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Y0U8G FOLKS' LIBRARY OF AMERICAN BISTORI 
 
 STORY 
 
 OF 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 BY MARA l'pRATT, M.D„ 
 
 Author of " American History Stories,'* — Etc. 
 
 r NOV 12 1892 
 
 EDUCATIONAL PUBLIHHlNG COMPANY, 
 BOSTON. 
 
 NEW YORK. CHICAGO. 
 
 v'^-aA k 
 
Copyright 
 By educational publishing company. 
 
 1892. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Boyhood of Columbus ......... 5 
 
 Plans of Columbus 14 
 
 Antonio of Marchena ... . . . . . . . 21 
 
 Columbus and Antonio 29 
 
 Columbus at the Spanish Camp 35 
 
 Columbus favored by Isabella . . ■ 43 
 
 Getting the Fleet ready 55 
 
 The Trouble Increases 60 
 
 The Voyage G7 
 
 Land ! I>and ! 79 
 
 The Search for Gold . . . . . . . . . . 101 
 
 The Island of Cu1)a IIG 
 
 Alonzo Pinzon's Desertion ........ 123 
 
 The Return Voyage 133 
 
 The Second Voyage I54 
 
 Treachery of the Spaniards 1G2 
 
 Columbus in Ilayti again 169 
 
 Columbus's Last Voyage 175 
 
Christopher Columbus, 
 
 In the grand old sea-port of Genoa, lived the little 
 lad whom to-day the whole world knows as Christopher 
 Columbus. 
 
 As a little boy, he was, I suspect, very like all 
 little boys — he thought and thought ; he whistled and 
 planned ; he fell into all the mishaps incident to a 
 boy's life in Genoa as in America. 
 
 Indeed, one rather humorous historian tells a 
 story of him that runs something like this : '' One 
 day when Columbus was six years old, his mother 
 sent him out in the early morning on an errand. 
 The morning grew to noon, the afternoon grew to 
 evening — still the child had not returned. The whole 
 household was in sorrow and excitement. ' My child, 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 HOUSE IN GENOA IN WHICH 
 COLUMBUS WAS BORN. 
 
 my child ! my child is lost ! ' 
 his mother wailed ; and even 
 the father, stern always with 
 his children, was not a little 
 moved. 
 
 But at dusk the child re- 
 turned. " Been playing out on 
 the wharves," was his answer 
 when his mother, half beside 
 herself with fright, flew to meet 
 him. 
 
 This is a very simple little 
 story and not at all peculiar to 
 Columbus, as any boy living in 
 a sea-coast town can no doubt 
 tell you ; still it will do no harm 
 to know that as a very little boy 
 he was exactly like all other 
 very little boys — at play about 
 the streets, getting into all sorts 
 
THE BOY COLUMBUS. 
 
g COLUMBUS. 
 
 of dangers, meeting with endless adventures, and — as 
 you see — forgetting to do his mother's errands. 
 
 There is very little really known about the child- 
 hood of Columbus ; very likely because he was so like 
 all other children. Though had his people known 
 what a hero he was by-and-by to become, how they 
 would have stored up all his wise little sayings and 
 wonderful adventures 1 
 
 But, you see, they did not know ; so all we 
 know of that part of his life is that as he grew a 
 little older, he became a very thoughtful boy, show- 
 in o- early a strong liking for the sea and for all that 
 belonged to the sea. 
 
 Year after year, as he saw the ships come in^ 
 and heard the wonderful stories that the sailors told, 
 there grew in him a longing to visit those far away 
 lands, a thirst for adventure, a hope that he, too, might 
 sometime find a ^^ new land." 
 
 Christopher Co^imbus was not an ignorant boy. 
 His father, although a simple workingman, a wool- 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 comber, seems to have been intelligent ; a man who 
 strove to keep alive in his children a love for education, 
 and to give them all the opportunity within his power. 
 
 A GENOESE WOOL-COMBEK. 
 
 Columbus had a fair, common-school education, as 
 we should call it, and had given no little time to draw- 
 ing, designing, and to the study of astronomy and navi- 
 gation. 
 
 It was when Columbus was about twenty-five years 
 
10 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 of age that he was sent out in command of a squadron 
 to aid a certain king in his struggle to recover his king- 
 
 IN \MIIcn CoirAiBTTS was; born (.From an old Ft int.) 
 
 dom. There is httle known of this conflict, as far as 
 Columbus is concerned, farther than that " the squadron 
 of Columbus gained much renown for its valor." 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 11 
 
 In a letter to Ferdinand and Isabella, then king 
 and queen of Spain, Columbus gave a brief account of 
 
 [EacA Square is 100 milts. 
 
 [Lad/ude attd Lottgitiide marked iti bortfev 1 
 
 one of his adventures, when his vessel was sent to attack 
 a galley in the harbor of Tunis. In some way report 
 
12 COLUMBUS. 
 
 reached the ears of his crew that this galley was pro- 
 tected by two other ships. " It would be fool-hardiness 
 to attempt an attack upon a galley so armed," said they, 
 ''and we refuse to proceed." 
 
 " Very well," answered Columbus after a reasonable 
 amount of arguing with his crew," we will go back for 
 re-inf or cements. " 
 
 But this was far from his real intention. So quietly 
 altering the direction of the compass, he spread full sail. 
 Night came on. Quietly they sailed on ; but when 
 morning dawned, behold they were in the harbor where 
 the galley lay. History does not tell us what the result 
 of this strategy proved to be ; so I suppose the lesson 
 we are to learn from it is that Columbus was quick- 
 witted, able in command, and equal to an emergency. 
 
 These were days of peril and hardship for sailors 5 
 pirates infested the seas, and every sailor had need of 
 soldierly training as well as an understanding of nautical 
 affairs. 
 
 At one time Columbus was engaged in a most 
 
COLUMBUS. 13 
 
 desperate sea-fight with one of these pirate vessels. The 
 two vessels were lashed together with iron grappling- 
 hooks, and both were wrapped in flames. Not until the 
 last minute did Columbus leave his ship. Then, when 
 all hope was lost, he leaped into the raging sea, and 
 buoyed up by an oar, made his way safely to the shore 
 — six miles away. 
 
 At such a time as this, Columbus received his sailor- 
 training ; and this it was, that, in the years to come, 
 fitted him for the hardships of his adventurous discover- 
 ies and explorations. 
 
 ******* 
 I know not when this hope enthralled me first, 
 But from my boyhood up I loved to hear 
 The tall pine forests of the Appennine 
 Murmur tlieir hoary legends of the sea. 
 
 * * 
 
 — From LoiveU's " Columbus.* 
 
14 COLUMBUS. 
 
 PLANS OF COLUMBUS. 
 
 Columbus was thoughtful. He had sailed far to 
 the north, and had there heard vague rumors of a land 
 far away, which had been visited by the sturdy North- 
 men. Then, too, his habits of study had led him to 
 doubt the theories of that time regarding the shape of 
 the earth and the movements of the planets. 
 
 In a letter to a friend, he once wrote, " For forty 
 years I have been studying, trying to seek out the secrets 
 of nature." And so it came about that it was to him 
 that the revelation of the true shape of the earth and of 
 the " new continent " was given. 
 
 In his wanderings from sea to sea, and from port to 
 port, he had often met mariners — intelligent, observing 
 men — who had, as he had done, explored all seas and 
 visited all lands then known to the world. From those 
 who had sailed farthest west, he heard of driftwood that 
 had been found on the waters, different from any known 
 growth. 
 
COLUMBUS. 15 
 
 One sailor told Columbus of two dead men that had 
 been washed ashore far out upon the Azores, and who 
 were very different from any races of Europe or Africa. 
 
 These, and other stories of these westward voyages, 
 began gradually to awaken in Columbus a belief that 
 somewhere, far away towards the setting sun, there must 
 be other lands, and perhaps other people. 
 
 Columbus was quiet, thoughtful, free from selfish- 
 ness, given rather to doubting his own power than to 
 pushing himself forward. 
 
 Night after night, when this idea was at last clear 
 to him, he would sit poring over the maps of those 
 days, and studying the reports of sailors from every 
 port. What was there beyond the Azores? Was the 
 earth a globe, and was there, perchance, another country 
 far, far away on the other side ? Would it be possible 
 to sail around this globe — could that land be found ? 
 
 Then he put to work his knowledge of astronomy, 
 estimated from the sun's speed on its journey across the 
 heavens what must be the size of this earth, if indeed 
 
16 COLUMBUS. 
 
 it should be proved that its shape was that of a sphere. 
 All this study and discovery, all these estimations with 
 their seeming proofs, which our self-taught philosopher 
 was able to bring before his hearers, began to attract the 
 attention of thoughtful men. 
 
 Of course, there were many ignorant, unthinking 
 people, who jeered at Columbus and called him a fool. 
 Such men as he, to whom any revelation has been 
 granted, are apt to be called fools by the common 
 people ; and human nature was just as ignorant, and 
 just as jealous and skeptical then as it is now. But 
 Columbus had grasped a truth ; and all the ignorance 
 in the world could not take it from him. 
 
 Now, Columbus was a poor sea-captain, without 
 money and without influential friends. Still, spurred on 
 by his own absolute confidence in his schemes, he went 
 to the King of Portugal, laid his plans before him, and 
 asked for money and a fleet with which to set forth 
 upon a voyage of discovery. 
 
 The king listened to his plans as he would have 
 
COLUMBUS. 17 
 
 listened to those of an insane man, . with wonder and 
 amusement. When Columbus had finished, the king 
 bowed him politely from the audience-room, with a 
 smile half of scorn, half of pity, saying to himself, 
 " He is a half-crazed creature. Quite probably the hot 
 sun of the tropics has turned his head." 
 
 But there was something in the courteous, dignified 
 bearing of Columbus that had impressed the king more 
 than he would have been willing to acknowledge. The 
 plans that Columbus had presented would not be shut 
 out from his thoughts. " If they are true," said he to 
 himself, ^' what a glory it would be to me, as King of 
 Portugal, to aid him in this scheme ! " 
 
 Day after day, the king turned over and over in his 
 mind the possibilities Columbus had presented to him. 
 At last, calling to him a certain , well-known Portuguese 
 sea-captain, he told him of Columbus, aided him in 
 gaining all the additional knowledge possible, and then, 
 with what the king had already learned from Columbus, 
 he gave the captain instructions to push on in the track 
 
18 COLUMBUS. 
 
 which Columbus had marked out, and reach, if possible, 
 the new land ; or, if there were no new land, to sail on 
 and on to the Asiatic coast. 
 
 A fleet was fitted out, and the captain sailed away 
 — sailed away to steal Columbus' glory from him. 
 You will be glad to hear that the captain lost his way, 
 that a terrible tempest arose, and the sailors set up such 
 a clamor that the captain was compelled to return to 
 port and report to the king that his treacherous scheme 
 has failed entirely. 
 
 When Columbus was informed of this meanness of 
 Portugal's king, he was bitterly disappointed that the 
 royal court, on whom he had been taught to look with 
 reverence, could stoop to so contemptible an act. 
 
 " I will go to the Genoese government," said he, 
 " perhaps there may be help there." 
 
 " Who is this Christopher Columbus," said the 
 Genoese Court, " that he comes to us ? " 
 
 " He is one of our Genoese sailors," was the answer. 
 " The son of Dominico Columbus, the wool-comber." 
 
COLUMBUS. 19 
 
 " The son of a wool-comber ! " cried the Court, 
 shocked that one from so common a family should dare 
 urge a claim at the grand Genoese Court. 
 
 Columbus was now in deep poverty. He had 
 hardly money enough to keep himself and his little son 
 Diego from starvation. 
 
 " We must go," said he, taking the little fellow up 
 in his arms, " to the King of France. Do you think, 
 my little man, you can travel with me to Spain, to the 
 village Avhere our uncle lives ? And can you live there 
 in thine uncle's house, while I, thy father, travel on into 
 the country of France ? " 
 
 What Diego's reply was we do not know. But, as 
 he was a brave little fellow, and had great faith in his 
 quiet, gentlemanly father, we have no doubt it was a 
 brave answer; and who knows but it may have 
 encouraged the disappointed man more than he knew ? 
 
 At any rate, Columbus and Diego set forth to seek 
 the king and queen. They sailed from Genoa to Palos, 
 and then began their long journey to the royal camp. 
 
COLUMBUS. 21 
 
 ANTONIO OF MARCHENA. 
 
 It was a long, long journey. The way was rough 
 and dusty, and more than once both father and son sank 
 by the roadside, tired and hungry. 
 
 "Only one town farther on," said Columbus one 
 day at noon-time. " And see, there to our right stands 
 a stone convent. We will stop there and rest." 
 
 Diego was hungry, and so thirsty. His tired little 
 legs were growing rather heavy, and but for the brave 
 little heart, determined to share his father's hardships, 
 the tears, I fear, would have gone rolling down his 
 cheeks. 
 
 Knocking at the great gateway of the convent. 
 La Rabidi, Columbus asked for a cup of water and a 
 slice of bread for his child. It chanced that the prior 
 was just then coming to the gate ; and when he noted 
 the courteous manners, the dignified carriage, and the 
 intellectual face of the stranger, he knew that it was no 
 ordinary beggar who asked for help. 
 
"'1 
 m 
 
COLUMBUS. 23 
 
 "Come in, good friend," said he, "and rest. The 
 Httle one looks tired and hungry." 
 
 Columbus gladly entered ; and, as we might well 
 suppose, knowing how full Columbus' heart was of his 
 plans, it was not long before the two men were in earnest 
 conversation. 
 
 " You are not a Spaniard, Seiior ?" said the monk 
 respectfully. 
 
 " No, father," answered Columbus, " I am a Genoese. 
 My name is Christofore Columbo ; or, as in your 
 language you would say, Cristoval Colon." 
 
 " Cristoval Colon ! " exclaimed the monk. " Often, 
 then, have I heard of you. The sailors of our coast 
 speak often of you. The stories of your brave voyages 
 are well known by us here. And I have heard your 
 name mentioned at Court as well." 
 
 " Your courtesy exaggerates my fame," answered 
 Columbus modestly. 
 
 " And you are to make a long journey ? " asked the 
 monk, now interested indeed in his guest. 
 
24 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " Yes," answered Columbus, hesitating, yet longing 
 to speak with the generous monk of this hope so in his 
 thought and in his heart. " But we are near its end. 
 We go only to the next town, where dwells a friend a 
 relative of mine, Pedro Muliar." 
 
 " Pedro Muliar ! " exclaimed the monk. " Indeed, I 
 know him well. But I fear you will not find him. If 
 I mistake not, he has but lately started upon a voyage." 
 Columbus looked troubled. " Diego, child, what 
 shall I do with thee if our friend is gone? It is far too 
 long a journey for thee to accompany me to France." 
 
 "But I can go!" cried the little fellow. "Take 
 me as thy page. Surely I can serve thee on the 
 journey." 
 
 " Not that, my son," said Columbus sadly. " But 
 my wallet — alas ! — it holds but scanty money for the 
 journey. I fear I should hardly reach the sovereign of 
 France if two of us depended upon it." 
 
 " Do not leave Spain," said the monk. " Never 
 had Spain greater need of noble, daring men than now. 
 
COLUMBUS. 25 
 
 Our good sovereigns, Isabella and Ferdinand, can ill 
 afford to have such men as you go forth from our 
 country." 
 
 Columbus looked earnestly into the monk's face. 
 Then with a slow, dignified manner he spoke : 
 
 " The sovereigns of Spain," said he, " have no more 
 loyal or more faithful subject in all their kingdom than 
 I. To the generous Queen Isabella am I indebted for 
 great favors and courteous treatment. But it is now 
 six long years that I have pleaded at our sovereigns' 
 court for nothing less than this : That they give me 
 permission and authority to put into their hands the 
 wealth of Asia and bring under their dominion those 
 lands now strangers to civilization and Christianity. 
 Yet their Highnesses will hear me not. The cares 
 and anxiety of the war with the Moors ; the plot- 
 tings of the government of Portugal — these things, 
 so they tell me, take all their time, their money, 
 their attention. My suit has been year after year 
 rejected. 
 
26 COLUMBUS. 
 
 '' Now the camps are pitched before Granada and I 
 have no farther hope. It is for this reason that I go 
 now to the king of France to plead my cause — the 
 world's cause ; for I have heard, and with good 
 authority, that the French king will gladly give me 
 audience." 
 
 " I have heard of these things," said the monk 
 gravely ; " but I had supposed your suit before the king 
 and queen had prospered. For many years I have been 
 her Highness's confessor." 
 
 " Antonio of Marchena ! " exclaimed Columbus. 
 " I am then doubly fortunate in coming here. Often 
 have I heard your name in court ; often have I been 
 told to come to you for help and influence ; but year, by 
 year more friends and influential ones were added to me, 
 year by year my plans became better understood, and I 
 felt sure of their acceptance before the king and queen. 
 
 " But now, good Father, I am growing old. Not 
 many years are left to me ; and it is God's will that I 
 find this far-off land and open up the way to it to the 
 
COLUMBUS. 27 
 
 people that the true religion of our God be carried to 
 them. If I wait longer in Spain, it may be too late. 
 
 It is right, I feel, that I hasten to another land and 
 seek for help in carrying out this great work that has 
 been given me, and me alone to do." 
 
 The monk was moved by the earnest words of his 
 guest. 
 
 " Fourteen years," continued Columbus, " did I 
 spend at the Court of Portugal. My charts and plans 
 were taken from me. ' We will study them,' said they. 
 But they stole them from me ; and with the knowledge 
 gained from them, they sent out an expedition to steal 
 from me the honor and gain of the great discoveries I 
 know await me. But their treachery was punished ; 
 their vessels were driven back by storm — wrecked — into 
 the harbor from which they had set forth. Then came 
 I to Spain. And, as I have told you, six more years have 
 passed away. And in all this time not a dozen men have 
 I found who could believe or understand me, much less 
 give me substantial aid to go forth upon the sea." 
 
