Here Columbus lingered two days, getting acquainted 

 with the Indians and seeking information as to gold. He 

 found the Indians very friendly, once they had overcome 

 their shyness. He noted, "they are the best people in the 

 world and beyond all the mildest. . . . They were all stout 

 and valiant, and not feeble like the others whom he had 

 previously found and with very pleasant voices." 



"This land," his Journal recorded, "is very cool and 

 the best that tongue can describe. It is very lofty and on 

 the highest mountain, oxen could plough and all could be 

 made like the plains and valleys. In all Castile there is no 

 land wliich could be compared to this for beauty and fer- 

 tility. . . ." 



When his two ships set out once more, the wind was 

 blowing straight at them from the east, just as we were en- 

 countering it today. But whereas we were able to forge 

 ahead under diesel power at a steady eight knots, the two 

 square-riggers had been forced to tack back and forth all 

 day long without making much progress. 



The sun had now risen ahead of us in blinding splen- 

 dor. The strong northeast wind kept the anemometer 

 between eighteen and twenty-five knots; and as we ap- 

 proached the eastern end of the channel, Sea Diver once 

 more began to pitch and roll. I found a secure seat amid- 

 ships and braced myself against the cabin top. Vital, Bill, 

 and Clayton soon followed me on deck and stretched out 

 on the wide stern seat, eyes closed and pained expressions 

 upon their faces. Captain Weems and Ed were firmly 

 planted in the pilothouse, deep in navigation problems. As 

 the sun rose higher, the heavy mists which enveloped the 

 mountains mingled with the clouds and rolled across the 

 mountaintops. I gazed shoreward across the tossing waters 

 until I could almost see the bellying sails and high poops 

 of the ancient flagship and the slighter, more graceful 

 caravel as they tacked across the wind toward me. 



Search for the Santa Maria 163 



