back. Stones and clubs were hurled at them. Arrows whizzed through the air. Father Marquette waved his peace pipe, but they yelled louder than ever. Again the priest waved the calumet. Just then the chiefs of the village arrived. Seeing the pipe, they quieted the noisy crowd and then waded into the water and forced the canoes of our friends to the shore. "What has brought you to our village, Paleface?" in- quired one of the chiefs. "We ask only for a guide to show us down to the mouth of the river," answered Father Marquette kindly. "You are not far from the end of the river. Some of our men will bring you to an Indian tribe farther south, who can tell you more about it." 92 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY li i«H''i>iHf:|'iiy',;;ft:,i|,::,||if3:ij] ^»'./.iiiiii»«.iii.i.,.iiyLiii.iini THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 93 A fleet of canoes in which were ten Indians now led the way to the village of the Arkansas tribe, who lived opposite the mouth of the Arkansas River. It was at this point, we are told, that the Spaniard De Soto was buried more than a hundred years earlier. When our party neared the Arkansas village, a number of Indians came in their boats to welcome them and bring them to their great war chief. Father Marquette spoke to the chief and his Indians through a young Indian among them who knew a little Illinois. He told them of God who created them and of God's great love for all His chil- dren. The Indians were pleased with what he said and begged the missionary not to leave them. "I have come," said the priest, "to visit all the tribes along the great river. I cannot stay here now. But I shall return and bring other blackrobes who will remain with you and teach you to know and serve God." The Indians, however, warned him not to go farther down the river. "For," said the chief, "you will meet warlike tribes who have guns given them by the Spaniards. We are so much afraid of them that we dare not hunt the buffalo and have to live on Indian corn." They also assured the Frenchmen that the Mississippi did not flow into the Atlantic nor into the Pacific Ocean, but that it was the same stream the Spaniard De Soto had discovered, and that it poured its waters into the Gulf of Mexico. "Father," said Joliet, when they came together late that evening, "the Indians may be right when they warn us not to go farther down the river. What do you think is best for us to do — to continue our voyage down- stream or to turn back?" "It seems too bad to turn back when we are so near the mouth of the river," said Father Marquette. "It is, 94 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY however, better to turn back and not to have seen with our own eyes that the river flows into the Gulf of Mexico, than to be captured by the Spaniards or killed by the Indians ; for who would then tell the story of our wonder- ful discovery ?" Joliet left the cabin, and, walking to where the men were taking care of the canoes, he said, "We shall turn up-stream tomorrow. Father Marquette and I both think it would not be wise to go farther down the river." 4. HOMEWARD BOUND. THE DEATH OF FATHER MARQUETTE Early the next morning our voyagers turned their canoes northward. It was just two months since they had left St. Ignace and one month after the discovery of the Mississippi. Paddling up-stream under the heat of the summer sun and sleeping at night amid swarms of mosquitoes on the moist, chiUy banks of the river were trying indeed. Father INIarquette soon became ill and lay for weeks in the bottom of his canoe. Instead of returning to Lake Michigan by way of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, the explorers now took the shorter route up the Illinois. This beautiful stream led past villages of Illinois Indians. The good Father remained for some days with these gentle tribes, who were his favorite children even before he left St. Ignace. He was too ill to tarry long, but upon their earnest entreaties, he promised to return to them soon. At length our heroes reached the mission of St. Francis Xavier at the head of Green Bay. It was from here they had started out four months previous, full of life and health and brightest hopes. Now they returned, sick and travel-worn. But they were happy, nevertheless, THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 95 for they had found the great river and had made friends with the Indian tribes upon its banks. They had prepared the way for the trader and the missionary. Father Marquette had in the meantime been given charge of the mission of St. Xavier and was therefore at home. Even had he not been, he was too ill to go farther. Joliet, too, needed rest. He feared, besides, that the winter might entrap him in the ice, should he venture to set out for Quebec, so he decided to remain with his priestly friend at the mission till spring. During the long winter months each of our two heroes wrote an account of his voyage and made a map of the country which had been visited. Father Marquette, some time later, sent his report with a party of Indian traders to the Jesuit superior at Quebec. And Joliet? When the ice broke upon the waterways to the little capital of New France, he bade farewell to Father Mar- quette and set out in high spirits to report to the gov- ernor of New France at Quebec. In Lachine Rapids, near Montreal, his boat was upset. Four hours he fought with the angry waves and barely escaped with his life. His first concern was his papers. They were gone — a sad loss ! Because of this, poor Joliet never received the honor and reward which he had expected from the government. Thus Father Marquette, without any thought of hon- ors or riches, became the only reporter of the great voy- age of discovery. For his papers, safely delivered to his superior at Quebec, were published to the world as Father Marquette's "Journal." Only in our own times has Joliet come to be looked upon as a full partner of Father Marquette in their great discovery. Though Johet was disappointed, his story of the great discovery was received with much rejoicing in Quebec. 96 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Bells were rung and cannon fired. In the cathedral a solemn Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Father Marquette had lain sick for a whole year in his cabin at the mission of St. Xavier. Early in the fall, however, he thought himself cured and set out to return, as he had promised, to his beloved redmen on the Illinois River. The little party filling ten canoes DEATH OP FATHER JIARQUETTE consisted of two Frenchmen and a band of Indians. Down Green Bay and along the western shores of Lake Michigan they paddled bravely on through storm and cold. On entering the Chicago River, Father Marquette was taken with bleeding of the lungs and was forced to spend the winter upon the site of the present city of Chicago. Becoming somewhat stronger in spring, he continued his voyage and was received as an angel from heaven by his beloved Illinois. They gathered about him in great crowds and heard with joy his instructions. THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 97 The good priest, however, felt that his end was near. So he set out for his beloved St. Ignace, there, if God so willed, to die among his own. The Indians were much grieved to see their beloved blackrobe depart. A band of them accompanied him all the way to Lake Michigan. Most tenderly did these children of the forest take care of their sick blackrobe. After they had turned back, the two Frenchmen, Pierre and James, continued slowly up the eastern side of the lake with the dying missionary. When they came upon the mouth of the stream now called Marquette River, the priest asked his companions to land. "Yonder high bank of the river," said he, "is a fitting place for my grave." And here on the Blessed Virgin's day of the week, and in her month of the year 1675, Father Marquette, only thirty-eight years of age, passed away. His last prayer was a thanksgiving to God for the favor of dying a lonely missionary of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. His two faithful companions buried his body and raised a large cross over the grave. They then carried the sad news to St. Ignace and later also to Quebec. Before long a band of Indian hunters found the grave of their gentle blackrobe whom they tenderly loved. They opened it, and reverently laying his remains into a box of birch bark, they carried them three hundred miles back to St. Ignace. What a wonderful sight was that funeral procession! Thirty canoes paddled silently along the shores of Lake Michigan. After all the funeral rites had been performed, the precious remains were laid at rest in a small vault below the chapel. The little church of St. Ignace was later destroyed by fire, but a rude marble monument still marks the grave of Father Marquette, the Angel of old St. Ignace. 98 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 5. THE MISSISSIPPI EXPLORED FROM SOURCE TO MOUTH The last words of the gentle Father Marquette had scarcely died away on the breezes of Lake Michigan when a great Catholic nobleman at Montreal was making plans to complete the explorations of the Mississippi. This nobleman was Robert de La Salle, a man with a strong mind and an iron will. He was the greatest of the great explorers of New France. No one was more rejoiced over the discoveries and ex- plorations of Father Marquette and Joliet than was La Salle. "We must now," said he, "build a line of forts and fur-trading stations and missions all along the banks of the Mississippi and plant a strong colony at the mouth of the river. Then no other nation can buy the furs from the Indians nor take away from us this vast lake and river country. I, myself, shall build these forts with the money I can gain by trading with the redmen." La Salle went to France and laid his bold plans before Louis XIV. The French King was more than delighted at the idea of adding such undreamed-of possessions to his kingdom. On returning to Canada, La Salle at once began to pre- pare for the exploration of the Mississippi from its source to its mouth. He had already discovered the Illinois and Ohio Rivers, even before Father Marquette and Joliet discovered the Mississippi. With a number of companions he now came to the Illinois and built a fort at the present site of Peoria. One of La Salle's party was a Franciscan, Father Louis Hennepin. This Father had discovered the Great Niagara Falls, and La Salle now asked him to ex- plore the still unknown northern part of the Mississippi. Father Hennepin, therefore, with two companions THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 99 floated down the Illinois and paddled up the Mississippi River. In the summer of 1680, he discovered the rapids now encircled by Minneapolis. He named them St. An- thony's Falls in honor of St. Anthony of Padua. The LA SALLE TAKING POSSESSION OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY good Father and his two companions were captured by the Indians, but were finally set free through the efforts of an old fur trader named Du Lhut. Father Hennepin then turned down stream as far as the Wisconsin River and thence back by way of the Fox River and Green Bay to St. Ignace. Some time later, La Salle also started down the Illinois 100 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY River. And after many trials and disappointments he succeeded in exploring the entire Mississippi, reaching its mouth in April, 1682. ''The river is now ours," he said proudly. "We have given to the King of France the vast Mississippi valley from the frozen .northern lakes to the warm shores of the Gulf of Mexico, from the eastern Alleghanies to the western horizon — a great country drained by a thousand rivers and peopled by hundreds of native tribes." Planting a cross, and displaying the ban- ner of France, he named this new country Louisiana. Why? To dedicate it to St. Louis and to honor his sov- ereign, Louis XIV of France. The rest of our story is a sad one. La Salle failed completely in planting a settlement on the Gulf of Mexico and was treacherously murdered by his own men before he had scarcely begun the great work he had planned. But he who was a hero in life was a hero also in death, dying with a prayer for his murderers upon his lips. This then, is the wonderful story of the discovery and exploration of our great Mississippi River. k :J^=^ :t?=^=:tr- 4—1 ^ \) -P- .4-^ 1. De So - to rov - ing in the 2. They traced the no - ble stream far 3. La Salle next came and promptlj^ 4. Then turning round, he south-ward ^^ south Dis-cov-ered south, From fair Wis- sent The Fri - ar faced And grate-ful- ^ t J d ^ :^5=^ g-i^-g r r t r— c p p b first the Riv-er's mouth. The daring Frenchman Jo - li- con - sin Riv - er's mouth To where the Ar-kan - sas doth Hen -ne -pin, who went, Pro-ceed-ing by a North-ward ly His route re - traced. La Salle him-self then float-ed THE STORY OF A GREAT RIVER 101 t: ifci^zz^iij^ tT m f=5 5 " i i" r r' t M { f t et Then sought the saintly James Marquette. From distant show Just where they laid De So - to low Up-on the course, To seek the Riv-er's unknown source; He came up- south, Down to the Riv-er's ver - y mouth And planted r St. Ig-nace the two, Set forth with paddle and ca - noe. Mis-sis - sip-pi's bed When he was numbered with the dead, on St. An-th'ny Fall Right near our present great St. Paul, on its sea-bound strand The lil-ies of his na-tive land. Questions for Thought 1. Write an account in your own words telling how much was known of the Mississippi River previous to the voyage of Father Marquette and Joliet. 2. Trace the route of Father Marquette and Joliet's voyage from St. Ignace to the mouth of the Arkansas and back to St. Xavier and Quebec. 3. Write a brief sketch of Father Marquette. 4. Why was the discovery of Father Marquette and Joliet a most important achievement ? 5. Trace on the map the route of La Salle's voyage, including that of Father Hennepin. 6. How did the enterprise of La Salle affect the history of the American continent ? Selections for Reading Hiawatha's Departure — Longfellow IV THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 1. THE FRANCISCAN PADRES IN THE SOUTH In one of the coaches of a train bound south from Los Angeles were two travehng companions from the Atlantic Coast. James, a boy of about fifteen years of age, was reading what he seemed to find a very interesting book. His tutor, Brother Jerome, a kindly, scholarly-looking man, sat gazing out of the window. He was lost in thought ; his mind was drifting many years back in history to the time when this land, now covered with beautiful gardens, spreading orchards, and handsome buildings, was one unbroken wilderness. He saw the good Padres swing their bells from the boughs of the trees and ring them with might and main until the mountains sent the echo back and the surprised natives came to see what the strange sounds meant. The good Brother's thoughts of the past were inter- rupted by James exclaiming, "0, Brother Jerome, I am so glad that you advised me to read this book before we arrived at the old missions ! I know I shall enjoy my visit to them far more for having read it. Listen to what Helen Hunt Jackson said when she saw Padre Junipero Serra's picture : *Ah ! faithful, noble, dear old face ! What an unselfish, devoted life you led ! All that I ask is to be permitted to meet you in the other world !' " "Yes," said Brother Jerome, "the accounts of the work of Padre Junipero Serra and his companions in this region are interesting indeed." 102 THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 103 "And I never had any idea," said James, "until I read this book that the Spaniards had done so much for the Indians." "But all that you have read is very true indeed," responded Brother Jerome. "The Spaniards v^ere not only the first to discover, conquer, and colonize America, but they were also the first to civilize its natives. They were the first missionaries to the New World, and built the first cities, churches, and schools. They set up the first print- ing press and wrote and printed the first dictionaries, histories, and geographies." "Then it isn't true that the Spaniards were very cruel to the natives?" "On the contrary, Spain ruled her Indians very kindly and wisely. She never drove them from their lands, but rather defended their rights. Naturally, the savages sometimes had to be compelled to obey the laws of the Spaniards. Of course, they could not learn obedience in all things at once, but they had, at least, to refrain from killing their new, white neighbors if they did not want to receive a like treatment in return. As soon as they had learned this lesson, the Spaniards were sure to befriend and protect them." "Did the Spanish missionaries have much trouble in trying to convert the Indians to the true Faith ?" "Yes, it was a most difficult task, and especially so in Mexico and the southern regions of what is now the United States. The natives here were not only of a very low order, but they had very strange religious beliefs and practices. We are told that our northern natives believed in the 'Great Spirit'. However, before the coming of the missionaries, none of the American Indians believed in one all-good. Supreme Being. Their belief was in many cruel, revengeful spirits. Nearly every one of their actions 104 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY was performed with the intention of bribing these angry gods not to harm them. The rehgious practices of our Northern Indians, though horrible, were in reality mild and civilized compared with those of the natives of the South." "Can you tell me something about them ?" asked James. "The Indians of Mexico, for instance, carved huge, ugly stone gods or idols. To these they offered anything that seemed valu- able just to keep them in good hu- mor. Since human life seemed the most precious thing, every In- d i a n pueblo, or town, had its idol before which hu- man lives were offered frequently. And sometimes as many as five hundred human beings were sacrificed in one day. The ground before the idol was always wet with human blood ; human hearts lay smoldering upon an altar of stone which was often most beautifully carved. The dead bodies of the cruelly butchered victims were devoured by the savages as a part of the religious service." "Was the Aztec Calendar Stone one of these altars?" asked James. "I remember reading about it in one of my histories." "Yes, the Aztec Calendar Stone is a part of one of the most famous of the Indian altars. It was in use before the coming of Columbus, and is now preserved in the National Museum in Mexico." THE AZTEC CALENDAR STONE THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 105 "What a terrible religion these Indians did have!" exclaimed James. "Yes," said Brother Jerome, "but it did not seem so to them. The Mexican tribes knew no better way of welcom- ing Cortez than by offering human sacrifice to him. It is needless to say that the great conqueror of Mexico did not accept this bloody token of esteem." "I can't see how the missionaries ever succeeded in getting the Indians to understand that their idols did not represent gods, and that the offering of human life was wrong." "The missionaries worked tactfully. When the Indians saw that the good Padre was not struck down when he dared speak against their idol, they were puzzled and surprised. They were still more surprised when he even touched the idol without being harmed. But imagine, if you can, their breathless terror when he finally threw down and broke the huge stone idol. They then began slowly to distrust and despise their cowardly god who could be thus insulted without punishing the offender. "In this way the good missionaries gradually induced the Indians of Mexico to forsake their idols and to abolish human sacrifice. But knowing how extremely fond the savages were of the tragic scenes of their bloody wor- ship, they taught them to perform and enjoy religious dramas instead. The natives delighted in these plays, which they performed with remarkable skill," "How interesting!" exclaimed James. "But now that we are getting near the old missions, won't you tell me more about them? I shall not have time to read very much more." "Well, then," said Brother Jerome, smiling, "let us go back to the time when the Franciscans first came to America. Father Juan Perez accompanied Columbus on 106 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY his second voyage and said the first Holy Mass in the New World. He became the first superior of the first Franciscan convent in America, which was built by Colum- bus on the site of the present Santo Domingo on the island of Haiti. Other Franciscans soon came to the New World in large numbers and labored among the natives of the islands and the mainland. They accompanied every expe- dition of Spanish exploration and conquest for the purpose of instructing and protecting the Indians. Before long they had established missions among nearly all the tribes of South America and southern North America." "Did the Franciscans ever labor among the Indians in Canada and about the Great Lakes in those early days ?" interrupted Jam^es. "Yes, they did labor in the northern part of North America, and for a long time were the only missionaries among the Indians in New France. Being too few in number, however, they invited the Fathers of the Society of Jesus to join them. Finally, the Indians of the North- west were left almost entirely in the charge of the Jesuits." 2. THE JESUIT PADRES IN LOWER CALIFORNIA "But," said James, "I am impatient to learn how the old Californian missions were founded." "Originally, this country, now known as the 'State of the Golden Gate,' was called Upper California, whereas the peninsula extending southward was named Lower California. The Jesuits were the first to establish mis- sions in Lower California. They crossed the Gulf and made their beginning at Loreto in 1697. But the Indians did not come near them for several days, and when they did finally appear, they gathered on a distant hill and THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 107 made known by signs and shouts that they wanted the Spaniards to leave." "Why did they act thus ?" asked James. "The Gulf of Lower California contained rich pearl beds, which had attracted many adventurers and free- booters, who had ill-treated the natives, forcing them to dive into the gulf for pearls. Hence, it was but natural that the Indians were suspicious of all white men." "And did the Jesuits ever win over the savages?" ''They did. When the natives learned that the Jesuits had come solely to help them and not for the sake of the pearls, they finally lost all fear and came with pleasure to receive gifts from the Padres and to listen to their teachings. It is interesting to know how the Padres tried to make things clear to the unlettered natives by the use of pictures and objects. For instance, on one occasion they placed before the assembled savages a life-sized image of Jesus crucified." "And what did the Indians do?" inquired the much interested James. "At first they showed great fear and scarcely dared look at the image. Finally, they whispered to each other, 'Who can this be ?' After the curiosity of the natives had been awakened in this way, they listened most eagerly to the instruction that followed. "The task of the Padres, nevertheless, often seemed a hopeless one. The Indians of Lower California were stupid, fickle, untruthful, uncleanly, thievish, and lazy. They had no idea of a god, no idols, and no religious worship. They had no names for anything that can not be perceived by the senses. Therefore, their lan- guage contained no such words as truth, honor, shame, peace, faith, hope, love, beauty, and modesty. They understood numbers only as far as six at the best. They 108 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY wore little or no clothing and never washed themselves. Nor did they even dress their game but devoured it just as it was killed." "And were the missionaries really able to do some- thing with these savages?" "They were, indeed, impossible as it might seem. They first set about learning the language of the natives. Noticing that the grown people laughed at their mis- INDIAKS AT WOKK IK THE FIELD takes and often deceived them, they took the children for teachers. In the morning each Padre gathered his flock in the mission church. Here he said Holy Mass for them, prayed and sang with them, and gave them religious instructions. Each church had a band of musicians and the boys were taught by the Padres to play the harp, violin, and other stringed instruments. "After the morning exercises each Indian was assigned his task in the field or workshop. Here, as everywhere, the Padre always had to take the lead, for the Indians THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 109 were lazy and would not even think of stirring unless they saw the Padre work hardest of all. At length, how- ever, the tireless, patient missionaries, toiling only for the glory of God, met .with some success. Their wild charges gradually became able to form some idea of the meaning of their prayers and instructions. They also became more willing to work, seeing that their labor in the fields was rewarded with rich crops of wheat and corn. They even made the wine needed for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They raised horses, cattle, and sheep. The women learned to spin and weave the wool of the sheep into a sort of rude cloth. "But there came a sad day for the devoted Jesuit Padres and their beloved children. The King of Spain very un- justly banished the Society of Jesus from all the Spanish domains. With streaming eyes the natives of Lower California parted with the good priests who had done so much for them. In some instances they accompanied them for great distances toward Loreto. One of the Padres, dis- abled by a broken leg, was carried all the way to the land- ing place by his Indians. The sixteen Jesuit exiles sailed from Loreto southward to a point on the Mexican coast whence they proceeded overland to Vera Cruz. Standing together on the ship, and chanting aloud the Litany of our Lady of Loreto, they bade a sorrowful farewell to the land which had been the scene of the untiring labors of the Fathers of their Society for more than seventy years. "Lower California then numbered about fifty thousand Indians. Among these the Jesuits had established four- teen missions, which extended from Cape San Lucas on the south to Santa Maria, near the mouth of the Colorado River on the north," "About how many Jesuits in all were banished from the Spanish domains, and what became of them?" 110 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY "Over six thousand. Those who were arrested in Spain were transported to Italy, while the Mexican Padres were transported to the far-away island of Corsica." 