treme perturbation; and though the cause of it suggested by Columbus satisfied them, it did not satisfy himself. As he got still farther west, they were alarmed by finding the sea so covered with weeds as to hinder their sailing. The poor sailors thought they had now come to the very extremity of the ocean, and the presence of mind and persevering spirit of Columbus had again to be exerted to allay their fears and encourage them still to press on. A favorable wind, and the sight of birds, which betokened, as they thought, land not far off, proved the best remedies for their despondency.

In a very short time, however, finding land apparently as far off as ever, and themselves farther from their native shores than ever Spaniard had sailed before, the crew waxed thoroughly mutinous. Some were for throwing Columbus into the sea, and all were bent upon turning their vessels homewards by force, if needful. Still the invincible spirit of their captain, confident of the justness of his views, sustained him. He tried to soothe the irritated and refractory sailors; he tried to tempt them with the prospect of the wealth to be gained on the rich shores before them those of India, as he still believed. He used the authority with which his sovereign had armed him, and threatened them. So quiet was obtained for a few days. But then, after more disappointment, those deceptive birds flying about as if for the sole purpose of tantalizing them, the mutiny, both of officers and men, fairly broke out; and all that Columbus could do was to promise, that if they would but obey him three days longer, he would then, if land were not discovered, do as they wished.

a

He was himself confident, that ere that time the object of his voyage would be accomplished. The sounding line cord with a weight attached, let down into the water to measure its depth-brought up earth, which showed that the sea was shallowing to the shore. Land birds appeared; cut wood, with fresh berries on the branch of a tree, was picked up; the clouds at sunset had a different aspect; a mild, warm breeze played around them all showed that they were at last near land.

So afraid, indeed, was Columbus that they might be driven upon it in the night, that, after prayers on the evening of the 11th of October, he ordered the usual preparations against such an accident to be made. A strict watch was kept, and all remained on deck, looking out eagerly for the first appearance of land.

LXIV. THE SAME, CONCLUDED.

ABOUT ten o'clock, Columbus, who was on the forecastle, thought he saw a light in the distance; and at two o'clock the shout of "Land! land!" was heard from the Pinta, the vessel that always took the lead, and was, therefore, closest in shore. At day dawn, the cheering sight of green and well-watered fields, with waving woods, presented itself; and a devout hymn of thanksgiving was chanted by the toil-worn mariners, who immediately hastened to make reparation to their leader for the wrong their suspicions had done him.

At sunrise the boats were rowed on shore, filled with armed men, with colors flying and music playing, much to the amazement and awe of the simple inhabitants, who had collected to see the strangers. Columbus, sword in hand and richly dressed, was the first who landed. Kneeling down, he kissed the earth, on which he planted the cross, before which all again returned thanks to God, who had safely conducted their path across the great waters. And then the country was, in the usual manner, taken formal possession of, in the name of the Kings of Castile and Leon. The island was named San Salvador. It is one of the Bahamas. The whole face of the country was new and pleasing to the Spaniards, and their first dealings with the natives were conducted so as to gain the confidence of the latter.

The search for gold was one of Columbus's objects. He visited several other of the islands, but was still told by the natives he must sail south for what he sought. This brought

him to Cuba, a more fertile and populous island than any of the others. The beauty and variety of its landscape much delighted him. Finding a navigable stream, he sailed up it. "The beauty of the river," he writes to Ferdinand and Isabella; "the clearness of the water, through which I could see the sandy bottom; the multitude of palm trees of different kinds, the tallest and finest I had seen, and an infinite number of other large and flourishing trees; the birds, and the verdure of the plains, are so wonderfully beautiful, that this country excels all others, as far as the day surpasses the night in splendor. I am so much amazed at the sight of such beauty, that I know not how to describe it." Columbus then, and to his death, believed it was the shores of Asia on which he had landed; and this is why these islands were called the "Indies :" as the "West Indies " they are still known.

