The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (Volume II)

purpose of rescuing the holy sepulchre from the hands of the infidels; council of learned men again convened; who pronounce the scheme vain and impossible; receives a message from the sovereigns; has an audience of the sovereigns: leaves Seville in disgust; forms a connection with Beatrix Enriquez; applies to the duke of Medina Sidonia, who rejects his plan; applies to the duke of Medina Celi, who is prevented from acceding to his plan from a fear of the court; returns to the convent of La Rabida; Alonzo Pinzon offers to pay his expenses in a renewed application to the court; returns at the desire of the queen; witnesses the surrender of Granada to the Spanish arms; negotiation with persons appointed by the sovereigns; his propositions are considered extravagant; are pronounced inadmissible; lower terms are offered him, which he rejects; the negotiation broken off; quits Santa Fé; Luis de St. Angel reasons with the queen; who at last consents; a messenger dispatched to recall Columbus; he returns to Santa Fé; arrangement with the Spanish sovereigns; his son appointed page to prince Juan; he returns to La Rabida; preparations at the Port of Palos, and apprehensions there relative to the expedition; not a vessel can be procured; they are at last furnished; Columbus hoists his flag; sails; prologue to his voyage; an account of the map he had prepared previous to sailing; difficulties begin to arise; arrives at the Canaries; comes in sight of Mount Teneriffe; arrives at Gomera; the news which reached him there; alarm of his sailors on losing all sight of land; begins to keep two reckonings; falls in with part of a mast; notices a variation of the needle; his opinion relative to that phenomenon; they are visited by two birds; terrors of the seamen; sees large patches of weeds; his situation becomes more critical; part of his crew determine, should he refuse to return, to throw him into the sea; false appearance of land; his crew become exceedingly clamorous; the assertion that he capitulated with them disproved; his address to the crew; sees a light; land discovered; the reward for land adjudged to him; lands on the island of St. Salvador; which he takes possession of in the name of the Castilian sovereigns; the surprise of the natives: gold first discovered; reconnoitres the island; takes seven of the inhabitants to teach them Spanish that they might become interpreters; discovers Santa Maria de la Conception; discovers Exuma; discovers Isabella; hears of two islands called Cuba and Bohio: sails in search of the former; discovers it; takes formal possession; sends two Spaniards up the country; coasts along the shore; return of the Spaniards with their report; goes in search of the supposed island of Babeque; discovers an archipelago, to which he gives the name of the King’s Garden; desertion of Alonzo Pinzon; discovers St. Catherine, in which he finds stones veined with gold; specimen of his style in description; reaches what be supposes to be the eastern extremity of Asia; discovers Hispaniola; its transcendent appearance; enters a harbor, to which he gives the name of St. Nicholas; a female brought to him who wore an ornament of gold in her nose; coasts along the shores; is visited by a Cacique; receives a message from Guacanagari; his ship strikes upon a sand-bank in the night; some of his crew desert in a boat; the ship becomes a wreck, and he takes refuge on board a caravel; receives assistance from Guacanagari; transactions with the natives; is invited to the residence of Guacanagari; his affectionate reception of him; his people desire to have permission to remain in the island; he forms the plan of a colony and the design of constructing a fortress; and of returning to Spain for reinforcements; entertained in the most hospitable manner by Guacanagari; who procures for him a great quantity of gold previous to his departure; his address to the people; gives a feast to the chieftains; sails; coasts towards the eastern end of Hispaniola: meets with Pinzon; Pinzon’s apology; account of the Ciguayens; the first native blood shed by the whites; account of the return voyage; encounters violent storms; the crew draw lots who shall perform pilgrimages; two lots fall to the admiral; vows made; commits an account of his voyage in a barrel to the sea; land discovered; which proves to be the Azores; transactions at St. Mary’s; receives supplies and a message from the governor; attempted performance of the vow made