3. THE FRANCISCAN PADRES IN UPPER CALIFORNIA Part One. Padrr Serra Plans to Establish Missions in Upper California "Here we are at last at San Diego!" exclaimed James. "Yes," returned Brother Jerome. "Here we are at the first of the missions of Upper California. With th» found- ing of this place began the work of the Franciscan Padres in our present state of California. Let us climb that hill over yonder and sit for a while on that famous spot and continue our talk." When they reached the top of the hill they gazed with admiration at a huge cross which was made of steel and concrete and was studded with fragments of tiles dug up from the ruins of the old San Diego mission. Its base, in which is a bronze memorial tablet, is made of stones col- lected from the ruins of the various California missions. "Now we are actually standing on the site of the ancient mission !" exclaimed James, reverently. "And this cross," added Brother Jerome, "erected in 1913 as a monument to Padre Serra, marks the very spot on which the great Franciscan raised his first rude cross and solemnly founded the San Diego mission. The event is annually celebrated on Easter Sunday by a High Mass at the foot of this cross. Pilgrimages are made to this cross on the last Sunday of November, the anniversary of Padre Serra's death being on November 22. The mis- sion was begun at the foot of this hill, but Padre Serra, some time later, moved it six miles up the valley to sepa- rate the neophytes, or converts, from the evil influence of THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 111 MOKUMENT TO PADRE SERRA AT SAN DIEGO the soldiers, whose presidio, or military post, remained here on the original site, now known as Old Town." "What a difference between the California of that long ago time and our California of today," said James, as the two seated themselves be- neath the cross. "Suppose we compare the two briefly," sug- gested Brother Jerome. "California, as we know it today, with its long coast line, towering mountains, trackless des- erts, deep canyons, dense forests, fruitful valleys, and many thousands of happy, prosperous people', is, un- doubtedly, the most interesting of all the forty-eight states in our Union. It has a greater variety of climate and of plant life than any other of our states. One might, for instance, spend Christmas forenoon beneath the clear- est of skies, amidst blooming orange ^ groves, fragrant flower beds, murmuring waterfalls, and singing birds, and, after a few hours, be up among the snow-capped moun- tains striking the snow from some stately pine. "And only about one hundred and fifty years ago this fairyland of California, of which we are now so proud, still lay in wild solitude with only the lowest type of the human race to roam about its unexplored mountains, plains, and forests, and dwell in its caves and canyons. The Spanish navigators, Cabrillo and Vizcaino, had explored the Californian coast more than two hundred years previous to Padre Serra's founding of San Diego. But Spain was too busy at home to begin settling the land thus added to her domains. Nor would she listen 112 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY to the missionaries, who pleaded for more than a hundred years to be permitted to establish missions among the poor, long-neglected natives of Upper California." "I remember reading," broke in James, "that Spain opened a fine trade with the Philippines after these islands had been discovered by Magellan. I should think that her trading vessels would have badly needed harbors on the Californian coast after their long sail across the Pacific to Mexican ports." "Yes, but neither the petitions of the missionaries nor the wants of the navigators would have stirred Spain to action had she not finally found herself in danger of losing Upper California. Russia had taken possession of Alaska and was steadily pushing southward. To prevent this nation from laying claim to California, Charles III of Spain now promptly ordered that missions and military posts be quickly established." "Do you think the United States would ever have secured California if Russia had succeeded in taking pos- session of it ?" asked James. "No," said Brother Jerome. "The Stars and Stripes would scarcely float over Cahfornia today, had not King Charles sent out his missionaries just at the time he did. For had Russia taken this region she would probably never have disposed of it to the United States, especially after learning that it contained rich deposits of gold. As it was, Mexico later became independent of Spain, and eventually, our country and Mexico went to war, after which California became a part of the United States." "I am becoming more and more interested," said James. "But now I am anxious to hear how the Franciscans hap- pened to replace the banished Jesuits, and how they got to Upper California." "The same royal command that exiled the Jesuits from THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 113 Lower California, also made over their missions to the Mexican Franciscans, who were furthermore ordered to establish missions in Upper California. In this work they were to be assisted by a government agent, or Inspector General, who was told to 'occupy and fortify San Diego and Monterey for God and the King of Spain !' " "And were the Franciscans prepared for this great work on such short notice ?" asked James. 'They had no choice," responded the Brother. "Padre Junipero Serra, with a little band of fifteen priests, at once hastened to Loreto in Lower California. This Padre was a native of the island of Majorca. He had entered a Franciscan convent when seventeen years of age and taken the name of Junipero in honor of that jovial, simple-hearted Franciscan of whom St. Francis once said, 'Oh, that I had a whole forest of such junipers.' The sincere and intelKgent youth finished his studies most brilliantly. Positions of worldly honor and trust were open for him. But Padre Junipero turned away from these fair promises and begged earnestly to be sent as a missionary to the American Indians. His petition was granted, and at length, after a fearful voyage of three months, he landed at Vera Cruz. To test his strength for the hardships before him, he and a companion walked all the way from there to the city of Mexico, but he thereby so seriously injured his leg that he suffered from the effects throughout the remainder of his life. Padre Serra labored for nine years among the Indians of Mexico. After this he preached missions in the capital and elsewhere. His appointment as superior of the Cali- fornian missions gave him great joy, for he saw in it the fulfillment of his fondest hopes. It would now be his happy lot, not only to teach the poor savages himself, but also to call upon others to labor where he could not go — 114 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY in other words, he could now multiply himself, as it were, many times." From an original iialnting in Mexico PADRE JUNIPEKO SERRA "And what sort of man was the Inspector General?" inquired James. "A great favorite of Charles III, who had granted him THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 115 almost absolute power. Being a most sincere and sensible man, however, his great powers served him well in the support of the Padres and their missionary enterprises." "How fortunate," exclaimed James, "to have the inter- ests of God and the King placed in such good hands !" "Truly," continued Brother Jerome. "The two worthy men set about their task most zealously. Sitting together in their adobe rooms at Loreto, they made plans for the great work before them." "And what plans did they make? Do you know some of them?" "Yes, they decided that the missions of Lower Cali- fornia should be continued in the same manner as under the Jesuit rule, and also that these missions should help to found new missions in Upper California. This they were to do by furnishing the necessaries for the churches, as well as such cattle, grain, and other provisions as could be spared. Arrangements were also made for the estab- lishment of missions and presidios at San Diego and Monterey." Part Two. The Franciscans Found Missions in Upper California "Were Padre Serra and the Inspector General success- ful in carrying out their plans ?" asked James. "They were. Two ships laden with supplies for the new missions sailed from Loreto for San Diego, while two land forces marched toward the same point gathering live stock and other supplies on the way. The four expedi- tions finally arrived at San Diego. Here bells were fas- tened to the trees and rung by eager hands. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered and the Veni Creator sung. A cross was raised and the banner of Spain unfurled to the breeze. Thus Padre Serra founded on 116 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY this hill the first of the twenty-one famous Franciscan missions and solemnly claimed California for *God and the King of Spain' in July, 1769 — seven years before that famous July on the Atlantic coast." "Glorious," cried James. "But where were the natives for whose sake the Padres had come?" "They kept shyly aloof, looking on in dumb surprise from a distance. The ships in the harbors reminded them FOUNDING THE SAN DIEGO MISSION of an old story of just such white-winged creatures which had come hither in the long ago, but had gone away and never again returned. 'Would it be likewise this time?' they wondered." "Were these natives like those in Lower California?" inquired James. "They were just as wild and dull and lazy. The Padres found them unusually distrustful, also treacherous — more so, perhaps, than most of the Indians whom they met while establishing the remaining California missions." THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 117 "Did they finally come near Padre Serra and his com- panions?" asked James again. "Yes, but in a rather uncivil manner. They stole what- ever they could lay hands upon and one day made a wild raid for plunder. The Spaniards tried to prevent this without shedding blood, but, upon being treated with a flight of arrows, they were obliged to make use of their firearms. Three Indians were killed and several wounded ; the rest fled in terror." "It must have been hard work to gain the confidence of these natives after such an unfriendly beginning," said James. "It was, indeed ! More than a year passed before the Padres had any neophytes, though the country about San Diego was well peopled, and numbered no less than eleven rancherias, or settlements. Meanwhile the soldiers were busy erecting their presidio, together with a church, dwellings, storehouses, and corrals, or yards, for the horses and cattle. These latter buildings, all adobes, were added to the soldiers' quarters when Padre Serra moved the mission away from the presidio." "But the natives finally became friendly, did they not?" interrupted James. "Yes; within the next few years the Padres baptized many hundreds of savages. The progress of the mission greatly gladdened the hearts of the devoted priests. But their gladness was soon changed into sorrow by a dread- ful event. A band of Indians back in the mountains, incited by their medicine men, planned a fierce midnight attack upon the San Diego mission which would rid them forever of the hated monks. In the fall of the same year in which the thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast began their struggle for Independence, a band of howling sav- ages came suddenly down like a pack of hungry wolves 118 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY upon the unguarded mission which was then in charge of Padres Jayme and Fuster. Roused from his slumber, the heroic Padre Jayme hastened to calm the wild hordes with his usual greeting, 'Love God, my children!' What a picture the fearless monk made with his crucifix raised as if in blessing and with the bright light of martyrdom shining forth from his eyes !" ''Were the savages moved by it?" asked James, deeply interested. "No. They fell upon the noble priest with clubs and stones and spears. They bruised and hacked and pierced him until he gasped forth his soul with a loving prayer. Thus died the martyr in whose blood California was baptized. Meanwhile Padre Fuster, who had has- tened from his room, calling loudly for his companion, was also attacked, but was rescued by the soldiers of the guard. One of the soldiers and a blacksmith were also slain. "The church was robbed and the buildings of the mis- sion set on fire. The yelping savages, dancing and dart- ing about in the red glare of the flames, brandishing their clubs and axes, and shooting their arrows in every direc- tion, presented a frightful scene, indeed. Toward morn- ing they gathered their dead and wounded and returned to their mountain haunts. Then appeared the neophytes who had been surrounded by their savage brethren and had thus been kept from defending the place. Their joy on beholding Padre Fuster still living was soon changed to great grief on finding the mangled body of Padre Jayme. Padre Fuster deeply mourned the loss of his beloved companion, whom he laid tenderly at rest near the presidio. Padre Serra, on hearing the sad news, exclaimed joyfully, 'God be thanked ! Now the soil is watered ! Now will the conquest of the natives of San Diego be effected !" THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 119 "But," asked James, suddenly, "where was Padre Serra at this time? What was he doing?" "Padre Serra had gone north to Monterey. Here he founded the mission of San Carlos in June, 1770. Holy Mass was offered under a shelter made of branches. The Veni Creator was sung and the cross planted with the sprinkling of holy water and the swinging of incense. THE FOUNDING OF SAN CARLOS MISSION AT MONTEREY Then the mihtary commander took formal possession of the port of Monterey 'for God and the King' midst the booming of cannon and the firing of guns. A year later the mission was moved five miles away from the presidio as had been done at San Diego. When the two missions at San Diego and Monterey were established the fond hopes which Spain had entertained for nearly two hundred years were at last realized. The news of the great event was celebrated with solemn thanksgiving and much rejoicing, both in Mexico and the mother country." 120 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY "Were the Indians about San Carlos different from those of San Diego?" asked James. "They were friendly from the beginning, and the Padres soon succeeded in drawing them to the mission by distributing among them all kinds of shiny trinkets, so dear to every savage heart. Once there, these wild children were held bound by the love and zeal of Padre Serra. It was nothing unusual to see as many as a hundred savages gathered on the slope of the hill, listen- ing eagerly to the teachings of this wonderful man as he stood upon the highest point as on a pulpit. "An interesting incident connected with the founding of San Carlos illustrates the disposition of the natives. Padre Serra had sent explorers to precede him to Monterey. On returning, they planted a cross on the sandy beach of Monterey harbor. When the party returned later to the spot, this time with Padre Serra, the cross presented a strange sight, indeed. Clam shells, fish, and meat were strung and wound about it ; it was crowned with feathers, while bundles of arrows and sticks lay before it on the ground. After the natives became able to make themselves understood they explained that when they first saw the Spaniards they noted a beautiful shining cross on the breast of each, and that at night the cross, which was left on the strand, grew wider and as high as the sky, lighting up the whole country around. They had placed their offerings about the cross to show that they wished to be friends of the cross and the white men who had placed it there." "Then," interrupted James, "these Indians, unlike those of Lower California and San Diego, had some idea of a god." "Only a very vague idea of something supernatural," explained Brother Jerome. "Nowhere in California did THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 121 La Purisinna .. Concepciijn ■=' * Santa Inez : Santa Barbara ^t San Fernando San BonavenFbra.-?! «r San Gabriel ^,_San Juan Capistrano San Luis Rey THE OLD FRANCISCAN MISSIONS IN CALIFOKNIA 122 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY the Padres find the Indians beheving in a divinity or having idols." "This friendhness of the natives about San Carlos must have made the Padres very happy after their troubles with the Indians at San Diego," said James. "Yes," assented Brother Jerome. "Padre Serra was happy among the San Carlos Indians. This mission was in his own charge. Here he labored and from here he set forth either to found new missions or to visit those already established. What a sight it was to see this aged priest in his coarse habit and sandaled feet, journeying, in spite of his lameness, from mission to mission, turning aside into all the Indian rancherias on the way ! His zeal knew no bounds. Pain made no impression on him, never kept him from his work. "How we should have enjoyed seeing him in the oak- studded glen on which he was about to establish the mission of San Antonio ! After the bells were hung from the trees as had become customary, the ardent Padre rang them loudly, crying, 'Come, ye Gentiles! Come to the Holy Church! Come, come to receive the faith of Jesus Christ!' His Padre companion could not help tell- ing him that there was not a Gentile in sight and that he was tiring himself uselessly. But Padre Serra pleaded, 'Let me give vent to the fire within me. Oh, that these little bells could be heard all over the world, or at least by all the wild children in these mountains!' He kept on ringing mightily, and actually attracted a stray savage to the spot. Looking on with intense curiosity for some time, the Indian finally hurried away, but only to return shortly with a large number of com- panions — Padre Serra's Gentiles had come." THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 123 4. THE CALIFORNIA MISSION SYSTEM Part One. The Wonderful Achievement of the Padres Brother Jerome and his pupil sat silent for a few moments, each occupied with his own thoughts, James at length broke the silence, "What wonderful men those Padres were, Brother Jerome! I could listen forever to your accounts of them." "Yes, but we must hasten on with our story. I have now told you of the establishment of three missions, San Diego, San Carlos, and San Antonio. The remaining eighteen of the twenty-one illustrious Franciscan missions in California, as you see them named in order upon the map, were founded one by one in the same enthusiastic and interesting manner as were these three. Each of the missions had a church. About it clustered the dwellings of the neophytes and other necessary buildings. The Padres' apartments were poor and cheerless, usually fur- nished with only a rawhide couch. All of the buildings were, as a rule, constructed of adobe bricks and stone, though in some of the missions they were also built of wood, especially in the beginning. The adobe bricks were made of mud mixed with chopped straw and were baked in the sun. They were about twelve to eighteen inches long, ten to twelve inches wide, and four inches thick. "Only at San Diego, San Carlos, San Francisco de Assisi, and Santa Barbara were presidios connected with the missions. At each of the other missions, a guard of three or five soldiers served as a sort of police force. Thus each mission formed a settlement of neophytes under the guidance of the Padres, After some years, thirty thousand Indians were lodged at one time in the California missions." "Were the neophytes ever allowed to return to their 124 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY pagan friends in the wilderness or to live anywhere else than at the mission ?" asked James. "They were frequently given a vacation of two weeks during which time they might go anywhere they chose. A PADKE MAKING HIS WAV THROUGH THE AVI I.DKIIN KSS But outside of this vacation, they were obliged to remain at the mission. Runaways were followed and brought back by the soldiers. If the neophytes had been permitted to live among their pagan tribesmen, they would undoubt- edly have returned to their wild life and might even have become dangerous to the missions." THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 125 "But how did the Padres manage to keep under such splendid control these throngs of untamed savages?" "They always first won the confidence of these nat- urally distrustful children of the wilderness. Only grad- ually did they train them to habits of cleanliness and diligence. They taught them to make clothing and to wear it, to build homes and to live in them. Along with this, and most important of all, they taught them that there existed a great, loving God; that their souls were im- mortal ; that they would be punished for their bad deeds and rewarded for the good they did." "Can you tell me how they passed the time in the missions?" "At daybreak everybody was up and astir. All were present at Holy Mass. During or immediately after the Holy Sacrifice, the Doctrina was recited in concert. The Doctrina consisted of the Sign of the Cross, the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostle's Creed, and the Con- fiteor ; the Acts of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Contrition ; the Ten Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church ; the Seven Sacraments, the Six Necessary Points of Faith, and the Four Last Things of Man. After these religious exercises, followed breakfast. "At about eight o'clock, all went to work — the men at their trades or in the fields ; the married women about their household duties ; and the maidens in separate houses and courts, where they wove and spun and sewed and laughed and chatted under the watchful eye of an elderly Indian woman. The midday meal was served be- tween eleven and twelve. All the provisions were dealt out from a common storehouse, each family preparing and eating its meal in its own dwelling. Others were served at a common table. At two o'clock work was resumed. All labor ceased at five when the call of the 126 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Angelus gathered all in the chapel where the Litany was sung and the blessing imparted. The evening meal was eaten at six, and the remainder of the day was passed in various games and amusements. 'The children received special attention. In the morn- ing as soon as the grown people had gone to work, and in the afternoon before sunset, the Padres gathered the LIFE AT A MISSION (SANTA CLARA) boys and girls who were five years old and over and gave them religious instruction. "The Christmas season was the one great time of the year for the child-like neophytes. Then they could play the coming of the Savior. It was surprising how really lifelike they acted the parts of Mary, Joseph, the Shep- herds, and the Magi. "Skilled teachers from Spain and Mexico instructed the neophytes in all kinds of crafts. In many of the mis- sions the busy hum of the spindle and loom could be heard from morning till night. In this handicraft the laughing, dark-eyed Indian girls of the missions were THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 127 equal to our deft-fingered maidens of early New England. They even made beautiful lace, drawn-work, and em- broidery, specimens of which are still preserved. Many women also became dressmakers and tailors. Nor were the mission girls and women less skillful in the prepara- tion of foods. They were experts even at candy-making. "As to the men, some of them were trained as skilled carpenters, stone-cutters, brick-layers, blacksmiths, and shoemakers. The greater number, however, became farmers. And the mission gardens and orchards, sur- rounded by swaying fields of yellow corn and grain, were beautiful to behold. With open-mouthed wonder, the lit- tle Indian children plucked the first golden oranges and red-cheeked apples and peaches from the trees. How sweet they found the bunches of juicy grapes, too large for their little hands to hold! What wonderful sights the heavily-laden fruit trees, planted and reared by the Padres, must have been to these happy little ones! "The Indians were natural herdsmen. Vast herds of horses, cattle, and sheep soon grazed upon the rich pasture lands surrounding the missions. Some of the missions were especially famous for their superb horses. Indeed, the Arabs could not have been prouder of their high- stepping steeds than the Padres and the natives were of these fine horses. Now and then one of the beautiful creatures was stolen. Sometimes a thief, who found him- self in danger of being detected, turned the animal loose. And so wild horses soon became very numerous." "What a wonderful story !" exclaimed James. "I never had any idea that the missions were so interesting !" "There is so much more that might be told. I shall mention, however, only two or three more facts of interest connected with one or the other of the most noted of the missions. When the Padres came to found San Gabriel 128 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY mission on a beautiful spot covered with showers of goldenrod, they were met by a savage band of Indians headed by two fierce-looking chieftains. One of the Padres quickly drew a painting of the Blessed Virgin from his breast and raised it aloft. The natives instantly threw down their bows and arrows. The two chiefs took the strings of beads which they wore about their necks and laid t h em on the ground before the picture to show that they wished to be friends. In a similar manner, the picture or statue of the Madonna was frequently used by the Padres with the same effect as the peace pipe was used by the missionaries among our Indians of the Northeast. "San Francisco de Assisi was founded a few weeks be- fore the feast of St. Francis in the same year in which the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Padre Serra visited the mission a year later. Standing on the southern bank of our present Golden Gate, and gazing away over the waters of the channel, he exclaimed fer- vently. Thanks be to God that now our Father St. Francis has reached the last limit of the California continent. To go farther, he must have boats.' The most lively imagination of the good Padre, however, could not have pictured that silent bay as it is today — the busy meeting- place of ships coming from all nations on the globe. BELLS OF SAN GABRIEL MISSION THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 129 "In the history of the mission of San Juan Capistrano, Padre Jose stands out an interesting figure. Having labored long and hard among his beloved Indians, this devoted Padre at length became feeble in body and mind. He spent much of his time wandering about the fields praying or explaining aloud some part of the Doc- trina. One day, while thus occupied, an angry steer DISCOVERY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY from a herd of cattle grazing at some distance, made straight for the Padre, bellowing and pawing the ground as he came. Attracted by the call of the neophytes at work near by, the Padre turned about and, seeing the fierce creature, cried out, 'Begone, thou spirit of evil.' The animal raised his head, looked wonderingly at the fearless Padre for a moment, and then trotted away. The Indians, ascribing this victory of the simple Padre to his great holiness, henceforth looked upon him as a saint. "Santa Barbara, cradled as it is between the ocean and the hills, has perhaps the most interesting history of all 130 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY the missions. In its gardens the hooded and sandal- footed sons of St. Francis still move about under the trees in prayer and study as they did over a hundred years ago. Now as then, they