28 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " But you will tarry with me until the morning," 
 said the monk. " The boy Diego needs rest ; and I 
 myself would be honored if, when evening comes, you 
 would tell me of your plans. It may be, even now, 
 that I can aid you." 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 29 
 
 COLUMBUS AND ANTONIO. 
 
 Now, in those clays, knowledge was confined to a 
 few people, who had given up their lives to study, and 
 had gone away from the world into convents, where 
 they might have the use of books, and might be 
 taught by the few teachers of the day. 
 
 THE PRIOR. 
 
 The prior was one of these educated, thinking 
 men ; and so, as Columbus unfolded his plans to 
 
30 COLUMBUS. 
 
 him, setting forth his scientific reasons for the hope 
 he had, the monk was able to follow him intelligently. 
 Indeed, so convinced was he that Columbus was 
 right, that he promised to use whatever influence he 
 had in the church as a monk, and in the court as a 
 man of learning, to aid Columbus in carrying out his 
 project. 
 
 Night after night, the lamp from Antonio's little 
 window shone far into the late hours — or perhaps, Ave 
 might say, into the early hours of the morning. Then 
 the two men, and often with them other thoughtful 
 men, friends of Antonio, would sit poring over charts 
 and maps, Columbus always eagerly explaining to them 
 his plans, setting forth his themes, and infusing them 
 one and all with his own hopes of success and glory. 
 
 " This chart I made while I was in Genoa," 
 Columbus would say ; ^' this one I drew up before 
 Queen Isabella ; this one was sent me by a learned 
 friend while at the Court of Portuofal. 
 
 " On this chart of my friend's he has drawn the 
 
COLUMBUS. 31 
 
 world as it was known to the ancients. I trust you will 
 excuse my presumption, for changing the work o£ so 
 learned a man ; but from my studies and experiments, 
 I have become convinced that the farthest eastern coast 
 of Asia reaches far nearer to our own country than we 
 yet dream of. 
 
 " Here, some three thousand miles out west from 
 Portugal, you will see I have roughly drawn a large 
 island, which we will call Cipango. I place this here to 
 mark the unknown land we shall reach by sailing west." 
 
 Such a strange map as this was ! About half-way 
 between the European coast and this " maybe " island 
 was another spot marked the " Island of Seven Cities ; " 
 the space which is now known to be occupied by North 
 America, was filled in with many little islands all 
 clustered together ; Java and Celebes were just upon 
 the site of what we now know to be South America ; the 
 continent of Asia extended away across the Pacific ; 
 and as to Africa — that for most part was marked " the 
 unknown sea." 
 
32 COLUMBUS. 
 
 How these thoughtful men studied the maps ! How 
 they listened to Columbus' explanations of the shape 
 and movements of the sun and the planets and the 
 probable shape and movements of the earth ! 
 
 " If these distances upon your maps are correct/' 
 the monk would say, " there can be no doubt that tlie 
 shortest route to the Indies, the Golden Indies, would 
 be, as you say, straight out across the waters to the 
 west. Still, I have heard it said, and by men who have 
 thought deeply, that far away towards the west, this 
 ocean slopes down and down, and that no ship having 
 reached the level limits may ever hope to return." 
 
 " And do you not fear," said another, "that zone of 
 calms, which is said to lie far out to the west, where 
 ships might lie, as if at anchor, for centuries and 
 centuries ? " 
 
 " My friends," Columbus would say gravely, " if 
 once I am satisfied that there is land beyond, all else 
 seems of little account. There can be no navigating in 
 unknown seas without some, peril. As to the zone of 
 
COLUMBUS. 33 
 
 calms — there may be such far to the south, where the 
 heat is intense. When I myself sailed to the south, to 
 the coast of Guinea, we found the air grow lighter 
 and lighter ; but if I mistake not, this land I seek lies 
 directly to the west. 
 
 " For thirty years have I followed the sea ; where- 
 ever ship has ever sailed, I have been. Much traveling 
 on the sea makes, you know, a man thoughtful — it 
 makes him ponder upon the wonders of the sky, the 
 secrets of the ocean. I have sailed north, and I have 
 sailed south — to the farthest known limits in either 
 direction ; sailors from all countries have I seen and con- 
 versed with ; and never have I found a sailor, who did 
 show me even one good reason for thinking there may 
 not be lands straight to the westward, far out across the 
 ocean whose waters we see as far as eye can reach. 
 
 " Indeed, some have told me of strange things seen 
 far to the westward, when driven out of their course by 
 storm, they have found themselves far beyond their 
 known reckonings. One sailor even told me of being 
 
34 COLUMBUS. 
 
 driven so far out from Ireland, that he saw a western 
 land, stretching as far as eye could measure north and 
 south. And have we not in the writings of the ancients 
 frequent reference to a western land, which they speak 
 of as the land of Atlantis? And who of us can know 
 but this Atlantis may have been the far eastern coast 
 of Asia, which as yet, no European hath reached across 
 the ocean ? *' 
 
 And so, day after day, Columbus and the prior 
 pored over the convent books and maps, discussing 
 whether the earth was a globe or merely a flat expanse ; 
 whether by sailing around it Asia would be reached ; or 
 whether somewhere, far out at sea, might there be a 
 great unknown continent as large, perhaps, as the one 
 already known. 
 
COLUMBUS. 35 
 
 COLUMBUS GOES TO FERDINAND AND ISABELLA AT 
 THE SPANISH CAMP. 
 
 " Leave the little Diego here," said the prior, " and 
 with letters of introduction, which I will gladly give you, 
 make your way to the camp at Cordova, where you will 
 find Ferdinand and Isabella. I can not but think they 
 will see the grandeur of your scheme, and will 
 help you." 
 
 Rested, and better still, cheered by this good man's 
 helpful words, Columbus set forth. It was a marvelous 
 military display that Columbus entered upon at Cordova. 
 
 All the chivalry of Spain, gleaming and glittering 
 in rich armor, was there ; the horses resplendent in 
 their gorgeous mountings, the bright banners, the 
 waving plumes, the grand, martial music — all these 
 made the scene one of rare beauty. 
 
 But Columbus hardly saw all this, felt no inspira- 
 tion to join this mighty throng, no pride that Spain was 
 so grand and powerful. He had a larger motive than 
 
COLUMBUS. 37 
 
 that of going forth to kill his fellowmen. This 
 inspiration had come from truth, and he had a work to 
 do that should benefit the world. 
 
 Isabella's chaplain, to whom the prior had written 
 a letter introducing and recommending Columbus, 
 received Columbus with a coldness that might well have 
 chilled the ardor in a man with a less important cause 
 to present than Columbus had. 
 
 " Even a slight degree of intelligence and sense of 
 time and fitness of opportunity," said he, " might teach 
 you that it would be but an intrusion to present any 
 plan, however great and probable, to say nothing of this 
 absurd scheme of yours, to our sovereigns, oppressed as 
 they are now with the cares of war." 
 
 But as has always been the case when the cause 
 was great enough to swallow up self, Columbus 
 persevered, regardless of the chaplain's scorn and refusal 
 to acquaint the king and queen of his desires. 
 
 He hngered about the camp, earning what little he 
 could from day to day, by designing charts and maps. 
 
38 COLUMBUS. 
 
 telling his plans to any one intelligent enough to listen, 
 hoping, yes, determined that in some way, sooner or 
 later, he would gain an audience with the queen. 
 
 Of course, like every man or woman, then and now, 
 who catches the glimmer of a light before it reaches the 
 dull eyes of the world, Columbus was jeered at and 
 called a fool, an adventurer, a lunatic — a crank, as we 
 say to-day. But now and then he found a listener who 
 could understand him, and who helped him with 
 sympathy and understanding, though they had no 
 money and no ships for him. 
 
 At last, report of Columbus' plan reached the ears 
 of the grand Cardinal of Spain. This man had so 
 much influence with the king and queen that he was 
 often called the third king. 
 
 He sought Columbus out that he might for himself 
 hear what the stranger had to tell. Columbus, full of 
 faith in his theory, told his story with enthusiasm, and 
 with simple eloquence. 
 
 " This man is no fool," said the Cardinal. " He is 
 
COLUMBUS. 39 
 
 a thinker ; he is educated ; and he is not, as I have been 
 told, a half-crazed dreamer. His plans seem plausible ; 
 he knows whereof he speaks. The king and queen 
 should receive him. There is more in his theory than 
 idle fools can see." 
 
 It was, therefore, through the cardinal that 
 Columbus did at last obtain a hearing with the Spanish 
 sovereigns. Again did Columbus, with outspread maps 
 and astronomical charts, repeat his story. Not one point 
 or question but he could meet with reasonable reply. 
 
 The king, a cool, philosophical man, listened 
 critically, carefully questioning and weighing every 
 point. His ambition was excited. " If this man's story 
 is true," said he, " think what glory, what wealth, what 
 power will be added to Spain through his possible 
 explorations and discoveries ! " 
 
 But Ferdinand was a cautious man. " I will call a 
 council," said he, " of Spain's wisest men ; and they 
 shall hear the story of this man Columbus, and they 
 shall decide what shall be done." 
 
COLUMBUS. 41 
 
 Columbus now rejoiced. The Cardinal and the 
 king believed him. Certainly the council would believe 
 him too. 
 
 These " wisest men of Spain " met Columbus, who, 
 more and more filled with enthusiasm with each recital, 
 more certain than ever of the truth of his enterprise, 
 repeated his story with the eloquence that is born of 
 inspiration. It would seem to us to-day that a very 
 child might understand. 
 
 But alas for Columbus! these wisest men proved 
 his bitterest foes. " The theory of this man," said 
 they, " is absurd. Any one of common sense might 
 know this earth is flat. Suppose, for an instant, it were 
 round like a globe. Let us see what must follow. 
 Why, if there were people on the under side, then they 
 must be walking with their feet up and their heads 
 down. The trees must be growing with their branches 
 down and their roots up. When it rains it must rain 
 upwards. Everything must be upside down, even if the 
 people and the animals and the houses could stay upon 
 
42 COLUMBUS. 
 
 the earth. But we know, moreover, that they would 
 fall — down, down, down, we know not where. Our 
 noble king is far too sensible to be imposed upon by 
 this half-crazy wool-comber." 
 
 To all these arguments, if such foolish words can 
 be called arguments, Columbus answered clearly and 
 simply. But it was lost upon these bigoted men. He 
 was dismissed ; and the convention broke up, delighted, 
 no doubt, with the brilliancy of their own logic. 
 
 Wherever man 
 Has sailed the world of waters, there have I. 
 To the Spanish Archipelagos, the Azores ; 
 To Africa, to Thule ; — and I have sought 
 From sailors, Latins, Greeks, Jews, Moors, 
 For proof of hindrances to the straight course ; — 
 All these can give not one ! And year by year 
 My hopj has grown and strengthened. Now T see 
 God's finger pointing westward ! 
 
 A. Chase, 
 
COLUMBUS. 43 
 
 COLUMBUS FAVORED BY ISABELLA. 
 
 It was a bitter disappointment to Columbus that he 
 had been so unreservedly condemned in this convention 
 of " wisest men." For a time hope seemed dead. 
 
 The council, however, had unwittingly done him 
 service, in that it had brought Columbus into public 
 notice, and had set the whole country talking and think- 
 ing about him. And in spite of the decision of the 
 council, there sprang up here and there men who dared 
 claim that the council had made a grave mistake. 
 
 For more than a year Columbus remained about 
 the Court, still urging his claim whenever he could find 
 a listening ear. Again he was condemned by a council 
 of " wise men." Wars arose, and Columbus was cast 
 aside. " Intrude upon our sovereigns no further," said 
 one of the Court, " until we are free from war, at 
 least." 
 
 There seemed, indeed, little prospect of aid from 
 Spain. Seven long years now he had spent begging the 
 
44 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 government to aid him in a project which was sure to 
 bring Spain nothing but honor and glory. 
 
 COLUMBUS TELLING HIS STORY TO THE MONK. 
 
 " I will go again to the convent and see my boy 
 Diego ; then 1 will appeal to the French Court/' said 
 Columbus. 
 
COLUMBUS. 45 
 
 Again, travel-worn and weary, his face now fur- 
 rowed with care, his hair whitened, his body bent with 
 fast approaching age, Columbus arrived at the convent 
 gate. The good prior received him with hearty wel- 
 come. 
 
 Again they talked over the belief of possible 
 lands across the sea ; and when Columbus proposed now 
 turning to France for aid, the prior, more convinced 
 than ever as the years rolled on, was aroused. " This 
 glory must not pass out of Spain," said he. " Some- 
 thing must be done. How can the philosophers and the 
 churchmen be so short-sighted ? " 
 
 Accordingly, he wrote a long letter to Isabella, 
 urging her to consider well Columbus' claim, and to 
 allow no prejudice to blind her to the truth that seemed 
 so clear. Now, this prior was a great friend of Isa- 
 bella, and was held in high esteem by her. 
 
 Isabella, though weighed down with cares, gave 
 heed to the prior's appeal. 
 
 " Come to me," wrote she in reply. " I would hear 
 
46 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 of this man and of his claims. I feel there is much of 
 truth in them." 
 
 THE PRIOR ON HIS WAT TO ISABELLA. 
 
 You may be sure the good prior was not long in 
 setting out upon his journey. Hiring a mule from a 
 
COLUMBUS. 47 
 
 village neighbor, he rode forth from the convent at 
 night-fall. " It is as well," said he, " that every one 
 does not know of our movements ; therefore, I will go 
 covered by the darkness ; and besides, the long wastes 
 of hot, dry sand will be passed before the sun-rise ; and 
 so will my journey be cooler and more comfortable." 
 
 Accordingly the affairs of the convent were 
 intrusted to the monk of the next lowest order. Col- 
 umbus and his son were given into the care of the little 
 band of brothers in the convent. 
 
 With all possible haste the monk hurried across the 
 country. Arriving at the royal quarters, he announced 
 himself without loss of time. Summoned to her 
 Majesty's presence, good Antonio was received with joy 
 as an old and trusted friend and faithful counsellor. 
 
 With eloquence he set forth his reason for wishing 
 her to listen to the appeal of Columbus. He spoke to 
 her of his dignity, his thoughtfulness, his extensive 
 knowledge ; more than that, he appealed to her in the 
 name of the Church to let not this opportunity pass 
 
48 COLUMBUS. 
 
 by for spreading Christianity through this great un- 
 known Asia. 
 
 Now, Antonio, in all the years he had been the 
 Queen's confessor, had come to know the characters of 
 both Queen and King. He knew Isabella might be 
 reached through her zeal for the spread of the religion 
 of her country ; but that Ferdinand, his eye always 
 open to the chance of gain of wealth, would be far more 
 likely to respond to the arguments of possible riches and 
 glory to come to him, and the power to which Spain 
 would be raised among the nations of Europe should it 
 come about that those great new lands should be added 
 to its dominions. 
 
 Indeed, so wisely and so well did he carry himself 
 that both King and Queen commanded that Columbus 
 be at once brouofht to them. Antonio sent a letter 
 to Columbus, bidding him come at once, and en- 
 closing from the Queen money with which to defray the 
 expenses of the journey from the convent to the royal 
 Court. 
 
COLUMBUS. 49 
 
 And now Columbns forgot the long, long years 
 of waiting ; the discouragements ; the disappointments 
 Surely at last his success was upon him. With all the 
 eagerness of a child, Columbus prepared for his journey, 
 and in a few hours he was far out upon the same, bound 
 for the Court — once more to be received into the 
 presence of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of 
 Castile. 
 
 Now, Ferdinand was King of Aragon only ; and 
 Isabella was Queen of Castile in her own right. She 
 had, therefore, her own revenue, her own army, and 
 her own court ; and was able to move in this matter, as 
 in any other, freely and independently of Ferdinand. 
 
 " I have never given this much thought," said she. 
 " The Council met with Ferdinand the King, and, busy 
 with other matters, I inquired little of this. But it in- 
 terests me. It impresses me. You will send Columbus 
 to me at once." 
 
 Once more the star of hope seemed to have arisen. 
 Presenting himself before the Queen, not as a beggar. 
 
mil 'Ul . 
 
 COT>UMBTJS APPEAT^S TO TSARKT>T>A. 
 
COLUMBUS. 51 
 
 but as one who offered her a golden opportunity, he 
 said, " I ask only a few ships and a few sailors with 
 which to travel westward over the now unknown ocean. 
 I will thus find for your majesty a new and shorter route 
 to India, and will open to you an unknown land, the 
 wealth and power of which no man can estimate. In 
 return, I ask only that I may be made Viceroy of what 
 I may discover, and that I be granted one-tenth of the 
 wealth that I may bring to Spain." 
 
 " What audacity ! " cried the courtiers. " To make 
 terms with the Queen ! A mere beggarly sea-captain ! 
 A common wool-comber ! " 
 
 Influenced by these courtiers, the queen summoned 
 Columbus again to her, offering to aid him if he would 
 make his own demands less extravagant. 
 
 But Columbus would not yield, " I go not as a 
 hireling," said he with pride. 
 
 Isabella was annoyed. She was willing to assist 
 him ; more than that, she desired to assist him ; but to 
 be dictated to as to her terms, was something new to her 
 
52 COLUMBUS. 
 
 queenship ; and Columbus was dismissed with a great 
 show of freezing dignity. 
 
 Now, indeed, Cohimbus' last hope of aid from Spain 
 was dead. Sadly he remounted his mule and started 
 upon his journey back to the convent. 
 
 •^ I am not content to have dismissed this man 
 Columbus," said she to Ferdinand. " The character 
 of his mind, the grandeur of his schemes, his education, 
 and his fine breeding, tell me he is no common adven- 
 turer. And if his story should be true, and some other 
 country should aid him, what disgrace would be reflected 
 upon us, and what a loss would it be to our country." 
 
 " But war has cost us so much," said Ferdinand. 
 
 " Still, something tells me it should be done. Yes 
 and it shall be done. I will pledge my jewels to raise 
 the funds ! " cried Isabella, moved by a sudden impulse 
 And, calling a servant, a courier was sent with all speed 
 to overtake Columbus and bring him again to the 
 queen. 
 
