LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 361 



ceived an invitation to attend court, with a present 

 of about '200, wherewith to bear his travelling expenses, 

 improve his dress, and provide himself a mule for the 

 journey. All this was done promptly, and Columbus 

 appeared before Ferdinand and Isabella. His proposals 

 were heard with attention, but his terms being consider- 

 ed unsatisfactory and he refusing any concession of what 

 he considered his dignity, the interview ended with dis- 

 gust upon his part, and he immediately turned his back 

 upon the court, once more determined to abandon it for- 

 ever. He had gone about two leagues from Granada, when 

 he was overtaken and summoned back by a courier of 

 the queen, who, upon better reflection and at the instance 

 of a warm patron of Columbus, had determined in his fa- 

 vor. An arrangement was now readily effected, execu- 

 ted April 17, 1492, by which Columbus and his suc- 

 cessors forever were to hold the office of Admiral in the 

 countries to be discovered ; should reserve to himself a 

 tenth part of the wealth ; and might contribute an eighth 

 of the expense of outfits. An order was issued for 

 the preparation of two vessels at Palos ; and for that 

 port, the weary but successful adventurer, now in the fifty- 

 sixth year of his age, once more started on the ensuing 

 sixteenth of May. 



Nearly three months were consumed in preparing the 

 expedition now determined on, owing in a large deirree to 

 its unpopularity ; nor was it until early in the morning of 

 August ^d, that Columbus set sail, after solemn religious 

 ceremonies, with his three small vessels, and 120 men- 

 He had drawn an improved map of the world, in which 

 Japan, the Cipango of Marco Polo, was nearly in the 

 real situation of Florida. The first land made by the 

 little squadron was the Canary Islands, where various 

 circumstances detained them over three weeks. Other 

 difficulties awaited him in the fears of his crew, many of 

 the most rugged of whom broke into loud lamentations 

 upon losing sight of the islands, and launching forth in- 

 to an unknown ocean. Others became mutinous after 

 the voyage had continued some weeks. But Columbus 

 was not to to be turned from his purpose. He kept a se- 

 rene countenance on all occasions ; and soothed, stimu- 



