When the treaty was signed, Isabella endeavoured to make some reparation to Columbus for the time he had lost in fruitless solicitation, by her attention and activity in forwarding the preparations.

By the twelfth of May, all that depended on her was adjusted; and Columbus waited on the king and queen, in order to receive their final instructions. Every thing respecting the destination and conduct of the voyage was committed entirely to his wisdom and prudence. But that they might avoid giving any just cause of offence to the king of Portugal, they strictly enjoined him not to approach near to the Portuguese settlements on the coast of Guinea; nor in any of the other countries, to which they claimed right as discoverers.

The ships of which Columbus was to take the command, were ordered by Isabella to be fitted out in the port of Palos, a small maratime town in the province of Andalusia. The prior Juan Perez, to whom Columbus had been so greatly indebted, resided in the neighbourhood of this place; he, by the influence of that good ecclesiastic, as well as by his own connexion with the inhabitants, not only raised among them what he wanted of the sum that he was bound by treaty to advance, but engaged several of them to accompany him in the voyage. The chief of these associates were three brothers of the name of Pinzon, of considerable wealth, and of great experience in naval affairs, who were willing to hazard their lives and fortunes in the enterprize.

But, notwithstanding all the endeavours and efforts of Isabella and Columbus, the armament was not suitable to the dignity of the nation by which it was equipped, or to the importance of the service for which it was destined. It consisted of three vessels only the largest, a ship of no considerable burden, was commanded by Columbus, as admiral, who gave it the name of Santa Maria, out of respect to the blessed virgin, whom he honoured with singular devotion. Of the second, called La Pinta, Martin Alonzo Pinzon was captain, and his brother Francis, pilot. The third, named La Nigna, was under the command of Vincent Yanez Pinzon; those two were hardly superior in burden and force to large boats. This squadron, if it merits the name, was victualled for twelve months, and had on board ninety men, mostly sailors, together with a few adventurers, who followed the fortune of Columbus, and some gentlemen of Isabella's court, whom she appointed to accompany him. Though the expense of the undertaking was one of the circumstances that chiefly alarmea the court of Spain, and retarded so long the negotiations with Columbus, the sum employed in fitting out this squadron did not exceed four thousand pounds.

The art of ship building in the fifteenth century was extremely rude, and the bulk and construction of vessels were accom

dated to the short and easy voyages along the coast, which they were accustomed to perform. It is a proof of the genius and courage of Columbus, that he ventured with a fleet so unfit for a distant navigation, to explore unknown seas, where he had no chart to guide him, no knowledge of the tides and currents, and no experinence of the dangers to which, in all probability, he would be exposed. His eagerness to accomplish his great design made him overlook every danger and difficulty. He pushed forward the preparations with such ardour, and was so well seconded by Isabella, that every thing was soon in readiness for the voyage.

But as Columbus was deeply impressed with a sense of the superintendence of divine Providence, over the affairs of this life, he would not set out upon his expedition without publicly imploring the protection of heaven. With this view, he, together with all the persons under his command, marched in solemn procession to the monastery of Rabida. After confessing their sins, and obtaining absolution, they received the sacrament from the hands of the Prior, who joined his prayers to theirs for the success of an enterprize which he had so zealously patronized.

Next morning, being the third day of August, in the year of our Lord 1492, the fleet sailed a little before sun rise. A vast crowd of spectators assembled on the shore, and sent up their supplications to heaven for the prosperous issue of their voyage, which they rather hoped than expected.

Columbus steered for the Canary islands, and arrived there without an occurrence worth remarking or that would have been taken notice of on any other occasion. But in this expedition every thing claimed attention. The rudder of La Pinta broke loose the day after they left the harbour; the crew, superstitious and unskilful, considered this as a bad omen. In this short run, the ships were found so crazy, as to be very unfit for a navigation which was expected to be long and dangerous. Columbus repaired them the best in his power; and, after taking in a supply of fresh provisions, at Gomera, he took his departure on the sixth day of September. He immediately left the usual track of navigation, holding his course due west, and stretched into unfrequented seas. The calmness of the weather prevented them from making much progress the first day; but on the second he lost sight of land. The sailors dejected and dismayed at the boldness of the undertaking, beat their breasts, and shed tears, as if they were never again to see the land. Columbus, confident of success, comforted them with assurances of a happy issue of the voyage, and the prospect of vast wealth.

This pusillanimous spirit of the crew, taught Columbus that he should have to struggle with other difficulties besides what was natural for him to expect from the nature of the undertaking.

Fortunately for himself, and for the country which employed him, to an ardent inventive genius," he joined other virtues but rarely united with them: he possessed a perfect knowledge of mankind, an insinuating address, a patient perseverance, in executing any plan, the full and entire government of his own passions, and the art of acquiring the direction of other men's.

These qualities, which eminently formed him for command, were accompanied with that experience and knowledge in his profession, which begets confidence in times of difficulty and danger.

The Spanish sailors accustomed only to coasting voyages in the Mediterranean; the knowledge of Columbus, the fruit of thirty years experience, improved by the inventive skill of the Portuguese, appeared immense.

When they were at sea, he superintended the execution of every order; and allowing himself only a few hours for rest, he was almost constantly on deck. His course lying through seas not formerly visited; the sounding line or quadrant were seldom out of his hands. He attended to the motions of the tides and currents, watched the flights of birds, the appearance of fishes, of sea weeds, and every thing that floated upon the water, entering every occurrence in his journal.