 Now, these words of Isabella sound very heroic and 
 
COLUMBUS. 53 
 
 self-sacrificing. They have made a pretty little speech 
 to pass down in history by the admirers of this queen. 
 
 But I am afraid we must admit that while they 
 were genuine in their impulse, they were not so genuine 
 in the spirit of sacrifice ; for when we read that in the 
 recent war Isabella had filled her coffers to overflowing, 
 by her almost perfidious conduct towards the Moors of 
 Malaga, we must acknowledge that there w^as little 
 call for her to sacrifice her jewels. Still let us respect 
 her impulse, and remember that, if she had not moved 
 perhaps no one else would have, and Columbus, already 
 old and broken, might have died, and so the result of 
 his thought have been lost. 
 
 Columbus with bowed head and heavy heart, was 
 toiling across the sands, only a few miles advanced on 
 his journey. Deep in thought as he was, the clattering 
 of the hoofs of the courier's horse did not reach him 
 until he heard, " Columbus ! Columbus ! In the name 
 of the Queen I command you to return to the Court ! " 
 
 For a moment Columbus hesitated. So long had he 
 
54 COLUMBUS. 
 
 waited, so often had he been repulsed, he had little now 
 but distrust of both Spanish sovereigns. Assured by 
 the courier, however, that the queen was really in 
 earnest now, he turned back, half in hope, half in doubt. 
 But when Isabella came to a decision she was quick 
 to act. She at once summoned Columbus to her 
 presence, and told him that she readily assented to all 
 his dem.ands, and that a fleet should at once be fitted 
 out. 
 
 Darkness will flee away 
 
 Only endure ; 
 
 Sunlight will come again 
 
 Fadeless and pure. 
 
 List to the sea-waves' song 
 
 Laving the shore, 
 
 Weary one, waiting one, 
 
 Hope evermore. 
 
 Storm-beat and tempest-tossed 
 
 Succor is near ; 
 
 Thoul't win the goal at last, 
 
 O never fear ! 
 
 List to the sea- waves' song. 
 
 Laving the shore, — 
 
 Weary one, striving one, 
 
 Hope evermore ! " 
 
COLUMBUS. 55 
 
 GETTING THE FLEET READY. 
 
 Again Columbus, the monk, and their friends are 
 together in the monk's little cell in the convent, poring 
 as before, over papers spread out upon the table ; but 
 such different papers ! 
 
 The little dingy maps are pushed aside ; and in 
 their stead lay the great parchments of the king and 
 queen, with the royal seals shining out, fresh and new, 
 upon them. 
 
 " The contents of these royal papers," said the 
 monk, " should be published in the village at once. 
 
 "And would it not be the best and surest way," 
 continued he, " to have the curate at the village church 
 give notice that all shall gather to hear read certain 
 summonses from their Majesties the king and queen." 
 
 " I fear there will be trouble among these wooden- 
 headed villagers," said one of the company, shaking his 
 head ruefully. 
 
 " I fear nothing," answered Columbus, hopefully, 
 
56 COLUMBUS. 
 
 '' since at last the king and queen have authorized the 
 undertaking. Though there be delay even, it can be 
 but for a time. I would be glad, though, if the crew 
 might be a willing one. An unwilling crew is hard to 
 handle when once they lose sight of land." 
 
 Accordingly notice was given to the village notary; 
 and on the appointed day, the little church was crowded 
 with the village folk, and with sailors and fishermen all 
 eager, some anxious, to hear what the royal summons 
 might be. Among them were the Pinzons, the 
 wealthiest and most influential family in the village — a 
 family, of which, by-and-by, we are to hear no little in 
 this story of Columbus. 
 
 Columbus and Antonio entered the church. The 
 service was devoutly intoned by priest and people. And 
 now, the religious services being over, the curate 
 announced that the notary would read the commands 
 from their Majesties to the loyal subjects of Palos. 
 
 A stillness like death fell upon the people. 
 Columbus stepped forward. From his velvet doublet he 
 
COLUMBUS. 57 
 
 drew forth the royal parchment and, bowing reverently 
 over the royal signatures as he unrolled it, he passed it 
 to the notary. 
 
 The notary, as was the custom, called together all 
 the village authorities to witness, there upon the parch- 
 ment, as proof of the truth of what he should read, the 
 royal signatures, pressed in colored wax. In a high 
 voice, the people staring, breathless, he read as follows: 
 
 '^ DON Ferdinand and Dona Isabella, by the Grace of Gocl 
 King and Queen of Castile, of Leo i, of Aragon, of SiciW, of 
 Granada, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of the Balearic 
 Isles, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Cordova, of Corsica, of Murcia, 
 of Jaen, of the Algarves, of Algecira, of Gibraltar, and of the 
 Canary Islands ; Counts of Barcelona ; Dukes of Athens and of 
 Neopatria ; Counts of Kousillon and of Cerdania ; Marquises of 
 Oristan and of Gociano ; 
 
 " To you, Diego Rodriguez Prieto, and to all other persons, 
 your friends and neighbors of the town of Palos, and to each one 
 of you, health and happiness ! 
 
 " Well do you know that for certain acts done and com- 
 mitted by you all in disobedience of Our commands, you were 
 condemned by Our Council to serve Us for twelve months with 
 two vessels, armed at your own cost and expense, whenever and 
 
58 COLUMBUS. 
 
 wherever you should be by Us commanded, upon certain 
 penalties, as is set forth more at length in the before-mentioned 
 sentence which was rendered against you. 
 
 " And now," the notary continued, having taken time to 
 breathe, "inasmuch as We have commanded Cristoval Colon that 
 he should go with a fleet of three ships to certain parts of the 
 Ocean Sea upon sundry affairs which relate to Our service, and 
 We desire that he take with him the two vessels with which you 
 are bound, in the said manner, to serve Us, We therefore order 
 you that within the ten days first following the day on which you 
 are summoned by this Letter, without making any petition to Us, 
 or consulting with Us, or waiting for anything, or needing any 
 further Letter from Us about the matter, you have equipped and 
 put in order the said two armed vessels, as you are bound to do 
 in virtue of the said sentence, ready to sail with the said 
 Cristoval Colon wherever We may order him to go." 
 
 Loud murmurs arose among the people. Protests 
 were heard on every side. The men growled and 
 cursed. The women, excited, scolded and threatened. 
 
 " Silence ! " thundered the notary. " We are here 
 to listen to their Highnesses' commands like loyal 
 subjects. Let no man dare censure them. 
 
 "And upon the completion of the said period," he resumed 
 
COLUMBUS. 59 
 
 reading, "you shall depart with him and thenceforth sail with 
 him wherever and whenever he, on Our part, shall say and direct. 
 And We have ordered him to advance to you, for those of you 
 who go upon the said cruise, four months' wages at the rates 
 which are paid to the sailors from other ports who are also to go 
 with him in your two ships and in the third ship which We order 
 him to take ; which wages are to be the same as are paid along 
 your coast to men who go to sea in armed vessels. And, having 
 thus set out, you are to follow the course whicli he, on Our 
 behalf, sliall lay down for you, and you are to obey his com- 
 mands and follow his orders and directions. 
 
 "And when you shall l)ring a certificate signed by the said 
 Captain that he is satisfied with your service with the said two 
 armed vessels. We shall consider you to be freed from the said 
 penalty whicli by the sentence of Our Council was imposed upon 
 you, and from now until that time and from that time until now 
 We shall consider that We have been well and fully served b}^ you 
 in the matter of the said vessels for the whole time and in tlie 
 manner demanded of you by Our said Council." 
 
 And now the hum of voices burst out again — but 
 this time less indignantly. The sound of " wages in 
 advance " had produced some change of sentiment, 
 though very little, and with mutterings under breath, 
 the people passed out from the church. 
 
60 COLUMBUS. 
 
 THE TROUBLE INCREASES. 
 
 Hardly twenty-four hours had passed by when it 
 became clear enough that resistance, stubborn and un- 
 yielding, would arise against the commands of the King 
 and Queen. 
 
 On every side were muttering and growling. Not 
 only among the people did Columbus find trouble in 
 carrying out his plans, but among the magistrates them- 
 selves, did he meet with that stubborn inactivity and 
 stolidity, that, while it cannot be seized upon and pun- 
 ished as out-and-out rebellion, is no less exasperating 
 and defying. 
 
 The owners of vessels all claimed that their vessels 
 were too old, or too much out of repair to go out upon 
 the ocean ; the pilots, captains, sailors, each and all had 
 ready excuses for not being themselves able to set forth ; 
 and the magistrates, though not daring open rebellion, 
 were accepting the most flimsy excuses, and granting 
 releases from service from all who applied ; moreover, . 
 
COLUMBUS. 61 
 
 they had permitted to sail out from the harbor all the 
 largest and strongest vessels. 
 
 Meantime Columbus was busy at work, watching 
 the movements and learning all about the ships of Palos, 
 and making the acquaintance of all the reliable captains 
 and pilots in the village. Up and down the coast of 
 Palos and the adjoining villages he went, trying to 
 enlist the people in the undertaking. But it grew very 
 evident that ten days would pass long before the royal 
 decrees would be carried out. 
 
 At last to the Pinzons he went. The three brothers, 
 Martin Alonzo, Vicenfce Yanez, and Francisco Martin, 
 were by far the most influential men in the village. To 
 these men, intelligent as they were, Columbus made no 
 secret of his intended voyage. He laid his plan before 
 them, explained to them his hopes of success, and 
 invited them to join him in his undertaking. 
 
 The Pinzons were known far and wide to be bold 
 and daring navigators, and more than that, very success- 
 ful navigators, and were consequently popular among 
 
62 COLUMBUS 
 
 those who had sailed with them, and among the people 
 of the village. 
 
 The ten days were up. Nothing was ready. More 
 than once ship owners had flatly refused to let their 
 ships go out on any such " fooFs quest " as that of this 
 Genoese Columbus. 
 
 Finding all efforts useless, Columbus dispatched a 
 messenger to their Majesties, laying before them the 
 exact condition of affairs in Palos. At the same time 
 he took Martin Pinzon into his entire confidence, ex- 
 plained to him fully his grounds for expecting to find 
 Asia by sailing directly west, offered to give the brothers 
 a share in the profits of the undertaking, besides their 
 liberal salaries, and a commission on all pilots, captains 
 and sailors that they should prevail upon to willingly 
 accompany them. 
 
 " If you can help me," Columbus said, " it will be 
 well for us all. You will bring wealth and fame to the 
 Pinzon family, and you will save me the use of force in 
 fitting out my expedition." 
 
COLUMBUS. 63 
 
 To Martin Pinzon especially, all this was very allur- 
 ing. Like all intelligent and thoughtful sea-faring men 
 at this time, he had listened with interest to the vague 
 rumors of land across the ocean, and as he himself had 
 sailed far out, he had often looked and wondered what 
 might be away out there to the west where no ship had 
 ever sailed. More than this, the prospect of riches, of 
 silver and gold, of spices and pearls, appealed to his love 
 of wealth and power. 
 
 For some days the Pinzons talked the matter over ; 
 and at last Martin Pinzon came to Columbus, offering 
 the service of himself and his brothers, providing they 
 could agree upon terms. 
 
 Not a day too soon did they come to this decision ; 
 for on the next morning there appeared in the village a 
 horseman who inquired for Senor Columbus, the com- 
 mander of the fleet, which at their Majesties' command 
 was being fitted out at Palos. 
 
 The new-comer had an air of authority about him, 
 giving the magistrates an uncomfortable feeling of fear. 
 
64 COLUMBUS. 
 
 ^' He may be a messenger from the King," whis- 
 pered they. 
 
 And it was not long before they found their worst 
 fears wholly realized. 
 
 With Columbus and Pinzon, later in the day he 
 appeared before the chief and inquired of him what had 
 been done. 
 
 The chief was ready with excuses — such excellent 
 excuses, so they thought ; but, behold, they moved not 
 the stern messenger. In a few brief, telling sentences 
 he gave the magistrates to understand that their be- 
 havior was well known to their Majesties, and that were 
 not their commands obeyed at once, little time would 
 ensue between certain threats and the execution of those 
 threats by the royal authority. 
 
 The magistrates understood — moreover, they knew 
 that they were understood, and that further parleying 
 would be dangerous. The Pinzons, too, came forward 
 now and declared their intention of sailing with 
 Columbus, and urged their fellow-seamen to join them. 
 
COLUMBUS. 65 
 
 After this, Columbus had far less trouble. The 
 magistrates now fully realized that he had the royal 
 authority back of him and dared no longer refuse to 
 co-operate with him. The ship owners, too, permitted, 
 though grumblingly, their vessels to be examined as to 
 fitness for the expedition. 
 
 At length three vessels were chosen — the " Pinta," 
 the " Nina," and the " Santa Maria." 
 
 These vessels were now put through a careful 
 examination and were carefully repaired, and made in 
 every way sound and safe. They were brought up on to 
 the river-bank and thoroughly cleaned, calked, and tal- 
 lowed. Rigging and sails were overhauled and made 
 strong and secure. Provisions and supplies for a year's 
 voyage were stored away, and finally a strong crew was 
 selected. Landsmen for riggers, carpenters, calkers, and 
 soldiers for possible emergencies, were added to the 
 number, and at last, near the end of July, the expedition 
 was ready to set out. 
 
 As the day for sailing drew near the excitement in 
 
66 COLUMBUS. 
 
 the little town rose higher and higher. Many who had 
 willingly agreed to go, now began to draw back ; some 
 ran away and hid. Columbus himself caught the calkers 
 leaving long seams in the ship open that they might 
 have to turn back when a little way out to sea, and seek 
 the port for repairs. 
 
 Early and late, in these last days, did Columbus 
 work, — punishing the evil-disposed and encouraging 
 the faint-hearted. Finally, on the second of August, 
 Columbus announced himself ready to sail. 
 
 " I have," wrote he to their majesties, " three 
 vessels very suitable for the intended service, well fur- 
 nished with a great plenty of supplies of all kinds, and 
 manned with a large force of sea-poino* folk." 
 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 67 
 
 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 AUGUST 3, 1492. 
 
 SANTA MARIA, NINA, AND PINTA. 
 
 Very early on the morning- of August 3, the little 
 fleet set out from the harbor. The light mists of very 
 early morning were still hanging over the waters, as the 
 vessels passed into the channel. It was broad day-hght 
 when the fleet, reaching the bar, bounded out into the 
 ocean waters of the broad Atlantic. 
 
COLUMBUS. 69 
 
 And now the land breeze, which had died away, as 
 the sun rose higher and higher, was succeeded by a fresh 
 strong breeze from the open sea. 
 
 The ships plunged forth through the rollers on the 
 shallow bar, the sails filled, and the three ships were 
 headed due south to clear the Spanish coast, then lay 
 direct from the distant Canary Islands. 
 
 Now, Columbus was too old, and too experienced a 
 sailor not to know of the possibilities for mutiny among 
 sailors such as he had been obliged to take with him. 
 Little confidence had he in them. Too many, he knew 
 well enough, had come merely from hope of plunder m 
 the lands which they should discover ; others had come, 
 driven by fear of the royal threats. Very few, if any, 
 came willingly, and with honorable intentions to be loyal 
 to their commander. 
 
 Knowing all diis, Columbus had arranged with 
 Martin Pinzon to divide the doubtful sailors in such a 
 manner, that all might be under strong control. 
 
 He himself took command of the Santa Maria, on 
 
70 COLUMBUS. 
 
 which were a large number of the grumbling discon- 
 tented sailors. With him, too, he carried the officers of 
 the Crown. 
 
 In command of the Pinta, he placed Martin Alonzo, 
 with his brother Francisco as officer next in power. 
 With these, he placed two especially troublesome fellows, 
 Rascon and Quintero, the owners of the vessel, and bade 
 the Pinzons watch them closely. 
 
 The other Pinzon commanded the Nina ; and, it is 
 a pleasure to note just here, that the " Nina " ("little 
 girl,") gave Columbus neither anxiety nor trouble during 
 the voyage ; and was in an hour of danger, the means 
 of saving him, and all the crew on the flag-ship, Santa 
 Maria. 
 
 The fresh strong breeze of the morning held good 
 all day, and at sun-down the vessels had sailed so 
 far south, that Columbus, signaling his companion 
 vessels, turned his course south-west and stood straight 
 for the Canary Islands. 
 
 The next day, and the next, found the fleet holding 
 
72 COLUMBUS. 
 
 steadily to its way, and making* its five or six miles an 
 hour. 
 
 Surely, such days as these at the very outset were 
 indeed, an earnest of success. 
 
 Columbus was full of hope and cheer, and encouraged 
 his officers one and all to reason away the foolish dread 
 and doubt, and superstitious fear in the hearts of 
 so many of the sailors. 
 
 On the next day, the wind was stronger still. 
 Suddenly the Pinta hoisted the signal of distress. 
 
 " The rudder is lost ! " called Martin Pinzon to 
 Columbus, as the Santa Maria drew near. " But we can 
 soon remedy that ! We can rig up some sort of a 
 makeshift." 
 
 " 'T is well Martin Alonzo is on board the ship," 
 Columbus said to his aides, as they watched the smaller 
 craft tossing and pitching a cable's length away. " I 
 greatly doubt if her rascally owners did not aid the 
 waves in their work of wrecking the rudder there. 
 They are mutinous dogs at best, and gave me many a 
 
COLUMBUS. 73 
 
 ruffle ere we sailed. Had they their own way, I warrant, 
 they would find in this early mischance a good excuse 
 for putting back to Spain." 
 
 Martin Alonzo found it no easy matter to build a 
 " make-shift " for a rudder ; but he was a man of will 
 and of resources as well. Before night, he signaled 
 Columbus, that all was well, and the vessels sailed along 
 
 again. 
 
