288 



THE SEA. 



their good fortune as much as they had been before distressed." From the St. Mary 

 a rush was seen to float past, and one of those green fish which are never found far 

 from rocks. Some of the other men noted in the water a branch of a thorn, with 

 red berries, a curiously-carved stick, and other plain indications of being close to land. 

 After the evening prayer, Columbus made a speech to the men, in which "he reminded 

 them of the mercy of God in having brought them so long a voyage with such 

 favourable weather, and in comforting them with so many tokens of a successful issue 

 to their enterprise." As the admiral was in his cabin that night about ten o'clock he 

 believed that he saw a light on shore; he called two of the men, one only of whom 

 could perceive it. It was again seen by the admiral and the sailor, but only for a 

 very brief space of time. "Being now very much on their guard," says the narrative, 



"they still held on their course until about two in the 

 morning of Friday the 12th of October, when the Pinta, 

 which was always far ahead, owing to her superior sailing, 

 made the signal of seeing land, which was first discovered 

 by Roderick de Triana at about two leagues from the ship. 

 But the thirty crowns a year were afterwards granted to 

 the admiral, who had seen the light in the midst of darkness, 

 a type of the spiritual light he was the happy means of 

 spreading in these dark regions of error. Being now so 

 near land, all the ships lay to ; every one thinking it long 

 till daylight, that they might enjoy the sight they had so 

 long and anxiously desired."* 



When daylight arrived, the newly-discovered land was 

 perceived to consist of a flat island, without hills, but well 

 timbered. It was evidently well populated, for the beach 

 was covered with people, who showed every sign of wonder 

 at the sight of the ships, which, says Ferdinand, "they 

 conceived to be some unknown animals." The admiral and his commanders, each in 

 their own boat, with their colours flying, went ashore, where, on arrival, they fell on 

 their knees, and thanked God for his merciful kindness and for their happy discovery 

 of the new land. Columbus then took formal possession of the island in the name of their 

 Catholic majesties. 



And now, these ceremonies concluded, the admiral went off to his fleet, the natives 

 following in canoes, and many indeed swimming off to the vessels. Columbus named 

 the island San Salvador, the title it still bears. As he supposed himself to have landed 

 on an island at the extremity of India, he applied the term Indians to the aborigines 

 he met, and the same has in consequence become general to all the original inhabitants 

 of the New World. The islanders met by Columbus were friendly and gentle, and usually 

 quite nude. They were painted; this they might regard in the light of costume, some, 

 indeed, being coloured from head to foot. They had little or no knowledge of metal 



CARAVELi? OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

 (After an Engraving published in 1583.) 



* They had been seventy days on the passage from Spain. 