Expecting the length of the voyage would alarm the sailors, Columbus concealed from them the real progress which they made. He employed the artifice of reckoning short, during the whole voyage. The fourteenth of September, the fleet was above two hundred leagues to the west of the Canaries: the greatest distance from land that any Spaniard had been before that time.

But now they were struck with an appearance that was astonishing, because it was new. The magnetic needle did not point exactly to the Polar Star, but varied a degree towards the west; and as they proceeded this variation increased. Although this is now familiar, it still remains one of the mysteries of nature into the cause of which the sagacity of man has not been able to penetrate, and filled the companions of Columbus with terror.

They were now far from the usual course of navigation, nature itself seemed altered, and the only guide they had left, seemed to fail them. Columbus, with admirable presence of mind, invented a plausible reason for this appearance, which had an effect to dispel their fears, or silence their murmurs. He still steered due west, nearly in the latitude of the Canaries. In this direction he came within the course of the trade winds, which blow invariably from east to west.

He advanced before this steady gale with such rapidity, that it was seldom necessary to shift a sail.

About four hundred leagues west of the Canaries the sea was so covered with weeds that it resembled a meadow of vast extent,

and was in some places so thick as to impede the progress of the vessels. This was cause of fresh alarm: the seamen imagined this was the utmost boundary of the ocean; and that these floating weeds concealed dangerous rocks, or a large tract of land, which had sunk in that place. Columbus persuaded them that, instead of alarming, it ought rather to encourage them, to consider it as a sign of approaching land. At the same time a brisk gale sprung up, and carried them forwards. Several birds were seen hovering about the ship, and directing their flight towards the west. The despairing crew resumed some degree of spirit and began to entertain fresh hopes.

Upon the first day of October they were advanced seven hundred and seventy leagues west of the Canaries; but he persuaded his men that he had only proceeded five hundred and eighty four leagues; and, fortunately for Columbus, neither his own pilot, nor those of the other ships could discover the deceit.

Three weeks had now elapsed, and no land appeared, all their prognostics had proved fallacious, and their prospects of success were now as distant as ever. These reflections made strong impressions, at first, on the timid and ignorant, and extended, by degrees, to those who were better informed, or more resolute. The contagion spread, at length, from ship to ship. From secret whispers and murmurings, they proceeded to open cabals and loud complaints.

They charged their sovereign with foolish credulity, in relying on the vain promises and rash conjectures of an indigent foreigner. They affirmed that they had fully performed their duty, by venturing in a hopeless cause, and that they would be justifiable in refusing any longer to follow such a desperate adventurer to certain destruction. They contended that it was high time tothink of returning to Spain, while their crazy vessels were still in a condition to keep the sea, but they feared the attempt would be impracticable, as the wind which hitherto had been favourable in their course, would make it impossible to sail in an opposite direction.

They all agreed that Columbus should be compelled by force to adopt a measure, on which their safety depended. Some were for throwing him overboard, and getting rid of his remonstrances, being persuaded that, upon their return to Spain, his death would excite little concern, and be inquired into with no curiosity. Columbus was not ignorant of his perilous situation; he saw that the disaffection of his crew was ready to burst forth into open mutiny. He affected to seem ignorant of all their designs, and appeared with a cheerful countenance like a man fully satisfied with the progress he had made, and confident of success. Sometimes he endeavoured to work upon their ambition and avarice, by magnificent descriptions of the fame and wealth which

they would in all probability acquire. On other occasions he assumed a tone of authority, and threatened them with vengeance from their sovereign, if by their cowardly behaviour, they should defeat the most noble effort to promote the glory of God, and exalt the Spanish name over every other nation.

The words of a man they were accustomed to obey and reverence, were weighty and persuasive. They not only restrained them from violent excesses, but prevailed with them to accompany their admiral some time longer.

As they advanced in their course, signs of approaching land were frequent. Birds appeared in flocks, and directed their flight toward the south west. In imitation of the Portuguese, who, in their several discoveries, were guided by the motion of birds, Columbus altered his course from due west, to that quarter whither they pursued their flight. Holding on in this direction for several days, but with no better success than formerly, and having seen no land for thirty days, their hopes subsided quicker than they had arisen; their fears revived with additional force; impatience, rage, and despair, were visible in every countenance. All subordination was lost; the officers had hitherto concurred in opinion with Columbus, but now took part with the men; they assembled and mixed threats with expostulations, and required him instantly to tack about, and return to Spain.

Columbus perceived it would be in vain to practise his former arts, or to endeavour to rekindle any zeal for the enterprize in men, in whose breasts fear had extinguished every noble sentiment. It was therefore necessary to soothe passions, which it was impossible to command, and give way to a torrent too impetuous to be checked. He therefore solemnly promised them, if they would continue to obey his commands, and accompany him three days longer, and if during that time. fand were not discovered, he would then abandon the enterprize, and direct his course towards Spain.

that

This proposition did not appear to them unreasonable: enraged as they were, they yielded to the proposition. Columbus saw the presages of approaching land so numerous and certain, that he did not hazard much in confining himself to so short a term. For some days the sounding line reached the bottom, and the soil which it brought up was a strong indication that the land was at no great distance. The land birds which made their ap pearance confirmed their hopes.

The crew of La Pinta observed a cane floating, which seemed to be newly cut, and likewise a piece of timber artificially carved. The sailors on board La Nigna, took up the branch of a tree with red berries, perfec ly fresh. The air was more mild. and warm, and the clouds around the setting sun assumed a new appearance.