 The next morning, however, the rudder again was 
 found broken, and a day or two later, the vessel 
 sprang a leak. There was no doubt now, but that the 
 two men who owned the vessel were at the bottom of all 
 this. Nothing could be done, but to keep sharp watch 
 upon them, and proceed cautiously till the Canaries 
 should be reached. There the vessel was over-hauled, 
 and thoroughly repaired, and the crew changed about. 
 After that all went well, the Pinta proving to be the 
 best sailing vessel of the three. 
 
 On the following Sunday there was seen looming up 
 in the far distance, a blaze of fire. 
 
74 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " It's an angry sea-god ! " cried some of the sailors. 
 " We shall be burned alive ! We are reaching the 
 land of fire ! " cried others. 
 
 THE BURNING MOUNTAIN. 
 
 " Fools ! " sneered others, who in previous voyages 
 had seen such volumes of fire before. " It is only a 
 volcano ; a burning mountain ! " 
 
 As they drew nearer, the frightened sailors, who 
 had never seen such a sight before, now perceiving that 
 the fire did indeed issue forth from a mountain, as 
 
COLUMBUS. 75 
 
 their fellow-sailors had said, grew calm again. This 
 incident had a good affect upon the ignorant ones among 
 the crew, for it showed them that one, at least, of the 
 dreaded horrors of the ocean had proven after all a 
 mere nothing. 
 
 This volcano was the Peak of Teneriffe, on that 
 island called the " Great Canary." 
 
 Another help, too, came both to Columbus and his 
 sailors in this : that at the Canaries, where the fleet 
 waited to repair the Pinta, the natives were full of 
 accounts of a great land away out to the west, which on 
 very clear days, could be easily seen from the mountain- 
 tops. Hearing these repeated accounts, the sailors took 
 courage, and when the little fleet was ready to set sail 
 again, the crew were in high spirits, brave and full 
 of courage. 
 
 But no sooner were they ready to set sail, than word 
 came that three Portuguese vessels were cruising about 
 some seventy miles to the west. 
 
 " Spain and Portugal are at peace, " said Colum- 
 
76 COLUMBUS. 
 
 bus, " and there can be but one reason for the presence 
 of three Portuo^uese vessels in these far ofP waters. 
 There can be no doubt they are sent out to take 
 us prisoners." 
 
 "May God forbid," said Martin Alonzo, *' that 
 a fleet of our great monarchs should turn back at 
 the bidding of a Portuguese ! We have left our 
 homes to find the coast of Asia ; and God helping us, 
 we will ! " 
 
 ""Well said," answered Columbus. "Now let us 
 keep well together and sail to the south of this island. 
 Then will the Portuguese captain have but a sorry 
 report to make to his sovereign, when next they meet." 
 
 And away the brave little fleet sped. All that day, 
 and night, and the next day, and next night, Columbus 
 kept anxious outlook ; but the Portuguese evidently had 
 not discovered their flight. 
 
 And now the winds died away ; the waters became 
 smooth. The heat grew more and more intense ; the 
 sails flapped idly, not a sound was heard among the 
 
COLUMBUS. 77 
 
 rio-o-incr. For three days did this " dead cahn " last, 
 the vessels, wholly at the mercy of the waves, rolling 
 and dipping in the glassy water. 
 
 The sailors were terror-stricken. " Are we to lie 
 here and die ? " asked one. " Are we beyond the reach 
 of the wind ? " asked another. " We must be in shallow 
 water near the edge of the earth ! " cried another. 
 
 " Perhaps we shall be rocked over, down, down 
 into space ! " whined another, his knees shaking with 
 fear. 
 
 " It is as the people said," groaned another ; " no 
 good will come of such a sacrilegious voyage as 
 
 this." 
 
 " May the Father forgive us ! " cried another. 
 " He knows we would not have come. His curse will 
 fall upon them that forced us to this." 
 
 All this, together with the sullen looks and 
 the angry mutterings, was anything but a help to 
 Columbus, weighed down as he was himself with 
 anxiety. 
 
78 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Glad indeed was lie when at last a stiff breeze arose, 
 and again the vessels were speeding along. The sailors 
 were convinced that they were not beyond the reach of 
 the winds, at least. 
 
 So the days passed on. One night a meteor shot 
 across the sky, falling with hissing rage into the ocean. 
 Again the superstitious sailors were convulsed with 
 fear. " This surely was a thunderbolt from heaven ! " 
 
 By-and-by they struck the trade winds. Again the 
 seamen were terrified as the vessels were swept along 
 from east to west. 
 
 " Now," said the sailors, " we are in the very 
 centre of the home of the winds. They are angry 
 with us that we have found their home." 
 
 With such men as these is it any wonder that 
 Columbus resorted to all sorts of artifices to keep the 
 crew from knowing the great distance they had sailed ? 
 Two tables did Columbus keep — one of which was 
 accurate, the other only half-reckoned, with which he 
 could keep the fears of the crew within control. 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 79 
 
 LOOKING FOR LAND. 
 
 LAND ! LAND ! 
 
 For four weeks longer the little fleet held its 
 way to the west. 
 
 " Due west/' was the command of Columbus 
 
80 COLUMBUS. 
 
 every hour ; but in spite of this, his pilot and officers, 
 among whom was a strong superstitious fear of the 
 south, at every opportunity would turn the vessel a little 
 to the north. It was in the south that all the terrors 
 lay — the land of winds, the river of fire, the zone 
 of calms, and all the rest. 
 
 This trick of his sailors gave Columbus no little 
 uneasiness. If he could only depend upon even one of 
 them for faithfully carrying out his commands ! By this 
 continual pilotry of the vessel northward, not only was 
 time being lost, but the course which Columbus felt sure 
 was the direct and right one to follow was being lost and 
 there could be no calculating where the vessels would 
 land. More than that, it showed Columbus how little 
 his crew were in sympathy with him, and how ready they 
 would be at the least opportunity to mutiny. 
 
 '^ Mark you, my men ! " he said, going up to them 
 and speaking with sternness ; " our course lies west and 
 ever west, and thither shall we sail. See you to it that 
 we leave it not again without my orders. I care for 
 
COLUMBUS. 81 
 
 no more of this wandering about, and on your shoulders 
 shall fall the penalty if I am not heeded now." 
 
 Four days out from the Canaries, a great floating 
 log was passed. The sailors looked with terror upon it 
 
 ^^ It is a mast ! " they whispered to each other. 
 " A wreck ! a wreck ! " 
 
 Two days later, a new terror seized upon them. 
 The needle — even the needle refused to obey the laws 
 of the compass ! The needle no longer pointed to the 
 north ! Now all reckoning was lost ! nothing now to 
 guide them ; sure they were now to be lost ! 
 
 Now this behavior of the needle was as great 
 a surprise to Columbus, as to his men. Never had 
 h« seen or heard of it before. But it disturbed him not 
 in the least. He was thrown into no superstitious fears 
 because of it. " There is," said he, " some scientific 
 reason for this." And he set to work patiently and 
 sensibly to study it out. 
 
 Closely watching the compass day and night, and 
 comparing its fluctuations with the polar star, he found 
 
82 COLUMBUS. 
 
 that the variation was greatest at night ; while in 
 the morning the needle pointed in a true line with the 
 star. 
 
 He explained to his pilots and crew, therefore, that 
 the irregularity was due to no change on the part of the 
 compass, but to the fact that the star itself described a 
 tiny circle in the twenty-four hours, the needle thus 
 pointing a little way from it at one hour while at 
 another it was true. 
 
 This sounded sensible enough ; and once more the 
 fears of his crew were quieted. 
 
 From day to day now, new signs of land near 
 at hand began to appear. One day, great masses 
 of grass floated by : grass so fresh and green, that 
 no one could doubt — not even the most ignorant among 
 the sailors — the near apj^roach to land. 
 
 Another day, two pelicans alighted on the Santa 
 Maria ; another day, a whale went sporting by ; one 
 morning a fog-bank was plainly seen away to the north ; 
 not a day passed, but little birds flew around among 
 
COLUMBUS. 83 
 
 the rigging, singing merrily, till sunset, then flying 
 away to the southwest. 
 
 All these spoke of a speedy ending to their tedious 
 journey ; but, with unreasonable perverseness the crew 
 were led, by the very abundance of such hopeful signs 
 and the long succession of perfect weather they 
 were enjoying, to renew their grumbling and fault- 
 finding. They noted that the wind had held steadily 
 favorable to their westerly course until now, when they 
 seemed to be approaching a region of calms. 
 
 All the old yarns about ships and their companies 
 floating forever and a day in a region of oily stagnation 
 were accordingly revived. 
 
 Constantly by day and by night, the strong easterly 
 breezes had wafted them into this remote and unknown 
 ocean. Now the winds were failing them, and more 
 and more the fleet was becoming becalmed. With 
 no wind to sail with, how should they ever get further 
 to the west ? And with nothing but head winds to the 
 eastward, how should they ever make their way 
 
34 COLUMBUS. 
 
 back over that immense expanse to the port from which 
 they had sailed? 
 
 Columbus saw in this new outbreak of discontent a 
 real and eminent peril. He was not much more than 
 half-way across the distance that lay between the 
 Canaries and Asia, according to his estimates; and if 
 his men grew mutinous both at the wonders and beauties 
 of Nature, as they seemed incHned to do, he feared they 
 might turn upon him, and either compel him to put 
 about and return to Spain, or at least alter his course 
 and go on an idle search for their fancied islands. In 
 either of these events his grand project would be ruined 
 and his hopes turned into bitter failure. 
 
 But just here a fresh, strong breeze came up. The 
 waves began again to roll and tumble. " Never," wrote 
 Columbus in his log-book, " were wind and wave so 
 welcome. The men were convinced that they were not, 
 then, beyond the reach of wind and wave." 
 
 A few more days passed by. The sailors grew 
 more and more restless. Columbus' anxiety was intense. 
 
COLUMBUS. 85 
 
 If he could but control them a few hours longer ! Land 
 must be near — of that he was sure. 
 
 That very night as the sun dipped down into the 
 waters, and the horizon hne lay sharp and clear between 
 the sea and sky, Columbus and his men chmbed to the 
 " castles " built high up among the rigging. 
 
 " If only a glimpse of shore could be seen to give 
 us courage," thought Columbus. 
 
 The men watched eagerly. The sovereigns of 
 Spain had promised a reward of thirty crowns to the 
 man who should catch the first glimpse of land. 
 
 Suddenly there came a shout from the Pinta which 
 drew all eyes toward that ship. 
 
 " The prize, Senor Captain, the prize ! " called out 
 Martin Alonzo. " To me falls the reward. Yonder is 
 land, due southwest, as the compass shows." 
 
 At first Columbus saw nothing ; but hearing many 
 of the Pinta's crew shouting, and the Nina's men affirm- 
 ino- the same from the masthead and yards, to which 
 they had swarmed at the first cry from the Pinta, he 
 
86 COLUMBUS. 
 
 watched the horizon still more closely until to his sight, 
 too, there seemed to be a faint, low blot far away to the 
 southwest. 
 
 " God's blessing rest upon you, Martin Alonzo ! " 
 called out Columbus, on seeing this. " Yours is our 
 sovereigns' reward, but to Him be the praise. Let us 
 give Him thanks." 
 
 Then falling on his knees, surrounded by his officers 
 and crew, he solemnly intoned the noble chant " Gloria 
 in Excelsis, " followed by those around him, Martin 
 Alonzo and his brother, Vicente Yanez, setting a like 
 example to the men on the Pinta and the Niila. 
 
 What a picture must the three small ships have 
 presented at that moment, as they slowly rolled to the 
 long swell of that lonely ocean ! The tropical night 
 closed down upon them, and the soft breath of the trade- 
 wind carried the solemn words of those rouo'h and 
 boisterous men out into the west toward the land they 
 sought ! 
 
 There was little sleep on board the vessels that 
 
COLUMBUS. 87 
 
 night. Hardly could Columbus or the crew wait for 
 morning to dawn, the morning which was to bring to 
 them an end to the long voyage. 
 
 The new country ! the new people ! what would it 
 be like ? what would they be like ? Not a soul on board, 
 from Columbus to the youngest ship-boy, but was sure 
 the morning was to bring to them the great riches of 
 the east. 
 
 " We are," said Columbus, as darkness settled down 
 upon them, " only about twenty-five leagues from the 
 land." 
 
 With the going down of the sun there rose a stiff 
 breeze to the westward. On, on the little vessels flew in 
 the bright moonlight, nearer the wonderful new land. 
 
 At the very first breaking of the day, the sailors 
 climbed to the very highest mast-heads to catch the first 
 glimpse of land. Not a sign of land to be seen. The 
 morning grew lighter ; still no land. On all sides lay 
 the great mocking ocean, sparkling and shining as if 
 sparkling and shining were all it had to do. 
 
88 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " We have, perhaps, come too far south," said 
 Columbus. And he changed the course. All day they 
 sailed. Still no land. Evening came on ; even Pinzon 
 himself gave up in disappointment. " It must have been 
 some cloud bank we s ivv," said he. 
 
 Great as was this disappointment, it did not affect 
 the sailors as unfavorably as Columbus had feared. So 
 many of them had seen that hazy outline in the south- 
 west, that they would not believe themselves mistaken, 
 and the conviction grew up among them that, after all, 
 they would soon reach land. 
 
 For another week nothing occurred to break the 
 monotony of the voyage ; the winds were favorable and 
 the sea smooth, so they made rapid headway. Now and 
 then some land-bird would alight on the ships, or a 
 pelican swoop down to rest on their yards, and once a 
 flock of little birds settled in the rigging ; but otherwise 
 no new sign of land appeared. The sailors amused 
 themselves with snaring the birds and catching fish ; but 
 soon the old complaining and grumbling set up again. 
 
COLUMBUS. 89 
 
 And now no birds at all appeared. Columbus him- 
 self grew anxious. But one morning a great flock of 
 little land birds alighted on the masts, and he took 
 courage again. Every day, now, new signs of land 
 appeared. 
 
 " I feel in my heart," said Pinzon, " that now 
 indeed, land is close at hand." 
 
 " Have you noticed the birds ? " asked Columbus of 
 Pinzon ; " and have you thought that though we in this 
 latitude are in the midst of soft summer weather, in the 
 north it must be now — October — growing cold ? Has 
 it occurred to you that these flocks of birds are migrat- 
 ing to the south ? " 
 
 " I have watched these birds," answered Pinzon, 
 " all day ; and I had almost made bold to ask your 
 worship if, by turning our course to the south, in the 
 direction of the flight of the birds, we, too, would not 
 come to some land of warmth and sunshine." 
 
 " A little longer to the west," answered Columbus 
 thoughtfully. '' The land, I still am sure, is in the west." 
 
90 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " As your worship says," answered Pinzon ; and on 
 the vessels sailed in their old course. Twenty-four 
 hours later Columbus gave his order to the pilots — 
 " Turn the course now to the southwest ! " 
 
 The sailors, glad of any change, cheered with 
 delight ; and when the bows headed away from the 
 setting sun and the fleet stood on the more southerly 
 passage, they forgot their fancied grievances and felt 
 new hopes swell in their hearts. 
 
 For several days smooth seas, blue skies, and fair 
 winds still accompanied them, but yet no land appeared. 
 The birds continued to pass overhead by day, and at 
 night could be heard chattering and calling as they 
 swept by in the darkness. Some which alighted on the 
 vessels were found to be plainly field-birds, of a kind 
 which could not possibly find rest on the water. 
 Columbus himself noticed that the grasses and weeds 
 which floated past his ship were singularly fresh and 
 green ; the perfume of the forest came wafted out to 
 them, and he felt sure that land was close at hand. 
 
COLUMBUS. 91 
 
 The crew took courage ; hope ran high ; but again 
 the days passed by, and in this new course they seemed 
 no nearer land than before. 
 
 Again the men began to complain. At last the 
 crew of the flag-ship burst out in loud complaint and in 
 open rebellion. 
 
 " No longer," said they, " will we cruise about in 
 this fool-hardy fashion to gratify the dreams of a half- 
 crazed adventurer. Our lives are being sacrificed merely 
 to satisfy the heartless ambition of a fool-hardy sea- 
 captain." 
 
 " Suppose our worthy captain were to fall over- 
 board?" said some of the most reckless and daring 
 of the crew% insinuatingly. " Suppose he were to fall ill 
 and die ? " sneered others. 
 
 "He might fall overboard to-night," hoarsely 
 whispered one, " while he is taking the altitude of 
 the Polar Star." 
 
 But only a few of the crew encouraged these 
 extreme measures. " Let us go to him," said the others, 
 
92 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " and tell him plainly that we do not propose to sail one 
 day farther from our homes. Let us demand that, 
 without delay, we turn back to Spain." 
 
 According, they went to Columbus and stated 
 their wishes, not hesitathig to let him know that if 
 he refused, he might expect open rebellion from all 
 on board. 
 
 Columbus was a reasonable commander. He 
 appreciated the position and the feeling among the 
 crew. So, going forward to where a group of sailors 
 stood earnestly conversing together, he spoke to them 
 wdth frankness and kindness. 
 
 He showed them his chart, and explained to them 
 just what he wished to do, and just what reasons he had 
 for expecting hourly the appearance of land. 
 
 He appealed to the officers to say if he was not right 
 in what he saw to be unfailing signs of the approach 
 to land. Then dwelling largely on the great wealth of 
 the East, sure to be theirs, if only they were brave 
 enough to reach it, he begged them to consider well, if 
 
COLUMBUS. 93 
 
 they were willing, now, with the voyage so near its end, 
 the land so close upon them, to abandon all this, 
 and to return to Palos subject to the sneers and 
 laughter of their comrades. 
 
 And then after arguing in this manner with them 
 for their own good, Columbus added now a word on his 
 own account : 
 
 " I am the Captain-General of this fleet and the 
 Ambassador of our royal sovereigns to the courts 
 of Asia, my men. Under their Highnesses' orders 
 we set out for the Indies across this western sea, and to 
 the Indies we are going, with God's help and blessing. 
 Look you to it that we have no more of this ; for, 
 grumbling or no grumbling, we are going to find the 
 land we have come so far to seek." Then, turning 
 on his heel, he walked aft to his cabin. 
 