courteously show the visitor to the ancient chapel, the most substantial of all the mission churches. This famous house of prayer is one hundred sixty-five feet long and forty feet wide. Its walls of sandstone are six feet thick. Its towers rest on thirty feet of solid masonry, twenty feet square. A narrow stair- way leads to the top of one of these towers in which hang six old bells which still call the faithful to prayer even as they did in the long ago." "How we shall enjoy our visit with the good Padres at Santa Barbara!" said James eagerly. "But I can hardly wait to hear the rest of the story of the great mission work. Did Padre Serra live to see many more missions ?" "As the years rolled on the missions flourished more and more. Religion and civilization thrived gloriously among the once so hopeless natives whom the Padres had gath- ered in that grand chain of twenty-one missions on the California coast. While Padre Serra and his companions were thus civilizing and holding the Pacific coast for the United States, Washington and his patriots were fighting for American independence on the Atlantic coast." Part Two. The Breaking Up of the Missions "Padre Serra," continued Brother Jerome, "lived to see nine of the twenty-one missions successfully established and the presidio at Santa Barbara erected. In the early spring of 1784, he set forth to administer the sacrament of confirmation to the neophytes gathered in the lower missions. In all. Padre Serra confirmed some six thousand Indians during his missionary career in California. But this was his last visit to his beloved missions. He re- THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 131 turned to San Carlos in August and died shortly after. When the bells of the mission tolled forth the sad news, the Indians thronged the chapel in great numbers. Touch- ing indeed was their sorrow. Even the chieftains mingled their tears with those of their tribesmen as they gazed for the last time upon their beloved Padre and reverently kissed the hem of his garment. While the body was be- ing lowered into the grave in the presence of the soldiers and the neophytes, the guns and cannon of the fort and in the harbor thundered forth a last farewell salute. "The companions of Padre Serra, too, had passed away one by one, when there came the cruel blow which brought destruction to the missions and the neophytes gathered in them. For about sixty years, beginning with the founding of San Diego, the Padres had governed all the mission affairs directly according to instructions re- ceived from the Spanish government and the mother- house in Mexico. They had absolute possession of the mission fields, pastures, flocks, herds, crops and output of the workshops. They held charge of all this mission property for the sole purpose of guarding and using it for the benefit of the Indians. By a treacherous decree of the officials of the Mexican colonial government, the neophytes were now set free to go where they chose, and the missions were transferred just as they stood to the government. The Padres might remain as parish priests, if they liked, or they might build up new missions elsewhere." ''What did the Padres do?" asked James. "Sorely grieved, they tried their best to keep up the mission system and made every effort to convince the government that the new plan would bring about the destruction of the missions and the ruin of the neophytes, but all in vain. Thus it finally came to pass that only Santa Barbara remained in charge of the Padres, who 132 OUR COUNTRY TN STORY attended from here, as a center, to the spiritual needs of the surrounding rancherias. But it is not difficult at all to foresee the effect the breaking up of the mission sys- tem would have upon the neophytes, for they had not lived their life of restraint and culture long enough. The influence of the Padres once removed, the lands were left unfilled, the stock uncared for, and the tools unused. The Indians, feeling somewhat as the slaves of the South SANTA BARBARA MISSION did after our Civil War, became ungovernable under the new conditions. So, back to the wild freedom of their forefathers they went. Only a comparatively small num- ber of them settled in villages and showed in their man- ner of living that they knew how to make use of at least some of the lessons taught them while under the rule of the Padres. Lands, churches, and other mission property were wastefully sold,' given away, or destroyed by the officials of the government." "What a pity !" said James. "But what did the United States do when she took possession of California ?" THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 133 "As to the mission buildings," replied Brother Jerome, "the United States returned all these to the care of the Church. But, alas, it was too late, and, excepting in the case of Santa Barbara, nothing but ruins now remains to remind us of the glorious achievements of the Padres. "And, as to the Indians, they fared no better under United States rule than did our northeastern redmen. The land occupied by them in the California rancherias was frequently dealt out by our government to its settlers, regardless of the rights of the owners." "How sad," returned James, "for the poor Indians who were accustomed to be treated with such disinterested kindness by the Padres." "Truly," continued Brother Jerome, "it was nothing un- common to see a whole rancheria of Indians driven from their homes within twenty-four hours ; and scarcely had perhaps these same Indians built their adobes and planted their fields and started their flocks elsewhere, when this same treatment was repeated by other white settlers who showed papers from the American government giving them a legal claim to the land." "Is it surprising that the poor hunted redmen finally became a menace to the white settlements? Or need we wonder at the fact that the once numerous California Indians have largely disappeared, while those who are left are but a wretched remnant of the once industrious, well-clothed, and well-fed race in charge of the Padres?" "But what did finally become of them?" "The United States eventually gathered those wretched remnants upon reservations established much after the manner of the old missions. This effort of our govern- ment has met with success and seems so far to be the only manner of doing any good among the Indians. In the missions, however, the Indians were like children in 134 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY their parents' home, while on the reservation they may be compared with orphans in the care of strangers." "It almost seems as if the work of the Franciscan Padres in California had been for nothing," said James. "Oh, no," declared Brother Jerome earnestly. "The good Padres save countless souls for heaven ; they were the founders of our State of the Golden Gate ; they were the layers of the cornerstone of Western civilization. They were priests, patriots, pioneers, founders of mis- sions, and captains of industry." "Thank you, Brother Jerome," said James, as the two rose from their seats under the cross. "It all seems so real that I almost forgot that we are only at San Diego and are in fact only about to set out on our actual visit to the old historical places." "Did you know that we are going to travel by way of the El Camino Real, or King's Highway ?" "No, I didn't," answered James. "And what is this El Camino Real, or King's Highway?" "Originally it was only a footpath of the Padres con- necting the missions one with another. It has since be- come a main highway of travel. Along the early Francis- can trail, a traveler could go all the way from San Diego to San Francisco, a distance of six hundred miles, free of expense. On the evening of each day he could enter a mission rancheria where he was sure to be warmly wel- comed and graciously served with a generous hospitality. After a refreshing night's rest and a good breakfast, he would be given a fresh horse on which to make his way to the next mission ; and thus he could continue day' after day until he clasped hands in heartfelt greeting with some genial Padre at San Francisco. "A truly royal road is this El Camino Real. As we follow it from mission to mission we shall once more hear, THE GREAT SOUTHWEST 135 *m> though only in spirit, the chiming bells of the missions, and the prayers and songs of the hooded Padres and their neophytes. We shall behold their beautiful gardens, their sweep- ing orchards, and their splashing fountains; and we shall stop for a rest in the refreshing shade of fair Santa Bar- bara, and for a prayer at the grave of the saintly Padre Serra at San Carlos." Questions for Thou>?ht 1. What would most probably have been the fate of the California natives if the Padres had not been the first on the scene? 2. If the Russians had pushed south from Alaska before Spain established her missions in California, M^hat change vi^ould the event have made in our history and on the map of our country ? 3. What would you say of the noble work of the Padres ? 4. If the Indians of the old missions had remained longer — a century or two — under the influence of the Padres, do you think that they would finally have become self-reliant — capable of living up to the standards of civilized people? 5. Compare the system of our government Indian reservations with that employed in the old California missions. 6. Learn all you can about the ruins of the old mission buildings. 7. Write in your own words a description of Santa Barbara. 8. Compare the El Camino Real of the days of the Padres with the El Camino Real of today. AT THE FOUNTAIN' (II'' SANTA l;AI MISSION V ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 1. THE OLD DOMINION On our map of the Atlantic seaboard states we find Virginia and Maryland forming the fertile banks of the beautiful Potomac. In and out between the two states winds the noble stream, now wildly, now playfully, until it pours peacefully into the broad waters of Chesapeake Bay. How neighborly the two states lie side by side, yet, how unneighborly too, for, note, they nowhere touch each other, except for a short stretch across the bay. This close and still distant natural relationship of the two Potomac banks illustrates strikingly the close kinship and yet also the decidedly contrary views of the people who founded the two historic states of Virginia and Maryland. It will be interesting for us to live for a while in story with these people. Let us enter Chesapeake Bay between Cape Charles and Cape Henry and make our way through Hampton Roads into the James River. If we sail up-stream for about twenty miles we will come to a small island which at one time was a low, narrow peninsula projecting from the right bank of the river. Upon this little island, now known as Jamestown Island, we are not long in discover- ing the tower of an old brick church built over three hundred years ago. We see also a few broken tombstones and here and there signs of buried ruins. The sight of these ancient relics carries us back in history to a beautiful May morning of the year 1607. A vast, unbroken wilderness surrounds us. Herds of deer 136 ON THI'J HANKS OF THl^J rOTOMAC 137 feed peacefully in the open places. Bands of roving sav- ages frighten the beautiful creatures and they bound away to seek shelter in the nearest thicket. There is, however, not as much as a trace of a white man's presence. But the wild beauty of nature, softly lit up by the rising May sun, gladdens our hearts, and we sit down beneath a shady cypress tree growing close to the water's edge. Gazing wonderingly down-stream we sight a fleet of three small ships slowly moving up the river. The Cross of A PAK'I' OK TJIK ATLANTIC SICAHOAHD St. George, floating from the flagship, tells us that these ships have come from England. The three boats are presently moored near a clump of trees close to where we are seated, and a band of some hundred men, commanded by one whom they call Captain Newport, step on land. They promptly begin to fortify the place against the natives by running a blockade about the peninsula and across its narrow neck. They name the river James and the fort Jamestown in honor of the reigning English king. Thus it came about that a part of the territory of North America, which at sunrise of that May day still belonged to Spain, was made an English possession by 138 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY sunset of the same day, for Jamestown in Virginia was the first permanent Enghsh settlement in America, and with the founding of this colony began England's per- manent power in America. The Jamestown colony prospered but slowly for many years. Its first band of settlers were not the right sort of men to make it a success. They had come to America with the hope of becoming rich by luck rather than by earnest labor. Having landed in May, they had a long time before them in which to get settled before the cold weather would set in. But, instead of building houses for themselves, and raising grain and vegetables and stor- ing them away for the winter, they wasted their time exploring the country in search of gold and adventure. As a result when winter came many of the colonists died from sickness, cold, and starvation. Several other bands of settlers came to Jamestown but they proved to be no better than the first. At length, however, a thrifty and cultured class of Eng- lish people came to Virginia. Before long, vast planta- tions flourished on the banks of the bays and streams. On these the planters lived in roomy, comfortable houses. These manor houses, as they were called, were surrounded by groups of cabins for the servants, and stables for the horses. The tables of the Virginians were easily sup- plied with vegetables from the gardens, game from the forests, and fish from the bays and rivers. Corn-cake and hominy took the place of our wheat bread and oat- meal. The climate was agreeable and few who had once lived in Virginia desired to live elsewhere. This better class of settlers who thus eventually se- cured the success of the Virginia colony were the parents and grandparents of many of the wise and noble men who have helped to make our country happy and prosperous ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 139 by establishing a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Jamestown became no more than a petty village. It was finally burned in an uprising and never rebuilt. Only the few crumbling ruins on the quiet little island in the James River remain to mark the birthplace of our nation. Virginia, being the first permanent English settlement in America, is the oldest of the thirteen original colonies. It is therefore often called the Old Dominion. Though VIRGINIA MANOR HOUSE BACK VIEW, SHOVS^ING SLAVE QUARTERS this ancient bank of the Potomac sheltered the cradle of our nation, it was not the birthplace nor the home of religious freedom, without which the people of the United States would never have prospered nor have been happy. But was England, whence came the Virginia settlers, a godless nation? No, but after having been a Catholic country for nearly a thousand years, it fell away from the ancient faith through Henry VIII. This king had at one time defended the Church so well that the Holy Father honored him with the title of "Defender of the Faith." This title the rulers of England still hold, though wrongly. Henry VIII did not remain a loyal son and defender of the 140 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Catholic Church. Being refused a divorce from his queen Catherine by the Holy Father, he made himself the head of the English Church and punished without mercy all who refused to acknowledge him as such. The settlers of Virginia brought with them their Eng- lish religion and their English hatred of everything that was Catholic. No Catholic could practice his religion or hold office in Virginia. Every Catholic priest was ban- ished from the colony. Nevertheless, as the years rolled on and on, some of the broader-minded Virginians inserted a phrase in our Constitution which secures for the people of the United States the great blessing of Religious Liberty. This phrase forbids our government to demand that we practice any particular religion or any religion whatsoever; nor may our government deny us the free exercise of any religion. 2. THE LAND OF THE SANCTUARY About twenty-five years before that eventful May day on which Jamestown was founded, a small Spanish craft, carrying nine Jesuit Fathers and two youthful Indians, steered for the eastern bank of the Potomac. One of the Indians, the son of a chieftain, was a handsome, intelligent-looking youth. He had been educated in Spain and had received the name Luis in baptism. He was now returning home accompanied by these Jesuit Fathers whom, it was hoped, he would help to convert his tribes- men. The little company landed on what is now Maryland soil. Don Luis led the priests and his Indian companion some distance inland and then bade them wait while he went to prepare his kinsmen for their coming. While waiting for the return of Don Luis, the good Fathers offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time in this wild region. Many were the fervent prayers ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 141 they sent to Heaven for the welfare of the natives of the American wilds whom they longed to meet and teach the Word of God. But Don Luis remained away for many, many days. And when he did come at last, it was — as a murderer. Raising a savage war-cry, his warriors answered him and swarmed to the spot. They fell upon the missionaries and cruelly killed them, only the Indian boy escaping to tell the sad story. But the blood of martrys is never shed in vain. Though England hated the Catholics and declared that these should not settle in its American colonies, the Protestant King of this very Protestant nation, nevertheless, per- mitted some of his Catholic subjects to found a Catholic colony on the eastern bank of the Potomac — on the very soil consecrated by the blood of the Jesuit martyrs. How came this to pass ? This is the story in brief : The English Secretary of State, George Calvert, became an ardent Catholic, though he knew that by so doing he would have to give up his high position. "Your Majesty," he said one day to James I, "I must re- sign my post of honor and trust, for I am now a Catholic." King James respected the noble Calvert for his courage and was very sorry to see him withdraw from office. Wish- ing earnestly to assure Calvert of his royal favor, the King made him an Irish peer with the title of Lord Baltimore. In other words, George Calvert was made lord of a manor, or estate, in Ireland by the name of Baltimore. On the death of James I, Lord Baltimore asked the new king, Charles I, for permission to found a Catholic colony in America. The new king, too, was desirous of keeping Lord Baltimore in England, and even offered to excuse him from taking the Oath of Supremacy which acknowledged the ruler of England as the supreme head 142 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY of the Church. But Lord Baltimore could not be in- fluenced by the King's fair promises. Then the King, wishing to give his noble friend a proof of his high esteem, granted him a large tract of land in the New World. "Go now," said Charles I to Lord Baltimore, "and plant on this goodly land your Catholic colony, which I pray you to call Maryland in honor of my queen, Henrietta Marie." Lord Baltimore at once set about preparing a charter, or writing, which set forth the rights of the new colony and provided for its government. King Charles promptly approved of this charter when completed, though it was more liberal than any that had ever been granted by an English ruler. It provided, among other things, for re- ligious freedom and secured to the colony the right to govern itself quite independently of the sovereign of England. In fact, it gave to the proprietor of Maryland almost as much power in his colony as the King of Eng- land had in his kingdom. But before the charter passed the Great Seal, Lord Baltimore died, and the grant of Maryland was made over to his eldest son, Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. This lord, thinking that he could best secure the success of his colony by remaining at home and there defending and supporting its cause, appointed his younger brother, Leonard, to govern Maryland in his stead. Two ships, the Ark and the Dove, soon set out for the New World. They carried twenty men of rank and learn- ing with their families, and also some two hundred labor- ers and tradesmen. This company was composed of both Cathohcs and Protestants. There were as yet no mission- aries among them. England, having banished every Catholic priest from her domains, had none to give. But by an arrangement of Lord Baltimore, four Jesuits — Fathers Andrew White and John Altham, and two ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 143 Brothers — had come from France to the Isle of Wight and there were taken on board the vessels bound for Maryland, The emigrants left from Cowes on the Isle of Wight on St. Cecilia's day, 1633. After a four months' stormy voyage by way of the West Indies, they finally sailed into the peaceful waters of Chesapeake Bay. It was a sunny LANDING OF THE MARYLAND COLONISTS day of March, twenty-seven years after the Jamestown settlers had entered the same water. Following the route taken by the little Spanish craft which fifty years earlier had brought hither the Jesuit missionaries and the treach- erous Don Luis, they steered directly for the eastern bank of the Potomac and cast anchor near an island not far from the shore. Landing on this island, which is now a mere sandbank, they called it St. Clement's in honor of the day. Holy Mass was celebrated. Then a large cross was 144 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY erected, and the Litany sung on bended knee and with bowed head. The island being too small for a settlement, the party proceeded upon along the eastern bank of the Potomac in search of a better site. They soon came upon an Indian vil- lage near the mouth of a small stream. Here they landed on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin in 1634. It so happened that the natives were about to move elsewhere. They therefore gladly sold their village — wigwams, cornfields, and all — to Governor Calvert for some cloth and various farm and garden tools. The chief's wigwam, blessed by Father White, was made to serve as the first church of the colony. It being a feast of our Blessed Lady, Holy Mass was at once cele- brated in her honor. Thus this Holy Sacrifice came to be offered again on the very soil on which a half century previous the Jesuit martyrs had offered it for the first time while waiting for their unfaithful Indian companion to return. Thus was Maryland piously and peacefully founded in a beautiful land of broad streams, fertile plains, gentle hills, and green woodlands. Birds of many kinds and colors abounded, but of all these none pleased the colon- ists so much as did the oriole in its dress of gold and black, the colors of the Baltimore servants' uniform. Coming as they did in the springtime of the year, the settlers of St. Mary's had ample time to build their homes and plant and gather their crops of corn and vegetables. They labored with willing hands and happy hearts from morning till night, and when winter came, they were snugly housed, with plenty of crisp cornbread and savory wild meat to eat. We are told that the Maryland colony advanced more in its first six months of existence than did Virginia in as many years. ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 145 Religious freedom was something unheard of in those times. But the Catholic colony of Maryland taught the governments of the whole world a beautiful lesson by its glorious example. Under its liberal charter, Catholics and Protestants lived peacefully side by side. Hither came the unhappy and the persecuted of every land and A SCENE OX THE POTOMAC clime. Well did the colony merit the title of the Land of the Sanctuary. The word sanctuary as here used means a consecrated place which gives protection and shelter to anyone flee- ing from injustice or persecution. For instance, if in Europe, many years ago, a person accused of crime took refuge in a church, he was safe. No officer of the law could injure him or take him away. Thus the church building, owing to its sacred character, offered to this per- son protection and shelter; in other words, it became a 146 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY sanctuary. In a similar manner Maryland harbored and protected Religious Liberty and thus became a Land of the Sanctuary, In their habits of living, the Maryland colonists dif- fered little from their neighbors on the Virginia bank of the Potomac. They lived in rich abundance on their flour- ishing plantations and farms. Deer, turkeys, and pigeons roamed and swarmed in their woodlands ; swans, geese, and ducks splashed in their creeks ; and fish, oysters, and crabs abounded in the waters that flowed close to their doors. The family circle was the center of interest and happi- ness. The planter's whole heart was with his children ; they were his greatest pride. Their innocent laughter and play were his sweetest music. Nowhere were family ties held more sacred than in Maryland. In these loving, cheery homes grew up some of the noblest characters in the history of our country. This, then, is in short the early history of the Land of the Sanctuary. From it we learn that the cradle of the Catholic Church in the United States stood on the Mary- land bank of the Potomac. This bank of the noble river is the birthplace and home of that glorious religious free- dom which has made our country the happiest and freest among the nations. 3. MOUNT VERNON Part One. With Washington on the Christmas Eve of 1783 A small boat is steaming peacefully down the Potomac River. Its passengers are out for a vacation. Presently a little wharf comes in sight some distance down the stream. At sight of it, the bell of the steamer is heard to toll reverently. ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 147 "Why does the bell ring in that way, mother?" asks a bright-eyed little boy of the lady at his side. "We are nearing the home and tomb of the Father of our Country," rephes the mother, "and boats passing this way always toll their bells as a mark of respect to the great man." THE WHAKF AT MOUNT VERNON The steamer lands its party at the wharf which is none other than that from which the great Virginian, George Washington, more than a century ago, shipped his farm products and at which were unloaded the supplies which came to him by water. Let us join the party of tourists as they walk up the steep bank of the river and the gently sloping lawn to the great portico, or porch, of the Mount Vernon mansion. 