newly discovered outpost of the Indies. He was
steering straight for the northern entrance to the
Gulf of Mexico through the Bahamas when he came
upon the island called Guanahani by the natives,
and by him named with pious gratitude San Salvador,
or Holy Saviour. W e may as well ignore the
long-time controversy, and conclude at once that
this was what is now called Watling Island. I t may
seem strange that there should have been a controversy,
but the Spanish made no settlement in the
Bahamas, and within twenty years they had carried
the harmless natives into slavery in the An tille s ;
and the islands were left desolate and deserted for a
century after. Then San Salvador and the others
named by Columbus were lost sight of, and after
the English had given them new names it became
difficult to identify them from the old descriptions.
But the place where Columbus fell on his knees
and kissed the earth, giving thanks to God and
taking possession in the name of their Catholic
Majesties, was undoubtedly the north-east coast of
[ Watling Island. He said that there were “ no
better people on earth ” than those he found there.
He did not linger long, but skirted down the island’s
[western coast, and next reached what is now Rum
Cay, to which he gave the more attractive name of
[Santa Maria de la Concepcion. A fte r that he
touched Long Island, which he called Fernandina
[in honour of the King , and Crooked (including the
spur now called Fortune), which he named Isabella,
[for the Queen. He left the Bahama group, after a