 The men were silenced by this. For a few hours at 
 least, there was a willingness on their part to go on. If 
 it should be as Columbus had said ! If the land with its 
 riches should be so close at hand ! 
 
94 COLUMBUS. 
 
 How long this spirit of submission would have 
 lasted, we cannot say. But Columbus hailed it as 
 fortunate enough, that on the very next day unmistak- 
 able signs of land appeared. 
 
 The land-birds still flew past, always keeping the 
 same direction ; but the sailors had almost ceased to heed 
 them, — they had proven false prophets. 
 
 When later in the day, however, the " Santa 
 Maria's " crew saw a green rush float by their ship, they 
 could not doubt that it had come from shore. 
 
 Some leaned over the vessel's side eagerly searching 
 for other tokens, while more yet kept a keen lookout 
 along the horizon ahead for the first faint looming of 
 the land. Before long the Pinta's men saw plainly 
 drifting past, almost within their reach, a fresh canestalk 
 and a stick of wood ; and shortly after drew on board, 
 in quick succession, another stalk, a bunch of weeds 
 which could only have grown on dry land, and a bit 
 of plank. This latter, with a second piece of wood 
 which seemed to have been cut with some tool, satisfied 
 
COLUMBUS. 95 
 
 the most timid that they were indeed approaching* 
 the shores o£ an inhabited country. 
 
 At last, night came on. Every heart was beating 
 high. Every eye was strained to discover the land 
 so soon to appear before them. Columbus himself, 
 had stationed himself far up among the rigging, that 
 he might discover the faintest trace of land. 
 
 Suddenly, afar out towards the western horizon 
 a liofht flashed. " A lio^ht 1 '' called Columbus to his 
 officers. '' Do you see a light far out in the west? " 
 
 Once, twice, thrice, the light flashed ; then nothing 
 more was seen of it. Columbus felt sure that light 
 could come from nothing but the land. Still, little 
 proof had he for the great hope within him. 
 
 Hour after hour sped by. Two o'clock came 
 and went. Just then, the moon came out clear and 
 bright from among the heavy clouds, and at the same 
 moment the dull roar of the cannon from the Pinta was 
 heard. This was the agreed signal should land be seen. 
 
 Now the Nina and the Santa Maria pressed forward 
 
96 COLUMBUS. 
 
 towards the Pinta to learn the news. But little need 
 had they to ask. There, stretched out before them, 
 not more than two miles away, lay a long line of sand, 
 upon which could be plainly seen the heavy surf 
 dashing in long, broken lines of snowy foam. 
 
 " Land 1 Land ! ' ' cried the excited crew. " Land ! 
 Land ! " echoed from ship to ship. 
 
 " It is well the light of the moon burst out upon 
 us," said Columbus, quietly ; " else I fear we are so near 
 the shallow waters, that we may have met with ship^ 
 wreck/' 
 
 Think of it I So near land as to be in danger 
 of reefs and breakers. Even that seemed a happy 
 possibility to the delighted seamen. At least, there 
 was something familiar about that ; and it had been 
 so long, so very long, since anything familiar had 
 been known to them. 
 
 " Shorten sails and lie to till day-break ! " ordered 
 Columbus. " We must advance slowly and cautiously, as 
 we approach these unknown shores." Then all the crew 
 
COLUMBUS. 97 
 
 knelt upon the ships' decks, and Columbus humbly gave 
 thanks to God, who had thus prospered this voyage, and 
 had led him to this land across the seas. 
 
 Never did morning break so slowly — as least so 
 the sailors thought. But at last, it came — the clear 
 bright morning light. 
 
 As the sun rose, throwing its light more and more 
 brightly upon the land, they saw that there lay 
 before them a beautiful, low island, rich in its wealth 
 of tropical foliage. To the weary sailors' eyes it seemed 
 as if there never were such trees, never such green 
 earth, never such a beautiful shore. 
 
 Out from the forest thronged the natives, chattering 
 and gesticulating in the wildest manner. The boats 
 were lowered ; and Columbus, dressed in robes 
 of scarlet, and with rich Castilian plumes, approached 
 the shore. Such a wealth of flowers down to the very 
 water's edge ! In the midst of them, Columbus knelt 
 and gave thanks to God. 
 
 His sailors, some of them truly penitent, others 
 
COLUMBUS. 99 
 
 cringing in the hope that their cowardice might be 
 forgotten, knelt about him weeping, praying, rejoicing 
 — all full of wild delight that their perils were over, and 
 that in spite of the croakings of the Spanish monks, 
 they were safely on shore once more. 
 
 With most imposing ceremony, Columbus took 
 possession of the new land in the name of Spain and 
 gave it the name of San Salvador (Holy Savior). The 
 natives, timidly looking on, with awe-stricken faces, 
 watched every movement of the " people of the sky," 
 as they believed they were. 
 
 By-and-by, finding that their visitors seemed 
 in nowise inclined to do them harm, the natives came 
 forward, bringing fruit and bread, and showing in every 
 possible way, through sign language, their desire to 
 welcome their guests. 
 
 All day long the sailors wandered about the island, 
 eating the rich fruit, wondering at the strange homes 
 of the natives, and admiring the grand beauty of the 
 forest. At night all returned to the ships. In the 
 
lOO 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 THE NATIVES SWIM OUT AND BRING GIFTS. 
 
 morning', at the first sign of life, a throng of natives 
 plunged into the water and swam to the ships' sides. 
 Kindly they were received, and after a short visit, 
 during which they sharply inspected the " strange white 
 birds" as they called the ships, they swam back, 
 delighted as children with the bits of colored beads that 
 Columbus had given them. 
 
COLUMBUS. 101 
 
 THE SEARCH FOR GOLD. 
 
 In a day or two Columbus set out with his boats to 
 make a tour around the island. Everywhere he found 
 the same beautiful foHage, the clear, sparkling waters, 
 the abundant fruits. 
 
 In writing- the account of this cruise about the 
 island in his journal, he says : 
 
 " Some of them offered us water and others food ; 
 while others still, when they perceived we did not intend 
 to go on shore, threw themselves into the sea and swam 
 out to us. We thought they asked us whether we came 
 from heaven, and one old man came into my barge and 
 in a loud voice cried out to the men and women ashore : 
 ' Come and see the people who have come down from 
 heaven ! bring them something to eat and drink ! ' 
 
 " A great many now appeared, both men and 
 women, each carrying something and giving thanks 
 to God by prostrating themselves on the ground and 
 raising their heads towards the skies. Afterward they 
 
102 COLUMBUS. 
 
 shouted to us that we should go on shore ; but I was 
 afraid to land on account of a great reef of rocks which 
 encircles the island, the entrance through which is very 
 narrow, although there is room enough inside for all 
 the ships in Christendom. To be sure, there are 
 certain shoals inside the reef ; but the sea is as quiet 
 as a pond. 
 
 " It was in order to examine all this that I set out 
 this morning, so that I might give an account of it 
 to your Highnesses, and also to find a good site for 
 a fort if any should be required. I came upon a piece 
 of ground on which were six cabins, which is almost 
 an island, but not quite. This could be turned com- 
 pletely into an island in two days ; but I do not think 
 it necessary, for these people are very ignorant of 
 weapons, as your Majesties can see from the seven 
 of them which I have caused to be seized, that I 
 might carry them with me and teach them our language 
 and then bring them back. 
 
 " Later on your Highnesses can either send out 
 
COLUMBUS. 103 
 
 and remove all these natives to Castile, or hold them 
 captive in the island itself, as may be best ; for fifty 
 Spaniards can keep the whole population in subjection 
 and compel them to do whatever is wanted. Close 
 to this little peninsula there are good springs and 
 groves of trees more beautiful than any I have ever 
 seen, and with their leaves as green as the woods of 
 Spain in May and April. After examining that harbor 
 I returned to the ships, and gave orders to make sail. 
 
 " So many islands are in sight, that I cannot 
 make up my mind which to visit first. The natives I 
 have brought with me explained by signs that there 
 were so many and so very many that they could not be 
 counted, and they called more than a hundred by name. 
 I have therefore chosen the largest one and decided to 
 go to it ; and this I am doing now. It is, perhaps, five 
 leagues distant from San Salvador, and of the others 
 some are nearer and some farther. 
 
 " They are all level, without any mountains, and 
 are very fertile. They are likewise inhabited, and the 
 
104 COLUMBUS. 
 
 people on them seem to make war upon their neighbors, 
 although these I have with me are very simple-hearted 
 and magnificent specimens of manhood." 
 
 But ColumbuSj like his successors in Spanish 
 explorations, was looking for wealth. Rich foliage and 
 sparkling waters were hardly gifts to carry back to 
 Isabella. 
 
 One morning there appeared at the water's edge, 
 some beautiful women decked out with bright feathers, 
 and with bright yellow rings of gold in their noses, 
 'd^agerly Columbus approached them, and made offers 
 to exchange his bright colored beads for the golden 
 rings. " Here at last," said Columbus, " is an 
 indication of gold. We must find where it came from." 
 
 Closely inquiring of the natives, they told him, or 
 at least he thought they did, judging as well as he 
 could from their signs and unknoAvn words, that 
 somewhere, farther south, was a land of gold. There 
 was a king there, so they said, who sat upon a golden 
 throne and was served upon golden dishes. 
 
COLUMBUS. 105 
 
 " We must seize some of these natives/' said 
 Columbus, '^ and teach them Spanish. We can never 
 learn anything without interpreters." Seven men were 
 accordingly chosen, and were carried on ship-board. 
 Some say these seven natives went willingly ; but there 
 is a story told of one, who, seeing a canoe-load of his 
 people at a little distance from the ship, sprang 
 overboard and swam to them so rapidly that the 
 Spaniards could not overtake him. This story, if true, 
 looks as if the natives were given very little choice as to 
 whether they would serve their Spanish guests or not. 
 
 A boat set off in pursuit of the canoe ; but reached 
 it only in time to see its occupants flee into the forests, 
 leaving the canoe upon the shore. The canoe the 
 sailors took back to their ship, as a trophy to be 
 exhibited by-and-by in Spain. This was a mean act ; 
 for the generous natives would gladly have given them 
 more canoes than they could have carried ; and would 
 have been proud that they had anything worthy 
 to be carried away by these " people from the sky." 
 
106 COLUMBUS. 
 
 At another time, a native, having heard that the 
 Spaniards would buy their balls of cotton, paddled 
 up to the ship's side and held up a large ball for 
 the sailors to see. The sailors, leaning over, and 
 pretending to examine the cotton, seized the poor native 
 and dragged him on board. 
 
 Columbus, who had seen this mean act, ordered 
 the captive to be brought to him. The poor Indian, 
 trembling with fear, dropped upon his knees before 
 Columbus, holding up the ball of cotton, as if to say, 
 " I meant no harm. I only wanted to change my 
 cotton for a piece of colored glass. 0, children of 
 the skies ! let me be free, let me be free ! '* 
 
 Columbus, sternly rebuking his sailors, gave the 
 poor Indian a string of bright beads, placed upon his 
 head a gay colored cap, and ordered him to be put 
 into his canoe and allowed to return to the island. 
 
 Columbus, it is said, was always kind to the 
 natives, and was careful that his sailors, as far as he 
 was able to command, should also be careful in their 
 
COLUMBUS. 107 
 
 treatment of them. It would have been well had 
 the successors of Columbus followed his policy in this 
 respect, as well as in many others. 
 
 The natives Columbus had brought with him from 
 San Salvador,— or his interpreters, although they did 
 not know a word of Spanish, indicated to him by signs 
 that there was plenty of gold in a certain island near by, 
 and that the inhabitants wore heavy bracelets and 
 anklets of this precious metal. At least, this is what 
 the Admiral supposed they said. 
 
 But when he went on shore the next morning at 
 daylight, accompanied by all the boats of the squadron, 
 he found the people to be in the same poor condition as 
 those of San Salvador. On seeing this he came to 
 the conclusion that the interpreters had only told 
 him such tales to get a chance of going on shore 
 and running away. Nor is it at all improbable; for 
 even a few days passed on board the small ship must 
 have convinced the men of Guanahani that their freedom 
 was better than a half prison life with the Spaniards. 
 
108 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Columbus realized this, and also that it was 
 very necessary that, if they would hope for peace 
 or success on future voyages, these natives must be 
 treated kindly, and above all not be frightened by 
 the new-comers to their shores. 
 
 At another time when he was approaching a new 
 island a native rowed swiftly to the ship's side and 
 asked to be taken on board. 
 
 When he was safe upon deck, he opened a little 
 basket in which were some colored beads and two 
 Spanish coins. " I go," said the Indian, with many 
 signs and much gesticulation, " from my island to the 
 one to which you are now directed to show them 
 these presents and make them ready for you." 
 
 Columbus ordered that their guest be treated with 
 the greatest kindness and honor ; and when they drew 
 near the island, giving him fresh presents, the native 
 was put into his canoe to paddle ashore. 
 
 In the morning, when the Spaniards landed in their 
 boats, they found the natives already at the water-side 
 
COLUMBUS. 109 
 
 eager to welcome the strange new people with the 
 " great white birds." 
 
 This island, too, they found rich and beautiful 
 in everything but gold. At every step they saw new 
 beauties and new wonders. 
 
 On their return to the ship, Columbus again wrote 
 in his journal for the king and queen : 
 
 " While the men were away getting the water, 
 I wandered among the trees, which were the most 
 beautiful things to look at that I ever saw. They are 
 very different from those we are accustomed to, and 
 many of them have several kinds of branches springing 
 from a single trunk, — one branch of one sort and 
 another of another, so that it is the greatest marvel in 
 the world to see them. 
 
 " One branch will have leaves like a cane-stalk, 
 and another like a gum-tree and so on, half a dozen 
 kinds on one trunk. These are not grafted, for one 
 can tell when a graft is made ; but they grow wild in 
 this manner, and the people pay no attention to them. 
 
no COLUMBUS. 
 
 " The fishes also are entirely different from ours'; 
 some are like cocks, of the most beautiful colors 
 imaginable, — blue, red, yellow, and every other color ; 
 and some painted in a thousand fashions. The colors 
 are so perfect that there is not a man among us who 
 is not astonished at them, and does not delight in 
 seeing them. Off the islands there are also whales ; 
 but on the land I saw no animals of any kind except 
 lizards and parrots, although one of the sailors told 
 me he had seen a large snake." 
 
 But all this time the natives had been pointing 
 eastward and telling the Spaniards of an island there 
 where gold would be found in plenty. 
 
 Accordingly on the morning of the 19th of 
 October, Columbus set sail in the direction indicated by 
 the natives. In a few hours they were in sight of 
 it ; and by noon were close upon it. 
 
 On this island, so the interpreters insisted, there 
 was a great city, and a king, and such stores of gold 
 and treasure. 
 
COLUMBUS. Ill 
 
 Reaching the shore the Spaniards saw little signs 
 of anything like a city; indeed, Columbus had Httle 
 faith in the extravagant stories of the natives. 
 
 Still every effort must be made to carry back to 
 Spain shiploads of gold, as proofs of what wonderful 
 shores they had visited, and as incitement to Spanish 
 sailors to visit these lands on later voyages. Writing 
 of this island as they lay to, waiting for a favorable 
 time to land, Columbus said : 
 
 " In the morning I am going alongshore until I can 
 see and talk with this king, who, according to what they 
 tell me with their signs, is lord over all these islands 
 hereabouts, and is properly clothed, and wears much 
 gold about his person. 
 
 "Nevertheless, I do not put entire faith in what 
 they tell me, not only because I cannot understand 
 well what they say, but because I see that they 
 themselves are so poor in gold that however little 
 this king might have it would seem to them like a 
 great deal. 
 
112 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " This cape, which I call Beautiful, I take to be 
 an island apart from Saomet, and conceive that there 
 are others yet between ; but I do not attempt to 
 examine everything in detail, for I could not hope to 
 do it in fifty years, and I wish to see and discover 
 the most that is possible, so as to return to your 
 Highnesses in April, God willing. 
 
 " It is true, however, that if I find any place 
 where there are gold and spices in plenty I shall 
 remain until I have collected all I can ; and thus it 
 is that I do not do otherwise than sail on until I 
 come to such a place." 
 
 The next morning Columbus landed and explored 
 the island. " It should, indeed, be called the island 
 Beautiful," said he ; '^ for rich and beautiful and 
 wonderful as have been those islands we have already 
 visited, none of them can compare with this." 
 
 Of course they found no city, no king, no 
 golden treasure. But the natives of this island told 
 them of another island — a great island — Cuba — 
 
COLUMBUS. 113 
 
 where there was a wonderful city built of gold and 
 a king who sat upon a golden throne. 
 
 All this time, remember, little readers, Columbus 
 supposed he was upon islands near the coast of 
 Asia. 
 
 " Although my Indians call it Cuba," wrote 
 Columbus in his journal, " I believe, from the signs 
 they make, that this must be Cipango. They say 
 that in that place are to be found many ships and 
 merchants, and very great, and near it is another 
 large island which they call Bohio ; but this and the 
 others which they say lie between here and Cuba I 
 can visit as I sail thither. 
 
 " According to whether I find plenty of gold and 
 spices, I shall then determine what to do. 
 
 But at all events I am decided to go to 
 the mainland and visit the city of Quinsay, and 
 deliver the letters of your majesties to the Grand 
 Khan and ask him for a reply, and return to 
 Spain." 
 
114 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Sailing to this island of Cuba, Columbus again 
 writes : 
 
 " All last night and all to-day have I been wait- 
 ing here at anchor to see whether this king or ^any 
 of his people would bring me gold or anything else 
 of value. But these islanders are like the others, 
 naked and poor, painted in all the colors of the rain- 
 bow, and offering nothing more valuable for exchange 
 than javelins and cotton. 
 
 " When the sailors give them a bit of broken 
 glass or a fragment of a cracked pot, the Indians 
 hand it from one to another as thouo'h it were some 
 divine treasure. 
 