148 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY "But," you will say, "Washington has been dead for more than a hundred years. After all, this grand old place can scarcely be the same Mount Vernon that it was in the lifetime of its famous master." "Very true, but this is, nevertheless, still the Mount Vernon of old, without, of course, its worthy tenants of old. The gardens, the house, the cabins of the servants, the very rooms still appear as nearly as possible as they MOUNT VERNON did in the days of the great George Washington. And this splendid preservation of the old historic place we owe to a society of noble women. When neither the National nor the Virginia State government would purchase Mount Vernon from the last descendant of Washington who owned it, these good ladies banded together and started a Mount Vernon fund. With liberal contributions from the various states, amounting to two hundred thousand dollars, they bought about two hundred thirty acres of the old estate. The purchase included the tomb, the mansion, attendant buildings, and the wharf. Gradually the scat- ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 149 tered original articles of furniture and the personal be- longings of Washington were recovered and the old his- toric place made to look quite as it did in the long ago — so much so that its very nooks and corners seem fairly- alive with memories of past events. Here is Washington's bedroom, preserved as when the great, good man breathed his last. His curtained bed- stead, military trunk, arm chair, and other articles are all here just as they were over a hundred years ago. On the floor above is the sleeping room used by Martha Wash- ington after her husband's death. According to a custom of that time, the General's room was closed after his death; and Mrs. Washington chose this attic chamber for herself because from its only window she could see the tomb of her husband. Here, too, is the gentle lady's living-room. Let us sit down in it for a rest. How quiet, how peaceful this an- cient apartment ! We forget the present — we forget our- selves, and, slipping off into the broad land of memory, we imagine that we are seated here a few days before Christmas in 1783. Martha Washington, the mistress of Mount Vernon, has just returned from her seven o'clock breakfast. She is a woman of fifty-five years, rather below the middle size. How pleasing is that fair, calm face with its regular features and hazel eyes ! Her white- powdered hair is neatly gathered up in a dainty frill cap. The two front corners of the large white handkerchief about her neck are fastened beneath the belt of her pure- white apron. A goodly bunch of keys is hanging from her girdle. What a charming and motherly little woman she is ! How winning her frank, pleasing manners and quiet dignity ! Before Martha became mistress of Mount Vernon, she had been married to Colonel Custis. She had seen much 150 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY sorrow during this time, having buried one after another, her husband and three children. Only one child, a son, was left to her. Long after she had gone to live at Mount Vernon this son died, leaving four children. The two youngest of these, Nellie and George Custis, came to live with their grandmother. The bright-eyed boy and the lively little girl helped to make the Mount Vernon home more cheery, and both General Washington and Mrs. Washington were very fond of the two children. Let us make a morning call on Mrs. Washington in the great working room. What an interesting sight we behold ! Mrs. Washington and a seamstress are busily engaged cutting out winter clothing for the negroes of the plantation. Some young negro girls are taking les- sons in making the garments. Others, under the supervi- sion of Mrs. Washington, are busy knitting warm stock- ings and mittens. What an example of industry is this wife of General Washington ! We are told that there were times when lessons in reading, churning of butter, and spinning of wool, all went on at the same time in this large cheerful room, so nicely arranged for all sorts of work. There comes a day when there will be no lessons. It is two days before Christmas. The whole house is alive with busy servants making preparations for Christmas Day. "The General is coming home! Coming home to From the iialnting by Stuart MARTHA WASHINGTON ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 151 stay! Mistress Washington is going to drive over to Annapolis to meet him," is the happy news which passes from hp to lip. It is still early morning. Mrs. Washington, all dressed for a journey, climbs into her big coach. Four fine bay horses carry her speedily over the road leading to Anna- polis where she will meet the General who is meanwhile coming down from New York. Christmas eve has come. The air is as mild and balmy as if it were Indian summer. Night is beginning to fall when there is a stir and a bustle and a hustle, first in the house, and then on the grounds. Let us slip out on the portico. Coming up the road can be seen the big coach with its four fine bay horses. At the gate are gath- ered about one hundred and fifty negroes. They are loyally devoted to their master, and shout for very joy when they see him alight from his coach. Some of the more privileged ones press forward to shake hands with him. All are laughing and talking and making merry. And now begins such thundering of cannon and firing of guns that the master almost thinks himself back on the battlefield. But the happy negroes have chosen this manner of showing their joy at the master's return. Now the master and mistress are coming toward the portico. Let's hurry back to our quiet nook in the cheer- ful sitting-room. We sit quietly and wait patiently. Now they are coming. The door opens — what a picture ! In the streaming light of the candles stand General Washington and Mrs. Washington, the master and mistress of fair Mount Vernon. The General is a strong, handsome man, over six feet high. His manner and his walk are dignified. Behold his great, kindly face! Those large, blue-gray eyes set far apart in deep sockets and shadowed by heavy brows 152 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY tell of a slow but sure mind. His firmly closed mouth and square chin show great moral and physical courage. His pale, serene features express a world of feeling, balanced by a masterful self-control. He is still clad in his soldier's uniform of buff and blue, and his cloak of scarlet and white. He has been gone nine years and during all this time has made only two hurried visits to Mount Vernon. The thirteen colonies had long complained against England, their mother coun- try. They had claimed that the king was trying to rule them contrary to their rights as English people. So they had finally united and taken up arms against England. It was Washington who had led the colonial armies victo- riously through the great war of the Revolution. The thirteen colonies were no longer subject to England. They had become a nation. And now their hero has at length returned to his peaceful home, here to live once more the quiet, happy life of a Virginia planter. Washington does not hear the cannonading and the shouting which the servants are keeping up in his honor. He has lived through much during his long absence from home. He has much to think of. It seems but yesterday that he took command of the American army under the elm tree at Cambridge. On that memorable July day, 1775, as the troops passed before him, Daniel Morgan, too, came with his Virginia riflemen. Saluting Wash- Fnjiii the ijaiutiiig by Stuart GEORGE WASHINGTON ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 153 ington, he said gallantly, "From the right bank of the Potomac, General!" Deeply touched, Washington quickly dismounted and with tear-dimmed eyes shook hands with each man in turn — these were his own neighbors. Scenes like these must be passing before the great man's mind as he sits before the cheerful fireplace and recalls, one by one, the events of that long and trying war. He thinks of the lives that were lost, of the suf- ferings endured, of the sore defeats, and of the victories won. How well he must remember that New Year's day of 1776 when the Union Flag containing thirteen stars and thirteen stripes was hoisted for the first time. Nor could he have forgotten the Fourth of July of 1776 when the thirteen colonies declared themselves independent of England. All morning the question was discussed and during all this time, we are told, the bell-man sat in the belfry waiting for a signal from below. "Ah!" he groaned, "they will never do it. They dare not do it." Just then he heard the eager clapping of childish hands and the sound of a boyish voice shouting, "Ring, Grandpa, ring! Ring for Liberty!" For two hours the bell rang forth the joyful peal that proclaimed liberty to all the land. How fresh in Washington's mind must have been the memory of the sad winter at Valley Forge in Pennsyl- vania. Most of his soldiers were in rags, with no shoes to wear, and worse than this, with no bread to eat. Heart- sick at the sight of the sufferings of his men, he one day sank upon his knees under the frosty trees of the woods and, with streaming tears, prayed to God for help and guidance. At length the long and awful struggle came to an end when, on October 19, 1781, the English commander. Corn- 154 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY wallis, surrendered his entire army of eight thousand men to Washington at Yorktown. The thirteen original colonies were now English colonies no longer, but free and independent states. And the final battle for this Independence was won on the Virginia bank of the Poto- mac not far from the site of Jamestown. Then a swift horseman was sent from camp to Philadelphia, the capital of our country during the war. Soon the watchmen went shouting through the streets, "Past two o'clock and Cornwallis is taken!" Lights flashed from the windows. Crowds of peo- ple, wild with joy, thronged the streets. They fell into each others' arms and shook each other by the hand. The old door-keeper of Congress died of joy. The liberty bell rang long and loud. Cannon were fired and bonfires lighted. Messengers sped like the wind to every town and village of the land. After the victory at Yorktown, Washington went to see his mother in the old home at Fredericksburg. He found her alone. She was, as usual, busy with her household duties. The meeting between the mother and her great son was one of affectionate simphcity. They talked of George's boyhood home, of things that had happened so many years before, of old times and old friends. But never did the mother mention a word of her son's honor and fame, perhaps because she knew how much he dis- WASHINGTON FRAYING IN THE FOREST ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 155 liked spoken praise. She herself held flattery so cheap that no one dared offer it to her. But Washington's work as commander-in-chief of the army was not yet finished. He was obliged to return to his army stationed on the Hudson. Peace was signed with England at Paris only in September, 1783. The last Brit- ish troop sailed for home two months later. Then Wash- ington gathered his officers about him at New York for a last farewell. With a warm grasp of the hand and a a last look of tender and grateful affection, he turned from them and passed from the room to journey homeward. And now he is here once more in his own Mount Vernon home on the bank of the noble Potomac. It is nine o'clock. The noise of the firearms has ceased, for the negroes know that their master and mistress nearly always go to bed at this hour. Martha, entering the room, gently bids Washington retire for the night. On going to bed, he takes off his uniform for the last time and lays it care- fully away, together with his sword. How comfortable he must find his soft, downy bed after the soldier's bed he has known for so many years! As he breathes the fresh air of his own beloved home, can there be a happier man than he on this Christmas eve of 1783? Tomorrow morning he will come to his Christmas breakfast as a plain Virginia planter, free from the worry and bustle of the camp and the busy scenes of public life, so he thinks. He does not see in this happy hour that his past services to his country have but prepared him for still greater ones. The tolling of the bell on the Potomac below awakens us out of our day-dreams and brings us back to the pres- ent. We remember that we are living now and not then, and that we have but reviewed in fancy and memory a beautiful story of the long ago. But Mount Vernon, the 156 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY scene of this true picture of fancy, is as real today as it was then. Part Two. Washington as Master or Mount Vernon AND First Head of Our Nation Let us tarry a while longer at Mount Vernon. The sum- mer house yonder overlooking the river must have been a m. ^"^i Mm"^' i \ ■ #i * ' ^f^QP^^^BJit m f: •.'%y i A } li^fl L II »(«'-• mAk J w B 1 \i '»* ^m '-M ';■■ , . -', ^ Nurse (icurye l.al'avctto Oustis W ish'motou Mis. Custis Nellie Martha Ciistis Washington favorite resort of the Washingtons. It is a fine place for us to sit and recall some of the interesting events con- nected with the past history of Mount Vernon. Do look at those ancient trees Washington loved so well. Yonder two trees were planted, one by the French nobleman, La- fayette, the other by Jefferson. What fine leafy monu- ments they are! How Washington must have enjoyed the quiet of this ON THE HANKS OF THE POTOMAC 157 beautiful place after returning from the bloody scenes of war and strife! Many were the gifts of esteem and affection that came to him here from his countrymen, from private Englishmen, and from kings of Europe. Frederick the Great of Prussia inscribed upon his gift, a handsome sword, "From the oldest general in the world to the greatest." Washington once more became entirely absorbed in the management of his plantation. The estate had grown to cover an immense area of about eight thousand acres. It had naturally been greatly neglected during its master's long absence, but he quickly went to work at building it up again. Most dear to him was the ideal country life which he now led. His flower garden was the pride of his heart. How he did delight in his flourishing wheat and sheep farms ! In truth. Mount Vernon with its overseers and many negro slaves, was not unlike a little kingdom, with the exception, however, that its head was not a king, but rather a father. The great man had learned to govern others by first governing himself. He had a very high temper which could break forth in frightful wrath; but he had acquired a wonderful mastery over it. Our Wash- ington was truly noble in everything. Not even to the humblest did he fail in due respect. No negro ever failed to receive an acknowledgment of his bow. Washington was exceedingly fond of fishing and of the chase. The Potomac was fairly stocked with fish ; and the borders of the estate, washed by more than ten miles of tide water, formed one great fishery. As a fisherman, our hero was most successful and it was often playfully said that all the fish came to his hook. Dense woods and wild dells still covered much of the estate and formed a vast hunting-ground, abounding with deer and lurking foxes. The Mount Vernon fox hunts were great events in Fair- 158 OUR COUNTRY fN STORY fax County, and Washington's fine horses and packs of splendid hounds were famous throughout the country. As for Martha Washington, she was a typical Virginian housewife. She prudently directed her numerous serv- ants and was a charming and gracious hostess to the many visitors who came and went at Mount Vernon. "There is always a bit of mutton and a glass of wine for a friend," Washington would say. And the warm wel- come of the mistress made both most palatable. Meanwhile the thirteen independent states had learned that they must have some strong central power to hold them together if they wished to become a united nation. Whom could they best entrust with this power? They knew no one worthier of the high office of chief of the nation than George Washington. And thus the master of Mount Vernon had scarcely spent five years in happy retirement when he was again called into public life. He would much rather not have accepted this high office ; but duty called him and he went. Before leaving for New York, he galloped up to Fred- ericksburg to see his aged mother. He found her ailing and feeble. "This will be our last meeting on earth," she said. And laying her wasted hand upon the noble head bowed to her shoulder, she told him that Heaven's and his mother's blessing would always be with him. He parted tenderly with her at the door and then hastened away with a sad misgiving in his strong, loving heart. He never saw her again. She was tenderly laid at rest a few months later when he was far away in New York with no electric wires nor railroad trains to call and bring him back in due time to receive his mother's dying blessing. After leaving his mother, Washington hastened to New York to assume the duties of his new charge. All along his journey he was shown the greatest honors. There ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 159 were joyous music and ringing of bells. Great crowds of people met him everywhere, singing and cheering and bearing flowers to strew before him. These loud rejoic- ings, however, were painful to him. Not that he did not value the love and confidence of his people, but he shrank from the important and difficult duties imposed upon him. WASHINGTON ENTERING NEW YORK For, as the first President of the young nation, Washing- ton was expected not only to govern that still .unsettled nation wisely, but also to shape it into a successful repub- hc, such as had never been heard of before. Notwith- standing, the great man entered resolutely upon his duties as first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. His faith in God, in himself, and in his people made him equal to the task. Thus the Virginia bank of the Potomac gave our nation its first political head. Sincere good wishes and assur- 160 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY ances of good will soon came to this illustrious chief from the Maryland bank of the river in the form of a letter written in behalf of the Catholics of the United States. Washington was greatly pleased with this letter and wrote a worthy answer in return. It closed with these words: "I thank you, gentlemen, for your kind concern for me. And may the members of your society in Amer- ica, animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity and still conducting themselves as the faithful subjects of our free government enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity." How the public views as to religious freedom must have changed when a Virginian at the head of a largely Protestant population could thus openly express his esteem for his Catholic countrymen ! When thinking of Washington in his public office as chief of the nation, we naturally wonder whether Mrs. Washington accompanied him on his journey to the capi- tal city. Mrs. Washington disliked leaving her quiet, pleasant life at Mount Vernon as much as did her hus- band, but she followed within a month after his departure. Accompanied by Miss Nellie and Master George, she set out for New York in her own carriage with an escort of horsemen. Amid loud cheers and the booming of can- non, she entered the presidential mansion. This new manner of life was not to her taste, but she was a true woman and knew how to fit herself to her new position. She performed her duties of "first lady" of the land as faithfully and as charmingly as she had discharged her humbler employments as thrifty mistress of the Mount Vernon plantation. No one was happier, however, than she and her husband when, on March 9, 1797, a coach drawn by six bay horses flanked by outriders stopped be- fore the door of the president's mansion to bring General and Mrs. Washington and their grandchildren back to ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC IGl Virginia. Both had acted their parts well. They had trained themselves always to think first of duty and last of themselves. And herein lay their greatness. Washington had served eight years and refused a third term. He had given the best of his life to his country, and now retired to his Virginia home to spend his remain- ing years among the scenes he loved so well. But the angel of death hovered near to bear away the beloved master of fair Mount Vernon. The great man lived only two years after retiring from the presidency. He died, loved and honored by all as the Father of his Country who had been "first in war, first in peace," and who is "first in the hearts of his countrymen." The lonely mistress of Mount Vernon lingered only a few years longer. And in the bright springtime of the year she was borne from her attic room and laid by the side of our Washington in the family vault. Let us walk over to visit the famous tomb. Its site was selected and the vault planned by Washington himself shortly before his death. Do you see within the double iron portals those two coffin-like tombs? The one on the right con- tains the body of General Washington and the one on the left that of his wife. We have now enjoyed a long and interesting visit here at Mount Vernon. As we turn away from this fair relic of the past and from the memories that make it sacred, our gaze wanders across the broad waters of the Potomac to the Maryland hills beyond, and we ask : "Has the Land of the Sanctuary kept pace with the Old Dominion in providing noble men who did much to make our country great and its people happy?" 162 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 4. TWO GREAT SONS OF MARYLAND Part One. Our First American Bishop Once again a feast of our Blessed Lady marked an im- portant event in our country's history. This time it was the festival of her assumption into heaven. On this day in 1790 the college chapel of a lordly castle in south'ern England had been beautifully adorned and prepared for a most solemn celebration. Let us place ourselves among the attentive worshippers. All is hushed in silent expecta- tion. Now a procession of venerable men, clad in sacred vestments, files into the sanctuary. The ceremonies be- gin. A new bishop is consecrated. And this new bishop, rather low in stature, but most venerable and dignified — who can he be ? He is none other than the Right Rever- end John Carroll, a native of the Maryland bank of the Potomac, whom the Holy Father had appointed first bishop of the United States the previous year. Thus the Land of the Sanctuary gave to the Catholics of our country their first spiritual head in the same year that the Old Dominion gave to this nation its first polit- ical head. What a privilege to have been one of the honored company on the ship that carried the venerable prelate back to the banks of the Potomac ! Safely it bore .him across the deep blue waters of the mighty Atlantic and up Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore, our first bishop's city, or episcopal see. Who can describe the joy of the Catholic people upon his arrival ? How warmly they wel- comed their first bishop ! With what reverence and grati- tude they knelt for his blessing. It is an interesting fact that Bishop Carroll was, both going and coming, a fellow-voyager of Mr. Madison, who had also been in England to be created the Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Virginia. This Protestant dignitary ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 163 formed an acquaintance with the CathoUc prelate and ever after remained sincerely devoted to him. "But," you may say, "when the colonizers of Maryland set out for their new home in 1633, England had no priests to give them. How then did this nation now have a Catholic prelate to consecrate our first bishop?" England had meanwhile learned from events in other countries and from her own experiences with her Amer- ican colonies, that unjust laws can bring only mis- fortune and ruin upon a na- tion. Furthermore, thou- sands of priests fleeing from persecution in France, found refuge in England. The presence and example of these venerable exiles great- ly influenced many of the English people; and they gradually began to realize that their narrow ideas and fiendish hatred of every- thing that was Catholic was most unreasonable and was frequently based on mere ignorance. Accordingly, the laws against Catholics became a little less severe in England, though justice was still dealt out to them very grudgingly. Catholic bishops and priests were consequently once more tolerated in England. Before the Revolution, the Bishop of London, or Vicar Apostolic, had charge of the affairs of the Catholic Church in the English colonies. Therefore, Father Carroll, upon receiv- ing the news of his appointment from the Holy Father, Pius VI, proceeded to England for consecration.. BISHOP CARROLL 164 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY But this was not the first time that Bishop Carroll went and came across the broad Atlantic. Our priestly hero was born in Maryland in 1735. His pious parents were anxious to give him a good Catholic schooling. But alas, a sad change had come over Maryland. It no longer har- bored and sheltered religious liberty. What had hap- pened? Had the Maryland Catholics become untrue to themselves? Oh, no! But in the course of time the Protestant settlers had increased so as to greatly out- number the Catholics. They gained control of the govern- ment and made laws that forbade Catholics to hold office, vote, or attend Catholic worship. Catholics were even fined for not assisting at Protestant church service and were forbidden to open Catholic schools for their children. Nevertheless, some Jesuit Fathers quietly opened a boarding school in a secluded spot upon their own estate without attracting the attention of the law. The future first Bishop of the United States attended this school for one year and then crossed the Atlantic to enter a Jesuit college in France. Here he was much admired for his remarkable intelligence and piety. His gentle, winning manners made him a general favorite among his companions. He entered the Society of Jesus at the age of eighteen and was ordained priest in 1769. He had always desired to go to Maryland as a Jesuit missionary. But before his wishes could be granted, the Society was suppressed throughout the whole Christian world. Pope Clement XIV, painfully pressed from all sides, was forced to choose between two great evils: He must either displease some of the sovereigns of Europe and see a number of the Catholic countries sepa- rate from the Church or he must suppress the Society of Jesus. He most unwillingly chose the latter, this seeming to him the lesser evil. The governments of Europe now ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 165 everywhere deprived the Jesuits of their property and turned them out of their homes which had so long been the seats of learning and religion. Father Carroll, sorely grieved, withdrew to England where he became chaplain in the castle of Lord Arundel. Upon hearing that the American colonies were about to take up arms against England, the patriotic priest left the comforts and luxuries of his new home and hastened back to his native land. What a joy to meet again his beloved mother, his sisters, and many of the friends of his youthful days ! He had left home a bright boy of fourteen and returned a venerable priest of forty years. There was then not one Catholic Church open in Mary- land. Only under the family roof could divine services be held. In what was once the Land of the Sanctuary, there were then only nineteen Catholic priests. All of these, like Father Carroll, had been Jesuits. They lived chiefly on their own lands and attended, so far as the