Six sail were in the squadron he possessed, And these he felt the Lord of Hosts had blessed, For he was ever faithful to the cross, With which compared, all else was earthly dross. Southwestward toward the equinoctial line He steered his barks, for vast was his design. There, like a mirror, the Atlantic lay, White dolphins on its breast were seen to play, And lazily the vessels rose and fell, With flapping sails, upon the gentle swell; While panting crews beneath the torrid sun Lost strength and spirits--felt themselves undone. Day after day the air a furnace seemed, And fervid rays upon them brightly beamed, The burning decks displayed their yawning seams, And from the rigging tar ran down in streams.--_Ibid._ COLUMBUS COLLECTION. Rudolph Cronau, the eminent author and scientist of Leipsic, Germany, has contributed to the World's Fair his extensive collection of paintings, sketches, and photographs, representing scenes in the life of Columbus, and places visited by Columbus during his voyages to the New World. Doctor Cronau has spent a great part of his life in the study of early American history, and has published a work on the subject, based entirely upon his personal investigations. COLUMBUS' HAVEN. An indentation of the coast of Watling's Island, in the Bahamas, is known to this day as Columbus' Haven. [Illustration: STATUE OF COLUMBUS IN THE CITY OF COLON, DEPARTMENT OF PANAMA, COLOMBIA. The gift of the ex-Empress of the French. (See page 109.)] CUBA'S CAVES--THE MANTLE OF COLUMBUS. In the caves of Bellamar, near Matanzas, Cuba, are sparkling columns of crystal 150 feet high; one is called the "Mantle of Columbus." THE PORTRAITS OF COLUMBUS. The Hon. WILLIAM ELEROY CURTIS, an American journalist, Secretary of the Bureau of the American Republics, Washington, D. C. Born at Akron, Ohio. From an article, "The Columbus Portraits," in the _Cosmopolitan Magazine_, January, 1892. Although Columbus twice mentioned in his alleged will that he was a native of Genoa, a dozen places still demand the honor of being considered his birthplace, and two claim to possess his bones. Nothing is certain about his parentage, and his age is the subject of dispute. The stories of his boyhood adventures are mythical, and his education at the University of Pavia is denied.