 " Now and again a savage appears with a little 
 scrap of beaten gold stuck through a hole in his 
 nose or ear, and this he very willingly exchanges for 
 a tiny bell or a few colored beads; but it is at best 
 so little that it is almost nothing. 
 
 " I have made up my mind not to sail around 
 this island as I had intended, in order to search for 
 
COLUMBUS. 1X5 
 
 the city and have intercourse with this king or lord, 
 since that would delay me a great deal, and I per- 
 ceive that there is no mine of gold in this country. 
 
 " Besides, to sail around these islands many kinds 
 of wind are necessary, and the wind will not always 
 blow the way men want. 
 
 " Moreover, it is not worth while to remain here 
 longer, as I am going to where there is commerce 
 to be had on a large scale, and to find a country 
 which will be very profitable. For all that, I believe 
 that this island might prove lucrative enough in 
 spices; but I know nothing about these, for which 
 I am more grieved than I can say." 
 
116 COLUMBUS. 
 
 THE ISLAND OF CUBA. 
 
 Columbus next sailed to Cuba. For here, so 
 the natives of the island Beautiful assured him, 
 would he find the great city and the king for whom 
 he sought. 
 
 Little confidence did Columbus put in the stories 
 of the natives now ; but from certain reports they 
 made as to the distance and position of this Cuba, 
 Columbus grew more and more inclined to believe 
 that it was indeed Cathay. 
 
 As he drew near, he was struck with the won- 
 derful beauty of the island. "It is," said he, "like 
 the Sicilan islands, and its grandeur recalls to me the 
 majesty of the sierras of Granada." 
 
 Close down to the river's edge came the dense 
 tropical forests. As the oars splashed and the keels 
 grated upon the sands, up flew a multitude of gayly 
 feathered birds chattering and screaming and fluttering 
 their wonderful plumage. 
 
COLUMBUS. 117 
 
 Near the landing Columbus found two huts — 
 fishermen's huts, for in them were nets and lines and 
 hooks made from bone. This was all they found, 
 for the huts were empty and no sign of life was 
 anywhere to be seen. 
 
 "It was such a delight to behold all that fresh- 
 ness and those wonderful forests with their multitude 
 of birds/' he writes, "that I could with difficulty 
 turn back to go on board the ships. 
 
 "I noticed," said he, "plants and wild-flowers 
 like those of Europe, and in several places, even 
 along the seashore, the grass grew long and fresh 
 close down to the water's edge; showing that no 
 furious tempests could ever rage there, for otherwise 
 the beaches would everywhere be swept bare of 
 vegetation. 
 
 "The palms, too, are far more sightly than those 
 of Southern Europe and the African coasts, as here 
 their trunks are clean and straight, and not encum- 
 bered with the ugly growth of dead fibre." 
 
118 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Indeed, Columbus was fully persuaded that he 
 had at length reached Cipango. In the mountains 
 he believed lay hidden mines of gold, and on the 
 beach near the fisher's cabins he had seen large piles 
 of mussel-shells. 
 
 What could be clearer than that these were the 
 source from which were drawn the famous pearls of 
 the Orient? When he showed them to the Indians 
 on the Santa Maria they made signs that people 
 came from ten days' distance off to seek them. 
 
 To Columbus's eager mind this obviously meant 
 that China was only that far away ; their ships, of 
 course, came hither to get these pearls and other 
 treasures, and took them back to their kingdom. 
 
 Day after day the Spaniards, with their inter- 
 preters and guides, explored the great island. Always 
 were the natives ready to tell of a great city " a little 
 further on ; " but never did the Spaniards quite suc- 
 ceed in finding that city. 
 
 At one time he sent his interpreters and two of 
 
COLUMBUS. 119 
 
 the crew on a journey far into the island in search 
 of the city. But they returned treasureless, reporting* 
 nothing but a beautiful island, beautiful trees, beauti- 
 ful flowers, beautiful birds. 
 
 " We traveled," said they, " forty miles inland. 
 The road was narrow, leading through dense forests 
 and over rich carpets of grass and flowers. As for 
 the birds, there seemed an infinite number, and all 
 unlike any ever seen in Spain." 
 
 On the third day of their journey they reached 
 a settlement which, from the guide's description, 
 they knew must be the city for which they were 
 searchinof. 
 
 But, alas, for their high hopes ! The village 
 contained only about fifty houses, built of canes and 
 palm leaves. It was very well built, and so large 
 that each house contained at least twenty inhabitants. 
 
 As they approached the place, the people flocked 
 out to meet them ; and after no little talking they 
 were led into the largest of these dwellings, the prin- 
 
120 COLUMBUS. 
 
 cipal men of the town taking them by the arm as a 
 mark of honor. 
 
 When all the men were gathered within the 
 house, the women were forbidden to enter ; and the 
 Spaniards were seated on stools in the midst of the 
 apartment. One after another the savages then 
 pressed forward, kissing the white men's hands and 
 feet, and touching them to see what manner of 
 strange creatures they might be. 
 
 From their gestures it was plain that the Indians 
 supposed they had come down from the skies, — an 
 error which the messengers did not seem to correct. 
 
 After the first excitement was over the Indians 
 all squatted on the floor in a circle around the 
 strangers ; while the interpreter explained what great 
 and powerful people these white men were, how won- 
 derfully they lived, and what extraordinary treasures 
 they possessed, assuring his hearers that they were 
 the best beings in the world, and true friends of the 
 natives, to whom they gave magnificent presents. 
 
COLUMBUS. 121 
 
 "You must take very good care of these visitors 
 from heaven," continued the interpreter, "else the 
 Great Spirit will be angry with us, and perhaps will 
 punish us with sickness and famine." 
 
 By-and-by the Indians arose, and without a 
 word, passed out. Then the Indian women came in. 
 They, too, squatted upon the floor, and looked upon 
 them with evident adoration. Again the interpreter 
 told over his story of the wonderful sky visitors, while 
 the women listened with wide open eyes and mouths. 
 
 All this was highly interesting to listen to, but 
 it was far from the kind of report Columbus had 
 hoped to hear. 
 
 " You have done your work well, my men," said 
 he to the ambassadors; "but I fear the gold we shall 
 get from such cities as these will be of little value 
 in the eyes of our great sovereigns Ferdinand and 
 
 Isabella." 
 
 From this time on, Columbus did little more than 
 prepare for the return voyage. The vessels needed 
 
122 COLUMBUS. 
 
 preparing, and there was much to be done in the way 
 of cruising about the islands, gathering gum and 
 bark from the trees, mapping out the country, and 
 building homes for those of the Spaniards who were 
 to remain here to settle a colony while Columbus 
 returned to Spain to report the result of this voyage 
 across the ocean. 
 
 Behind him hiy the gray Azores, 
 
 Behind the gates of Hercules ; 
 Before him not the ghost of shores, 
 
 Before him only shoreless seas. 
 The good mate said : ' ' Now must we pray. 
 
 For lo ! the very stars are gone. 
 Speak, Admiral, what shall I say? " 
 
 " Why say, ' Sail on ! sail on ! and on ! ' " 
 
 Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck, 
 
 And peered through darkness. Ah, that night 
 Of all dark nights ! And then a speck — 
 A light ! A light ! A light ! A light I 
 It grew, a starlit flag unfurled ! 
 It grew to be Time's burst of dawn, 
 He oained a world : he save that world 
 
 to' 
 
 Its grandest lesson : ' ' On ! and on 
 
 Joaquin Miller 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 123 
 
 ALONZO PINZON'S DESERTION. 
 
 Alonzo Pinzon was the commander of the Pinta. 
 Being a man of equal inteUigence in affairs of the sea» 
 he had lent his wealth and influence most heartily 
 to aid Columbus in his enterprise, and had, during 
 the voyage, proved himself Columbus's " right-hand 
 man," as we say. 
 
124 COLUMBUS. 
 
 It was he who assisted CoUimbus in fitting out his 
 ships ; it was he, who, during the first days of the 
 voyage, when the superstitious sailors were beside them- 
 selves with fright, encouraged and cheered them on with 
 promises of reward ; it was he, who later, on the 
 voyage, when there was grumbling and muttering and 
 mutiny, helped Columbus to keep the crew in check 
 and make it possible to reach the newly discovered 
 country. 
 
 One would suppose from all this, that Columbus 
 and Pinzon would have been the best of friends ; that 
 they would have held their success so much a thing 
 of common interest and of common glory that separation 
 would have been an impossibility. 
 
 But the same old enemy, self, that is always getting 
 in our way to make us do unworthy acts, seems to have 
 taken possession of these two men. Columbus, good 
 man as he was, began to grow a little jealous of Pinzon. 
 He thought he was a little too commanding, and not 
 as willing to yield to his authority as he should be. 
 
COLUMBUS. 125 
 
 Pinzorij on his side, thought thus : " I am not 
 Cohimbus's follower. Was I not one of the chief 
 workers, both with money and with influence, in this 
 enterprise of his ? What do I owe this man ? Does he 
 not rather owe me money, labor, influence — everything 
 that has made it possible for him to succeed in his 
 undertaking ? And now he would make a mere hireling 
 of me. We'll see. I shall show him that Alonzo 
 Pinzon is no slave of his." 
 
 For some time this feeling between these two men, 
 who should have been the best of friends, had been 
 growing more and more bitter. Each one on the alert 
 for some ofPence committed by the other. 
 
 One night, when the three ships had been cruising 
 about among the islands, Columbus, as usual, put up 
 the signal to return to the harbor. But Pinzon paid no 
 heed whatever. 
 
 Columbus thought little of this then, as she was 
 the swiftest sailer of the fleet and might be standing on 
 with the intention of overtaking the flagship later. 
 
126 COLUMBUS. 
 
 As the night closed in, however, he saw the Pinta 
 away off on the horizon, still steering due east with all 
 sails set, and every moment increasing the distance 
 between herself and the two other vessels. 
 
 Loath to believe that so true a sailor and so brave 
 a man as her captain was, would be guilty of so rank an 
 act of disobedience, Columbus tried to believe that the 
 distance had misled him, and that the Pinta must 
 in reality be heading for him ; so he ordered his own 
 ship and the Nina to take in part of their canvas and 
 continue their way to the coast under easy sail. 
 
 He also ordered that a bright light should be kept 
 shining all night long as a guide to the missing vessel. 
 Thus, he hoped against hope to hear Martin Alonzo's 
 hail before many hours were past ; the more especially 
 as the wind blew strong from the direction of the Pinta. 
 
 The anxious night passed nevertheless ; and when 
 Columbus mounted the castle of his ship as soon as the 
 first gray light of morning broke in the eastern sky^ 
 both ocean and horizon were bare of ship or sail. 
 
COLUMBUS. 127 
 
 There was no longer possibility of doubt. Pinzon had 
 evidently gone on a cruise of his own. 
 
 Columbus was annoyed and angry. Had Pinzon 
 gone cruising about by himself ; or what would be 
 worse still, had he set out for Spain, that he might 
 be the first to announce the tidings of the great 
 discovery, and so enjoy the glory that would be heaped 
 upon him when the wonderful success of the voyage 
 was known ? " Little credit for its success," thought 
 Columbus bitterly," will he be likely to give to me." 
 
 But it was of little use to pursue Pinzon's vessel. 
 The ocean was far too large — and the ocean tells 
 no tales. Columbus, therefore, continued his explora- 
 tions from island to island, desiring now, more than 
 ever, that somewhere he might find gold and silver, 
 and so carry home to Spain something to weigh in his 
 own favor over and above any reports, any mere word- 
 pictures, with which Pinzon might endeavor to steal 
 from him the favor of the Spanish sovereigns. 
 
 On one island, he was told there lived a tribe 
 
128 COLUMBUS. 
 
 of man-eaters — the Caribs, as they called them. On 
 another island he found trees so large that the natives 
 were able to dig out from one of them a canoe large 
 enough and long enough to carry a hundred men. 
 
 On another island, which he named Hispaniola 
 (Little Spain) he found the natives living in houses with 
 gardens, and these grouped in little villages. The 
 people everywhere were friendly, welcoming the 
 Spaniards always as wonderful beings just come from 
 the skies ; and at Hispaniola the king, so Columbus 
 wrote to Isabella, was so generously inclined, and 
 so proud of his visitors that he everywhere presented 
 Columbus to his people as " my brother." 
 
 At one time, when the sailors were rambling about 
 the island, they came in sight of a band of natives 
 playing and laughing and racing with each other. At 
 sight of the Spaniards, the islanders fled. The Span- 
 ards gave chase. One beautiful young girl was captured 
 and carried to the ship. Poor, frightened child ! 
 trembling like a leaf, she was brought before Columbus. 
 
COLUMBUS. 129 
 
 Again did he win the confidence of the simple- 
 hearted people, and the respect of all of us who read 
 about him, by treating her with gentle kindness. 
 Putting upon her a beautiful robe, and giving her 
 a bunch of little tinkling bells, he bade his sailors return 
 her to her people. 
 
 " It was vastly amusing," Columbus wrote, " to 
 watch this young maiden strutting up and down the 
 shore arrayed in her wonderful robe, and followed 
 by throngs of admiring natives." 
 
 A few days later, when Columbus and his men 
 went on shore, this same maiden was borne upon a 
 sort of litter down to the shore to greet the Spaniards 
 as they landed. She was still arrayed in her robe and 
 was prouder of her little bells and the strings of 
 colored beads than ever was a queen with all her costly 
 jewels. 
 
 Among all these people, Columbus found great 
 readiness and willingness on their part to give to the 
 new comers anything and everything they owned. 
 
130 COLUMBUS. 
 
 • 
 
 But Columbus never took advantage of their simple 
 generosity. For every bit of gold, he always returned 
 something from the ships which to the Indian should be 
 of more than equal value. 
 
 One morning, just as the sun was gilding the ocean 
 with its golden light, a great canoe pushed off from 
 an island near by and darted forward towards the ships. 
 
 In this canoe, gayly arrayed in bright plumes and 
 feathers, sat a messenger from the island chief. He 
 brought to Columbus a beautiful belt, embroidered with 
 beads, carved bits of ivory, and decorated with a 
 little head, very neatly carved, and set with bits of 
 gold. 
 
 The ambassador brought from their chief greeting 
 and an invitation to come to their island to visit. 
 Columbus of course accepted this cordial invitation. 
 He found the chief living in a beautiful town, laid out 
 with streets and a large, nicely-kept public square. 
 From all the towns about, the natives thronged to see 
 the people from the sky. " Their hospitality," wrote 
 
COLUMBUS. 131 
 
 CoIuhiIdus, " might well have put to shame the hospi- 
 tality of many a civilized town." 
 
 It was off the coast of this island, that Columbus's 
 vessel was one night wrecked. And when word of the 
 disaster reached the island chief, it is said he wept aloud. 
 Then summoning all his men, he ordered every canoe, 
 great and small, to hasten to the Spaniards' relief. 
 
 The chief himself worked hard a whole day 
 and a whole night, helping to unload the sinking 
 vessel. Standing over the cargo himself, he guarded it 
 faithfully ; and not one article, tempting as it must have 
 been to the natives, was stolen. 
 
 Indeed, there seemed no inclination on the part 
 of any of the natives to carry away anything from the 
 ship. The things were to the natives all wonderful and 
 beautiful ; but the simple fact that they did not belong 
 to them, seemed reason enough why they should not be 
 taken ; and a certain noble sense of honor seemed 
 to hold them above any thought of taking advantage 
 of the Spaniards' misfortune. 
 
132 COLUMBUS. 
 
 For sometime Columbus and his men remained 
 upon this island. In comfortable houses, living upon 
 rich fruit and the freshest of meat and fish, surrounded 
 with every possible comfort, the sailors would hardly 
 have rebelled had Columbus resolved to live on and on 
 with no thought of return to Spain. But with the 
 Pinta gone, he knew not where, the other ship wrecked, 
 Columbus felt that it would be wisest to hasten to Spain 
 before some disaster overtook their one remaining 
 vessel. 
 
 And so, leaving a little colony who should await 
 his return he sailed away. 
 
 Merrily every bosom boiindeth, 
 
 Homeward we go, homeward we go ; 
 Over the sea the song resoimdeth, 
 
 Homeward we go, homeward we go ! 
 There the smiles of loved ones will l)e beaming, 
 Banners gay in welcome will be streaming ; 
 Merrily every bosom boundeth, 
 
 Homeward we go, homeward we go , 
 Over the sea the song resoundeth 
 
 Homeward we go, homeward we go. 
 
COLUMBUS. 133 
 
 THE RETURN VOYAGE. 
 
 It was in January that Columbus set forth again 
 to cross the water. Baffled by calms and head-winds, 
 the little vessel made its way but slowly out from among 
 the mountains. Hardly had it sailed fifty miles when 
 the pilot cried, " The Pinta ! the Pinta ! " 
 
 Sure enough, there was the Pinta. At once a 
 signal was run up which this time Pinzon readily 
 obeyed. 
 
 It was a weak sort of an excuse Pinzon had to 
 offer for his desertion, which, even if Columbus had 
 been a little unfair in his treatment of him, was not 
 quite an honorable thing to do. 
 
 " On the night of my separation from your flag- 
 ship," said Pinzon, " the wind drove us so far eastward 
 that when the day broke, believe me, there was neither 
 fleet nor land in sight. 
 
 " Your Excellency will well believe," continued 
 Pinzon, with mock humility, " the terror and confusion 
 
134 COLUMBUS. 
 
 which overcame me at this discovery. All that it was 
 in my power to do to regain the coast of Cuba, I did 
 with my ship, — and men have said that I am no mean 
 sailor ; but despite my stoutest labors, we were driven 
 far away to the east until we reached some barren and 
 rocky islands, I know not where. 
 
 " From there, with toil and peril, we have slowly 
 made our way to this present coast, where, not many 
 days ago, I learned from the natives that your 
 Excellency was not far away with but a single ship. 
 It needs not to be said that I lost no time in seeking 
 for your Excellency, to offer my duty and place the 
 Pinta under your Excellency's orders." 
 