law permitted, to the wants of the Catholics who dwelt in the surrounding country. Father Carroll took up his abode with his aged mother. At first he held divine services in a room of her dwelling, and later in a wooden chapel near by. A neat brick church, known as Carroll's chapel, now marks the spot of the ancient little house of worship. The good priest labored zealously among the Catholics in the neighboring country. Traveling on horseback, he made long journeys visiting the scattered Catholic families and settlements of Maryland. It may be interesting to know that in spite of the religious bigotry in Virginia, this state, nevertheless, contained a spot, at Woodstock, Stafford County, in which a band of some two hundred Catholics, by a special privilege of James II of England, practiced their religion 166 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY freely. Two of Father Carroll's married sisters lived there. Once a month their Reverend brother crossed the Potomac in disguise to attend to the spiritual affairs of this little body of Catholics. He thereby exposed himself to great dangers and generally slept in the stable beside his horse that he might be prepared for sudden flight. Throughout the dark hours of the War for Independ- ence, Father Carroll attended faithfully to his scattered flock. After the Revolution he was appointed by the Holy Father to be the Prefect Apostolic, or superior, of the American Church. This office invested him with powers to bless the holy oils and to confer the sacrament of confirmation which had never before been adminis- tered in what was then the United States. Five years later he entered upon his duties as our first Bishop. The new Bishop's task was a trying one. The dark times of persecution had passed, it is true, but they had left ignorance and loss of faith behind. Many of his Catholic people had not even seen a priest for years. In some instances, only the day of First Holy Com- munion and the religious practices of childhood lingered like a happy dream in the memory. But the zealous Bishop, like another St. Paul, "became all to all." Every- one, the great and the lowly, the good and the bad, the rich and the poor, the learned and the unlearned, felt at ease in his presence. His virtues, his dignity, and his mildness won all hearts. The zealous Bishop entru'jted the education of young girls and the care of the sick and the orphans to religious women of the various pioneer Sisterhoods — the Carmel- ites, the Visitation Nuns, and the Sisters of Charity. To give his Catholic boys and young men an opportunity of receiving an education right at home without endanger- ing their faith, he opened a college at Georgetown in ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 167 1791. St. Mary's Seminary at Baltimore, an institution for the training of young men for the priesthood, was opened in the same year. When the httle college of Georgetown, now a Univer- sity and the oldest Catholic seat of learning in the United States, was yet surrounded by a white-washed picket fence, it was one day honored by a visit from President GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Washington. On dismounting from his horse, the great man was warmly welcomed by the professors and shown through the building. He admired the grand view which the college enjoys from its beautiful heights. Just then an icy winter breeze sweeping by made the party shiver and Washington remarked: "I see you have to purchase the beauties of nature in summer by the winter's storm." Bishop Carroll's flock, consisting of all the Catholics of the entire United States, numbered about fifty thou- sand and was scattered over an immense territory ex- 168 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY tending from Maine to Florida and westward to Michigan. Means of travel being so few and slow, it was well-nigh impossible for the good Bishop to locate his people and minister to their wants with the few priests he had. Meanwhile the French Revolution, known as the "reign of terror," caused a great number of French priests to seek refuge from persecution in America. These zealous exiles were men of great refinement, virtue, and learning. Six of them eventually became bishops. To the great joy of Bishop Carroll, the Jesuits too came again to Maryland. He had always deeply grieved Qver the suppression of his Society, and had fondly hoped to see it restored. At last, in 1805, he himself, with the permission of the Holy Father, re-established it in the United States. It had been restored in Russia five years previous and was nine years later revived in the whole Christian world. The number of his priests having been thus increased. Bishop Carroll was enabled to supply his widely scattered flock with faithful shepherds. Though his cares and labors were many and great, his faith and zeal were greater still. The progress of the Catholic Church in America under his wise direction was wonderful. In 1808, only eighteen years after his consecration, the good prelate was created Archbishop. Four new dioceses were formed with a bishop's seat at New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown. The noble prelate sincerely loved his country; and no one valued more than he the religious freedom for which the Constitution provided. In fact, we are much indebted to Bishop Carroll's influence for that portion of our national laws which forbids the government to meddle with the liberty of conscience of its people. Beautiful above all was the great Bishop's private life. ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 169 His simple faith and piety were remarkable. No matter how pressing his duties might be, he kept up to the end of his days the good old custom of gathering at appointed hours all the members of his household, black and white, for morning and evening prayers. Archbishop Carroll lived to the good old age of eighty. Shortly before his death he declared that one of the things that consoled him most in his last moments was his life-long devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. "I have taught devotion to the Mother of God to the people under my care," he said, "and have also placed my diocese under her motherly protection." Death came to him gently, as if it feared to lay its hand upon one whose life had been so fair, so true, so beautiful. The Catholic Church in the United States has grown and prospered gloriously since those early times, but the people of this grand repubhc will ever think with pride and veneration of their first Bishop and Archbishop, the most Reverend John Carroll, who was also a sincere friend and revered adviser of their first president, the great George Washington. Part Two. The Last of the Signers The American people will never forget the illustrious cousin of their first Archbishop, the noble Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Shall we visit for a few moments with this great man? Yes, for better company we could scarcely choose. So let us fancy ourselves living about one hun- dred years ago. From a landing on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, we direct our steps toward a splendid manor house in Anne Arundel County of Maryland. Near the house has been erected an elegant chapel. We enter this abode of prayer. It is the morning hour of the day and we find the whole numerous household 170 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY assembled to assist at Holy Mass. A priest proceeds to the altar. He is accompanied by an acolyte. But behold this acolyte ! — Who is he ? — A fair, young child in cassock and surplice ? No ; he is an aged man of more than eighty years. See how reverently he moves about ! Could there be a more charming picture of simple, child-like faith? Now the sacred serv- ices are ended. The priest has left the altar. The pious wor- shippers, too, have gone. Only the aged acolyte remains. He is kneeling, deeply bowed, before the al- tar, breathing forth a parting prayer to his hidden God. Now he rises to leave the chapel. How tall and erect he is ! How dignified his walk ! We hasten to meet him at the door. He extends both hands in warm- est welcome, and as we lay ours in his and raise our eyes to meet his gaze, we unconsciously ask ourselves, "Did you ever see a more interesting, winning face than that of this aged man?" It combines all the sweetness of innocent childhood with the strength of intelligent old age. The high and open forehead is wreathed about by waving flakes of snow-white hair. A clear, mild light gleams from his aged eyes, and an expression of goodness surrounds his lips. This grand old man is Charles Carroll of Carrollton., ciiAi;!>i;s c'AHKOiJ. OK cAiaioLi/rox ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 171 one of the noblest of our country's heroes. He was born in AnnapoUs, Maryland, and was a companion of his cousin John Carroll while the latter attended the Jesuit school in Maryland. After spending one year in this school, he crossed the ocean to continue his education in France and England. After an absence of seventeen years, he returned to his native bank of the Potomac, an accom- plished Catholic gentleman. Many were the services to his state and country as a friend and protector of freedom and religion. He was one of the fifty-six brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Each of the noble band of signers knew that in case the colonies did not win in the struggle for Independence, he would have to pay for his signature with his life. And when Charles Carroll, who was then the richest man in America, wrote his name in a clear, bold hand on the precious document, someone remarked, 'There go millions." "No," replied another. "There are several Charles Carrolls; no one will know which of them wrote this name." On hearing the remark, the fearless Charles Carroll promptly added to his name the phrase, "of Carrollton," saying, "They cannot mistake me now !" Carrollton was the name of one of his estates. Forty-nine years had elapsed since that Fourth of July on which the Thirteen Colonies had declared themselves independent of England. On the morning of the fiftieth anniversary, on the Golden Jubilee of American Inde- pendence, there were still living three of the famous fifty-six patriots of 1776— Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton. How the people loved and esteemed these aged heroes ! Their names were mingled with the national songs and 172 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY rejoicings of the day. But Jefferson and Adams both passed away on that same day. These two great men stood side by side during the dark days of the Revolution. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and Adams did more than anyone else to persuade his coun- trymen to adopt it. Adams was ninety-one when he died. SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Even while death was coming upon him he remembered his old friend and said, "Jefferson still lives." But Jefferson had died two hours before. He was eighty-three years of age and had anxiously wished that he might live to see this Fourth of July. On the day previous he asked again and again upon rousing from his naps, "Is this the Fourth?" "No, not yet," they answered, "but 'twill soon be early morn; We will wake you, if you slumber, when the day begins to dawn." Now that Jefferson and Adams had both passed away, the venerable Charles Carroll alone remained. "All have ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 173 gone," he whispered, as he recalled the scenes of the Declaration and the names of his companions in the good work. "They are no more," he said. "But Heaven was pleased with that perilous Fourth of July of 1776, and the land of my birth has become a mighty nation. God be thanked for letting me live to see it." Two years later we behold the aged patriot of ninety- one years performing his last act of public service to his country. Can you picture his erect, aged form stand- ing upon a free space of ground under the open heavens at Baltimore ? Throngs of eager people crowd about him. A band of workmen are waiting for a signal to begin work on our first railroad. Who is to give the signal for starting ? The great Charles Carroll. All eyes are turned toward him. With a hand as firm as when it signed the Declaration, he turns the first spadeful of earth and drives the first spike. Instantly the laborers fall to work. The noble patriot declared this act one of the most impor- tant of his life, second only to the signing of the Declara- tion of Independence. Our aged hero now withdrew from public life. He lived henceforth in peaceful retirement on one of his estates near Baltimore. As he advanced in years he became an object of universal veneration. The good and the great from at home and abroad made pilgrimages to his dwelling that they might see with their own eyes the great political patriarch of America. At one time when all the Bishops of the United States had assembled for the First Council of Baltimore, this venerable body of American prelates went to see the grand old man. He received them with his usual graceful dignity and child- like reverence. Four years passed in this happy manner, and we find the illustrious Charles Carroll on the verge of death. It 174 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY is a November day of the year 1832. The last rays of the setting sun shed their light into a large room of a house in Baltimore where our aged hero is dying. The inmates of the household have gathered about him. Near him kneel his children and grandchildren and some friends. Farther back in the room may be seen a number of old negro servants. All are engaged in fervent prayer. The last glow of the closing day lights up the face of the dying man and spreads a rich halo around his noble brow as he passes peacefully away. The great Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the "Last of the Signers" and one of the noblest among our nation's heroes, is dead. But not so the fair memory of his long and useful life of nearly a hundred years. And what, we may ask, was it that made this man so truly great? We may read the answer in the follow- ing remarkable words uttered by him shortly before his death : "I have lived," said our hero, "to my ninety-sixth year ; I have enjoyed continued health ; I have been blessed with great wealth, prosperity, and most of the good things which the world can bestow; but what I now look back on with the greatest satisfaction to myself, is that I have practiced the duties of my religion." 5. OUR CAPITAL CITY When we read about Washington leaving Mount Vernon and going to New York to live there during the time of his presidency, we feel inclined to regret that he could not have governed our countrj'- from the banks of the Potomac. Since there stood the cradle of our nation, would it not seem just that there also should be placed the nation's seat of government ? Yes ; and we are happy to know that there the American people did finally locate their capital. ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 175 The law-making body of the colonies, known as the Continental Congress, had no fixed place of meeting. It held its sessions at different places, principally at Phila- delphia. But the Constitution, drawn up after the Revo- lution, required that a permanent seat of government be chosen by the states and accepted by Congress. Now the question arose. Where shall this seat of government be placed? Naturally, the Southern people wanted to have it on the banks of the Potomac, while the Northern people insisted that it be placed on the Delaware, It happened that Congress w^as just then occupied with another exciting question : The separate states were try- ing to devise some plan of paying their war debts. Alex- ander Hamilton, the learned Secretary of the Treasury at the time, proposed that the general government pay these debts for the states. A party in Congress, led by Thomas Jefferson, strongly opposed Hamilton's idea. Now, Ham- ilton not only wished the United States to pay the state debts, but he also wanted the capital in the north. Jeffer- son, on the contrary, wanted the states to pay their own debts, but he wanted the capital in the south. Each of these famous leaders had enough friends in Congress to prevent the other from putting through his measures, but neither had enough supporters of his own cause to gain the necessary majority, or more than half of the votes. The two men therefore made an agreement by which Jefferson promised to help Hamilton make a law which would require the general government to pay the debts of the states. Hamilton, in turn, agreed that he would help Jefferson pass a measure which would place the capital on the Potomac. The outcome, of course, was that each of these men won his side of the question. This meant, among other things, that the capital of the United States was to be located on the Potomac. 176 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY How Washington must have rejoiced over this decision of Congress ! Within three days, in the summer of 1790, he had selected a tract of land ten miles square, located on both the Virginia and Maryland banks of the Potomac. The portion extending into Virginia, however, was later returned to the state. This reduced the territory to an area of nearly seventy square miles and placed it entirely on the Maryland bank of the Potomac. During the earli- est days of Lord Baltimore's colony, this section of land was called Rome and belonged to a man whose name was Pope. The southern limit was marked by a small stream called Tiber. Therefore the original owner of the terri- tory was known as "Pope of Rome on the Tiber." The tract of land thus selected for the seat of our general government was eventually called the District of Columbia in honor of the discoverer of America, while the capital city was named Washington as a mark of respect to the Father of our Country. It took several years to lay out our capital city accord- ing to a splendid plan outlined by Washington himself. The corner-stone of the White House, or President's resi- dence, was laid by Washington in 1792 and that of the north wing of the Capitol, or government building, in the following year. Work on these structures progressed but slowly. In 1800, John Adams, our second President, came to live in Washington and the seat of government was moved from Philadelphia to its new permanent home on the Maryland bank of the Potomac. Mrs. Adams, describing her journey from Philadelphia, the old capital, to Washington, tells us that she and her companions, traveling by way of Baltimore, lost their way in the woods and wandered about for hours until they met a straggling negro who showed them the right track. The unfinished Capitol Mrs. Adams called a palace. If a ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 177 palace it could be called, it was certainly one in the wilder- ness. The streets were but rough roads cut through the woods. Only a few public buildings had been erected and there was scarcely a dwelling in sight. Poor Mrs. Adams found it a very difficult task to begin housekeeping in these rude surroundings. There was not a bell in the house to help her direct her numerous servants, nor were there any means of lighting and heat- THE AVHITE HOUSE TODAY ing the spacious dwelling. "I fear," the troubled lady wrote to a friend, "that we shall suffer much from the cold in this place. There is plenty of wood, it is true, but there are no workmen to cut it." Notwithstanding, the people of the United States meant to make this capital city the permanent home of their presidents and government. And they were determined to carry out the plan Washington had made for them. But work on the city proceeded very slowly and scarcely had it fairly begun, when, during the war with England, a British fleet sailed up the Potomac and attacked the undefended capital. President Madison had been called 178 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY away the day before. His brave wife, Queen Dolly, as she was affectionately called, lingered with a few faithful servants until the firing of the cannon told her that the enemy were upon the city. She then hurriedly brought the Declaration of Inde- pendence and other important documents in safety and was about to hasten away in her carriage when she sud- denly exclaimed, "Not yet ; I cannot leave Stuart's paint- ing of Washington behind." This picture was surrounded by a heavy frame which was screwed firmly to the wall. It would have taken too long to loosen the screws. So our heroine had an ax brought, and with it the frame was quickly broken. The canvas was removed from the stretcher, carefully rolled up, and stored in a safe place. Then only could Mrs. Madison be induced to leave the city. And not any too soon did she take her flight, for the British were close upon her heels. They feasted and made merry in the White House; and ruthlessly de- stroyed by fire the unfinished Capitol and other public buildings, with all the precious treasures they contained. The destruction of their capital was indeed a sore loss to the American people. But they again went to work with strong hearts and willing hands, and from the ashes of the unfinished capital rose a new Washington which has grown and prospered with the years until today it is one of the fairest capital cities on the globe. Suppose we take a bird's-eye view of our noble capital. Yonder near the river is an aeroplane ready for a flight. We seat ourselves in it and up we mount. All about us seems so delightfully pleasant and secure that we forget to feel afraid and become intensely interested in the scene below which we bring close to our eyes by means of spy- glasses. There is the beautiful Potomac! Do you see that large steamer plowing up-stream? It has made a ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 179 hundred miles since it entered the mouth of the river, and a hundred and eighty-five since it left the ocean. How swiftly that passenger train is speeding toward the Union Depot! It comes from New York and has made two hundred and thirty miles since it left that city. But now for a view of the entire District of Columbia. It rises from the lowlands at the river's bank by a series of hills which in some places reach the height of four hundred feet. But what is this District of Columbia? Is it still a part of Maryland ? Is it a state ? Or is it a territory? No; it is none of these. It may rather be considered one large city governed by the President and Congress, as our other cities are governed by their respec- tive states. But its inhabitants do not vote for the presi- dent nor do they have representatives in Congress. We must not, however, miss any of the sights below. Here we are, right above the Capitol, the finest structure in our country. It rests on a hill overlooking the Potomac and is surrounded by a splendid park of fifty acres. The edifice consists of a central building of white stone and of two wings of white marble. The central structure is surmounted by a lofty dome of iron on which stands a bronze statue of Liberty. We hover close up to it. What a huge statue it is ! — over nineteen feet high. If it could speak, what wonderful stories it could tell us! The other public buildings are also fine structures. And in the midst of these palace-like offices of our government stands the more modest, yet elegant White House, the home of our presidents. It is built of Virginia free stone. After the burning of our capital by the British troops in 1814, only the walls of this building remained standing. These were afterwards restored and painted white to cover the marks of the fire. Accordingly, the home of our presidents has come to be called the White House. 180 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Rising a little higher, we place ourselves in a position to take in a full view of the capital. We soon note clearly the one feature which distinguishes Washington from all other cities ; namely, its wide streets which cross each other at right angles and are recrossed diagonally by still wider avenues bearing the names of various states OUR CAPITOL of the Union. Many of the streets are beautifully planted with trees and are broken by numerous parks and park- ing spaces. One of these, The Mall, extends for a mile and a half from the Capitol building to the Potomac. There is so much more that we should like to see and describe, but it must not be today. So we mount high up above the dome of the Capitol and after a few minutes' flight descend abruptly in front of a large college erected on a height close to the waters of the Potomac. We look about for someone to tell us where we are. Ah ! behold that statue ! How lifelike and familiar it seems ? Can it be one of the heroes of our story? Yes; it represents ON THE BANKS OF THE POTOMAC 181 Father John Carroll in his Jesuit habit. He sits lost in deep thought as if marveling at the wonderful growth of the little college which he founded over a century ago. How interesting is the fact that our nation's seat of government was erected right next door to Georgetown College, the nation's first Catholic seat of learning. We have now dwelt for a long time in memory and story upon the banks of the famous Potomac. We have seen that, on the Virginia bank of the Potomac, stood the cradle of our country; and that on the Maryland bank is the birthplace of the Catholic Church in this country. The Virginia bank gave the nation its fir^t political head and the Maryland bank, its first spiritual head. Finally, the nation located its seat of government in the Land of the Sanctuary. How interesting it ail is ! Was it all chance or was it Providence that thus made the events on the opposite banks of the Potomac correspond in such a striking man- ner with the geography of these two states as to illustrate a most valuable lesson? Suppose we let Virginia repre- sent our government and Maryland the Catholic Church ; the river severing one state from the other tells us that the government must not meddle with religion. The final location of the seat of government on the Maryland bank, however, may teach us that a nation cannot be happy and enduring without religion. Questions for Thought 1. Compare the founding of Virginia with that of Maryland. 2. Write in your own words the meaning of the title "Land of the Sanctuary." 3. Compare the Virginia and Maryland colonies in their manner of living. 4. Do you think that plantation life was favorable to the growth of towns and schools? Give reasons for your answer. 182 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 5. Find out all you can about Mount Vernon as it is today. 6. What qualities do you admire most in Martha Washington? In Washington's mother ? 7. Write in your own words an account of the services ren- dered by Washington to his country. 8. What qualities made Washington so serviceable to his coun- try in his time ? Do you think that these qualities would make him equally popular in our time ? 9. Why did the Reverend John Carroll hasten back to his native land upon hearing that the colonies were about to take up arms against England ? 10. Enumerate some of the services rendered the Church and our country by our first Archbishop. 11. What must one admire in Archbishop Carroll's private life? 12. What do you think caused Charles Carroll to be so much loved and revered? 