On the 6th of December he reached Hayti, which he named "Hispaniola," in honor of his adopted country.* But, while cruising among the islands, his vessel was wrecked ; and having now but one remaining,—the Pinta had parted company some weeks before, and had not since been seen, he determined to plant in this friendly island a little colony of such of his crew as his ship could not accommodate on that voyage homeward to announce his success which he now determined on. The natives were pleased with such an assistance against their own enemies as they fancied they should have in men armed as were the Spaniards, at the very sound of whose guns the poor, ignorant people had fallen to the ground with terror. A fort was constructed, at the building of which the islanders willingly helped. And after giving to those who were to remain in it many injunctions to be peaceable among themselves and friendly to the natives, - - all of which were disregarded when he was gone, Columbus sailed homewards on the 4th of January, 1493. Both his own ship and the Pinta, which now rejoined him, were in a miserably

* Hispaniola means Little Spain; Hispania being the name by which the Romans called Spain.

leaky condition; and when in the very midst of the Atlantic, he was overtaken by so terrible a storm as left them no hope of escape.

All was done that the naval skill of those days rendered possible; and then the poor sailors betook themselves to their prayers, expecting every moment to go to the bottom. Amid this danger, and while oppressed with thinking of the number of lives about to be sacrificed, in some sort through him, and with the recollection of his children, whom he had left friendless in a strange land, Columbus had yet presence of mind to resolve that his discoveries should not die with him. He went into his cabin, and writing an account of them on parchment, with the promise of a large reward, on the part of the King of Spain, to whomsoever should deliver it safely to him, he wrapped it in wax cloth and enclosed it in a cask, which he threw into the sea. A similar cask was prepared, and placed on the highest part of the ship, in the hope that one or other of them might float on shore. Happily, the storm abated, and he was able to be the bearer of his own news, arriving, after various other misadventures, at the port of Palos, whence he had sailed, a little more than seven months after leaving it.

He was received amid the ringing of bells and firing of cannon; and again the multitude repaired to church, to give thanks with him for the happy issue of the voyage, for whose success they had before prayed. The king and queen welcomed him with unusual honors; they rose to greet him, raised him as he knelt, and commanded him to be seated while he narrated to them the wonders of his seven months' absence. Rich gifts were bestowed upon him and his family; and, to his great joy, another and more suitable squadron was ordered to be equipped, to enable him to prosecute his discoveries in the western seas.

Seventeen ships sailed under his command from the Bay of Cadiz on the 25th of September that same year, 1493; and the fruits of this voyage were the discovery of more of the West Indian islands, among which was that of Jamaica. He

had to encounter many troubles on this expedition, and through them was induced to treat the natives less kindly than he had formerly done. While at home, his enemies great men often have them. did him so much injury at court, that he was obliged to return to defend himself. He succeeded in doing so at first. But while on a third voyage, undertaken in 1498, - and during which he discovered the continent of America, in addition to more islands, — his malicious persecutors gained such credence as actually to induce Ferdinand, not only to appoint another officer in his place, but to order Columbus to be brought home in chains. The command was executed with willing harshness. It was submitted to with dignified firmness. Though, when an inferior officer on shipboard respectfully offered to remove his fetters, the just indignation of Columbus broke out. "No," said he; "I wear these chains by order of my sovereigns. By their command I have been confined, and their command alone shall release me."

It was a shameful proceeding. Ferdinand and Isabella felt it so, after they had been guilty of it. They commanded him to be set at liberty as soon as he was on shore, and to have the means furnished him of appearing at court. He knelt before them, and for some time silence was the only expression of his strong emotion. When he found words, it was eloquently to defend himself against the unjust accusations upon which he had already been degraded and punished. But the minds of the joint sovereigns had been too completely poisoned to render full justice to the injured man. Some slight reparation was made, but the promised reward of his labors was withheld, and Columbus keenly felt the injuries inflicted upon him. Still, insulted and wronged as he had been, in 1502 he undertook a fourth voyage, in which he discovered that part of America bordering on the Gulf of Darien, where he had hoped to find a passage through into the Pacific. Such misfortunes befell him here, that he named it the "Coast of Vexation." Storms, mutinies, and other disasters attended him home to Spain. There he found his best friend, Queen Isabella, dead.