 Columbus was not at all deceived by his excuses ; 
 but accepted them without rebuke, thinking it policy 
 just then to have no trouble with Pinzon. 
 
 " I thank you," said he quietly, "■ for care of 
 the vessel and your speed at returning at your first 
 opportunity to us. Your ship, however, must be in 
 need of repair. Since we have lost one of our vessels 
 
COLUMBUS. 135 
 
 we cannot be too careful of the two left to us. 
 Were you successful," added he, with as innocent 
 a look as if he had believed every word that Pinzon 
 had said to him, " in your search for gold ? " 
 
 Pinzon colored and made but a confused answer. 
 From that time on the two men understood each other 
 perfectly. Neither was deceived. 
 
 The truth of Pinzon's desertion was this : An 
 Indian had told him of a rich mine, a short distance 
 from where the vessels were, and he, his greediness 
 aroused, conceived at once the plan of finding this mine, 
 speedily filling the vessel, and returning to Spain with 
 his precious freight. 
 
 As an excuse for separating himself from his 
 commander, he proposed to say that a storm had drifted 
 them apart, and that being unable to find him, he had 
 at once loaded his vessel and set forth for Spain alone. 
 
 No mine, however, had been discovered, and now 
 Pinzon had sailed back to Hispaniola in search of 
 the other ships. 
 
136 COLUMBUS. 
 
 The return voyage was one of peril. Storms 
 and calm followed one after the other in swift 
 succession. Black tempests, roaring billows and dense 
 darkness so confused the leaders that their reckoning 
 was lost. 
 
 After one terrible night, during which the ocean 
 had dashed with maddened fury against the frail 
 vessel, and nothing could be seen or heard save its 
 fierce, white-capped crests and their deafening roar, 
 Columbus, far more concerned that the knowledge of 
 his discovery should be saved than that he should 
 live to bear it to the queen, wrote an account of it, 
 sealed it in a strong, water-tight cask, and threw it 
 overboard, hoping that in some way it might fall into 
 honest hands, and be delivered up to the sovereigns 
 of Spain. 
 
 But Columbus and his crew were not to be lost. 
 Morning came ; and for a time the wind died down and 
 the two vessels, separated during the night, came 
 together again. But later in the day, again the wind, 
 
COLUMBUS. . 137 
 
 with one long warning shriek, fell upon the vessels, 
 driving them staggering and helpless through the 
 terrible sea. The wind changed and shifted from 
 side to side, heaping the billows in great walls of 
 angry water about the ships. All day and all night 
 this lasted. The bravest seamen gave themselves up 
 for lost, and crouched sullenly in the corners awaiting 
 
 the end. 
 
 The other vessel had been driven far away; but 
 for many hours the answering flash from that vessel as 
 Columbus signalled his own safety, told him that the 
 Pinta was yet safe. But that disappeared at last and 
 the Pinta was given up as lost. 
 
 The sailors shook their heads and muttered a short 
 prayer for their comrades' souls. To them it was of 
 little interest; for, as they believed, it was but a 
 question of an hour or two and they, too, would 
 have to meet the same evil fate. 
 
 Reverently, feehng that the end was near, 
 Columbus called the crew together and prayed to 
 
138 COLUMBUS. 
 
 the saints for protection. Then taking a handful 
 of flat beans, he counted out as many as there were 
 souls on board, and marking a single one with a cross, 
 shook them thoroughly in a seaman's cap, and called 
 upon the crew in the order of their rank to draw one. 
 He to whom the cross fell was to vow that if the 
 ship were only spared, he would make a pilgrimage to 
 the famous shrine of the Virgin of Guadaloupe, bearing 
 as an offering a weighty candle of pure white wax. 
 
 His being the first turn, Columbus solemnly thrust 
 his hand into the cap and drew out a bean from the 
 sixty or more therein contained. 
 
 It bore the cross. Reverently making the same 
 sign, he confirmed his vow and called upon his com- 
 panions to invoke each the aid of his own patron 
 S£tint in this hour of desperate need. 
 
 But these brave men were not yet to die. 
 
 All night long the vessel tossed to and fro. Again 
 the light began to dawn ; and with it came a sight of 
 land. 
 
COLUMBUS. 139 
 
 Land ! land ! sure enough ! there was land ahead. 
 They were near the great islands of the Azores. 
 
 Baffling winds kept the little vessel blowing hither 
 and thither and it was many hours before the island 
 could be approached. 
 
 An entire circuit of the island was made before 
 a landing could be secured. 
 
 The natives were amazed indeed to learn that the 
 little vessel Nina had weathered the fearful gale of the 
 last few days. 
 
 More amazed still were they to learn that the same 
 little vessel was returning from a voyage across the 
 great sea and that it had reached in safety and was 
 now returning from the Golden Indies so far away. 
 
 No sooner was Columbus out to sea than away the 
 islanders flew to carry the news of the wonderful 
 fleet and its wonderful voyage to the government 
 town. 
 
 Columbus sailed at once to the little port of 
 St. LorenzO;, where he had been told he would find an 
 
140 COLUMBUS. 
 
 excellent harbor. Darkness had fallen before he 
 reached there, so he brought his vessel to anchor as near 
 the shore as seemed safe, and there waited the morning. 
 
 Soon three men appeared upon the shore and 
 demanded of him who he was and why he came. 
 
 A boat was sent ashore to make the report, and the 
 three men on shore invited the pilot who came in the 
 boat to go with them into the town and converse 
 with the governor, who would, the three men said, 
 be glad to talk with the voyagers. 
 
 The governor received them with great civility, and 
 was extravagant in his praises of the brave crew who 
 had made this daring voyage on unknown waters. " I 
 knew your brave captain Columbus," said he, " in earlier 
 days, and had always great admiration for him.'' 
 
 After offering them refreshment, the governor 
 urged the pilot and two of his companions to spend the 
 night with him on shore, proposing to send back his 
 own messengers with the rest of the boat's crew to the 
 Niiia. The invitation was promptly accepted. 
 
COLUMBUS. 141 
 
 The party returning to the ship were laden with a 
 generous supply of chickens, fresh bread, fruits, and 
 other eatables likely to be acceptable to men who had 
 been so long at sea ; and these were presented to 
 Columbus by the Portuguese messengers with the 
 governor's respectful compliments. 
 
 '' His Excellency the Governor," said they, " would 
 have come himself to the vessel had the hour not 
 been so late. In the early morning, however, he should 
 do himself the honor to pay his respects to the brave 
 commander." 
 
 The governor had only taken the liberty to 
 invite these men, the messengers explained, on account 
 of the passing delight he anticipated in listening to the 
 recital of their astonishing adventures. 
 
 Meantime the governor begged Columbus to accept 
 these poor refreshments as his evening meal, and on 
 the morrow whatever the island afforded should be 
 placed at his disposition. 
 
 Columbus expressed his appreciation of the 
 
142 COLUMBUS. 
 
 governor's courtesy, and showed the Portuguese every 
 attention in his power, answering freely their inquiries, 
 and exhibiting to their admiring vision his Indian 
 interpreters and some of the curious articles he had 
 brought from the Indies. 
 
 But in all this courtesy and appearance of 
 profound interest and good Avill, there was a something 
 that created in Columbus a feeling of doubt and 
 insecurity. More than once he rebuked himself for 
 what seemed unfounded suspicion. Still there was, — 
 and Columbus could not shake off the feeling — in all 
 this show of friendship a lack of genuineness. 
 
 He had no such recollection of the Governor 
 as that worthy professed to have of him, and he 
 was none too well pleased with the keeping back of 
 three of his crew, on never mind how reasonable an 
 excuse. 
 
 He had lived too long among the Portuguese 
 not to know exactly what value to attach to their 
 ceremonious pretensions of friendship. There was a 
 
COLUMBUS. 143 
 
 false ring about all this which put him on his guard. 
 It was not the greeting to which he had looked forward, 
 when he had thought of once more landing on Christian 
 shores. 
 
 Still, he reflected, Spain and Portugal were certainly 
 at peace ; and the Governor might have really fancied it 
 was too late to call upon a strange ship, as he had 
 alleged. 
 
 As for the three sailors, — well, if it came to a 
 trial of wits, his pilot would be able to give no 
 information as to the whereabouts of the wonderful 
 lands which would be of any use to the Portuguese in 
 case they should want to go there. 
 
 All that knowledge Columbus had locked up in his 
 sea-chest ; and he felt confident they would gain no 
 advantage should they attempt any new trick this present 
 time. There was, however, nothing to be done but to 
 wait ; and tired out with the week of danger and 
 anxiety, Columbus retired, glad enough for the present 
 fco sleep. 
 
144 COLUMBUS. 
 
 In the morning, there was a great stir upon 
 shore. Armed men, horsemen, glittering weapons — 
 all these were visible from the ship. 
 
 Soon a boat put off. As it drew near, Columbus 
 could see that it was filled with men of authority. 
 
 " There is some treachery somewhere," said Col- 
 umbus to himself. 
 
 As the boat came within hailing distance, one 
 of the armed men rose from his seat and said : 
 
 " Sefior Columbus, I am your most humble servant, 
 Juan de Castaneda, Governor of this island." 
 
 Columbus returned the saluation in a dignified 
 manner. 
 
 " It would be to me an honor," returned the 
 governor, " if you would accept my poor hospitality, and 
 return with me to my island." 
 
 "Nay, Senor Governor," replied Columbus, "it is 
 not Spanish courtesy to allow you to return without 
 first tasting our wine. I pray you consider our vessel, 
 and all it contains, at your Excellency's disposal." 
 
COLUMBUS. 145 
 
 This was not exactly what the Portuguese had 
 planned upon. There was a brief whispering among 
 the officers. They evidently did not care to come in 
 close contact with the Spaniards, neither did they quite 
 dare refuse. 
 
 At last, again the governor spoke. " May I ask 
 Seiior Columbus, why you bring into my port an armed 
 vessel, and send upon my shores without permission 
 a body of soldiers and sailors." 
 
 There was no doubt whatever, now of the 
 treacherous designs of the governor. 
 
 " I came to this port," said he, slowly and with 
 force, his eyes carrying fire in their steady glance, 
 " to escape the fate of my other vessel, which has been 
 lost in the storm through which we have just passed. 
 
 " Your Excellency knows well, that in Spain, a 
 Portuguese is as safe, and as courteously treated, as in 
 the Court at Lisbon. It would seem however, from 
 our reception here, that the subjects of the Spanish 
 crown have no such security in the Portuguese domains." 
 
146 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Much passed between the Governor and Columbus, 
 which we will not here take time to report. But, when 
 the Governor came to threats and insolence, then 
 Columbus burst out upon him : 
 
 " Now may the consequences of these deeds of yours 
 fall upon your own head ! 
 
 " Because your Excellency has foully trapped the 
 half of my ship's company, think not we shall all fall 
 into your treacherous hands. There are stout men 
 enough remaining to take this caravel to Spain ; and 
 with God's blessing we shall be in Seville before many 
 days are past. 'T will best behoove you, therefore, 
 Senor Governor, to put your house in order ; for 
 his Majesty of Portugal will not deny the demand 
 of my sovereigns of Castile that he who has done 
 this traitor's act in time of peace shall meet his due 
 reward." 
 
 There was more truth in this than was pleasant 
 for the governor to hear. He well knew that the 
 Portuguese king, if formal complaint was made, would 
 
COLUMBUS. 147 
 
 readily disclaim the act of his governor; and in that 
 event he, Juan de Castaneda, would have an awkward 
 account to settle. 
 
 Columbus waited for a reply. He well knew he 
 had the Governor at an advantage. 
 
 " So be it, then, Seiior Governor," said he at 
 length, " I would but have your Excellency bear in 
 mind that unless my men are released I pledge 
 myself by my word and faith, as an Admiral of 
 Castile, that I shall neither leave this ship nor set my 
 foot on land until I have come back to this port 
 with force to strip this island of its people and carry 
 them all to Spain. I speak not hastily, Senor de 
 Castaiieda ; mark well my words ! " 
 
 And at once he gave the order to his men to 
 set the ship at once towards Spain. 
 
 Hardly were they out at sea when a wind arose 
 and another storm threatened. Back into the very 
 harbor of St. Lorenzo they were driven, and there 
 they anchored till they might with safety set forth. 
 
148 COLUMBUS. 
 
 The Governor, meantime, had been thoroughly 
 frightened ; and as soon as he saw the Niiia again in 
 the harbor he sent out a boat in which were priests 
 and a notary to say that His Excellency the governor 
 had no desire to embarrass in any way the noble 
 Admiral ; he had but acted in accordance with his in- 
 structions, which were to call to account any vessel 
 putting into his port without the special permission of 
 the Portuguese king. 
 
 If the noble Admiral would satisfy his Excellency 
 that he had come with no hostile intent, his Excel- 
 lency would release the men and render the noble 
 Admiral any service in his power. 
 
 It was very difficult for Columbus to listen to this 
 with patience. He saw that it was a mere pretext 
 on the governor's part ; that having failed to secure 
 the commander himself, he was now anxious to restore 
 the men who were of no use to him ; and that he 
 hoped thereby, since the game was lost, to escape any 
 serious consequences from his act of treachery. 
 
COLUMBUS. 149 
 
 Columbus's first impulse was to punish the cowardly 
 governor, as he well knew it was in his power to do; 
 but there were his men in the governor's power 
 upon the island. " And what consideration/' thought 
 he, " does my personal pride merit compared with the 
 saving o£ my men." 
 
 So he meekly allowed the notary and priests to 
 read the papers in which was their proof of the gen- 
 erous power with which he was vested by the Spanish 
 king and queen. 
 
 Profuse now were the priests and the notary in 
 their apologies and in their expressions of recognition 
 and respect, and were ready and anxious to return 
 with their report to their mistaken governor. 
 
 They were allowed in due time to depart, and in 
 a few hours a ship containing the Spaniards came up 
 to the vessel's side. 
 
 "We may as well put out to sea at once," said 
 Columbus bitterly, " before some new scheme is set on 
 foot by these treacherous Portuguese." 
 
150 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Again they set sail, and the vessel made its way 
 in safety to Spain. 
 
 You may be sure Columbus and his men were 
 glad indeed to sail again into the harbor of Palos. 
 
 Such an excitement as was created all throuo^h 
 Europe. The glad tidings swept like a mighty wind 
 over Spain. Bonfires blazed from every high place, 
 church bells rang, salutes were fired. 
 
 In the midst of all this joyous celebration 
 Pinzon's vessel, which had been lost sio^ht of durins" the 
 terrible gales, now came sailing up the harbor. Driven 
 by wind and wave it had made its way to the Bay 
 of Biscay, from whence it now came. 
 
 Bitterly now did Pinzon regret his ignoble 
 behavior. Generous as he had been with his wealth, 
 valuable as he had been with his aid, it seems a pity 
 that this one error of his should now steal from him 
 the honor really due him, and plunge him into such 
 disgrace. 
 
 Sailing into the harbor midst all this enthusiasm 
 
COLUMBUS'S RECEPTION ON HIS RETDRN TO SPAIN. 
 
152 COLUMBUS. 
 
 over the arrival of Columbus, and knowing how little 
 of the good will would the people give to him, he 
 hurried himself into a small boat, secretly landed, and 
 made his way to his own home. 
 
 Pinzon was in deep disgrace. He was forbidden 
 to appear at court ; and, indeed, little courage had 
 he to appear even in the streets of his own city, so 
 deeply did he feel the scorn that the common people 
 were so ready to pour out upon him. 
 
 Pinzon lived only a short time. Crushed by the 
 sense of his own folly, and stung by the jeers and 
 laughter which everywhere greeted him, he sickened 
 and died. 
 
 Let us remember that in everything but this one 
 act of desertion Pinzon had been brave and true, and 
 was by no means deserving of quite so much disgrace 
 as was heaped upon him. I have always been glad 
 that, at a later day, in recognition of his valuable ser- 
 vices, his family were highly honored by the court, 
 and given the rank of nobility and a coat-of-arms. 
 
MAP SHOWING ROUTE OF COLUMBUS. 
 
154 COLUMBUS. 
 
 THE SECOND VOYAGE. 
 
 Columbus for the time being was indeed the hero 
 of the world. The people of Genoa, that so shortly 
 before had called him an ignorant wool-comber, now began 
 to boast that Columbus was a Genoese. Spain puffed 
 herself that she had rendered him the aid he asked for. 
 
 England quoted loudly the fact that an ambassador 
 of hers had been, at the very time Isabella had recalled 
 Columbus to court, far on his journey Spain- ward to 
 offer Columbus her support in his plans for sailing 
 around the world. 
 
 All the friends who had believed in him before 
 he sailed, now strutted about, glorifying themselves 
 in his reflected light. And even those who had scoffed 
 at him and jeered at him, managed by great stretch 
 of conscience and of memory, to recall some little 
 word of approval or of encouragement that they had 
 given him, which should now be made to redound to 
 their own honor. 
 
156 COLUMBUS. 
 
 " there's nothing succeeds like success," some 
 one has humorously remarked. And wouldn't you 
 suppose that after a time human nature would learn 
 to be cautious, even if it can't be generous, when 
 some one like Columbus comes forward with some 
 great thought, some great plan, some great inven- 
 tion, which, at the time, does seem almost 
 impossible to be proved true. Let us remember 
 this : — there never yet has been a great man or a 
 great woman but the world has sneered at, scoffed 
 at, and called either a knave or a fool. It should 
 teach us to be careful lest we do the same thing ; 
 and, like the scoffers at Columbus, find ourselves 
 eating very " humble pie " after the opportunity to 
 be generous has gone by. 
 
 When Columbus started on his second voyage, 
 there was no lack of money, or vessels, or of sailors, 
 you may be sure. He had quite as much trouble now 
 in this flood of encouragement as he had previously 
 had in the drought. 
 