13. Write from an imaginary visit with Charles Carroll all he might have told you about the Declaration of Independence. 14. Find out all you can about each of the three last surviving signers of the Declaration of Independence. 15. Describe the last public service of Charles Carroll to his country. Why did the great patriot think this act second in im- portance only to the signing of the Declaration of Independence? 16. What worthy statement did Charles Carroll make shortly before his death ? 17. Tell how our national capital came to be located in the southern section of our country on the Potomac River. 18. Find out all you can about the artist Stuart and how he came to paint the Washington portrait which Mrs. Madison saved. 19. Describe an imaginary visit to our capitol at Washington. 20. Find out all you can about the White House. 21. Compare the opposite banks of the Potomac — Virginia and Maryland — in interestingly related events of historical importance. Selections for Reading Paul Revere's Ride — Longfellow Independence Bell — W. R. Wallace The Death of Jefferson — Hezekiah Butterworth The Building of the Ship — Longfellow Hail Columbia — Joseph Hopkinson Maryland, My Maryland — James Ryder Randall The Red, White, and Blue— David T. Shaw VI OUR NATIONAL BANNER 1. THE ORIGIN OF OUR FLAG When the Norsemen first came to our continent about a thousand years ago, they brought with them their flag. This was a square yellow banner on which was pictured a raven with open beak and wide-spread wings. The flag next displayed on American soil was the one planted by Columbus on the island of San Salvador in 1492, and again in 1498 at the mouth of the Orinoco River in South America. Two flags floated from the masts of Columbus's ships. One of these was the royal banner of Spain (1),* which country then comprised the two kingdoms of Castile and Leon. Its standard, therefore, showed four alternate red and white fields. Two golden castles on the red fields stood for Castile, and two red lions on the white fields for Leon. The other banner displayed by Columbus was called the "Flag of the Expedition" (2). It was pure white and swallow-tailed in form, with a green cross in its center, green being the emblem of hope, and the cross that of Christianity. On either side of the cross were golden crowns and below these the letters F and Y, the initials of the names of Ferdinand and Isabella, the King and Queen of Spain. Spain had floated her royal banner over her American possessions for more than a hundred years when the Eng- lish flag was for the first time permanently planted at Jamestown. But, during the seventeenth century, Eng- land took possession of the Atlantic seaboard in real ear- nest and established colonies all along the coast from * Figures refer to frontispiece. 183 184 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Canada to Florida. These settlements, including those originally started by the Dutch and Swedes, were thirteen in number. They formed the beginning of our present United States and are therefore known as the thirteen original colonies, or the "Old Thirteen." Though these thirteen colonies were founded under different flags — English, Dutch, and Swedish — the Dutch and Swedish colonies eventually came under English rule and therefore the flag of England, or King's Colors (3), as it was called, was really the flag of the thirteen colonies. In truth, however, the colonies were quite independent of each other, and used almost any flag they wished. The pine-tree flag (4, 5) was the popular banner of New England. There were two forms of this flag. One had a red ground, the other a blue. The canton in each was white, and was quartered with a red cross, a pine tree being displayed in the first quarter. The flag (6) used by the Massachusetts troops was white with a green pine tree in the center and the words, "An Appeal to Heaven," across the top. A standard with thirteen alternate red and white stripes was in use throughout the colonies. It was known as the continental flag. The rattlesnake flag (7), in various forms, was also popular, especially in South Carohna. It was adopted in a defiant spirit and expressed forcibly the feelings of the colonies. At first, the snake was represented as cut into parts. The words, "Join or Die," were inscribed beneath it. Another flag of this type (8), used by the commander- in-chief of the American navy, was a yellow ensign upon which was represented a rattlesnake with the warning beneath, "Don't Tread on Me." The same motto was used on still a third rattlesnake flag (9) which consisted either of thirteen alternate red and white, or red and blue stripes. On this ensign the snake was stretched obliquely OUR NATIONAL BANNER 185 across the stripes. The snake represented on all these flags generally had thirteen rattles. Another famous (10) flag used in the South was a blue banner devised by Colonel Moultrie. It had a white cres- cent in the inner upper corner and on it was inscribed the word "Liberty" in large white letters. At one time the forces under Washington carried a white flag (11) on which was a crossed sword and staff, the latter being surmounted by a liberty cap. Above the design was the motto, ''Liberty or Death." Another popular white flag (12) had blue bands across the top and bottom and a pine tree in the center. Above it were inscribed the words, "Liberty Tree," and below, "An Appeal to God." These are some of the many different flags used by the various colonies. They tell us in clear and forcible lan- guage just how the colonists felt toward the mother coun- try. England became more and more oppressive and her colonies finally united and entered upon a war for the pur- pose of forcing her to treat them fairly. They had, how- ever, no intention as yet of separating from her ; but, since they had united, they now needed a common standard. Their rightful flag, the King's Colors, should have served as such. But, of course, it was quite improper to carry the King's Colors in battle against the King's Col- ors, though it actually did happen that colonial ships bearing the King's Colors were sent out to fight against the King's own ships. Nor could they have done other- wise; for, had these armed vessels gone to sea without a flag, they would have been considered and treated as pirates. It was, therefore, clearly necessary that the colonies adopt a flag of their own for use in the army and navy. So a committee, with Benjamin Franklin at the head, was appointed to consult General George Wash- ington, then at Cambridge, about the matter. The result 186 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY was a new flag, which expressed most fittingly the general feeling of the American colonies. Before describing this new flag, it will be well to ac- quaint ourselves with its origin. For this purpose, we must go nearly seven centuries back in history. Then a flag, known as the Cross of St. George (13), became the national standard of England. This standard was a white banner with a red vertical cross. St. George was the patron of England, and hence the use of St. George's cross in the flag. St. Andrew was the patron of Scotland ; therefore the Cross of St. Andrew (14) , a blue banner with a white oblique cross, was the national flag of Scotland. Just four years before the settlement of Jamestown, King James VI of Scotland became also James I of England and the two crowns were united. Accordingly, the red vertical cross of St. George was placed (3) upon the white oblique cross in the blue banner of Scotland. For a hundred years, this banner was known as the King's Colors. It was, however, not the flag of either country as yet, but only the personal banner of the king. England still had its own flag, St. George's Cross, and Scotland its own banner, St. Andrew's Cross. Only in 1707, when both kingdoms came to have but one parlia- ment, did the King's Colors, also known as Union Jack, become the flag of Great Britain and all her colonies. We may wonder why the Enghsh flag is called Union Jack. It probably derived this name from the name James, which in French is Jacques. It may also have been named thus from the surcoat called jacket, or jack for short, on which either cross was originally worn as a badge. Thus the cross itself may have come to be called a jack, and, when the two crosses were united, a union jack (3) . You may ask, "What has all this to do with the flag OUR NATIONAL BANNER 187 devised by the rebellious original colonies?" Very much indeed. For the King's Colors was their flag as English colonies. Nor did they wish to discard it altogether, since they still loved their mother country, though they were even then engaged in war against her. They very appropriately, however, fashioned a flag (15) of thirteen alternate red and white stripes, using the King's Colors as a canton in its upper and inner quarter. The "thirteen rebellious stripes," as they were called, stood for the union of the colonies in defense of their rights, while the King's Colors in the upper and inner corner represented the loyalty of the colonies to the mother country despite her oppressive treatment. This new banner, or Union Flag, as it was called, was hoisted for the first time over Washington's army at Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1776. As it gracefully un- furled its American stripes and British crosses to the winds, it was joyously hailed by the soldiers with thirteen lusty cheers and a salute of thirteen guns. 2. THE MEANING OF OUR FLAG Part One. A Visit to Its Birthplace About ninety-five miles up the Delaware is located Philadelphia. It is noted for some of the most important events in our country's history. Here the Continental Congress met for the first time, here Independence was declared, here the Constitution was framed, and here was located at different times and for many years, the nation's seat of government. But this beautiful city is famous for still another great historical event. A walk of a few blocks from the Delaware River bank along Arch Street will bring us to a small house with a store front. It is two stories high and has an attic with a dormer window. The house number, seen to the left, is 188 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY 239, though it was once 89. This house is the last of a whole row of ancient buildings which originally lined this TJiE i'.ii;tiii'lace op on; fl.m; end of Arch Street. The brick of which it is built, we are told, served as ballast, or weights, in the ship Welcome, OUR NATIONAL BANNER 189 which, in 1682, brought William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia, to America. The good Quaker, it is said, personally supervised the building of this house. The heavy shutters of the two second story windows are thrown open and we note that they are joined with hand-made nails and hinged with hand-made screws. In the show-window are displayed portraits, pictures, and flags. On a sign running way across the front of the building we read, printed in large letters, the words: "BIRTHPLACE OF OLD GLORY" and "OPEN TO THE PUBLIC." Shall we enter through the rather low door which stands ajar as if to welcome us? Yes, for we are curious to know what is inside this quaint little structure. We cross the threshold. The furnishings of the room and the articles exhibited in it assure us that we are in some his- torical museum. Here is a little back parlor. Its floor of wide oaken boards is quite as strong now as when it was first laid. How cozy that ancient fireplace ! It reminds us of the long ago when the ruddy flames within it lit up the grave faces of Quaker councillors and Indian chiefs as they sat here smoking the pipe of peace together. But of greater interest to us than the serious-faced circle of Quakers and redmen, is another noble group who met on business in this same little back room nearly one and one-half centuries ago. At the time Mrs. Elizabeth Ross, a widowed niece by marriage of Colonel George Ross, conducted an upholstery shop here. She was much famed for her skill with the needle. On this particular day of our story, in June, 1777, the mistress and her maids were diligently at work with scissors and needle in the front part of the house. There was a quick, firm rap at the door. It immediately opened 190 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY and the surprised little circle arose to greet — whom do you think? None other than General George Washing- ton. How tall and stately he must have appeared in the humble little room which he entered, stooping somewhat not to strike against the frame of the door ! Washington was followed by Colonel Ross and Robert Morris. The Colonel gracefully introduced his niece, Betsy Ross, as she was known, to his two friends. She showed her noble company into the little back room where they were soon comfortably seated. Betsy Ross was clad in a plain working dress. A white kerchief was neatly arranged about her neck and shoul- ders, and her hair was caught up in a dainty cap. She thus presented an interesting figure indeed as she sat in her high-backed chair, wondering what errand had brought these distinguished men to her humble home. Washington was the first to speak. He explained to her in his clear, quiet manner that, since the colonies had united and declared themselves a new and independent nation, they could now no longer use the Union Flag, but needed a standard all their own. Therefore the Con- tinental Congress had appointed his two companions and himself to design and have made a flag that would fit- tingly represent the new nation. He then asked her if she could make such a flag. She replied, "I shall try." Here- upon Washington drew his chair to the table and laid before her his pencil sketch of a square flag. It had thir- teen horizontal stripes and a field in the inner upper corner on which were shown thirteen six-pointed stars. "The stripes," he said, "represent the thirteen states and are to be alternate red and white. The field is to be blue and the stars, which stand for the union of the col- onies, are to be white." "We take," he continued, "the stars from heaven ; the red from the cross of our mother OUR NATIONAL BANNER 191 country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her ; and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty." Good Betsy Ross listened eagerly to every word. "Could anyone else," thought she to herself, "have devised a more fitting or a more beautiful national banner ?" And when Washington asked her how she liked his plan for the flag, she answered with enthusiasm: "Your idea is truly splendid !" She begged, however, to offer a few sugges- tions. "Sir," she said, "a star, to be correct, must have five points." "Truly," said Washington, "five-pointed stars will look better, too ; but won't they be more easily made with six points?" "Not necessarily so," declared Betsy. And folding a piece of cloth, she produced a five-pointed star with one quick cut of her scissors. Washington and his companions were pleased with her skill. "Furthermore," she continued, "a flag should be one-third longer than its width ; besides, on your sketch the stars are scattered about at random. Would it not be better to arrange them in lines or in the form of a star or of a circle?" Washington was especially pleased with the last sug- gestion. "The idea of a circle," said he, "is good, for as a circle has no end, so our nation shall be for all time and shall never cease." Drawing his chair closer to the table, he took his pen- cil and paper and made a new design. This design, in accordance with Betsy's suggestions, provided for a flag oblong in shape, with thirteen alternate red and white stripes and with a blue field displaying a circle of thirteen white five-pointed stars. "This will undoubtedly make a most beautiful emblem," 192 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY declared Betsy, when Washington had finished his draw- ing. "I am very much indebted to you, gentlemen, for entrusting me with so honorable a task." Delighted with the success of their errand, the com- pany rose and bowed their thanks to good Betsy Ross. On departing, Washington promised Betsy to have a water color copy of his penciled sketch made for her. He furthermore advised her to go to the wharf and look at some of the flags used on the ships. Betsy promptly visited the river bank and succeeded in borrowing an old flag for the purpose of seeing how the sewing on it was done. But if Betsy Ross was a skilled seamstress, did she really need to see how flags were sewed? We must remember that sewing machines had not yet been invented and the work on flags, which were exposed to wind and battle, had to be very well done. Be- fore leaving the wharf, Betsy was also handed the painted pattern of the flag she was to make. The industrious little woman quickly set to work. With the help of the young women in her shop, the red cotton cloth was cut into seven long strips and the white into six. The strips of red and white were neatly sewed to- gether with strong thread and double stitches. The pretty blue field was next carefully measured and the thirteen white stars arranged in a circle upon it. Then it was firmly fastened in its proper place and — our first na- tional flag (16) was completed. "From dusk till dawn the livelong night They kept the tallow dips alight, And fast their nimble fingers flew To sew the stars upon the blue. With weary eyes and aching head They stitched the stripes of white and red, And when the day came up the stair, Complete across a carven chair Hung Betsy's starry flag." OUR NAT I ON AT. BANNER 193 Would you not like to have been one of that fair group of seamstresses who were the first to gaze upon our beautiful Star Spangled Banner as their mistress spread it out proudly before them ? Betsy Ross promptly sent her specimen flag to the committee. They were delighted with it, and, wishing to see how it looked when unfurled, ran it up the highest BETSY ROSS AND HER MAIDS HAVE COMPLETED OUR FIRST NATIONAL FLAG mast of one of the ships lying in th6 wharf. The new standard was greeted with shouts of applause by a num- ber of by-standers. So satisfied and pleased were the committee with the new banner that they carried it be- fore Congress that same day. Congress immediately adopted it as the national flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. June 14, therefore, is the birthday of our flag and is now celebrated throughout the United States as Flag Day. Colonel Ross himself brought Betsy the good news that Congress had approved of her flag. He also gave orders to purchase all the necessary material and make as many 194 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY flags as she possibly could. From that time forward, for over fifty years, Betsy Ross made flags for the United States government. She was assisted and succeeded in this work by her children and grandchildren, all of whom have told and retold the story of our flag as it is given here. Her home, the birthplace of our flag, is still known as the Betsy Ross House, and is kept in repair by an asso- ciation formed for the purpose. Part Two. The Mission of Our Star Spangled Banner According to a decision of Congress, the new flag was to go into use throughout the country beginning with Sep- tember 3, 1777. Hence Betsy Ross and her maids were very busy getting ready a supply of flags for distribution. While they were thus employed, our new national stand- ard was hoisted for the first time in actual service some weeks before the day set by Congress. And, strange to say, the flag displayed was not one made by Betsy Ross. It was, nevertheless, a genuine Star Spangled Banner. How contradictory it all sounds! Yet it is true, and came about in this simple manner: Where now stands the city of Rome in New York, was located during the early part of the Revolution, Fort Stanwix. It was occu- pied by United States soldiers. On August 6, 1777, there was fought not far from it, at Oriskany, one of the blood- iest battles of the Revolution. The engagement ended in a victory for the Americans, who, during the combat, had captured five English flags. These they hoisted upside down above Fort Stanwix and unfurled over them all the first Star Spangled Banner ever raised. But where did they get this banner ? Betsy Ross's sup- ply of flags was not sent out until September third, and therefore Fort Stanwix had not yet been provided with a flag. Its officers and soldiers, however, knew how to OUR NATIONAL BANNER 195 help themselves. They had heard our new flag described and knew just how it looked. So this is what they did: They cut up some soldiers' shirts to form the white stripes and stars. A flannel petticoat supplied the red stripes, and the blue field was made of a captain's cloak. Although put together with such queer material, this improvised flag consisted, like Betsy Ross's, of thirteen alternate red and white stripes and of a blue field with a wreath of thirteen white stars in the inner upper corner. The Stars and Stripes was first displayed at sea in 1777 by John Paul Jones on his brig. The Ranger. Cap- tain Gray in his ship Columbia was the first to carry the flag around the world. He left Boston in 1787 and returned in 1790. As he entered Boston harbor, proudly flying the Stars and Stripes over a cargo of tea secured in China, the cannon boomed and crowds of people flocked to the shore to cheer the flag and honor the Columbia's brave captain. The flag with thirteen stripes and thirteen stars was used for eighteen years. By that time two new states, Vermont and Kentucky, had joined the Union. Accord- ingly, two stripes and two stars were added to the flag in 1795. It was this flag, (17) with fifteen stripes and fif- teen stars, that waved over our unfinished Capitol when the British set it on fire. Proud of the night's achieve- ment, they determined to repeat their work of destruction at Baltimore. But the people of Baltimore were prepared for the attack. The British at first thought the city an easy prey. But for twenty-four hours they rained shot and shell without any noticeable effect upon Fort McHenry, which guarded the entrance to the harbor. So they ceased the cannonading a little after midnight, and, with the first streaks of dawn, lifted their anchors and departed from 196 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY the city. When they had left, a little American boat carrying two men made its way to the city. It had been moored close to the British admiral's flagship during the night. How did these Americans happen to be with the enemy during the bombardment of Fort McHenry? One of them, Francis Scott Key, had gone before the attack began to ask the British commander for the release of a prisoner who was his friend. His wish was granted, but the two friends were obliged to remain until the attack on the city would be ended. They spent their time eagerly watching the flag which floated above Fort McHenry during the bombardment. Now and then they caught a glimpse of it when during the dark hours of the night it was lit up by the blazing of the cannon. But after the firing stopped, the darkness of the night hid it from their view and they became much troubled. "Has the fort surrendered?" they asked. "Oh, if morn- ing would only come to tell us whether our flag is still there !" At length, when morning dawned, they saw indis- tinctly the outline of some flag flying over the fort. Still they could not tell which flag it was, no matter how much they strained their eyes. But as the day grew lighter the flag suddenly unfurled gracefully to the morning breezes. Ah! Now they saw that it was not the English flag, but their own starry banner. Fort McHenry still stood and Baltimore was safe. Overjoyed by the fact, Francis Key took from his pocket an old letter and on the back of it told the inspiring story in a most beautiful poem entitled "The Star Spangled Banner." On reaching the city, Francis Key gave a copy of the poem to a relative who had helped defend the fort during the night. This relative sent it to a printing office. The OUR NATIONAL BANNER 197 printer snatched the first sheet from the press and hastened to a tavern which he knew was crowded with patriots. Waving aloft the paper as he entered, he called for attention and then read the poem aloud. The reading was cheered with loud applause and the cry, "Sing it! Sing it!" And then and there was sung for the first time the Star Spangled Banner to a tune borrowed from a piece of music for the flute, entitled "Anacreon in Heaven." The song was at once caught up and sung throughout the country. It is now played by the bands on our war vessels and at the even- ing parades of our mili- tary posts. Foreign nations recognize it as our national song, and as such it will probably stand until we shall have another suitable origi- nal poem set to some stirring melody composed by an American musician. Properly speaking, we have not, as yet, any national hymn. The Star Spangled Banner describes only a single incident, whereas, our national anthem, when it is writ- ten, must express the whole of our nation's aspirations — its trust in God; its devout confidence in a just cause; its devotion to right ; and, finally, its firm purpose rather to die than to submit to injuries or wrong. It may not be boastful nor speak of vengeance. It must breathe the spirit of a Washington and of a Lincoln rather than that of a Caesar or a Napoleon. FRANCIS SCOTT KEY 198 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY However, the flag that gave birth to the inspiring song which comes so near to being a really national hymn, still exists as a proof that our flag once had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. For the scorched and tattered banner (17) that waved so nobly over Fort McHenry and unfolded so gracefully to the eager eyes of Francis Key "by the dawn's early light" is still preserved in our National Museum at Washington. The flag with the fifteen stripes and fifteen stars remained our national standard for twenty-three years. Meanwhile the Union had grown to number twenty states. This necessitated another change in the flag. Hence Congress declared that we return to the original thirteen stripes, but that henceforth a star be added in the blue field on the admission of every new state. Accordingly, the blue field in our present flag (18) displays forty-eight stars, one for each of the states in our Union. When in 1861 a number of the southern states with- drew from the Union, they chose a flag (19) of their own, called the "Stars and Bars." This flag had a white stripe between two red ones, and a blue field with seven stars arranged in a circle. But after the Civil War the whole nation became once more united under the Stars and Stripes. "Furl that banner, for 'tis weary; Round its staff 'tis drooping dreary; Furl it, fold it — it is best; Furl it, hide it— let it rest!" Such, then, is the origin and such the history of our national banner. And if you were now asked, "What is a flag?" would you feel satisfied to answer, "It is merely a piece of colored silk or cotton cloth" ? Ah, no! You would certainly say, "It is a great deal more!" And so it is. Its highest beauty is its meaning. OUR NATIONAL BANNER 199 and it represents a meaning that is, in a degree, sacred. For when we see a nation's flag we see not the flag only, but the nation itself. We read in this flag that nation's God-given power to govern, that nation's principles and its history. Our starry banner had its origin in the union of the colonies and their efforts to secure freedom from oppression, even at the cost of a desperate struggle. And as it stood for union and freedom then, it still stands for a united people, for liberty, for noble aspirations, for peace, and for the protection of all who love liberty. Its very colors have a language clear and beautiful. White is for purity, red for courage, blue for loyalty, and all together — stripes, stars, and colors — rippling in the breeze against the vaulted dome of heaven, form our beautiful red, white, and blue banner, the emblem of our nation and the pride and joy of our hearts. Questions for Thought 1. Trace the flags used on the Atlantic coast of America pre- vious to the Declaration of Independence. 2. Why would it not do for the colonies to use the King's Colors in battle against the King's Colors? 3. What does the flag of a nation mean to its citizens ? 4. Find out all you can about the affection and loyalty soldiers have shown to their flag. 5. Tell in what 'positions the flag should be displayed on the various holidays and other special occasions. 6. Draw in colors, or sew, or paste together a flag in the form it is today. 7. Why can "The Star Spangled Banner" not be considered suitable to be our national hymn ? Selections for Reading The Star Spangled Banner — Francis Scott Key The Flag — Arthur Macy The American Flag — Joseph Rodman Drake Betsy's Battle Flag — Minna Irving Barbara Frietchie — John Greenleaf Whittier Our Conquered Banner — A. J. Ryan The Man Without a Country— Edward E. Hale VII WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 1. COLONIAL MEANS OF TRAVEL Part One. By Stage from New York to Philadelphia Suppose we take an imaginary colonial trip by land from New York to Charleston, South Carolina, about the year 1790. Not earlier than this, because we do not care to test the rude stages or traveling wagons which were used at an earlier date and which, we are told, were not even set on springs. These first stages re- quired three whole days to go from New York to Philadelphia, a jour- STACE COACH ^^^ which can now be made in two hours. Here we are at our starting place. New York City. Across the street is a tavern. Near it is our coach which goes by the singular title of "flying m.achine" because it can make the trip of ninety miles in two days. We smile as we look at this queerly named carriage. It is merely a large clumsy wagon surmounted by a huge top-covered box which rests on lame springs. The driver is impatient to start and we hastily climb to our seats and off we go. It is early morning in midsummer, only three o'clock. We still feel drowsy and begin to fear that we may fall asleep and tumble suddenly from our seats. We are, how- ever, startled into wakefulness upon reaching the Hud- son River. Its waters are unusually rough today and the 200 WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 201 wind is high. Still we venture the dangerous passage on a leaky ferry and finally reach the New Jersey shore. The roads become more and more rugged as we advance, and we jolt roughly along over furrows, rocks, and stumps. We are obliged to hold to our seats, and to cling to each other. Now our wagon tips dangerously to one side. Lo! — it loses its balance and — over we go. — Thankful to have escaped with nothing worse than a bad scare and a few bruises, we scramble to our feet and quickly help to turn our coach back on its wheels. We then follow the wagon on foot for a change. On getting tired, we again mount to our places and rumble clumsily along. Now our road is becoming more and more muddy. There must have been a recent heavy rainfall in this sec- tion of the country. Our wagon cuts deeper and deeper into the mud and mire. The jaded and worn-out horses can scarcely pull us along. Each time the poor creatures draw their feet out of the sticky clay, there is a sound something like the report of a pistol. At length we come to a complete standstill — our horses can go no farther — we are hopelessly stuck in the mud. We have no other choice but to get out. Making our way ankle-deep through the pitchy mire, we secure a few rails from a fence near by and with them finally pry our coach out of the mud. Once safe out of the mud-hole, we again move on. With a sigh of relief we soon find ourselves jolting along on a corduroy road, a track formed of logs laid side by side. Shall we now enjoy a little more comfort? Alas, no, see those deep, inky-looking holes ! Oh, how we do hump and bump along. — Smack ! dash ! crash ! down we go into a hole half a yard deep. — Out and away we jolt once more, and before long we come to a river which has flooded its banks. The bridge creaks and cracks and sways beneath our weight. Will it sink and drop us into the deep flood 202 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY below ? We hold our breath for very fear — at length we reach the other side — we are safe ! Wading knee-deep through water and mud and swamp, our faithful horses again drag us steadily onward. Now we meet a great, clumsy cart drawn by oxen. Look at the immensely high and solid wheels ! They are merely thin slices cut from the butt of a huge log. The hubs of these wheels are three feet from the ground. Its inmates do not need to fear crossing an ordinary brook or river, for the water will scarcely reach the box of the cart. Again we come upon a stream, but, alas, we find no bridge. What shall we do ? We risk a perilous crossing upon a rude raft and again the opposite shore is reached in safety. On, on we press. Only at the end of the first long day of eighteen hours do we stop at a wayside tavern for a frugal supper, a night's rest on a hard bed, and a fresh pair of horses for the next day's ride. We rest well, and morning comes all too soon. Though it is only three o'clock, a sharp blast from the driver's horn summons us to renew our tiresome journey. And go we must, no mat- ter how much our bones may be aching; no matter how much the rain may pour or the wind may blow. At length, after two days of this sort of traveling, we roll into Philadelphia, a very cramped and tired company indeed. Part Two. On to Charleston But we must not tarry too long in the interesting city of Philadelphia, for the greatest and most difficult part of our journey is still before us. No stage runs southward from the city; hence, we must proceed by some other means of travel. But since Pennsylvania has better roads than any other colony, and these all radiate from Philadelphia like spokes of a wheel from the hub, we can easily continue our way by chaise to the end of WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 203 one of these highways. Speeding quite smoothly along, we meet, now a file of packhorses, now a train of white- covered wagons. These white-covered conveyances are named Conestoga wagons after a creek which flows into the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Both, the pack- horses and the wagons, are heavily laden with farm prod- ucts and are making their way to Philadelphia. Now we quite catch up to a long train of wagons carrying A PACKHORSE all sorts of products purchased in Philadelphia. But there must be some trouble. Ah! they have come to a very muddy stretch of the road. Their horses are fairly floundering in the mire. The drivers with their trousers rolled up have joined team to team to help each other pull out of the deep mud. By a roundabout way we evade the muddy part of the road. What does that stake and sign straight ahead mean? "Danger! quick- sand pits!" is what we read as we draw nearer. Joined by all the teamsters, we now pull down a fence and make a new road through the fields. Before long the train of wagons is again moving on. But where are they going? 204 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY To the end of the road, where there will be hundreds of packhorses to carry the goods from the city to the scat- tered homes and villages of the surrounding country. We pass the slow train of wagons and soon leave it far behind. The scenes about us are now becoming more lonely and our rugged road finally terminates altogether at the door of a little tavern. There are no horses to be had, and we are obliged to continue our way on foot along a plainly marked Indian trail through a dense forest. A c'0.\icsto<;a wagon By and by our path becomes more indistinct and ere long we completely lose track of it. Nor can we find it again though we search and wander about for an hour or more. Night is fast coming on — the forest is very heavy overhead. The boughs are so closely matted together by twining vines as to shut out every ray of moonlight and every cooling breeze. The darkness is becoming frightful and we are almost suffocating from heat and want of air. But we must nevertheless spend the night in this dreadful place. There is no other choice. So we sit closely to- gether upon the ground and try to be brave, though we scarcely venture to speak above a whisper. The low growl of a bear near by brings us to our feet. Dread silence pre- WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 205 vails for a while. We are again quite at ease when the howl of a wolf and then the cry of a panther resound through the stillness of the night. But more than these savage beasts we fear the highway robbers. The gold and silver coins quilted into the waistcoats of colonial travelers have more than once proved a rich prize to the covetous highwayman and have brought poverty and even death to the lonely wanderer. But nothing happens to us. Morning dawns and we begin to move hopefully about in search of our lost trail ! How fortunate that the postman on horseback hap- pens to come along just now ! For we must remem- ber that he only travels this way when he has received enough mail to pay the ex- pense of his trip. And this expense, based upon the amount of mail carried, is often sufficiently great to place a postage of twenty- five cents on a single letter. Besides, the receiver of the letter is usually expected to pay the expense of the sending. Need we wonder then that people write to each other only rarely and that the postman needs to visit the remote settlements scarcely once a month ? But undoubtedly the postman is as welcome in these lonely out-of-the-way places as his visits are rare. He always announces his arrival in a post-town by blowing loudly on a little horn. How eagerly the people flock to meet him ! Still, no one can be more happy over the post- POSTKIDEll ON A CORDUROY ROAD 206 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY rider's coming than we have been just now. — Here at last is our lost bridle path. The deep tracks left by the hoofs of the good man's horse now mark it very clearly. We are glad to find also as we walk briskly along that the trees have been blazed and stand out as safe guideposts. Proceeding for some time along the banks of a narrow but deep and rapid river our path suddenly leads upon a large tree lying directly across the stream. We walk upon it to the other side, wondering meanwhile how the post- man got across. As if in answer to our question a loud splash in the water behind us attracts our attention, A mounted hunter has plunged into the stream. His faithful horse, shoulder-deep in water, is making bravely toward the bank on which we are standing. For a while, horse and rider seem in great peril of being swallowed up and carried away by the current. However, they finally suc- ceed in reaching the bank. If the postrider had as hard a time of it as this horseman, he was most certainly obliged ^^^ to spread out his mail in thei d^^ ''^Sp:||^% sun to dry. ^^^m^,,^Py^y>^*\^J^^'.^ Once more we pursue our ^^S^^^^^^^^^^^ lonely path. On, on we jour- \^^^^^' f^^^^^^' ^^^ ^^^ many days and weeks, _^^P^^^~.. ^^"— -:^^;__^,__ one time on foot, then again "*'""" '"~'~ on horseback, and sometimes AN OLD-TIME CHAISE .^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ g^^ ^^ length we come into a vast level country. We catch glimpses of great stately houses hidden among the trees. Whole throngs of negroes are plodding to work along our road. We make our way past fields of cotton and swamps of rice and finally reach Charleston, our destination. It is needless to say that the people of colonial times made journeys hke this but rarely, yet those who did ven- ture to travel were always certain of a generous hospital- WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 207 ity. To the rich planters of the South any such chance guests were most welcome, for they always brought nov- elty and news of the world outside. With the household gathered around him before the blazing hearth, the newly arrived stranger would tell of the happenings in New York, Boston, Baltimore, or even England. Need we wonder then that such an interesting personage was treated to the best in food, drink, and comfort? "For planters' tables, you must know Are free for all that come and go." But for these early means of travel, rude as they were, the colonial towns and settlements would have had little in common and could scarcely have prospered at all. The numerous waterways, the poor roads and winding bridle paths along which the early settlers traveled and traf- ficked, were therefore the very root and foundation of our country's early progress and development. 2. THROUGH CUMBERLAND GAP TO KENTUCKY Part One. The Pioneers Push Up the Slopes of the Alleghanies The people of the thirteen original colonies kept spread- ing farther and farther over the unoccupied land. Industry and trade flourished more and more. While the whole Atlantic seaboard was thus beginning to teem with life and activity, the land west of the Alleghanies was still a desolate wilderness. A class of sturdy pioneers known as backwoodsmen had, however, pushed their way up the slopes and into the rugged highland valleys of the Alle- ghanies, quite close to the unexplored wilds beyond. They lived in their rude log cabins and raised crops of corn and garden products in the stump-dotted clearings. 208 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY These simple, unlearned people liked the lonely life of the wilderness with its wild and bold freedom. The shady, quiet woodlands with their numerous living creatures were far more interesting to them than were the politics, the comforts, or the interesting social gatherings of the sea- board towns and cities. Dangers and difficulties made these people only more hardy, brave, and fearless. Fa- miliar with the rifle, they feared neither the wild beasts of the forests and mountains nor the prowling bands of hostile Indians. They were wonderfully fond of hunting, which in those times was not only a sport, but rather a serious occupa- tion. The furs and skins of the animals served the backwoodsmen as money in similar manner as tobacco did the Virginians and other southern colonists. With his peltries the backwoodsman bought his homespun clothing, his household utensils, his field and garden tools, and his articles for the chase. The wild meat formed the principal article of food for the family table. Westward from the clearings of the backwoodsmen con- tinued a dense, unbroken forest. It extended all through the mountains and down their western slope to where the Kentucky and Cumberland Rivers have their sources. Beyond this lay a land of wondrous beauty, a land of wooded hills and flowering glades, of grassy prairies and lofty woodland groves, of flowing rivers and brakes of leafy cane. Here roamed the shaggy buffalo in countless thousands. Here the elk and the deer abounded. Bears, too, as well as the wolf and panther, were numerous, while the canebrakes fairly teemed with feathered game. Well did it merit the name of "hunter's paradise" as given it by one of its first explorers. The Indians, how- ever, called it "Kentucky," which means ''among the meadows" in their language. Kentucky was the common WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 209 hunting ground of the northern and the southern Indian tribes, but neither dared dwell therein. It was truly a "no-man's land," crowded with game, but with not a wig- wam, not a hut in its entire extent. The various tribes of Indians who came to hunt there frequently quarreled and made war upon each other. Consequently, Kentucky is also spoken of as the "dark and bloody ground." A PAKT OF THE CUMBERLAND GAP TODAY No road, not even a trail, led from the seaboard across the mountains into this wonderful houseless region in which thus far only the Indians and the wild beasts had roamed and reigned undisturbed. Was there not at least some waterway or canyon through which the white man might enter into this fair land ? Yes, there was. Where the boundary line between Kentucky and Tennessee touches on the western extremity of Virginia is a deep, narrow passage through the Cumberland Mountains. By and by, hunters and Indian traders pushed farther 210 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY into the wilderness. In 1748 a party of Virginians came upon the pass through which Indian war parties had tramped a trail known as the "warriors' path." They gave to the gap, as also to the mountains and the beautiful mountain stream rising near by, the name Cumberland, in honor of the English Duke of Cumberland. Other hunters soon passed through Cumberland Gap and far beyond it into the fairyland of Kentucky. They returned with wonderful tales of all they had seen. Though most of the backwoodsmen paid little attention to these accounts, some of them began to look longingly to the wild land of game and forest and rushing waters. Foremost among the latter was Daniel Boone, the hero of Kentucky. He was one of a family of eleven children and was born in the mountains of Pennsylvania, not far from Philadelphia, about the year 1734. He might there- fore have been a playmate of the illustrious Washington, Bishop Carroll, and Charles Carroll, had the families been near neighbors. Schools were few in those early days, especially in the backwoods. Daniel Boone learned to read, write, and cipher a little from the wife of his eldest brother. But the mild, quiet, serious-faced boy greatly loved the wild woods, and there learned a great deal more than books could tell him about the valleys and the hills, the storms and the floods, the trees and the flowers, the wild animals and the crafty redmen. Like his father, he took much pleasure in hunting and trapping, even while still a child. We are told that on one occasion, during his boyhood, while roaming in the woods with some other boys, they came quite suddenly upon a vicious, growling panther. Daniel alone stood his ground, and, promptly raising his rifle to his shoulder, took a sure aim and killed the crouch- ing animal. He was then not more than twelve years old. WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 211 The young hunter early made friends with the Indians. He visited, ate, hunted, and traveled with them, and thus learned all about their wild habits. He was quite as apt as were his wily red friends in tracking the deer, in steal- ing behind rocks with a soft tread to waylay his prey, in catching a glimpse of game in the treetops, or listening to the soft footfall of an approaching animal. Part Two. Daniel Boone Decides to Cross the Alleghanies The growing population of Pennsylvania had crowded westward, and before long the steady blows of the woodsman's ax rivaled the sharp reports of the hunter's gun. Log cabins, surrounded by gardens and corn- fields, multiplied on the clearings. The Boone family, finding its hunting grounds thus disturbed, decided to move where there were broader and freer lands. The family belongings were therefore packed in large canvas- covered wagons. In with this storage sat Mrs. Boone and the children. The men and boys rode on horseback, some at the head, and some in the rear driving the cattle. In this interesting manner our travelers made their way across the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, proceeded up the beautiful valley of the Shenandoah, and finally settled on the Yadkin River in North Carolina. In this promised land on the Yadkin we at length find Daniel Boone living in a snug little home of his own. It was a balmy evening in the autumn of 1768. The sun had just disappeared behind the western mountains and left the eastern foothills bathed in a bluish light. Every now and then the whip-poor-will would repeat his mourn- ful cry, while the nighthawks and owls flitted and soared about in search of their evening meal. Except for these restless creatures, the scene was one of perfect peace and quiet beauty. 212 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Boone was sitting on a wooden bench before his rude httle log cabin. He was now a man in his middle thirties, not unusually tall, but finely built. One could not help but note the well-formed head, the high brow, the clear blue eyes, and the firmly set mouth. His broad, full chest ^^^^ showed that he could run long and fast without becoming short of breath or get- ting tired. Out-of-door life and exercise had lent a graceful free- dom to his whole bear- ing. His step was light and springy and car- ried him along so swiftly that not even an Indian could keep pace with him. Every- body who came in con- tact with the quiet young man respected and admired him for his kind disposition, manly courage, rare prudence, and great skill and strength. On this particular evening of our story, Mrs. Boone is finishing up the day's work within the cabin. Let us take a peep into the one-room little dwelling. The fireplace is large enough for great logs five or six feet in length. It contains a crane, or iron hook, from which hangs a kettle. In this kettle is cooked the simple food for the family table, such as corn-mush, vegetables, and meat. That wide iron kettle with legs can be placed on the red- hot coals and thus serve as an oven for baking bread. Sometimes this kettle is also used as a sort of frying pan to prepare savory steak for the table. A pair of DANIEL BOONE WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 213 deer's horns over the fireplace are holding a hunting gun and a powder horn. There on a shelf are the dishes used at the family meals — some pewter plates, forks, and spoons ; also a number of wooden bowls and some squash shells for drink- ing cups. On one of the walls are great wooden pegs. From these are hanging, side by side, flitches of smoked wild meat and articles of clothing. The ladder in the corner leads to the attic under the rafters. After having swept her white-scrubbed floor and ar- ranged her shining bright milk tins upon the rack, Mrs. Boone calls in her httle ones, who have been playing and romping about on the clearing. They are soon tucked lovingly into their little trundle bed. Then the happy mother joins her husband for a pleasant evening talk. "Why so thoughtful and gloomy, Daniel?" says the cheery little woman as she seated herself beside him. "I am thinking over the latest events, Rebecca. The trouble between England and the colonies is daily becom- ing more and more serious. The people are much oppressed by taxes, and are ready for open rebellion. There are, however, some, called Tories, who hold to the king, and they are anything but friendly. Then, too, the rich plant- ers, with their fine houses, slaves, and luxuries of all kinds, seem to think that because they are wealthy they have greater rights than their poor neighbors who wear deer- skin clothing and dwell in log cabins. ''Aijd," he continued, "a great number of settlers have moved in of late. They have reared their huts and made their clearings in yonder forest. The deer, the bears, the wolves, and the feathered game have fled to seek a freer life in the distant uninhabited forests far to the west. Owing to scarcity of game, I hunted farther into the 214 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY mountains this last time than I ever did on any other hunting trip. I even ventured as far as the Cumberland Mountains, and from a spur of these highlands looked down into a most beautiful country and there saw a wonderful sight indeed. A large herd of hundreds of buffalo were grazing undisturbed in the valley below. I was overjoyed on beholding a scene so grand. A great longing seized me to live and roam and hunt in the wilder- ness beyond. Why not, my dear Rebecca, move to this western land ?" At this moment the two became aware that a rather interesting visitor, a peddler with horse and wagon, had appeared on the scene. The newcomer alighted from his cart. He was clad in deerskin from head to toe, and car- ried a rifle. The man certainly looked more like a back- woods hunter than one who made a practice of offering small wares to the settlers' wives. Boone sprang to his feet. "Why, John Finley!" he cried joyfully. "You here? You could scarcely have chosen a better time. Come and sit down ; I have much to tell and much to ask you." The little group were soon engaged in an interesting conversation. Finley had twice been across the moun- tains. And he gave his fellow-hunter such a thrilling description of the wonderland of Kentucky, which he called a "second paradise," that Boone quite forgot his troubles. Until late into the night the two men talked. "And are you going back?" asked Boone as they rose to part for the night. "That I am," returned Finley. "Several other hunters will go too. And you, neighbor, you might come along." And did Boone go along? Yes. After the winter had passed, he entrusted his family and new-sown crops to his brother. Squire Boone, and set out in quest of the country of Kentucky in company with Finley and four other men. WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 215 Part Three. Boone Visits Kentucky and Blazes the Wilderness Road Can you picture Boone and his companions as they passed through their home settlement toward the moun- tains beyond ? They were clothed in comfortable deerskin hunting suits. As head-covering each wore a soft cap of coonskin with the bushy tail dangling in the back. Stout moccasins were laced about their feet. With their trusty rifles resting lightly upon their shoulders and their hunt- ing knives and powder horns hanging from their belts, they passed briskly on, greeting their neighbors to the right and the left as they went. On, on they went, chmbing and tramping and sliding their way over the blue western wall into the valley beyond, and thence on through Cumberland Gap into — the "hunter's paradise." They had been one whole month on the way, but the beauty and bounty of the pleasant valleys and rolling forest lands of Kentucky amply rewarded them for the hardships of their long and tiresome tramp. The salt spring regions fairly swarmed with beasts of many kinds — water-fowl, turkey, deer, elk, and buffalo. The huge, clumsy buffalo had trodden down the young trees and bushes about many of the springs. In some instances the ground thus left bare was covered with a rich growth of red clover. For months Boone and his companions enjoyed such hunting as had perhaps never fallen to the lot of any other American hunter. But they were soon to learn that the Indians meant Kentucky to be "no-man's land" and that, whoever should enter it, would be regarded as a foe. Boone and one of his companions, named Stewart, were one day captured by the redmen. Both soon escaped and returned to camp, only to find the rest of the party 216 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY gone and