COLUMBUS. 1 57 
 
 One of the men who went on this second voyage 
 with Columbus was named Ojeda. He was of noble 
 birth, had been brought up under the care of a 
 distinguished duke, one of the richest and most influ- 
 ential in all Spain. Ojeda was a most reckless cavalier ; 
 one who seemed to know not the meaning of the word 
 fear, but seemed rather to rejoice in the wildest, most 
 dangerous adventures. 
 
 On this voyage the fleet put in at the Antilles. 
 Here they found, so some of our histories tell us, an 
 island of man-eaters. These man-eaters ravaged the 
 island, killing the aged, stealing the strong, young 
 maidens to hold as slaves, and eating the young men. 
 A small party of Spaniards went to explore this island. 
 It was long past the time for them to return, still no 
 sign of them. Columbus was alarmed. Trumpets were 
 blown, guns were fired ; but no reply came to their 
 signals. 
 
 Then Ojeda volunteered to make an exploration 
 of the island. The island was searched for days, but 
 
158 COLUMBUS. 
 
 the lost ones could not be found. It was with a sad 
 heart that Columbus prepared to sail away. Just then 
 the men appeared. Ragged and hungry, their appear- 
 ance was pitiful. They had been lost in the tangled 
 thickets of the forests, and only with the greatest dif- 
 ficulty had made their way out. 
 
 On another island, when the Spaniards landed, the 
 people, — Caribs — fought with desperation, men and 
 women alike. The canoe from which they were hurl- 
 ing their arrows was overturned ; still they fought on, 
 hurling their arrows seemingly as rapidly as from 
 their boat. They were captured at last. Such hid- 
 eous creatures ! long, straggling hair, wild eyes, their 
 faces daubed with paint. They were like wild ani- 
 mals ; and though strongly bound, they behaved like 
 caged tigers, clanking their chains and yelling and 
 howling. 
 
 From here Columbus sailed on to islands he had 
 discovered in his first voyage. One night, as they 
 " lay to " not far from the shore, a canoe came towards 
 
COLUMBUS. 159 
 
 the vessel. An Indian stood in the bow. Coming up 
 close to the ship he asked for Columbus ; nor would 
 he come on board until Columbus himself appeared 
 on deck. 
 
 He came to tell Columbus that the island upon 
 which in his first voyage he had left a little colony 
 of Spaniards, had been attacked, many of the natives 
 killed and the chief himself severely wounded. 
 
 The next day Columbus went to the island, but 
 found the towns in ruins. Could it be that the good 
 chief had been treacherous ? Or had the Spaniards 
 driven the natives to desperation by some cruel 
 domineering behavior on their part ? Columbus almost 
 feared it might be the latter. Clearly had he warned 
 the men that both for policy's sake and because it was 
 right, they should be fair in their treatment of the 
 simple-hearted natives. 
 
 It was some time before any reliable report could 
 be gained. The truth came out, however, at last. And 
 the trouble was, as it always was afterwards in the 
 
160 COLUMBUS. 
 
 annals of Spanish doings in this country, all due to the 
 perfidy o£ the Spaniards. No sooner had Columbus 
 gone, than these men began a series of petty persecu- 
 tions upon the natives. The natives and the neighbor- 
 ing tribes endured it as long as they could. Then an 
 attack was made upon the white men and everyone 
 of them slain. 
 
 So the cruising about the islands went on. Col- 
 onies were founded, gold was collected, and the time 
 came when Columbus thought it wise to return to 
 Spain. There had been many pleasant things connected 
 with this voyage, but there had been much that was 
 disappointing, heart-sickening, discouraging. 
 
 As he sailed away, he was overtaken by a canoe in 
 which were an Indian and his family. 
 
 " Good friend," said he, coming up to the side 
 of the vessel, " we wish to go with you to your land. 
 We wish to be under your protection, and become 
 subjects to your king and queen." 
 
 Columbus looked upon these Indians with com- 
 
COLUMBUS. 161 
 
 passion ; and wheai he thought what unfair treatment, 
 what slavery would be their share in his country, he 
 had by far too great compassion on them to allow them, 
 innocent and ignorant as they were, to be carried away 
 from their native land. So loading them with presents, 
 and promising that in some future time he would come 
 again, he sent them back to their island. 
 
 The voyage to Spain was as perilous as had been 
 the first return. Tempests assailed them, the fleet was 
 scattered, and the crew suffered bitterly from cold and 
 starvation. Columbus, working side by side with the 
 sailors, worn out with toil and suffering, overtaxed with 
 anxiety, was stricken with illness. In a state of 
 unconsciousness, he was borne from the vessel on its 
 arrival at the Spanish port, into the presence of the 
 sovereigns. 
 
 v^^ 
 
162 COLUMBUS. 
 
 TREACHERY OF THE SPANIARDS. 
 
 As soon as Columbus had sufficiently recovered 
 to be able to cross the ocean again, he was anxious to 
 get back to his colonies. He had many bitter enemies 
 — envious, jealous men — both in Spain and at the 
 town of Isabella, which he had founded and had made 
 a centre ; but he had equally strong friends. It was 
 fast coming to be a question which party should succeed 
 before the sovereig-ns. 
 
 The lightning never strikes the grass, you know ; 
 but if one puts his head above, standing out as 
 Columbus did, like the grand oak, he must know that he 
 makes himself a target for the arrows of hate. 
 
 When Columbus came away from the island of 
 Hayti, he had left a Spaniard there with four hundred 
 soldiers to explore the island. 
 
 Don Pedro Margarite was the Spaniard's name. 
 Regardless of the instructions of Columbus, he began 
 at once to take possession of anything and everything 
 
COLUMBUS. 163 
 
 on the island that suited his fancy. The Indian dwell- 
 ings were robbed, the maidens stolen, the children 
 massacred. 
 
 Keport of this unwarranted behavior reached the 
 ears of Columbus's brother, who was in charge in 
 another island. But the proud Spaniard sent back the 
 reply that he did not propose to be subject to wool- 
 combers. 
 
 He paid no heed to the warning, but plunged into 
 cruelty more deeply than ever. 
 
 At last, the natives, goaded to desperation, rose in 
 rebellion. A confederacy was formed. Thousands 
 of warriors marched against Margarite and his band. 
 A terrible insurrection was at hand. Ojeda, like a 
 fanged wolf, leapt madly into the fiercest of the 
 conflict. 
 
 Margarite, angry that Columbus should be in 
 control over him, hastened to the town of Isabella, 
 and plotting with other nobles there, who now that the 
 poor wool-comber had met the peril and borne all the 
 
164 COLUMBUS. 
 
 hardship of discovery and exploration, were ready to 
 destroy him, seized upon several of Columbus's vessels 
 and sailed for Spain. They reached there shortly 
 after Columbus had been taken into the presence of the 
 sovereigns, and taking advantage of his illness, they 
 raised a general clamor against him. 
 
 Sadly did Columbus listen to stories of Spanish 
 cruelty and of the Indian uprisings. His only thought 
 was of how peace was to be restored. 
 
 There was one Indian chief of influence to whom 
 Columbus appealed. He sent messengers to him, and 
 assured him that the cruel behavior of the Spaniards 
 had been contrary to his commands, and that it was his 
 desire to live in peace with the natives. 
 
 There was one chief, Caonabo, the leader in the 
 confederacy of natives, and the fiercest of warriors. 
 " And I," said Ojeda, " am the fiercest of Spaniards." 
 There was between these two a sort of fascination. " I 
 will capture this chief," said Ojeda, '' or he shall capture 
 me." 
 
COLUMBUS. 165 
 
 So, selecting ten companions, all mounted on most 
 powerful horses, they plunged into the forests and 
 bore down upon the village in which Caonabo lived. 
 
 Approaching him with great show of reverence, 
 Ojeda said, " I come from Columbus. I bring rich 
 presents and implore you to cease from quarreling, and 
 to agree to terms of peace." 
 
 Caonabo had suffered terribly from this cruel 
 warfare, and was not unwilling to make terms with his 
 foe. 
 
 Ojeda quickly saw this, and so pressed his plans 
 farther. 
 
 " If you will come to Isabella," said this scheming 
 young Spaniard, "you shall receive the highest of 
 honors from Columbus. You shall be loaded with 
 presents, and Columbus himself awaits you." 
 
 Still the chief hesitated. And now came Ojeda's 
 master-stroke. " My chief," said he, " bade me tell 
 you that he had long known your liking for the bell 
 that hangs in the tower of our chapel at Isabella. And 
 
166 COLUMBUS. 
 
 he wished me to tell you that already workmen are 
 prepared to take it down from the tower that he may be 
 able to present it to you." 
 
 This was irresistible. The chief now consented to 
 go with Ojeda to the Spanish town. 
 
 When the time came for departure, behold, 
 Caonabo brought with him a great number of his 
 fiercest warriors. 
 
 " Why these warriors ? " said Ojeda, suspicious that 
 Caonabo, too, might be playing a double game. 
 
 '' It is not becoming that so great a chief as I 
 should go into the presence of so great a chief as 
 Columbus without attendants," replied Caonabo simply. 
 
 As they went on their march, Ojeda produced a 
 set of steel hand-cujffs. 
 
 " What are those ? " asked Caonabo, his eye 
 attracted by their glitter. 
 
 " Ornaments," answered Ojeda carelessly. " Would 
 you like to take them ? We Spaniards wear them only 
 on grand occasions." 
 
COLUMBUS. 167 
 
 " Let me take them," said Caonabo. 
 
 " Mount this fine horse behind me," said Ojeda, 
 " put on the ornaments on your wrists, and we will ride 
 into the presence of Columbus." 
 
 Caonabo mounted, the manacles were placed upon 
 his hands — the great chief was a prisoner. 
 
 Then with a rush, the cavaliers gathered around 
 him, bayonets were pointed, and away the company 
 galloped, leaving the attendants staring in open-mouthed 
 wonder. 
 
 Bitterly did Caonabo deplore his captivity. One 
 of his brothers, raising an army, marched against the 
 Spaniards. But Ojeda fell upon them with such fury, 
 the terrible animals on which they rode snorted and 
 pranced so wildly, and the fierce blood-hounds did such 
 deadly havoc, the poor natives were soon put to rout. 
 
 Meantime, Margarite and his friends had succeeded 
 in stirring up suspicion against Columbus in Spain. A 
 commissioner was sent over the water to see if the 
 stories reported against him were true. 
 
168 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Columbus listened to the story o£ the commissioner 
 with dignity, and at once set out for Spain. 
 
 Reaching there, he was received with kindness by 
 the sovereigns. Another fleet was promised him, and 
 all seemed at peace again. But Columbus had many 
 enemies at court, and these came more and more 
 to have influence with the king. He looked upon 
 Columbus with suspicion. Isabella only remained firm 
 in her confidence in his honorable dealings. 
 
 Months passed, and Columbus was still waiting. 
 The insolence that from time to time he received 
 from his enemies drove him sometimes to distraction. 
 Many a time he resolved to go not one step farther 
 in his enterprise. 
 
 After two years of waiting, he at last set forth 
 for a third time. 
 
 Again he had a perilous voyage, and at its end 
 found the colonies in a far worse condition than ever. 
 The Indians had grown more hostile ; sickness prevailed, 
 and misery and wretchedness everywhere abounded. 
 
COLUMBUS. 
 
 169 
 
 COLUMBUS IN CHAINS. 
 
 COLUMBUS IN HAYTI AGAIN. 
 
 A low Spaniard, named Roldan, had formed a 
 conspiracy against Columbus. With a band of fol- 
 lowers in character like himself, he set forth on an 
 expedition, robbing the natives, burning their homes, 
 killing their children — all for the mere amusement 
 of it, and for the gratification of their low, cruel 
 natures. 
 
 There was nothino^ Columbus seemed able to do 
 to stop them ; and when the crew from three of the 
 
COLUMBUS. 171 
 
 vessels he had brought over in this third voyage 
 joined them in a body, Columbus was indeed heart- 
 sick. 
 
 And now came a man named Amerigo Vespucci. 
 Ojeda was with him, and together they proceeded to 
 attack the islands, capture the prisoners — all without 
 reference to Columbus, who still held, or supposed he 
 did, the governorship of all lands not yet discovered. 
 
 Columbus was not a little disturbed by this, and 
 sent Roldan, with whom he had made a half-satisfac- 
 tory peace, to meet Ojeda. 
 
 These two cavaliers were well-matched, both for 
 daring and for lack of principle. Ojeda met Roldan 
 boldly, showed papers from the king, proving that he 
 had permission thus to take possession, and ordered 
 Roldan to go back to Columbus with this report — 
 that he was fast losing favor in Spain, and that he 
 himself had been sent over for the express purpose of 
 bearing intelligence from the king which might not 
 be pleasant for him to hear. 
 
1 72 COLUMBUS. 
 
 Columbus's command Avas really at an end. No 
 one obeyed him now. A conspiracy to assassinate 
 him was on foot. At last a new governor was sent 
 over by the two sovereigns. He seized Columbus and 
 threw him into prison. Like a criminal he was paraded 
 through the streets, to be stoned and jeered at — and 
 all this degradation because of the treacherous stories 
 of men like Ojeda and Roldan ! 
 
 Chained, he was sent back to Spain. The captain 
 of the ship, indignant at such brutal treatment, would 
 have removed his chains. But Columbus said, '' In 
 the letter sent over by my successor from the king 
 and queen, they bade me obey the new governor, 
 Bobadilla. By their authority he claims to have put 
 me in chains. Then I will Avear the chains until they 
 themselves shall free me." 
 
 You will be glad to know that when the king 
 and queen heard of the action of Bobadilla, they were 
 indignant, indeed. " We gave him no such authority," 
 said they ; ^' and he must at once be recalled." 
 
COLUMBUS. 173 
 
 When Isabella met Columbus, she burst mto 
 tears. This touched the heart of the kind-hearted, 
 well-meaning Columbus as no reproof could have 
 done, and he fell on his knees before her, sobbing 
 like a child. 
 
 As soon as possible another governor was sent to 
 supersede Bobadilla ; but it was a discouraging task 
 to attempt to bring anything like harmony out of the 
 condition on the islands now, so thoroughly were the 
 natives aroused to vengeance. 
 
 Courage, World finder ! Thou hast need ; 
 
 In Fate's unfolding scroll 
 Dark woes, and ingrate wrongs I read 
 
 That rack the noble soul ; 
 On ! On ! Creation's secrets probe, 
 
 Then drink thy cup of scorn, 
 And wrapped in fallen Cnesar's robe 
 Sleep like that master of the globe 
 All glorious, — yet forlorn. 
 
 Lydia Sigourney. 
 
COLUMBUS. 175 
 
 COLUMBUS'S LAST VOYAGE. 
 
 Once more Columbus set forth for the land of 
 his discovery. He was now an old man ; and though 
 broken in health, and exhausted by anxiety and care, 
 his active brain seemed tireless. 
 
 As Columbus sailed into the harbor, he met 
 Bobadilla saiHng out. His ship was loaded with gold 
 which had been stolen from the unhappy natives, and 
 with this Bobadilla hoped to gain the favor of the 
 king. 
 
 It was a beautiful day, but Columbus, with true 
 mariner's foresight, knew that a storm was brewing. 
 Kindly he warned Bobadilla, but received from him 
 only insults in return. Bobadilla sailed forth. Soon 
 the storm arose, and Bobadilla and all his crew were 
 swallowed up in the raging billows. 
 
 Again Columbus saw the same picture of woe 
 and misery on the islands, the same scenes of brutality 
 and cruelty among the Spaniards. His heart sank 
 
176 COLUMBUS. 
 
 within him. Shipwreck drove him upon a hostile 
 island. Sick and half starved, he called one of the 
 natives to him and said, " Our God is angry with you 
 that you do not bring us food. He will to-night 
 hide his face from you. That will be your warning. 
 Then if you do not help us, some terrible curse will 
 be sent upon you.'* 
 
 The Indians listened in amazement. Some 
 laughed, others were frightened. 
 
 But sure enough, when the moon was up high 
 in the heavens, its light began to wane. Darker and 
 darker it grew. The Indians fell prostrate upon the 
 ground, begging Columbus to intercede for them with 
 the angry God. 
 
 Columbus pretended to hesitate, saying that he 
 doubted if God would forgive such awful sins as 
 these. The Indians grew more and more frightened. 
 Provisions were brought from every dwelling, and laid 
 at Columbus's feet. Then the moon began to come 
 out again ; and the panic stricken Indians returned 
 
178 COLUMBUS. 
 
 to their dwellings, promising never to hold back help 
 from the " sky people " again. 
 
 The new governor all this time would not allow 
 Columbus to enter the port, and the old man found 
 himself little better off, and no more held in respect 
 than when under Bobadilla. 
 
 So time passed on. The new governor governed 
 all. And even when, by-and-by, Columbus was allowed 
 to enter port, he was everywhere treated with insult 
 and indignity. 
 
 At last he returned to Spain. He went at once 
 to Seville. Wretchedness followed him there. In 
 utter poverty he appealed to Isabella. But she lay 
 dying, crushed with the griefs and disappointi^pnts 
 of her own sad life. Seeing her friends gathered 
 about her, she said, '' Do not weep for me, nor waste 
 your time in prayers for my recovery. I do not 
 wish to live." 
 
 The death of Isabella was a great blow to 
 Columbus. No one now remained in whom he could 
 
MONUMENT TO COLUMBUS IN GENOA. 
 
180 COLUMBUS. 
 
 trust. Faithfully he told to the cold-hearted Ferdi- 
 nand the story of his last voyage, but not one 
 word of encouragement had the king for his faithful 
 servant. 
 
 A few months longer, spent in the deepest physi- 
 cal agony and the most bitter poverty, and Columbus 
 died. Knowing that death was near at hand he said, 
 " I welcome thee, death ! You free me from the 
 wretchedness of life. And into thy hands, Lord, 
 do I commend my spirit." 
 
 His remains now rest in the cathedral at Havana ; 
 a beautiful monument to his memory stands in Genoa ; 
 and the world is just now beginning to appreciate 
 how good a man for his times he was, and is willing 
 at last to render him the homage that seems so justly 
 his due. 
 
 104 ^ 
 

 
 
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