the hut in ashes. Nothing whatever could be learned concerning the fate of the four missing men. Meanwhile Boone's family and other relatives had be- come quite alarmed over his long absence, and Squire Boone was sent out in search of his brother. Thus it happened that Daniel and Squire Boone one day met un- expectedly in the woods. The meeting was a most joyful A HERD OF BUFFALO one. But the gladness of the brothers was changed to sorrow when, soon after, Stewart was shot and scalped by the Indians. The two Boones passed the winter together without any further Indian attacks. But they did not venture to do much hunting, and when springtime came they had not gathered enough peltries to make a tive-hundred- mile trip to the nearest market worth while. But they sorely needed ammunition, so Squire returned to North Carolina for supplies. Few men could have endured being thus left alone as Daniel was without even a dog or a horse for a companion. WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 217 But the sturdy backwoodsman spent no time in bemoan- ing his lonely lot. He explored the wilderness, following the buffalo trails to the salt licks, and the rivers to their sources and mouths. He studied the country and its vegetation, and marked good locations for settlements. During all these roamings he was in constant danger of Indian attacks, and therefore always slept under the open sky, but never two nights in the same place. But he really enjoyed his wild, roving life. Daily he became more and more charmed by all he saw, and deter- mined to make Kentucky his home. After three months had passed, Squire returned with two horses, a supply of ammunition, and, best of all, news from Daniel's wife and children. The two brothers spent the fall and winter in hunting and exploring, and when spring came again they loaded their horses with all the peltries they could carry and set out for the old home on the Yadkin. Pic- ture, if you can, the joy of Rebecca and her children when the weather-beaten hunter once more sat upon the wooden bench before his cabin after an absence of two years. But Boone loved adventure too much to stay at home and follow the quiet life of a farmer. His one great ambition was to open a pathway across the mountains through which settlers might enter and enjoy the bounties of Kentucky. An opportunity to carry out his cherished idea soon presented itself. A company of wealthy men in North Carolina wished to buy from the Indians a large tract of western land which they might in turn sell off in small farms. They chose Daniel Boone to transact the business in their behalf. The latter accordingly met a council of Cherokee Indians, and, in return for a large sum of money, secured from them the privilege of settling Kentucky. After the treaty had been arranged, a kindly old chieftain took 218 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY Boone by the hand and said, ''Brother, we have given you a fine country, but I believe you will have much trouble in settling it." And so he did. To encourage immigration, the land company decided to construct a road leading into Kentucky and to build a fort at its terminus. Again Boone was entrusted with the undertaking. It is needless to say that he set about his task with a will. At the head of thirty well-armed workmen, hired for thirty-three cents a day, he cut and blazed a road two hundred miles long, from the Holston River in Carolina, over the mountains, through Cumber- land Gap, to the Kentucky River. This rude track, the first across the eastern highlands to the unexplored West, is famous in history as Boone's Trail, or the Wilderness Road. The new road ended near a salt lick on the southern bank of the Kentucky. Here was built Boonesboro, a wooden fortification in the form of an oblong. Each corner of the ob- long consisted of a two-story blockhouse. The sides were formed by log cabins which opened to the inside. The spaces between the cabins were filled out by a stockade or high fence of huge logs sharpened and planted firmly in the ground. The opposite ends of the fort contained two heavy gates which could be securely closed when neces- sary. There were loopholes in the walls and corner build- ings, from which the Indians could be watched and fired upon. This rude fortification, which could not have with- iiOOXEsnoi;o WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 219 stood the smallest battery, was, nevertheless, bullet- proof; and, since the Indians had no cannon, the walls were as difficult of entrance as those of a castle. Thus were built the Wilderness Road and the frontier station of Boonesboro in 1775, the same year in which the first battle of the Revolution was fought and in which the first martyr's blood was shed at San Diego, in the interest of the California redmen. Part Four. Pioneer Life in Kentucky Shortly after the completion of Boonesboro, Boone recrossed the mountains to bring his family to the new home he had prepared for them. He had previously brought them and a number of other emigrants as far west as Cumberland Gap. Here several of the company, among them Boone's eldest son, were killed in an Indian attack. Alarmed and discouraged, the party retreated forty miles back to a settlement on the Clinch River in Virginia. This timie Boone and his family reached Kentucky in safety; and Mrs. Boone and her daughters felt happy, indeed, when, standing on the banks of the Kentucky, Boone told them they would be famed in history as the first white women to look upon that stream and tread the fertile soil of beautiful Kentucky. Other settlers soon followed through Cumberland Gap along the newly-cut Wilderness Road. Before long the frontier stations of Harrodsburg, Logansport, Bryan Sta- tion, and other forts patterned after Boonesboro, dotted the canebrakes of Kentucky and caused the frightened buffalo to stampede for the salt licks. For some time the early pioneers of Kentucky were left quite in peace by the Indians. Their cattle gave them 220 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY plenty of milk; they made sugar from the sap of the maple, gathered honey from hollow bee-trees, and raised fine crops of corn on their clearings. The salt hcks fur- nished them with plenty of salt, and there was an abun- dance of wild meat of every kind. In short, they enjoyed a rude plenty, and they were truly happy and prosperous in their new palisade homes. But would the Indians let them thus peacefully settle in "no-man's land"? Ah, no! Hundreds of Shawnees, returning from their summer hunt in the southern hills, saw the innumerable trackings of men and beasts into their beloved hunting grounds. Amazed, they crept stealthily along the Wilderness Road and came upon the settlements. There was no longer any doubt; the white men had invaded their sacred hunting grounds. Their amazement gave way to savage wrath. Forthwith a runner was despatched to spread the news. "The Chero- kees have sold Kentucky," was passed from tribe to tribe. The Shawnees and Iroquois promptly gathered in coun- cil about their campfires. "Kentucky is 'no-man's land,' " said they. "The Cherokees have no right to sell it. We will defend our hunting grounds and give them up only with our lives." Just then the Revolutionary War was well in progress, and the wrathful redmen enlisted eagerly in the services of the English. A regular Indian war upon the western settlements was the outcome. The "hunter's paradise" now became in truth a "dark and bloody ground." Its pioneer settlements suffered all the horrible outrages that could possibly be inflicted by savages who were determined to defend their hunting grounds as well as gain the rich rewards offered by the British commander at Detroit for every American scalp. The anxiety and sufferings of the scattered bands of WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 221 settlers were terrible. Every step was beset with dangers. The hunter in quest of game was tracked and scalped. The workman starting on his way to the fields or salt licks was laid low at the very gates of the fort by an In- dian's rifle. At times bands of hideously painted savages assailed the garrisons with terrible fury. Their war- whoops were awful to hear and their cruelties sickening ATTACKED BY AN INDIAN to gaze upon. All these horrors, together with the fact that the Indians were alhes of the British, so alarmed the people that hundreds of them hastily packed up and returned to their old homes in the East. But for the influence of Boone and a number of other bold pio- neers, the entire country of Kentucky would have been abandoned. With the close of the Revolution, the redmen were quite subdued, and these frightful Indian raids upon the frontier settlements gradually ceased. Yet for many years after the war the people were never entirely secure against Indian treachery. Every now and then straggling savages 222 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY would kill a lonely farmer on his field, or kidnap an unsuspecting woman or an unguarded child. Among the pioneer heroes who helped Boone settle and save Kentucky must especially be mentioned Simon Kenton, a most skilled Indian fighter, and George Rogers Clark, the hero of our next story. John Sevier and James Robertson stand out as leaders in the early settlement of Tennessee. But the West was neither discovered, settled, nor won by any single man; we owe its conquest to all the backwoodsmen. Still, among them Boone stands out as the hero of heroes, from the fact that he was able to turn his daring Indian craft to the advantage of his fellow-pioneers. Everybody was willing to entrust Daniel Boone with even the most adventurous enterprise. He was never known to boast, nor could he be influenced to do anything small or low. His self-command, patience, daring, and trust in himself inspired with confidence all who came near him. When sixty years of age the great pioneer, accompanied by his wife, again slipped away from advancing civiliza- tion into the wilderness beyond the Mississippi. There he settled in what is now the state of Missouri. By trap- ping and hunting diligently for some time he soon saved a large sum of money, which he forthwith carried to Kentucky. Imagine his joy when he saw how the pioneer settlements had grown and prospered. He could not help but recall the winter when he was the only white man in all the breadth and length of this beautiful country which was now so rapidly filling up with people. But it was not curiosity, not even his great love for the old place, that brought Boone back to Kentucky, but rather an important business affair. On one occasion, many years previous, when Boone was returning to Ken- tucky from a visit on the Yadkin River, he carried with WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 223 him twenty thousand dollars. This sum of money had been entrusted to him by persons in North Carolina to take to their friends in the new country. On the way a combined party of Indians and whites fell upon him and robbed him of all he had. The matter had troubled the good man for many years, and now he had come to look up and pay every- one who had been robbed through him. This done, he returned to Missouri with only half a dollar left. *'But," said he, "I have paid all my debts and no one can say, 'Boone was a dishonest man.' " The old hunter con- tinued his hunting and rovings in the forest, and often made long trips into the western wilderness, even into Kansas and to the far-away hunting fields of the Yellowstone. The greatest affliction of his life meanwhile came upon him in the death of his aged wife, the faithful Rebecca, so noted for her meek, gener- ous, and heroic nature. She was laid at rest on a beautiful knoll in the wilderness of Missouri. Boone now went to live with one of his sons in Missouri. He died at the ripe old age of eighty-six, and was buried beside his wife. Some time later the remains of both were ■'V'. ■■■i^^^iHi ,'■■'3 ". r *i ■ mm ■•:■.■■ ^v« ^^^^^^^HiKt BOONE'S MONUMENT 224 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY removed to the cemetery of Frankfort, Kentucky. A marble monument, on the four squares of which are rep- resented scenes from the hero's hfe, marks their final resting-place. Thus the noble pioneer is at rest in the land into which he opened the Wilderness Road and into which he led the first body of pioneers that ever estab- lished a settlement in the Middle West completely cut off from the seaboard states. The Wilderness Road is still only a rough track, no more than a sort of side road extending through a rugged country. A west-bound traveler of today, making his way along it, need no longer climb Cumberland Gap, but may be carried to the other side of the mountains by train through a tunnel one hundred miles long. Should he choose, however, to climb through the Gap as Boone did, he will, on reaching the highest point, enjoy, like Boone, a beautiful view of the rich blue grass and salt lick region below. He will there behold, not the shaggy buffalo and wide-antlered deer of old, but great droves of high-bred horses and large herds of finest cattle. Where Indian trails and buffalo paths once reached out in every direction, rail- roads now branch out from the numerous thriving cities which have supplanted the log cabins and frontier sta- tions in which the pioneer settlers slept always with one ear open for the stealthy approach or war-whoop of the Indians. 3. DOWN THE OHIO TO THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY Part One. George Rogers Clark Goes to Kentucky "I will not take up arms against the King, nor can I think of fighting against my fellow-colonists." Thus spoke George Rogers Clark, a tall, handsome Virginian, only twenty-two years of age. WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 225 "But what will you do, my boy ?" asked his brown-eyed little mother, dropping the long silken stocking of her husband which she was darning. "He ought to hold with the King," said John Clark, who had meanwhile entered the room just in time to hear his son's remark and his wife's anxious question. "You mean to say, father, that the King ought to treat his colonies fairly, so that one might consider it an honor- able duty to fight on his side if necessary." "That is exactly what I mean to say, my son," said John Clark, gazing approvingly upon the youthful patriot. "But what v/ill you do?" asked his mother once more. "I really don't know, mother. It seems so difficult to choose between two evils. Our royal governor. Lord Dunmore, undoubtedly honors me highly by offering me the position of Major in the Virginia army. It would seem most ungrateful on my part to fight against him. On the other hand, he is a haughty, treacherous repre- sentative of our despotic King, George III." The young man became very thoughtful and seemed uncommonly distressed. Silent and absent-minded, he stroked the sunny head of his four-year-old brother, William, who had fallen to sleep upon his knee. "I shall fight neither on the side of the King nor on that of the colonies — there is still a third alternative," he said at length. "And what is your alternative? Is it an honorable way out of the trouble?" asked his surprised father. "I shall go to Kentucky and there join Boone and his backwoods companions. Heigh-ho for Kentucky !" he ex- claimed with a cheerful ring in his voice. "Heigh-ho for Ken-tuck-y," drowsily murmured little William, aroused from his slumber. All looked in silence at the sleepy child. Could they have peered into the 226 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY future, they might have beheld WiUiam Clark heading the way not to Kentucky but to the Pacific. To Kentucky George Rogers Clark did go. On horse- back and by canoe he made his way to and down the Ohio. He first spent some time surveying lands in West Virginia, and finally joined Boone and Kenton in Ken- tucky. His intention was to take up land for a home and earn his way by surveying. But he found so much to do for the struggling Ken- tuckians that he quite forgot all about his original idea. The Indians were on the warpath most of the time. Dressed in hunting shirt, with his rifle upon his shoulder and his hunting knife in his belt, Clark would at one time pursue the redmen into their retreats, and at another time gallop at the head of his horsemen to break up a savage attack on some frontier station. One time it happened that powder was running short. "It is probable," said Clark, "that Virginia will furnish us with powder. At any rate, it will be necessary for us to make sure whether she is willing to protect her Ken- tucky settlements or whether she is disposed to leave these to take care of themselves." Virginia, it must be remem- bered, had acquired a claim to the territory of Kentucky by a treaty with the Iroquois Indians. At a meeting held at Harrodsburg the pioneers chose George Rogers Clark to go to Virginia and there represent the Kentuckians in the Assembly. Jeff"erson had just returned to Monticello from writing and signing the Declaration of Independence in Philadel- phia when Clark, cut by thorns and briers and covered with ragged clothes, strode into Williamsburg, the capital of Virginia. Lord Dunmore, the royal governor, had some time pre- vious been forced to flee from the wrath of the people, WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 227 and had sailed away for England midst a raking fire from the shore. After the wretched governor's flight, Patrick Henry had been elected first American governor of Vir- ginia. When Clark appeared before the new governor in his headquarters at the palace, the latter could not help but admire the noble youth who stood before him ear- nestly pleading for a supply of gunpowder wherewith to save Kentucky. "Your errand and your cause are good," said Patrick Henry after the young backwoods surveyor had made his pressing request. "I shall give you a letter to the council." The members of the Virginia Council looked up with amazement when they heard Clark's urgent appeal. "Five hundred pounds of gunpowder!" said they. "As it is, Virginia is straining herself to the utmost trying to do her part in the fight against England. It cannot, there- fore, be expected to waste gunpowder in Kentucky. Why not move these settlers back to Virginia and thus save the money that it would take to protect them in their remote frontier?" "Move Boone and Kenton and Logan and Harrod back?" exclaimed Clark with a ringing laugh. "You might as well think of transporting the buffalo and deer to Vir- ginia. Besides, Kentucky is like a back-door to the Old Dominion, and its pioneers may be compared to guards defending this door. If the savages exterminate the set- tlers of Kentucky because these have no powder where- with to load their rifles, the Virginians will be the losers, for who will then be left to keep the savages from swarm- ing in and laying waste their homes ?" Clark knew that a large supply of powder was stored at Fort Pitt, our present Pittsburgh. It had just been brought with great difficulty from New Orleans by way of the Mississippi and Ohio, and was the first cargo of 228 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY the kind that was ever transported by this western water route, "We cannot give you the powder, but we can lend it to you, provided you are wilhng to attend to the trans- portation of the same," declared the Council at length. But Clark shook his head and said: "I cannot borrow it from you, since I can neither promise to return it nor pay for it; nor can I, without your help, convey it safely to Kentucky through a region swarming with savages." "God knows we would help you if we could," returned the Council, "but we can do no more for you." "Very well," re- turned Clark. "A country that is not worth defending is not worth claiming. And since Virginia will not de- fend Kentucky, the latter will have to take care of itself independent of the mother colony." Thus speaking, Clark turned on his heels and left the Council. To his surprise, however, he was recalled the next day and promised five hundred pounds of gunpowder which would be dehvered to him at Fort Pitt. The Council furthermore asked him to carry back with him to the frontier settlements the news that Kentucky would hence- forth be considered as a county of Virginia. Thus, only one month after the Declaration of Independence, the young nation already reached out to the West opened by Boone and his sturdy backwoods companions. With a light heart, Clark, assisted by a number of BLOCKHOUSE AT FORT PITT WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 229 boatmen, launched his precious cargo on the Ohio. And down they floated. The Indians, however, were on the alert and were soon in hot pursuit. But with all the energy possible to human strength and courage, Clark and his oarsmen hastened down the swift stream. For five hun- dred miles the chase continued, until the pursued ran up a creek, rolled out their powder kegs on Kentucky soil, and sent the boat adrifting. While the Indians followed the empty canoe some distance downstream, Clark and his companions quickly concealed the powder among the rocks and trees and struck out overland for Harrodsburg. Ken- ton and a small party of men promptly set out for the place where the powder had been hidden, and returned safely, each bearing a keg on his shoulder. The whole Indian country had emptied itself, as it were, to scourge Kentucky. The very dogs were in fear; the horses and cattle were restless. Even the jay in the tree-top and the wren in its hollow seemed to chatter less freely, and the owl to hoot more dolefully from the shady old sycamore. The pioneers were soon cooped up in their fortifications, Boone was in Boonesboro, Clark in Harrodsburg, and Logan in Logansport. March, April, May, June, and July passed and the hot and stifling days of August came. The people, walled up in their forts, began to suffer extremely. Again ammu- nition was failing. Provisions, too, were short, for there had been no planting. And still the savages lay about the forts. Kentucky was truly in a sad plight. For a time it seemed as if it must again become "no-man's land," such as it had been before the sturdy backwoodsmen with their wives and children began their struggle for a home in it. Was there no hope of relief? Every eye was fixed upon Clark. And this brave young leader was all the while thinking hard and secretly forming great plans, all of 230 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY which, strange to say, concerned not Kentucky directly, but rather the country north of the Ohio. This region, which once belonged to the French, who still peopled its scattered posts and villages, was then in the hands of the British. Colonel Hamilton, the English A PIONEER HOME governor of this northwest territory, is known in history as the "hair buyer" from the fact that he not only incited the Indiaiis against the Americans, but even went so far as to promise a rich reward to the redmen for every American scalp they would bring him. Part Two. Clark Plans to Take Possession of the British Outposts North of the Ohio "Never," Clark reasoned with himself, "shall we be able to drive off the Indians or make peace with them unless WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 231 we gain control of the French posts held by the British at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Vincennes, and other points. (See map, page 89.) Unknown to anyone, he had already sent trusty spies to these very posts. As stealthily as the wary redmen, these scouts had slipped from their wooden fort and had stolen away as silently as the panther to the country north of the Ohio. "And what have you learned?" Clark asked them in a whisper when they returned some weeks later in the dark- ness of the night. "The forts are carelessly guarded," said they, "and the French are secretly our friends, though the English are trying their best to make them hostile. As for the Indians, they have always, even from the time of Father Mar- quette and Joliet, leaned more to the French than to the English." Upon receiving this information, Clark at once resolved to take possession of the British outposts north of the Ohio. He knew, however, that men with families could not well leave, and that, therefore, most of his fellow- settlers would have to remain in Kentucky to defend their homes. Consequently, he would be obliged to secure the greater part of his force from Virginia. Without saying a word to anyone of his secret inten- tion, the young hero buckled on his sword, shouldered his rifle, and with more than human daring slipped from his wooden stronghold and sped away straight through the ranks of the sleeping besiegers. The Wilderness Road was lit up by the great bonfires of the savages, and Cumberland Gap was closed. So up over the autumn- colored mountain-tops he went, on and on, till he reached his father's house in Virginia, late in the night. Little William heard him coming and sprang from his trundle bed to unbar the door for his elder brother. But the latter 232 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY tarried only long enough to hear the latest happenings, and then hastened away to Williamsburg. There, to his great delight, he came upon Jefferson and Madison, his neighbors of old. These two famous patriots listened with interest to his plans. "Let's be off to the governor," said the author of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, with a warm grasp of the hand. "Did you get the powder?" asked Patrick Henry when Clark entered his apartment a little later. "We got the powder," answered the young man. "With it we have saved Kentucky thus far. But all the savages of the country are still upon us ; they seem as numerous as the leaves of the trees. Unless something can be done at once, Kentucky will yet be lost. I have plans, however, which, if carried out successfully, will make friends of the enraged savages and save the frontier stations." "And what are your plans?" inquired Patrick Henry eagerly. "Let me hear them." Clark made answer: "I mean to gain possession of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Vincennes, and other British out- posts in the Ohio country, since at these places the Indians are fed, clothed, armed, and stirred up against us. Fur- thermore, the French inhabitants of these towns under British control have great influence over the redmen, and are at the same time kindly disposed toward us Americans. They may therefore help us win over the Indians." "Yours is a brilliant plan, young man," said Patrick Henry, delighted. And he forthwith made Clark a Colonel. He also gave him power to raise seven companies. To the officers at Fort Pitt he gave orders to supply our friend with boats and powder. During the winter our hero was busy trying to raise troops. But he had set himself a hard task. It was diffi- cult to find men who were not needed at home or who WEST TO THE MISSISSIPPI 233 had not already entered their country's service. Never- theless, he finally succeeded in recruiting a small army. When springtime came he embarked at Fort Pitt with about one hundred and fifty men and some twenty pioneer famines. Just as the fleet of flatboats was pulhng out, Clark was handed a letter. From its contents he learned that France had decided to join the colonies against England. This was good news ! Now the French in the Northwest Territory would be all the more easily won ^^